This week’s Torah portion is Vayechi, or Genesis 47:28-50:26. It is the last part of the Joseph saga (For my thoughts on two other parshot relating to Joseph, see Mikeitz and Vayigash). While there is much that could be said,… Read More ›
Contraception
Pro-Choice and Christian: Reconciling Faith, Politics, and Justice BOOK REVIEW by Katie M. Deaver
In 2015 Kira Schlesinger wrote piece for Ministry Matters about how her own pro-choice stance on abortion had become more complicated the more she explored the issue of abortion. The article was widely read and shared, as well as hotly… Read More ›
The Intersections of Faith and Reproductive Justice by Katey Zeh
Last week I participated in a panel discussion hosted by the Center for American Progress (CAP) on the intersections of faith and reproductive justice. These conversations are critically important, particularly in these political times when threats to our bodily autonomy… Read More ›
What Will the Faith Response to Zika Be? by Katey Zeh
In the face of the Zika epidemic the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new recommendations for individuals at risk of contracting the virus either through mosquito bites or through sexual contact with an infected person. If someone has traveled… Read More ›
Artemis As Artemisia: Ancient Female Spirituality & Modern Medicine by Stuart Dean
The 2015 Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded in part to a Chinese woman (Tu) for her identification and isolation to treat malaria of a chemical known as Artemisinin. The name of that chemical derives from the fact that it… Read More ›
If You Don’t Believe Women Are Fully Human, Can You Be a Great Pope? by Carol P. Christ
In recent weeks I have felt compelled to respond to a series of “Great Pope” photos and stories praising Pope Francis for his stands on poverty and climate change appearing on my facebook page. In every case I added something… Read More ›
The Religiosity of Silence by John Erickson
In a repetitive culture of abuse and silence, is it really shocking to find out that an individual who preached such hate and discontent for others actually perpetuated other forms of heinous abuse against others?
What is the F-word Anyway? by Kile Jones
Social justice. Progressive politics. Improper media depictions. What exactly is the F-word (feminism) about? I have always understood feminism as a project that casts a very wide net, the goals and values of which can keep quite a few people… Read More ›
Fannie Lou Hamer’s Commitment to Life by Elise M. Edwards
A few weeks ago, I came across a postcard that I was given at a conference last year. I got the postcard (advertisement?) because it has a picture of Fannie Lou Hamer on it, and in my home and office,… Read More ›
Contraception, Christianity & Law by Stuart Dean
Notwithstanding the widespread belief that contraception is not consistent with the principles of Christianity, there is no basis for it. On the contrary, contraception was closely associated with early Christianity. Matthew 19:12 is the only passage quoting Christ that is… Read More ›
Hobby Lobby, Not Invited at the Spiritual Negotiating Table by Qumyka Rasheeda Howell
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said it best when she quoted Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania vs. Casey court case expressing her dissent on the Hobby Lobby decision made on Monday, June 30, 2014. “The ability of women to… Read More ›
On the Transmission of Life by Natalie Weaver
Among the more controversial Roman Catholic documents is Humanae Vitae, the 1968 encyclical of Pope Paul VI on birth control. This encyclical famously instructs against the use of artificial contraception methods in the regulation of birth. This position is based… Read More ›
What About Contraception in Pope Francis’s Promise to the Poor? by Dawn DiPrince
Pope Francis, at nearly every opportunity – including the choice of his name, has symbolically expressed a commitment to the poor. In just a little over a month, he has declined the customary gold papal cross, the ermine-trimmed red velvet… Read More ›
Standing in Cautious Optimism with the Election of the First Jesuit Pope by Michele Stopera Freyhauf
From the time Benedict’s successor was revealed, I believed that we were witnessing something different – hopefully change. Pope Francis I embraces many “firsts” – which is probably why the Cardinals chose him. Change and reconciliation seem to be at… Read More ›
A Pro-Science, Skeptical Woman Speaks by Kile Jones
