WHY THE BODY OF CHRIST NEEDS TO CONFRONT SEXISM--IT AIDS IN OPPRESSING THE PERSECUTED CHRISTIAN WOMEN OVERSEAS

This is in response to a blog, that covers the stories of Persecuted Christians,

and several reports of rapes and gang rapes, of Christian women in Pakistan and India by Muslim men [and in Pakistan and India, rape isn't even deemed a crime against Muslim women--in fact, Pakistan's women prisons are Full of women who are jailed because they are rape victims--rather than the rapist being the criminal, its the victim who is criminal, under Sharia Law. And in Nigeria, women and girls have been stoned to death, their crime--being raped and gang raped.]

Anyhow, this is in response, to the articles--and it is in relation to the topic I posted on, Misogyny isn't Christian Martyrdom.

My Reply:

One thing that the ‘church’ in the West really needs to confront, is that,
we do the same garbage to WOMEN AND GIRLS in this country, IN THE NAME OF CHRIST. Its called
Patriarchy.
AND we ‘protect’ it here, using scriptures to do so. We protect cults [who claim Christ or God], that force girls to marry against their wills, which is, btw, RAPE. We protect pastors and leaders who BEAT THEIR WIVES, and worse, rape their daughters or rape young women in the church membership, We protect MEN who feel ‘entitled’ to beat, lord over, rape [marital rape is still rape] because
well, if we challenged them then we might lost ‘tithes’, wouldn’t want that would we, we might lose ‘political power-votes’ and surely wouldn’t want that, would we?
In Islamic countries, that are EXTREMELY MISOGYNIST and PATRIARCHAL, they not only do this hate crime garbage to Christian women/girls but to their very own women and girls, ON A DAILY BASIS.
One thing that really perturbs me about the Christian coverage of Persecution, especially where women are concerned, is the Refusal, to look and confront the ‘relationship’ between hierarchy and misogyny in ALL FAITHS, [esp Christian] and the ‘legal systematic ‘entitlement’ social psychology’ in so many cultures, that HAS been ‘assisted’ by, mind you, so called Christian missions that are patriarchal in culture [eg. Africa, silence towards FGMS and women, even to this DAY, so not to offend the so called sex entitlements of the male],
not only in confronting them overseas but Especially, in not confronting the male ’sexist’ entitlements to women’s bodies in OUR country, and yes, they ARE RELATED. And in fact, they even Fuel the ‘boys joined at the loins club’ in Islamic countries as well as other nations. ITs a global problem, and until we begin to voice our Zero Tolerance to Violence AGAINST ALL WOMEN,
the persecution and especially to Christian women, will continue to go on unchecked.
The thing about the suffering of Christian women [and the lack of real Women CENTERED voices, not men speaking for women] is that, the suffering, much like in communism [the other side of women suffering under 'degenderization' and so forth] is that its a Double and Triple burden,
1. they suffer because they are targeted for being Christian
2. they suffer ‘more so] because they are simply Women, and they suffer, not just by the non-Christian attacks but also by the patriarchal oppression within the Christian culture as well–they are raped by Muslims and often times, [Congo good example] by Christian men too. Not only that, they are then, refused to learn to read, their spirituality is ‘controlled’ by male parents, by male brothers, and by males in general in the church–that is why, many women in these countries [younger esp] Will commit suicide after rape, because it is more than just a physical attack–its the ’shame’ and the economic-marriage ‘devalue’ that follows [such as the two young girls in Iraq], where as, in Western countries, generally speaking [except ironically, in many churches where misogynist attitudes still have not changed] it is illegal or not a ‘norm’ to have women at your will, so to speak–let us not forget however, it was Women who fought for these Rights, women who, are often ‘hated’ by the church in this country.
By ‘isolating’ the suffering of Christian women, who suffer not just because they are Christian but because they are born with the ‘inferior genital’s’ [if I may be blunt] is to really, do a disservice to All women, but particularly to those women who yes, live with the brutal reality of hell on earth, every day, in countries where women, Christian or not, are regarded to be less than dogs. [and in fact, are even gang raped and traded for dogs, e.g. Afghanistan]
Unless we address the ’status of women’ and Stop ‘assisting that low status mentality in THIS country’ then we really are doing more, to aid in their oppression,
than to help them.
