Post-Feminist?

If you're one of those people who think we're living in a post-feminist world where the goals of feminism have been met, including equality of women in religion, you might want to take a gander at the hostile misogyny with which attempts by women in the Catholic Church to achieve ordination are (still!) being met by some bloggers. Their attacks are aimed at Roman Catholic Womenpriests , which has been ordaining women for several years (without the Pope's blessing, of course). These blogposts focus specifically on recent liturgies and ordinations near Baltimore and in St. Louis . If the bloggers on Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam and Fish in a Barrel (and possibly others others--feel free to go Google) could limit themselves to theological arguments I wouldn't be writing this (not that it wouldn't be an issue – but at least it would represent some attempt at rationality), but they also take the opportunity to attack the women with personal insults. Fish in a Barrel calls the Womenpriests "old biddies," "Crew Cut-feminists," and "dowdy," and maintains that the ordination in a Reform Jewish "congregational building" threatens Catholic-Jewish relations. Ad Majorem accuses the Womenpriests of "playing dress-up" and describes their event as a "wiccan-like retreat," an insult in Ad Majorem's eyes. (For a more balanced account of the Baltimore meeting see the City Paper . )

As long as this kind of nonsense is going on (and it is going on, not only in religion but elsewhere --just watch or read the nightly or daily news) we are not post-feminist and I, for one, will not mellow out, smile, and bat my lashes.

Instead, with this post I honor the brave Womenpriests:

May you be blessed with courage,
strength, and fulfillment.

TAGS:news Womenpriests spiritual feminism women and religion