Using the release of The Da Vinci Code movie as a hook, a new website on women, feminism and faith has just launched: HerCode.
“Jesus taught us that all people are equal in God’s eyes, but religious institutions are not living up to their full potential because women are not considered equal partners,� said Helen LaKelly Hunt, author of Faith and Feminism: A Holy Alliance. She is also the founding director of FaithandFeminism.org, a site dedicated to bridging the values of faith and feminism, which houses the HerCode.org project.
HerCode asks women to share their stories about faith and spirituality. Check out the one after the jump from Lisa Witter, then go share your story. (My short version--I have Italian-Buddhist parents. Nuff said.)
Contributed by Lisa Witter
As my eyes approached the final period in the Da Vinci Code book I hastily thumped it closed, snatched up the phone, and called my most trusted adviser:
"Mom" I said.
"Hi Honey, what's going on?" she replied.
"I just finished the Da Vinci Code and I knew it. I knew we have been suppressed as women by the church.� I said.
"Yes Lisa. I've known this since I was a young girl in Catholic school. I know this hurts and is very frustrating but you don't need a church or organized religion to have a relationship with God." She calmly rejoined.
“But Mom, how can this be? Why would they do this? It’s to everyone’s advantage to have equality in religion. The God I know loves men and women equally, why wouldn’t the Church follow God’s will?� I replied.
“Because many men are scared. They are scared of our power. They don’t understand that the sum of the whole is greater than the parts. While it’s wrong the most important thing to know is that you can have your own relationship with God and you’ll always know how strong, beautiful, equal and amazing we are as women.� She softly explained.
To be blunt, I’m happy that these types of conversations are happening across the country. These questions and discussions are good for our souls. While it does indeed disturb me that women and the feminine have been repressed and relegated in many organized religions the debate reminds me that the status quo needs to be challenged. Women undoubtedly have come a long way toward equality – we still have a long road ahead.
These days I describe myself as spiritual but not religious. I will say that my commitment to social justice work was born through growing up in the church and I’m grateful for that. The Da Vinci Code debate reignites my passion to fight old paradigms and power structures. As an activist and a feminist it recommits me to my work.
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if any of you educated folk are serious about the truth(a word feminist dont like )then you would read the bible for your selves and it clearly says that there is a difference between man and woman in the eyes of god.i dont claim to know the answers to life the universe and everything but that is what the bible saye ,that is the truth.
Ahem! I believe the truth of Galatians 3:28:
�There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.�
But i want you to understand that crist is supreme over every man,the husband is supreme over his wife,and god is supreme over crist.
so a man who prays or proclaims gods message in public worship with his head covered disgraces crist.
and any woman who prays or proclaims gods message in public worship with nothing on her head disgraces her husband,
there is no difffernce between her and a woman whos head has been shaved.
if a woman does not cover her head,she might as well cut her hair.and since it is a shameful thing for a woman to shave her head or cut her hair,she should cover her head.
a man has no need to cover his head,because he reflects the image and glory of god.but woman reflects the glory of man,for man was not created from woman,but woman from man,nor was man created for womans sake,but woman was created for mans sake.
on account of the angels then,a woman should have a covering over her head to show that she is under her husbands authority.
What the hell is a crist?
If nitpicking my spelling is the best you can come up with,I REST MY CASE .
however i would be very interested to hear your rebuckel,but since you refuse to take off your selective blindness glasses,i doubt i will receive any intelligent replys.
how can someone who believes in something written down in some book absolutely, without questioning it, accuse someone else of selective blindness?
The things you write about are most of the reason I won't touch religion with a 10ft pole. Why would you believe that your god put all these wonderful, intelligent, strong and talented women on this earth to condemn them for overshadowing men?
If women were supposed to be under mens authority we'd be made stupid and dull as not to question you all the time, but we aren't. That is the truth.
thank fuck for that,it took me 2 weeks to work out that type key bullshit.i am still not sure which ID i signed in under>?:",,,,u must look at that jessica%$#@!
anyway,how are we all in the land of deluded fairys?
good,? well drink your last sisters for the time has come .
u realy must b dumb or dumb.
maybe u r just dumb.either way it makes no difference to anyone,or anything,i can wait 100,000,years ....
why nature itself teaches you that long hair on a man is a disgrace,but on a woman it is a thing of beauty.Her long hair has been given her to serve as a covering . but if anyone wants to argue about it,all i have to say is that neither we nor the churches of god have any other custom of worship.