Language is powerful, and so, when we find ourselves with enemies, we use their own language against them. Oppressive people do this to me often. They tell me I must tolerate their hateful, abusive religious beliefs. They tell me that speaking out against their slurs is taking away their free speech. They say I must coexist by remaining friends with people who actively work to take away the rights of my other friends. They call me a bad pacifist when I get angry (even if I... Read more
Today, I checked my phone compulsively for tweets from Connor Park and Dianna Anderson, who were updating the Twitter world on the status of the Church of England’s synod on whether or not to ordain women bishops. Today, I thought that there was no way women could lose this battle. No way. But I was wrong. Today, I sat in the student union, and a couple of men (who I can only describe as “dudebros”) sat down near me. As I received... Read more
My friend Travis Mamone has a new ebook out. It’s called In Praise of the Doubting Thomas, and I recommend it. It’s short, and I finished it in under two hours, but it’s also thought-provoking and affirming. Travis, in his honest, conversational writing style, tells the story of his faith journey–how he made peace with his doubts without giving up on his faith. Travis’s faith journey reminds me of my own (and, indeed, since we’ve been reading each other’s blogs for a... Read more
Almost exactly one year ago, I read an article on Relevant Magazine that made me realize that I had absolutely no personal convictions to remain abstinent. I had grown up in the dead-center of the purity movement. I’d worn the silver rings, made the pledges, condescended to the teenage mothers, read the Joshua Harris books, and all the other lovely rituals that seem to be involved in that movement. However, after an abusive partner coerced me into sex and eventually... Read more
It is more than acceptable in our society to quote one of the founding fathers to prove a point. I see liberals and conservatives do this alike, and, even though I rarely quote these men, I am not necessarily going to criticize those who do (so if you’re going to skip straight to the comments and argue with me about why it’s okay to quote the founding fathers, save it). But many of our founding fathers were racists and slave-owners.... Read more
From bell hooks’ book, All About Love: New Visions: Religious fundamentalism is often represented as authentic spiritual practice and given a level of mass media exposure that countercultural religious thought and practice never receive. Usually, fundamentalists, be they Christian, Muslim, or any faith, shape and interpret religious thought to make it conform to and legitimize a conservative status quo. Fundamentalist thinkers use religion to justify supporting imperialism, militarism, sexism, racism, homophobia. They deny the unifying message of love that is at... Read more
I’ve been reading bell hook’s book All About Love: New Visions. In it, she stresses the importance of defining love so that we can’t be controlled by abusive people who claim to love us. She borrows her definition of love from M. Scott Peck: “the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth…Love is as love does. Love is an act of will–namely, both an intention and an action.” hooks later discusses our culture’s reluctance... Read more
What if I told you a story about a Muslim girl from the Middle East? She is dating a man. They’re probably going to get married. She doesn’t really want this to happen but she’s afraid to leave him. Besides, she’s given him her virginity (well, he took it, anyway) so she’s now damaged goods. “No other man could ever want you,” he tells her. Every day. And she believes him because her religious leaders have always taught her the... Read more
Telling me that I’m not like most women–I’m more logical, rational, calm, unemotional, etc–is not a compliment. It’s an insult to my gender and my sex. You’re telling me my good qualities are an anomaly based on who I am. You’re asking me to dismember myself. To separate my intelligence from the rest of me. From my gender identity and from my vagina. That my brain and my boobs and my femininity are a paradox. I see through you. I... Read more
bell hooks states in her book Feminist Theory, From Margin to Center: One aspect of sexual norms that many people find oppressive is the assumption that one “should” be engaged in sexual activity. This “should” is one expression of sexual coercion…When…emphasis is placed on ending sexual oppression…it is possible to envision a society in which it is as much of an expression of sexual freedom to choose not to participate in sexual activity as it is to choose to participate. Having... Read more
Sarah Over the Moon
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