In a recent post I wrote about finding God in music. I confess, I cannot remember the last time I set foot in a church. As a woman, I continually grapple with the foundational messages of Jesus and Catholic Social… Read More ›
social justice
Photo Essay–Long Beach, California by Marie Cartier
Long Beach Pride 2019 50 YEARS OF PRIDE CELEBRATING THE STONEWALL REBELLION of 1969! **All photos by: Marie Cartier** See the photo essay from last year’s Pride week-end here. And the photo essay from Pride 2017 here.
Pleasure, Touch, and Spirituality by Christy Croft
Sitting in front of the computer, I slowly and intentionally insert earbuds, click to start my favorite writing playlist, and open up Microsoft Word. I feel the tips of my fingers resting lightly on the keys, and notice the slight… Read More ›
You Can Make Your Own Rose BOOK REVIEW by Lila Moore
You Can Make Your Own Rose by Andrea Nicki is a collection of poems infused with the spirit of feminist sensibility, social justice and activism. The poems offer more than mere therapeutic comfort while depicting shamanic-inspired healing rituals and magical… Read More ›
Will Donald Trump Go to Heaven? by Gina Messina
Having seen the image of a toddler crying while law enforcement questioned her mother, my daughter was filled with fear, anxiety, and confusion. After tearfully asking if she would be taken away from me, my nine year old followed up… Read More ›
Long Beach, California – 2018 Pride! by Marie Cartier
Last year I published a photo essay with pictures of Long Beach, CA’s Pride week-end. You can see last year’s photo essay here. I also published a photo essay of the Los Angeles Resist March from last year here. It… Read More ›
Is God Breathing? by Karen Leslie Hernandez
Another mass shooting. Syria. #MeToo. Hunger. Animal extinction. Iraq. Climate change. Deportation. Slavery. Central African Republic. Hate crimes. Rape. Animal cruelty. Oppression. Accidental nuclear war alerts. Homeless encampments. “Illegal immigrants.” Afghanistan. More mass shootings. Sex robots. Trafficking. Russian bots. Racism…. Read More ›
Just How Rotten Are Things in Denmark? by Marcia Mount Shoop
The Shakespearean quote, “something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” comes from a palace guard. After watching Prince Hamlet walk away with the ghost of Hamlet’s murdered father, the former King, the guard has a sinking feeling about how… Read More ›
Faith in Action by Lisa Kloskin
Nearly a month ago, American voters showed up at the polls and delivered some big wins: the first openly transgender person was elected to a statehouse—Danica Roem in Virginia. Roem defeated an incumbent candidate who authored an anti-trans bathroom bill…. Read More ›
Small Business Saturday: Feminist Gift Guide for the Holidays by Angela Yarber
Wondering what to give the revolutionaries in your life for the holidays? Want to support feminist small businesses as you shop? Need some creative ideas with powerful feminist history and theory embedded in each purchase? Would it help if the… Read More ›
Gratitude – A Salve to Heal Our Wounds by Judith Shaw
Tomorrow being Thanksgiving in the United States offers an opportunity to reflect on gratitude. With so much anger bubbling up on all fronts is it possible that gratitude could be the salve to heal our wounds?
