In the News – Page 8 – Feminism and Religion

TRUMP AS MESSIAH by Esther Nelson

Once upon a time long, long ago, I identified as an evangelical Christian. The term “evangelical” has evolved over time, however, evangelicals can probably be found in every branch of Protestant Christianity. Wherever you find them, they emphasize the authority/ inerrancy of the Bible, a “born-again” experience into the Kingdom of God, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Generally, evangelicals are socially conservative and rarely does their thinking go beyond the borders of their insulated theology.

It comes as no surprise to me that many (most?) evangelicals embrace Trump with a fervor akin to their enthusiasm for Jesus. Trump supporters, especially those who identify with the Religious Right may love Jesus, but Jesus is not the Messiah they yearn for.

Paradigm Shifts: Playing the long game

You’re probably tired of hearing it… We live in a time of major change. But hardly anyone acknowledges that change doesn’t happen overnight.

In anthropology and ritual studies, the state of change between the old and the new, is called liminal or threshold space. It is the in-between time. I believe we are living in such a time now. Our familiar frames of reference are crumbling, yet there are no clear new ones in place yet.

In this post I reflect on a few aspects of this long-dance with the unknown.

Activate your Body to Navigate Overwhelm

We live in a time of radical change, in a steam cooker of accelerated alchemy. No wonder most of us struggle with chronic overwhelm.

Beliefs, habits, thought patterns and organisational structures don’t change overnight, and we need ways to boost our resilience in the long arc of paradigm shifts. How can we look after ourselves during this personal and collective dance of change?

In this post I reflect on the connection between movement and health, breathing, and the role of our nervous system. I propose 5 simple steps to minimise and transform overwhelm when it happens.

Dear Taylor Swift by Marie Cartier

Taylor Swift – Speak Now World Tour Sydney

February 5, 2024

Dear Taylor Swift-

Am I completely lost? I haven’t listened to your music –I mean NOT REALLY listened to it…that I totally know of–and now I see on the Grammys that you have won more best albums than anyone in history- can I be excused because I’m a writer?

I think you seem like a kick ass take no bullshit kind of woman, which I like… being one myself…but so are a lot of women in the music industry—which I am not…but listen, if you get far enough to have won the most best album Grammys of anyone ever then—girl you had to be kicking some serious ass…and…well…you had to be…we’ll talk about that. I mean, Beyonce.

I mean I am so excited for your relationship – with the NFL player—Travis Kelce…again, I don’t watch football but I am on social media, I mean I’m not hopeless…I’m just as I said, a writer…and I’m happy for you and I think the bubbas who hate that you show up at football should take a back seat or no seat at all because hey! It looks like you are saving football by showing up as your diva self and… you know…you go girl!

Patriarchy as Primer of Cruelty by Janet Maika’i Rudolph

This was a hard post to write. When I write about my personal trauma, it is not only healing for me but adds to the canon of stories of other women that help all of us navigate trauma. That makes it easier. When writing about the trauma of women in a whole culture, I feel a sense of helplessness, especially here in the United States. We are all experiencing a group trauma and it is digging in deep.

January 5, 2024, will live in the Patriarchal Hall of Infamy. On this date the Supremes agreed to allow the rapist, misogynist, trying-to-be-dictator former President an opportunity to have his rights heard. But this same date, the Supremes also told we women that our lives are insignificant. No that’s not right, less than insignificant, a mere distraction to what they consider to be more important issues. They allowed an Idaho abortion law to go into effect that doesn’t allow an abortion even in the case of a medical emergency when a pregnant woman in life-threatening distress has been rushed to the emergency room. The split screen exhibits patriarchy for what it is. I want to use the word, “culmination” but that means the height. I don’t think we’ve reached a culmination because there seems no end to the cruelty that patriarchy seeks to inflict.

Keeping an Open Heart: My Ode to Father Ted by Janet Maika’i Rudolph

***Trigger Warning: Discussion includes sexual violence***

Father Ted and his friends helped me move in 1978. I have a bandanna on my head and Father Ted is behind me.

In early 1977 when I was 21 years old, I was followed into a building and attacked with a knife. I was raped. It is hard to express the rent in your soul when something like that happens. And yet it is a common trauma in our patriarchal world, used as a weapon of war and, in general, to control women’s bodies. When I think of Israeli women being raped even as they were murdered, I don’t even know how to process that level of evil. As for myself, I was an easy mark as victim because I had been groomed to be meek by childhood abuse.

The Dying Throes of Patriarchy in the House of the United States by Caryn MacGrandle

Women all nationalities stand with their proud heads speaking out against patriarchy struggle for empowerment.

The other day I wrote on the Mother Well feed section of my app my disappointment about the new House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Mike has proposed and supported bigoted and racist filled legislation. He is against same sex marriage, abortions and even was accused of making changes to legislation to allow clergy to refuse to perform marriage for interracial couples.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Yes, this is 2023.

War, War and More War – Can Goddess Wisdom Offer a Path to Peace? by Judith Shaw

Branwen, Celtic Goddess painting my Judith Shaw

I was on my way home from a wonderful morning spent with my son when I heard the news of the horrific attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens. We had risen early to witness the mass ascension of balloons at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, joining tens of thousands of people from around the world. For 10 days, a diverse crowd gathers on a vast field, experiencing childlike wonder as they watch brightly colored balloons ascend into the early morning sky. It was a joyful morning.

But then, after all that wonder, the car radio delivered the shocking news of the Hamas attack. My joy was shattered.

Snapshots from the Parliament of World Religions by Janet Maika’i Rudolph

The Parliament of World Religions ran from Aug 14^th to the 18^thin Chicago. I returned with my head spinning having met new people, connected with inspiring beliefs, discussed fascinating ideas, watched meaningful performances, engaged in sacred play, danced, sang, cried, ate, and mostly experienced . . . just experienced. It is still overwhelming to sort out individual experiences. I am going to write up a few of my impressions, snapshot style. They scratch the surface, not only of my individual experience but of the Parliament in general where upwards of 7,000 people attended. It was incredible

Setting the tableau: As I was going down the escalator, a woman was followed by 2 groups were heading up. The woman was beautiful and young in full Mayan dress with white blouse, long orange skirt along with headdress and belt with Mayan symbols. Her thick dark hair was flowing down her back.

She was followed by five Sikh men who were dressed head to foot in white. Their heads and hair were covered by white turbans.

They were followed by two Buddhist nuns dressed in grey robes carrying beads. Their heads were shaved.

Such scenes were common.

Who Gets to Define What it Means to be Pro-Life? by Janet Maika’i Rudolph

The sky and sun on June 7th in the afternoon on Long Island.

Today I am coughing and choking here on Long Island because of our unhealthy air quality. The smoke from the wildfires of Canada have reached us. We, here in NY, are not alone in dealing with air so polluted that breathing is at risk. I think of the CA wildfires, the SpaceX rocket that exploded in April, the Ohio train derailment in Feb. No place is safe.

While coughing and thinking about this, two bits of news came into my consciousness, The first was the Supreme Court ruling narrowing the scope of the Clean Water Act.

My first thought was, do they and their children not have to live in this world too? Do they think they can buy a clean environment for themselves and their families and the rest of us be damned?

The next report I heard was from a prominent conservative commentator who explained how “prolife” he is and went on to describe his “deep concern” for life.