Feminism The Attitude of Jesus toward Women and the FamilyBy Rudolf Schnackenburg The foundation of holy and happy marriage and family life is reverence for the dignity of women. What was Jesus' attitude to women? He did not undertake to make changes in their legal status, which in the Old Testament and Judaism was far from being one of equality of rights, but his actual behavior bears witness to high esteem, serious evaluation of their religious aspirations, and delicate tact, rarely encountered in later Judaism. Crisis Editors on the Male PriesthoodOn November 20, the Congregation for the Sacred Doctrine of the Faith declared that Sacerdatio ordinatio, restricting priestly ordination to men, represents a confirmation of the infallible teaching of the ordinary magisterium. The meager coverage afforded by the secular media has been at once shrill and unsure. Crisis asked our contributing editors for their brief, initial responses to the pronouncement. Some spoke to the issue of women's ordination itself. Others defended the exercise of the ordinary magisterium against the barrage of criticism and dissent. The Debate Over Feminist Theology: Which View Is Biblical?Part Three in a Three-Part Series on Liberation Theology by Ron RhodesFeminism. To some the word represents liberation and long-awaited justice; to others, divisiveness. Emotions have run feverishly high in the debate over women's rights, and the past few decades have seen the debate move into the theological mainstream. Today, women are increasingly being ordained as ministers in many Christian denominations; Bibles are being published using 'inclusive language;' and those who stand against either of these often find themselves branded as chauvinists. FeminismDale O'Leary shows the roots of the feminist movement are Marxist and proposes a solution for genuine harmony between the sexes. Feminism and the Launch of the CatechismBy Michael BakerAccording to Mr. Baker feminism is a false and evil philosophy that works great harm in society and it is incompatible with Catholicism. This article appeared in Fidelity published by John XXIII Fellowship Co-Op in Australia Gender & the U.N.By Dale O'LearyThe Platform for Action for the U.N. 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing is based on assumptions about the nature of femininity; these assumptions are based on a radical feminist ideology which is not shared by most of the world's women God and the SexesBy Evelyn Birge VitzFor Christianity, gender is both important and irrelevant. God creates, Christ redeems, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies men and women alike, along with Jews and Greeks, rich and poor, black and white. But, apart from salvation, gender possesses a special importance in Christianity that cannot be viewed as either accidental or superficial. Help! Help! I'm Being Oppressed!: A Catholic Woman's Perspective on FeminismBy Jennifer MaloneyMan and woman have been created, which is to say, willed by God: on the one hand, in perfect equality as human persons; on the other, in their respective beings as man and woman. Being man or being woman is a reality which is good and willed by God: man and woman possess an inalienable dignity which comes to them immediately from God their Creator.[240] Man and woman are both with one and the same dignity in the image of God. In their being-man and being-woman, they reflect the Creator's wisdom and goodness. (CCC #369) Neopaganism, Feminism, and the New PolytheismBy Norman L. GeislerFrom the Christian Research Journal, Fall 1991, page 8. The Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Research Journal is Elliot Miller. In his best-selling book, Megatrends, social forecaster John Naisbitt noted the widespread interest in Eastern religions since the 1960s. In the early 1970s Os Guinness, friend and colleague of the late Francis Schaeffer, provided an explanation for this interest: The point is this: The East is still the East, but the West is no longer the West. Western answers no longer seem to fit the questions. With Christian culture disintegrating and humanism failing to provide an alternative, many are searching the ancient East. The Princess and the BarbarianBy George GilderThe Princess and the Barbarian is the prologue to George Gilder's book Men and Marriage (Pelican Publishing Company, Greta, LA, 1986), and was reprinted in The Real Issue with permission. George Gilder has written several books on social and economic issues, including Wealth and Poverty, The Spirit of Enterprise, Visible Man, Naked Nomads, and The Party That Lost Its Head. Researching the Rape Culture of America–An Investigation of Feminist Claims about RapeBy Christina Hoff Sommers, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Clark UniversityFrom The Real Issue Some feminists routinely refer to American society as a rape culture. Yet estimates on the prevalence of rape vary wildly. According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report, there were 102,560 reported rapes or attempted rapes in 1990. The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that 130,000 women were victims of rape in 1990. A Harris poll sets the figure at 380,000 rapes or sexual assaults for 1993. According to a study by the National Victims Center, there were 683,000 completed forcible rapes in 1990. The Justice Department says that 8 percent of all American women will be victims of rape or attempted rape in their lifetime. The radical feminist legal scholar Catharine MacKinnon, however, claims that by conservative definition (rape) happens to almost half of all women at least once in their lives. The Seduction of FeminismBy David ReardonMany people assume that feminism and the movement to legalize abortion are virtually synonymous. Some equate feminism with a virulent leftist political philosophy which advocates abortion, free love, lesbianism, pornography, witchcraft, and