We have hoards of Christian men and women who will march and protest to ‘control’ the wombs of women in This nation–[sexual control] but who will not step one foot to protest the trafficking of women [into this country as well], to protest domestic violence [that would cause a real ruffle in many churches there] and to protest the ‘rapes’ of women, and girls, in This country,
from our military [1 in 3 of our women in armed forces are raped with impunity by OUR OWN SOLDIERS], to our turning blind eye on the good ole boys clubs in Fraternities where rape is sport, to Athletics to our ‘moral justifications’ to turn a blind eye when our own government, to protect $$$, supports despots in other countries who are notorious for rape and torture, oppression, in particularly, that of women and girl children.
We cannot continue to ’separate’ the issues because they are not separate. When women human right advocates fight for the rights of women–and when Christian men fight in opposition,
do they not realize, that they are actually doing MORE to SUPPORT AND RALLY BEHIND those very same men,
who rape our sisters overseas?
IF we are silent here,
then, we contribute to their suffering over there…Just because we do not hear from those women over there, does not mean, there isn’t testimony by millions of women from Pakistan to Saudi to South America who haven’t spoken of the long term and PERMANENT damage done to women who live under societies where women are treated with contempt as if they were nothing but dung.
So, next time, you read or hear women, fighting to support and to lift off the veil of oppression off of All women–don’t jump them with the ‘but the Lord says to submit’ to the ‘man’ [because we know he's 'god' right?]
and then, take the testimonies of rapes of women, in hostile to Christian countries, as if, you are really concerned for the plight of women in those nations,
[not saying you are not but hear me out], because really, its like, raping them twice…
using the misery of their oppression, as both Christians AND AS WOMEN–only–because Christian or not, they would live lives of hell just because of their gender–
as a political or ‘other’ agenda, persuasion, to get help, or what have you…because then its sort of futile isn’t it? Its like, asking to aid the young girl in a house full of gang members while, giving them the ‘bullets’ to the guns they use,
simply because they are ‘brothers’.
We have in this nation, a huge ‘cult’ in our churches, that stresses women’s place in the home [bedroom mostly] and in the kitchen,
not in missions. In these countries, women are not allowed access to male doctors, to NGOs without a male escort to get help, they are not allowed health services, birth control [which yes, while controversial, to refuse them rights to their bodies is to reinforce those cultural attitudes that women's bodies are there for the taking no matter what] and meanwhile,
we have hundreds of young women in this country, that Could be, working in relief work or for advocacy on behalf of their sisters overseas–but they are too busy, being primped and molded to be a ’sex toy’ for some man–all in the name of Christ.
A far cry, from the women such as Amy Carmichael. So instead, we have pagan and secular women–working on the front lines in America and in Europe, fighting against violence to women [regardless of religion] whose main enemies,
are men–Christian men.
Go figure–I wonder, what the women and girls, in Those countries, would think, if they really Knew, the attitudes, of so many men and women [who support and benefit from patriarchy here] would think?
I would hate to know…wouldn’t you?
In addition, to the above,
another reason, probably the Main reason, this issue does need to be addressed [and from women's voices and why Men really need to walk in the Love of Christ, dump the male egos and male entitlements and LISTEN],
is that, because of the suffering women endure for being Christian AND being subjugated for being born women–by the non-Christian and the Christian both–is that,
for women, when they suffer, especially ‘rape’, they not only have to fight to keep their faith, but they have to fight, to ‘reconcile’ a faith–in a God, that they have been taught, sees women as ‘less than’, and in Those countries–that compounds the horrors and shame and fears, and Doubts, that these girls and women have to live with on a daily basis.
We have women in this country who have been horribly molested and raped by fathers and uncles and brothers and husbands who are Told by churches, that no matter what, they must ’submit’ to advances [forceful even] by their husbands, therefore, not only do they relive the rapes–daily in their bodies and minds [triggers] they then are re-raped with impunity, therefore, having to deal with fighting the horrid plague of thoughts that this is why God put women here–