In my last post, “Feminism and Religion: Where Do I stand?” I talked about how I support an atheistic, secular, and liberal feminism that criticizes organized religion and certain religious beliefs. After reading the comments and responding to them, I… Read More ›
Bringing African American Churches into Reproductive Justice by Mariam Williams
I don’t expect to hear anything in church about the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade during the month of January, the month marking 40 years since the U.S. Supreme Court made the decision to legalize abortion in this country…. Read More ›
Blessed Are The Organized, by Amy Levin
It was a humid yet windy day in Broward County, South Florida. My long pants and sleeves were becoming hostile towards me as I proceeded to slip off my shoes, don my borrowed headscarf, and set up shop just outside… Read More ›
The Dignified Life of Magdalene Rose: A Pro-Life Story? by Michele Stopera Freyhauf
As I enter this world, I know that I am so very blessed. My life will be one of worth. As hard as people fought to see me take my first breath, they will fight for my life to be… Read More ›
IN THE NEWS: Health Care, Contraception, and Religion
A case brought forth by a mining company challenging the required coverage of contraception without a copay by employer health care plans was dismissed Friday in a Missouri court. The mining company argued that the requirement was conflicting with its… Read More ›
Lucy Burns, A Look at a Catholic American Suffragette by Michele Stopera Freyhauf
As we approach the election period infused with controversy, saturated by television commercials, as well as endless advertisements on the radio, Internet, and yes, even Facebook, we must remember the sacrifices made by our foremothers during the suffrage movement, which… Read More ›
Is the Republican Party Platform Truly Pro-Life? by Michele Stopera Freyhauf
As many feminists invest their life fighting for women’s rights to be the center of attention – no one could predict the occurrences of this election year. In my previous post “Rape is Not a Political Platform – Rape is a… Read More ›
Abuse of Power in the Catholic Church Part II – WE are the Church! By Michele Stopera Freyhauf
Spiritual Power is arguably the most dangerous power of all. In the wrong hands, it gives the power to make judgments even about the eternal fate of another person. It needs a sign on it at all times saying, ‘Handle… Read More ›
The Crime of Being a Girl Scout: The Sin of Raising Strong Female Leaders by Michele Stopera Freyhauf
Cradle Catholic and Woman Educated by the U. S. Vowed Religious Support the U. S. Catholic Sisters Support, Minister, and Live the Social Gospel Theologian, Feminist, and Critical Thinker Former Girl Scout Leader of Three Troops Former Girl Scout I… Read More ›
Is Baptism a Male Birthing Ritual? By Michele Stopera Freyhauf
Quite a number of years ago I had a conversation with one of my professors, a feminist theologian, who posed the question “Why do I need a man to purify my baby with the waters of baptism? Is there something… Read More ›
Get Your Laws off my Body! by Elise Edwards
After considering Virginia’s Transvaginal Utrasound Bill in light of the womanist critique, I wonder if religiously-motivated lawmakers considered that they alone do not have access to God’s intentions, but that the divine spirit is operative in a pregnant woman as… Read More ›
Catholicism, Contraception, and Conscience: Church Imposed Teaching, God’s Gift of Free Will, and Political Rhetoric by Michele Stopera Freyhauf
Certainly one cannot turn on the news without seeing a story about the feud over the Catholic Church’s stance on forbidding the use of contraception and Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that mandates free contraception to women. … Read More ›
The Rhetoric of Freedom of Religion in the Debate about Contraception Coverage By Elise M. Edwards
Does freedom of religion include the right to impose your religious views on your employees? Should freedom of religion exempt you from financially contributing to a medical benefit for your employees that you consider sinful? According to an Associated Baptist… Read More ›
Taking my body back from… the pill? A call for more of “her stories” about contraception By Sara Frykenberg
I recently made what felt like a very big decision in my life to stop taking the birth control pill… not to try to get pregnant mind you, though some of those I told incorrectly read this as the subtext… Read More ›
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