goddess worship. But in fact, this 'neo-feminism' is far removed from the ideals and goals of the original 19th century feminists, who were strongly rooted in the traditional Judeo-Christian concepts of morality and justice. Sophia, Goddess?By Fr. William MostAmong other aberrations many feminists seem to be trying to present Sophia, Wisdom, as a goddess. The Truth about Pope Joanby John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM, Legion of St. Michael Verbal Plunder: Combating the Feminist Encroachment on the Language of Theology and EthicsBy Dr. Michael Bauman Feminist word thieves have taken traditionally generic terms of representation like he, his, and mankind and redefined them so that they can be understood only as sexist or gender specific. In much the same way that weasels suck the contents out of eggs, the feminists suck the content out of words. Then they go the weasels one better. Rather than leaving the empty shell of a word behind them, they proceed to refill that mangled word with a definition of their own choosing. For example, according to one prominent feminist handbook, the 'only acceptable nonsexist usage' of the word man is in reference to an adult male. But that is a feminist weasel word, one from which the feminists have sucked out its prior meaning and replaced it with one of their own. According to my Webster's Dictionary, the word man is not fundamentally a male word. In fact, the concept of maleness does not enter until the third definition. Contrary to the self-serving assertions of the feminist verbal revolutionaries, traditional usage is ideologically patriarchal in neither definition or usage. My point (if it is not obvious) is this: rather than having a command of language, the feminists want to command language. Woman Church, Witchcraft, and the GoddessFr. Matthew FoxChapter 6 of the book, Unicorn in the Sanctuary. This chapter covers Fr. Matthew Fox and his Creation Spirituality. Woman's Authority in the ChurchMonica Migliorino MillerThe feminist challenge to the Catholic faith is based upon a deep misunderstanding. Feminists accuse Catholicism of being thoroughly patriarchal. They claim that women have been oppressed since the Church's inception by a male power structure. In the Catholic Church, they charge, men and men alone are the rulers in a hierarchically- based system of pope, bishops, priests, and deacons. Women, Ordination, and AngelsMichael NovakThose who really believe that the Catholic tradition is not credible will find many available alternatives close at hand. If the Catholic Church abandons its tradition because of social pressure, and without sound theological reasons, why should it be credible at all? Would it not then simply show itself to be yet another human institution subject to human power and passively conforming to the spirit of the age? Copyright © 1993 First Things 32 (April 1993): 25-32. Women Priests?Fr. William MostWere there women priests in the early Church? Professor Giorgio Otranto in his Note sul sacerdozio femminile nell 'antichita in margine a una testimonianze di Gelasio I: in 'Vetera Christianorum' 19 (1982), 342-60 concludes, The data gathered on the priesthood of women in antiquity are few and meager. The Sacraments & Authentic WomanhoodDale O'LearyO'Leary contends that feminists see the administration of the sacraments as a source of power. She maintains that their belief system is diametrically opposed to the Catholic vision and that they are determined to wipe out all cultural recognition of the differences between men and women. Inclusive English: A Violation of Our Rights?St. Joseph FoundationAn excellent article on the feminist assault on the Church through the use of inclusive language. Taken from the November 30, 1994 issue of 'Christifidelis'. Feminist Assault on ReasonablenessPhyllis SchlaflyThe Phyllis Schlafly Report for December focuses on feminism and how the feminist movement is causing ominous dislocations in basic concepts of American law and justice Sincere Gift: The Pope's 'New Feminism'Leonie CaldecottWoman is a space-maker, a protector of growth, an enabler of life, a place of safety where others can encounter Christ and know themselves to be loved. This article taken from the Spring 1996 issue of Communio: International Catholic Review discusses true feminism. Statement on Feminism, Language & LiturgyWomen for Faith and FamilyJoint statement on Feminism, Language and Liturgy issued by Women for Faith & Family, the Institute on Religious Life, and Consortium Perfectae Caritatis. Morphing Catholicism into Eco-feminismDonna SteichenThis article, taken from the June issue of The Catholic World Report, relates the struggle of parents in one Florida community. After sacrificing to establish a new Catholic school they worry that their children are being indoctrinated not in the Catholic faith, but in a New Age amalgam of feminist and environmentalist ideology. Neofeminism: Religion of DespairA.L.L.Chapter 129 of the 'Pro-Life Encyclopedia.' The Changing Faces of FeminismDavid ReardonDavid Reardon debunks the myth that early feminists were pro-choice. He shows that they were strongly rooted in the Judeo-Christian concepts of morality and justice. This article was taken from the May-June 1994 issue of 'Celebrate Life' published by American Life League Post-Roe Feminism: Recharged or Discharged?Frederica Mathewes-GreenTalks about the history of the feminest movement and how abortion became it's number one issue. Also discusses what direction the movement will take if Roe v Wade is overturned. Abortion: Women's Rights and WrongsFrederica Mathewes-GreenShe points out that abortion is not a sign that women are free, but a sign that they are desperate and discusses what she sees as two trends in modern feminism that combine to push women to abortion. Published in 'The Evangelical Catholic', Feb 92, and 'ALL About Issues', May 1992 Updated: November 17, 2000