don’t think those women and girls don’t suffer that over there, they do–even worse because those misogynist beliefs, Especially in Islam where rape is deemed as ‘not even a crime’, in Pakistan especially, where women are jailed for being raped–these girls and women grow up being indoctrinated [Christian women too] that the only reason they are here–is to be fodder for men.
And, the church has a history of this too, from Luther to the Witchhunts to the modern day ‘fertility cults’.
It is Extremely difficult to on one side believe in Christ, and on the other side, truly trust Christ when one has internalized the beliefs that they are ’second’ or ‘less than human’ even to God. That they are not as valued–except as baby makers and male ‘property’.
And in fact, much of the coverage of women who are persecuted as Christians, when its given in male voice–very much, comes across, as, look, they are raping ‘our property’,
and it plays into the whole global ‘boys network’ of power and the power imbalance. Just the fact, that we don’t hear from women’s voices [and no, I'm not referring to the Barbie Doll Christian woman here who is nothing but a parrot for the 'male sex desire' doctrine in many ministries and churches], in those countries,
says a lot.
And when the women in This country, do step forward and talk about the real hell and pain, living with surviving [but not really surviving because guess what--you don't survive rape, abuse, at the hands of males, it is life long and damaging...truth, sort of sucks doesn't it], abuse and sexual assaults,
and the ‘rape culture and raunch culture that is even winked at in many churches’, and try to walk in Christ without ’sometimes hating God for making you a woman’ , etc.,
when they do step forward, they get land blasted not by the non-believers, but by the very ones who should be supporting them–the church.
But that isn’t the reality–[and why so many women are leaving the churches in droves here]–so if its bad here, I can only imagine, what it is, for the women in Those nations, who not only have no voice, no rights, but no womens space of their own either.
Its not ‘enough’ to just pray for them to be strong–we need to pray for Healing–Healing in Christ, as Women,
not just as ‘members’ or ‘baby makers’ of the churches over there. And this is where yes, it gets intimate and why, it is vital, that these real sufferings that women share globally AS an Oppressed Gender [we are better off here, yes, but as Women, we still suffer, the fear of rape, rape, molestation, violence, discrimination, etc], within our own homes, our own circles, our own churches, and our own nations…
not only that, but to ’separate’ the suffering of women into ‘Christian’ and ‘Non-Christian’ ONLY–and not delve into the gender aspect–only works to further the isolation and to limit the help and the assistance that these women need. It works to continue the separation from many NGOs could assist or work to reach solutions–if the violence to women was not cut into fragments, based on religion and region. It actually ‘feeds’ the ‘discrimination’ of those who might do more to assist the persecution of women and children who are Christian, because then they see the persecution from that lens that ‘well its the property of Christians, let the Christians deal with it, therefore, leaving these women and girls with even Less legal recourse [international especially] and aid.
My point being, is that if we want to do more to advocate on the behalf of persecuted women in these countries, we have to confront it on all levels, not just from the Christian, we must begin to build bridges with those groups that are working, to combat violence, in All its forms.
And that means, taking some serious looks at the whole ‘machismo’ male super–supremacy culture that we often tend to ‘protect’ and even ’support’ using scripture in This nation—
is it controversial, you betcha,
but then, if we Truly ‘love’ our sisters as we Say we do, then we should, I believe,
take a serious look at the hard issues, the ones that sure, will ROCK THE BOAT,
and work, to make their lives, a little better. And if that doesn’t convince you,
what if it were our daughters?
[and why we need to look at this, because in this nation, we Do have daughters, who are suffering rapes and abuses, by men and the women who support them, who use the Name of Christ, the Bible, to justify their oppressive behaviors....we have the fastest growing rate of poverty in this nation--women with children, it says something don't you think?]
The Body of Christ, has Got to stop, supporting and/or diminishing the suffering of women, caused and/or supported/assisted by, patriarchal attitudes and beliefs. Because the effects, are felt–not just by us women here,
but by women, every where, who call on the name of Christ.
Solidarity, in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Jane
Solidarity, in Christ, on behalf of All oppressed women–just because, they are ‘born Women’,
Jane,
of JaneDoe Threads, Needle Workers and Sewers Union.

