Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and even Buddhism have historically contributed to bolstering misogyny. I often wonder how and when in human evolution women were oppressed to chattle and slave like status. I have read many feminist scholars, historians and anthropologists on the topic and most agree that the ubiquitous oppression of women in cultures has not always been the case and furthermore, there were cultures and religions in some areas in the world that revered women as equal in power to men. Nevertheless, I am alway intrigued when someone speaks out within their faith to prescribe ways to overcome these paradigms. Below is a nice Blog post from ANN VOSKAMP on that topic from a Judeo-Christian perspective.
Why Now is the Time: 7 Ways to Teach Our Sons, Our Churches, Our Communities to Respect Women #EndMisogyny
It happened the day after that guy in a white van ran down all those women.
It happened that one of our boys comes home from a Christian leadership gathering, and tells me quiet that one of the guys had piped up in one of the groups to say that, “Yeah, my dad says men are a whole lot more reasonable than women. Women aren’t rational really — just emotional.”
“Yeah? One of the guys said that?” We’re washing dishes, and I look up from the sink.
Sometimes speaking on behalf of others means letting their pain split your heart in half.
“I kinda waited for someone to say something?” he stands at the end of the counter, his ball cap pulled low. “One leader had talked about women being the weaker vessel, and another had talked about men needing women to support them? But — nobody in that church leadership group said anything at all after the comment about men being more reasonable than women and women being emotional and not rational.”
“Yeah?” I drain the water from the sink. Everything in life is about the art of lingering and listening. I don’t rush the boy. Just lean in and listen to what’s going on inside of him — let him find his words and his way.
“Why didn’t I say anything, Mom?”
He’s kinda choking on his words, blinking it back. And I nod.
I know — how I know.
“Why did I — just sit there silent?”
Sometimes speaking on behalf of others means letting their pain split your heart in half.
“What — do you wish you had said?” The things we wish we’d said — can still be said if we wish enough for them still to be said.
The boy searches for words and we can’t stop searching for a way forward.
* * * * * * *
“So — was it terrorism of some sort?” One of our sons asks as he passes the pork chops down the table that night. I mean, the kid has a point — yet another vehicle was used as a weapon against civilians. This looked like an ISIS-inspired attack — minus the ISIS ideology?
None of us would know till the next morning’s news, that Alek Minassian drove a white van into a crowd of pedestrians in downtown Toronto on a late April day, because he wanted to kill a certain people group: women.
“Isn’t it always terrorism when a particular people group are targeted, to make a particular statement — or is there more?” The lanky kid at the end of the table jockeys into the conversation.
Women aren’t made as an object for man’s purposes. A woman is made in the image of God— for God’s purposes.
What Alek Minassian did — was hit the gas pedal, and speed toward 45-year-old Beutis, who had just finished her first day of a new job as a teacher. And he ran down SoHe who was only 22 and a Toronto university studying molecular biology and he aimed the steering wheel at Betty and accelerated — Betty whose mother had long ago named her Mary Elizabeth — and who was revelling in one of the first warm April days in her 95th — and last — spring on this spinning orb.
Alek Minassian struck down 8 women, 2 men — and injured 16 others — because, as he railed on Facebook just hours before his attack: Let the “incel rebellion” begin. The rebellion of the “incels” — short for “involuntarily celibates.”
Alek Minassian had taken out women — because women had not let Alek take any of them.
Alek Minassian had decided if women would deny him of his supposed right to their bodies — he would deny them of their supposed right to life.
Maybe….. Whenever men mount daily wars on women, is where misogynists can become terrorists.
A daughter at the table says it quietly, head over her dinner, “Women aren’t made as an object for man’s purposes. A woman is made in the image of God— for God’s purposes.”
Her brother passes the water down to her. And she turns and passes him down the bread.
* * * * * * *
I can tell you where I was standing in the kitchen afterward, when I read the confused message from a teacher.
About what a young boy in his class had said to a cluster of girls, how he referred to the girls’ private body parts and what he wanted to do them, in such horrifyingly derogatory terms that this seasoned teacher could not even repeat it — and was at a rare loss as how to handle or move forward — beyond an immediate suspension.
Why is there a normalization of the devaluation of women? Why is sexism an acceptable part of systems?
The week before, it had surfaced that this same young boy had showed a handful of little girls the screen of his computer — that was lit up with the photographs of nude women. Like his father scrolls through nightly.