Opting In, Opting Out: Navigating Political Divisions “for the Sake of the World” by Katey Zeh
Over a year ago I made the decision not to watch–not to consume the vitriol of this political disaster we in the U.S. have created for ourselves. It was a conscious choice in favor of my own self-preservation which I stand by. I had no… Read More ›
Get Compassion: Reflections on Childbirth and Privilege by Katey Zeh
Jessi Klein wrote an Op-Ed in last Sunday’s New York Times entitled “Get the Epidural” in which she takes on the arguments for “natural” childbirth and makes an astute point about its premise: “It’s interesting that no one cares very… Read More ›
A Choir for Reproductive Freedom by Katey Zeh
I was home watching the live stream of those gathered in front of the Supreme Court building to show their opposition to this law that has prevented so many women from accessing the abortion services they need. The speakers, many of them… Read More ›
Pope Francis, Complementarity, and US Politics by Gina Messina-Dysert
A theology of complementarity, referred to by Pope Francis as an “anthropological fact,” has had a strong influence on American politics. According to the Vatican teaching, women and men have distinct but complementary roles, meaning that women’s value is found… Read More ›
From Her Lips by Barbara Ardinger
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, She had so many children she didn’t know what to do. She gave them some broth without any bread; She whipped them all soundly and put them to bed. Look!… Read More ›
JUSTICE AND PREJUDICE IN THE “PROPHETIC TRADITION” by Carol P. Christ
Besides being advocates of social justice, the prophets of Israel were advocates of “exclusive monotheism,” exclusively “male monotheism,” “religious othering,” and “religious prejudice.” Many progressive Jews and Christians find inspiration in prophets because of their insistence that their God cares… Read More ›
Struggles of a Catholic Feminist Mother by Gina Messina-Dysert
Maintaining a Catholic identity as a feminist has been a challenge. There have certainly been times where I have walked away from my tradition frustrated by teachings that are oppressive to women and LGBTQ, but I have always come back. … Read More ›
The Papal Resignation and Future of the Catholic Church by Gina Messina-Dysert
I was flattered when I received a call from The Tavis Smiley Show on PBS and was asked to appear on the show to discuss the Pope’s resignation and the future of the Catholic Church. It was an amazing opportunity… 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 ›
Textual Religion and the Marginalization of Two Huldas by Dirk von der Horst
I am a Protestant in large part because I like to read. Even after grappling with feminist critiques of patriarchal religions, a spirituality rooted in the Word (capital “W”) is very deep-seated in me. One reason I think of my faith… Read More ›
Appealing to Values and Interests in Consumer Choices by Grace Yia-Hei Kao
“What the report also makes clear is that sweatshop labor is highly gendered. Between 71-85%…are women, the majority of whom are also under the age of 35.” I was recently drawn into a facebook discussion about the ethics and efficacy… Read More ›
Catholic Feminists Meet, Strategize by Rosemary Radford Ruether and Theresa Yugar
During July 8-11, 2012 twenty Catholic feminist leaders met in a retreat center near Baltimore to discuss their concerns and hopes in the light of the recent and ongoing attacks of Catholic bishops on women and especially on feminist work… Read More ›
Breaking Up with Chick-fil-A by Gina Messina-Dysert
I haven’t eaten fast food in many years; however as a new mom Chick-fil-A offered something quite different than other fast food chains: healthy options, freshly made food, clean space, and a great spot for play dates; not to mention the organization’s… Read More ›
What I Learned (and Found) Dumpster Diving, Part I, by Grace Yia-Hei Kao
“I get that consumers generally prefer to buy produce that looks a certain way, but can the routine act of trashing whole bags of clementines, apples, or tomatoes because of a few imperfections be justified in a world that is… Read More ›
On Being in the Moment By Ivy Helman
Time. We mark years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds. We mark seasons. We mark life events. We live our lives in time: both circular and linear. Time began before we did and time will continue after we cannot experience… Read More ›
Peace Begins at Home by Gina Messina-Dysert
I began my career in the field of social services as a woman’s advocate for rape and domestic violence survivors. The motto for an organization I was employed with early on was “peace begins at home,” a significant point that… Read More ›
January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
This information was originally distributed by WATER: January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Human trafficking, referred to as modern-day slavery, is the fastest growing and second most profitable criminal industry in the world. More than 27 million women, men,… Read More ›
The Paradoxical Perception of Midwifery in American Culture By Stacia Guzzo
This past Sunday night, midwife Robin Lim was named CNN Hero of the Year at a formal award ceremony in Los Angeles, California. The award, which was given after eleven weeks of public voting on CNN.com, came with $250,000 to… Read More ›
A Different “Right to Choose”: America’s Cultural Denial of True Choice in Childbirth By Stacia Guzzo
The first time I became aware about my birthing choices was during a call to a local midwife to inquire about her practice. By this time, I had been diagnosed with PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome, uterine fibroids, a possible uterine septum,… Read More ›