CHRISTIAN WOMEN, MISOGYNY IS 'NOT' MARTYRDOM FOR CHRIST!

I'm cross posting this today, it is a reply, to a good friend, on the issue of suffering and women, and this just rolled out from me, so I'm posting here, because its one of those 'issues' that I feel very passionate about. For years, I have advocated for Human Rights, and I spent years, reading about every horrid account of persecution of Christians in the Soviet, former Communist Bloc countries--then more years, reading and advocating for persecution of the poor, of unions, of children, all over the globe [and Christians do NOT have a monopoly on persecution nor on suffering], why I believe, if you are going to advocate for Human Rights, you have to cover All humanity, not just your own, and btw, Christ said the same, 'even the pagans love those who love them, but we are not to be that way'. This is one reason, that I don't support Christian only Human Right ministries, excluding a small few [I do support Open Doors], because I believe many of them are just sheer political 'right wing nationalist' propaganda. You can go to any IndyMedia site, and read about persecution of people in THIS country, people who are poor, homeless, women, minorities, immigrants, its not just Christians...and in places like Iran, Pakistan, any who don't bow down to the 'thug clerics' get it...IF we are going to advocate on behalf of the persecuted, I believe, we should advocate for all, political, religious, gender, etc. [and yes, even the GLBT, I may not concur with the lifestyle, but NO HUMAN should be treated with cruelty, NOT BY SINFUL MAN AND WOMAN, by no means, let GOD be the judge--not humans.]

Anyway, when it comes to the suffering WOMEN endure, not just for being Christian but by the Hands of their own 'husbands' [many of whom ARE Christian], its NOT martyrdom--ITS MISOGYNY, and I for one, feel one reason that we have been unsuccessful in confronting the problem, is that we tend to refer ourselves or others to those martyrdom scriptures or to testimonies--yet, they ARE NOT the SAME, and it leaves this huge VOID, and it is HERE, that I am looking for answers.

I DO believe there is healing [even in spite of the horrors] for women, but the reliance [conditioned and learned] of the glory of 'martyrdom' has been I feel, and not just in Christianity, hell look at Islam, suicide bombers ring a bell, well, in Christianity, how they 'manipulate' women isn't really that different--

has been the 'prison bars' for too many women, psychological prison bars that is, that have KEPT too many women, in Hellish situations, WITH NO RELIEF OR HEALING, thinking its some 'martyrdom' for God, meanwhile, Satan laughs his ass off. I believe there are answers, but I also believe, we have to get out of that 'glorifying martyrdom syndrome' where women are concerned, and confront, the real issue,

male entitlement to be assholes to women.

My reply:


A couple of things,

one, there is martyrdom that is For Christ,

but women, suffer martyrdom BY THEIR OWN HUSBANDS, PARENTS, whom they Should not have to, etc. [and with the 'ties' with scripture and the glorification of marriage, esp as the 'analogy'] anyway,

that is a completely different martyrdom, and for women in those countries [where they are martyred also for being Christian] their realities and stories are not told By Christian 'men' in America,

they are glossed over, because IF the men in this country who refer to the men in other countries [and I do place some responsibility on the men in those countries as well] were to look at the 'similarities' of the EVILS, then they would have to do some serious self-reflection.