And the teacher asks, “What can we do?” How do we search for a way forward? And I reach for a cloth to wipe off the counters, like there’s a way to clean the slate, to begin again, because:
Why is there a normalization of the devaluation of women?
Why is sexism an acceptable part of systems?
Why have we too often translated differences between men and women, as valuing their worth, their potential, their callings differently?
How in the name of all things right and good did we get to this wrong place, and how does every parent look at their sons and daughters and write a different narrative?
The boy looks me in the eye before he calls it a day and heads to bed:
“Hey Mom? I know what I really wish I had done when they were saying women aren’t rational or reasonable, just emotional. I wish — I had opened my Bible — and just read what the whole Word of God says?” I watch his eyes.
How did a group of young men walk out of the doors of a church, walk out of a Christian leadership group, with the unchallenged message that women, for all their glorious God-given differences, aren’t rational or reasonable?
“Wish I’d said that Miriam was a leader and a prophet, and Deborah was a judge, and Huldah was a prophetwho spoke to kings. Wish I had pointed out that Esther was the one chosen to save God’s people, and that the first evangelists were women, and Mary Magedelene was the “first apostle to the apostles”, and Philip’s four daughters were all prophetesses, and in the last days, God will pour out His Spirit and young men and women will prophesy.” He’s said his whole thing — and his eyes don’t leave mine.
Sometimes — to have the courage to speak justice is the courage to speak the heart of God out loud.
Sometimes — to have the courage to speak justice is the courage to speak the heart of God out loud.
“I just think,” he says it certain, like he’s finding his voice, God’s heartbeat. “Whenever God’s people speak of women — don’t they need to speak of the whole of how God works with women?”
And I nod — and we will love all always and live given always, no matter what is said or not said, — and always now is the time to speak the whole truth about the deep worth of God’s daughters.
Because if we don’t do it now, not only are we failing to advocate for the worth of our daughters, we are failing to believe in the work of our sons.
I keep nodding at our boy, becauses now is the time to teach our sons, our boys, our communities that:
1. Real Men have the work of not allowing any wants to trump the worth of any woman.
2. Real Men don’t make concessions for women’s gifts — they make real space to celebrate every woman’s gift.
Real Men — regardless of differences between men and women — make equal space for both men and women to grow and flourish in the body of Christ — otherwise they know that the whole body of Christ withers.
3. Real Men don’t fear supporting the gifts God supports in women — but rather fear supporting any misogynistic status quo.
4. Real Men know: When women are objectified, the tragedy is not only that women lose their dignity — but men lose their humanity.
Real Men know: When women are objectified, the tragedy is not only that women lose their dignity — but men lose their humanity.
Real Men know: When any culture treats a woman’s body as a product for male consumers — then it’s the male’s humanity that gets consumed.
5. Real Men know: When you privately think that women are somehow less than —that will eventually manifest itself publicly as more than just a thought.
6. Real Men balk at stereotypes and walk like a type of Christ. In the strength of humility and vulnerability and generosity.
7. Real Men nurture the callings of women — otherwise they can’t be called real men.Ask Jesus — the truest, realest God-Man — who did exactly that.
And that boy of mine, he steps closer, towers over me, pulls me into a long hug, and whispers it like a benediction. “Love you, Mama. Grateful for the women who raise the men — who are grateful for women.” And he grins.
And I nod because this is what we all get to do — write a better story, the whole God-story, for all of us. Because: When we dismiss anybody within the church — we miss out on having any influence in the world.
Long after our boy’s gone to bed — I stand there, in a house full of sons and daughters — stand there, in a world where women were made to fill half the cosmos with glory, and all I can hear is the clock at the top of the stairs —
and feel the urgency of now.
created equal in the eyes of God – that enemy is despotism.
related to other Greek words like 
More specifically, the term often applies to a head of state or government. In this sense, it is similar to the pejorative connotations that are associated with the terms 
hate, and loss of connection to our humanity. This is a despot.
The human dynamic of large groups of people giving in to the all too human desperate need to belong and follow a powerful despot who makes false promises and feeds on fears and desperation…this is the enemy…this is the terrorist organization.
personal believes and agendas over the power to the people in a truly representative government and finally 7) the fear of terrorism can cause all of us to follow a few wannabe despots to ignore our humanity and lash out against and reject the Syrian, Afghani, Iraqi, or Central American refugees or the masses of immigrants trying to flee the horrible despots of the world.
Obadiah Harris is the founder and president of the University of Philosophical Research. Harris has a long and storied career in both mainstream academia and the American metaphysical culture. He holds a Ph.D. in education administration and supervision from the University of Michigan and an MA in education from Arizona State University, where he was an associate professor of education and director of community education.
In the final analysis, the hope of every person is simply peace of mind. Behind all our endeavors lies the desire to be happy, to feel content, relaxed, and at ease. No one wants to be in pain or to suffer unnecessarily. This is our true bottom line. We may think we are seeking some external goal, but we are seeking it in the hope that, in one way or another, we’ll feel better for it.
The word identity refers to how we all come to know ourselves and who we are like. It can drive our beliefs, our thoughts, and how we act. Us humans, we are group creatures and finding our place in the pack is a natural human experience. We receive our identity from others, from the expectations of friends and colleagues, from the labels society puts upon us, from our neighbors, our co-workers, even our game avatars. Psychologists tell us that around two years old, we start to understanding that we are separate creatures from those holding us, feeding us, clothing us, changing our messy diapers. Before that, if all goes well, we gaze into our mother’s loving eyes and we feel connected through love. We are not really aware that we are different from our caretakers or even that we have choices or thoughts that can be different. So it is our family that starts us on our identity journey.
But then others join the party and soon we find ourselves trying to decide if we are geeks or jocks. are we emos or the totes best Katy Perry fans ever. Are we awesome enough gamers or YouTubers with the most likes. Are we one of the cool girls or bad boys. Which lego master builder are you. (I am soooo Unikitty by the way)
hose of us who live in Texas have that whole Texas pride thing mixed in with tribal A&M vs UT-ers (we won’t even mention OU). Austinites are proud to be weird, East Texan’s are tough straight shooters (no seriously be careful no trespassing) and the French as I understand it are the only real foodies of the world. We wrestle with who we are and who we want to be right next to the people in our pack who are also doing the same thing all the time
Baptism is a ritual in the Christian faith that offers us the choice to receive a new identity, one that lies in love and faith. In the Christian faith, once a person chooses to be baptized they no longer allow others to tell them who they are. They find their identity in Jesus Christ. No matter your faith or belief systems and no matter what you may or may not know about Jesus, most know that Jesus taught us to love one another as we love ourselves. He also taught us that we are all the beloved of God – loved unconditionally. Love, kindness, mercy, compassion, self sacrifice to give and serve others in need, doing the right thing instead of the selfish thing. Living in right relationship with our family, our friends, our neighbors, our community and all of God’s creations – these are all the traits that this identity in Christ is all about. Baptism celebrates becoming that new person.
The ritual of baptism starts with renouncing our normal human ways of selfishness, cruelty, aggression and even getting caught up with evil powers of the world of violence, prejudice, oppression, and cruelty. The baptized pledges their loyalty to the ways of love, mercy, compassion, kindness, reconciliation, honesty, openness, and unconditional acceptance and love of others in all their difference. Even the ones that hurt us or are our enemies.
and teachers, neighbors and service professionals, bosses and co-workers, other people in the grocery store or at the park. We all our connected and it takes us all caring and loving each other. We all have an impact on each other in ways we may never know. So if we are witness to and part of a community of one who is baptized, know this. We are all love by God unconditionally and are welcome to the blessings of Gods grace. Now it is time to support each other, to love each other as God loves us. Forgive and reconcile. Confront and compromise. Tolerate and even accept difference. Live in peace and be involved in each others life!!! And accept the invitation to join the newly baptized in the journey to a community in love and compassion.
in the wealthiest nation. People divorce over such changes, children get uprooted and move to new communities and schools, some people even have health problems or end up in mental health hospitals due to suicidal thoughts or they don’t get help and end thier lives. Our modern farms, market places in the empire, hunting fields, or tribal warfare over life giving resources is still as volatile as it has been since the stone, bronze, iron and golden ages. I am very aware that the silicon age is vastly different and the state of human existence quite easy in comparison. But on an individual level, life is still a struggle. One thing that never changes is change itself. And as the following article explains, God’s role in our lives. “Fear not” and “this is God’s plan for you” appears everywhere in bible stories..old and new. God closes doors only to open others and invite us in to continue an adventure to serve His plan.
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