And THIS, this is the conflict I believe many women do have. I know a lot about the stories of martyrs, both in Christianity and also political [because there are both, and in This country even, we have political martyrs, the public just doesn't hear about them]. So martyrdom for beliefs, causes, for Christ,

doesn't bother me...[and with working in human rights advocacy nothing shocks me]. The fact is though,

women, by far, are martyred, not for Christ [or only for] but for simply being Women, and it is there, that there isn't much if anything scripturally For women--except 'loopholes', they are there, but the Bible is pretty much in male language, written for men. And this is where a lot of the problem is.

I believe that it diminishes somewhat the reality of the 'difference and causes' of women's sufferings to lump them in with martyrdom, as the church knows it, because it doesn't answer the questions, that haunt women.

And until those areas ARE probed into, sure, there simply can't be any 'healing',

how does one get healing for being martyred for her gender from the very one that she feels, is the Reason for her contempt? In many societies, this is the case--Christian societies included.

So for this reason, I don't refer to the stories of 'martyrs' in dealing with the pain that women tolerate [because they are women only] because they simply don't and can't relate [and the men, don't seem to give a damn to be frank--its a Monopoly, their martyrdom, another issue, another time, but I feel a lot of the 'stories' shared here in the west, are pure,

'vain glory' for MEN. [some of them, not all but a lot of them are]and I'm skeptical of many of them [those by Christian ministries].

What really angers me about a lot of the stories from like, Eastern Europe, for example, is how they always emphasize on the 'men' yet the women are only mentioned as 'mere wives', they really piss me off, then they go on and on about how much they suffer--

yet the women, have no voice. But now, if you get into some 'secular' material, gender studies, Then you hear about what the women have to say [and its down right pathetic that its like this], and its only in Western 'literature' about persecution that tends to be this way, therefore I'm just very leary of anything I read from the lens of MEN.

[continued below] Jane


Blogger JaneDoeThreads said...

Open Doors, and I do respect them, but they recently sent photos of a woman, her face beaten, about how horrible in Iran for believers,

and I couldn't help think, Yea, and most of your Wives here, look Just like that here at home...except, their 'torturers' are THEIR OWN HUSBANDS, FATHERS, PASTORS [SEX ABUSE], ETC.,

I yet to see these same martyred men stand up to the plate and fight and beg for fund for these women--domestic violence, so forth.

Not only that, but another reason I don't refer to 'martyrdom' materials, is that well, its just very different--One, is for the Glory of the Kingdom of God,

the other, just waste. Its for the Glory of Satan.

so I don't care to see my situ or millions of others as another 'martyrdom', because it isn't,

its instead, women being victimized by thug men, because of patriarchy. [and male entitlement and I believe, the whole Cinderella LIE]. And why I believe, that the road to healing, is number one,

dump the 'illusions' of suffering, that women have tolerated for centuries---its not martyrdom, its Misogyny. Two totally different things altogether.

So I think, to address the suffering women live with, we have to separate it from the glorification of 'martyrdom' because it just sends the wrong message,

yes, God does do a lot of miracles for those who are in prisons, etc.,

what is terrible though, is many women, live with abuse, tyranny, thinking its martyrdom, and yet, there isn't any 'relief' by far--and not only do they not get healing,

many of them, eventually just chunk Christianity all together, and Who can blame them? We for too long, have used as an umbrella for misogyny and male entitlement to abuse/mistreat/rape women, in Christianity, the martyrdom, when in fact,

its just sheer evil selfish men, who may be oppressed as Christians, but who turn right around and do the same garbage to their wives [and many in those countries Do] and all the while, thinking they are Entitled under God, to do so.

And we should in no way, give them any covering--I've confronted one ministry on it, they never even replied...that says, a lot...why, I don't now, believe just because someone goes to prison,

means they are more Christ like. let them show the Fruits, in HOW they treat Women, overall,

Then, Then, maybe, I'll give them credit where credit is due, NOT UNTIL THEN.

Jane