A női lelkipásztorok még mindig számot tevő negatív előítélet ellen küzdenek, állítja a Capitol című amerikai napilap május végi számában. A reform vallások többsége elvben elismeri a nőknek a papi hivatáshoz való jogát, ugyanakkor egy kulturális gát – amelyet Amerikában "üvegplafonnak" neveznek – korlátokat szab a tényleges megvalósításnak. Az üvegplafon előítéletekből, maradiságból, szokásjogból és nem utolsó sorban puszta korlátoltságból szőtt képzeletbeli határ, amely megközelítőjének megrendülést, elbátortalanító pszichikai törést okoz.

A Napi Magyarországban a fenti cikk lábjegyzetek nélkül jelent meg.

Utólagos lábjegyzetek az EMPIRIA Magazinban való közléskor:

Ebben a témában lásd még: Lapszemlék-kommentárok 2010. II. félév 7. írás

Addendum:

Mind a nők egyenjogúságáért, mind a rabszolgatartó rendszer felszámolásáért folytatott küzdelmek szabadgondolkodó-humanista ideológiáira alapozott polgári reform mozgalmak voltak. A társadalmi haladás megrögzött ellenzője, a katolikus egyház csak a világi törvények meghozatala után és azok kényszerítő hatására (utolsóként) szabadította fel az amerikai latifundiumain dolgozó rabszolgáit. (Kuliffay)

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington condemned the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement as “in opposition to the church’s authentic teaching” and warned that “members of the Catholic faithful should not support or participate in Saturday’s event.” Participation in the event, “carries with it very serious penal sanctions in Church Law,” a statement on the diocese’s Web site warned. The event, the diocese said, “has no connection to Roman Catholic Liturgy or Sacraments and cannot in any way be recognized as a valid reception of Sacred Orders.”  Despite such threats, this has been a busy year for the Womenpriests movement. Three women were ordained in Boston July 20. A woman was ordained in Portland, Oregon June 7 and another in Winona, Minn., May 4. A woman and a man were ordained in Canada May 29. The Roman Catholic Womenpriests claim 26 priests and a dozen deacons in the United States. A California woman, Dana Reynolds, was elected and ordained a bishop for the movement earlier this year. Reynolds presided at the Lexington ordination. (Dennis Coday: Sixth Catholic woman priest ordained this year. National Catholic Reporter. 2008)

It is no small matter that women seek ordination.  As priests they are demanding that women be seen as equals to men in the eyes of the Church.  Women's ordination reflects secular society's movement toward gender equality that sprouted in the late 1960s and which we largely take for granted today.  During this time women all over the world have made bold strides in taking on various roles to show that they ARE equal to men.  One who was well-schooled in that idea almost made it to the White House!   However, the process for change in the Church is long and difficult because theology and tradition hold a lot of sway.  For example, the Church's case that the priesthood remain male is summed up this way:  Jesus was a man, his 12 apostles were all men and the Church has never had women priests.  Many theologians and Church historians have differed on this judgment and on Thanksgiving weekend 1975, hundreds of people met for the first Women's Ordination Conference (WOC) in Detroit to hear them respectfully and logically make the case that women be ordained. (Olga Bonfiglio: Women's Ordination on the Docket Again)

The Church of England's theology and tradition both support ordaining women as bishops. We believe that men and women are made equally in the image of God, equally responsible for our actions, equally given the abilities and qualities for ministry and leadership and equally called to be Christ-like in service to the world. Above all, we believe that all cultural, racial and gender differences become unimportant in themselves when a person becomes a Christian. Women, as well as men, are called to communicate the message of God's unconditional love, and we need to have women and men leading together if we are to see a more complete picture of who we are as people created equal in the eyes of God. Our tradition, the way we do things and what we believe, is always changing as we respond to how we believe God is leading us and what we understand the Bible to be teaching. (Christina Rees: Women and The Church.  BBC. 2009)

I love the rationalization given by the Church. Because Jesus was a male as were the apostles, women can't be priests, etc. First of all, if you want to be so ridiculously literalistic (as though the Bible is fact based), then I would assert that all Catholic priests must be Jewish fishermen. I am not trying to be humorous. That is really what the Church should demand, based on their reasoning. In fact, since there was no 'Christianity' in those days, no Catholics should be in the clergy.  I really don't know why women would want to be part of a Church whose stance on women's rights and 'equality' is at least 100 years behind the rest of democratic society. Yes, tradition is tradition. But it seems strange that women would find meaning in patriarchal organizations who dictate female lifestyles and reproductive rights. (Posted by readytotransform November 28th, 2008 12:29 pm)

The words of God do not justify cruelty to women. ... The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions - all of whom have called for proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time we had the courage to challenge these views. (Jimmy Carter) [Carter was US president from 1977-81. The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by Nelson Mandela, who offer their influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity.])

Jimmy Carter, a third-generation Southern Baptist and the first United States president to call himself a born-again Christian, has reached what he calls ''a painful decision'' to sever ties to the Southern Baptist Convention, saying that parts of its ''increasingly rigid'' doctrines violate the ''basic premises of my Christian faith.'' Mr. Carter's decision, announced on Thursday in a letter that is being mailed this week to 75,000 Baptists nationwide, comes four months after the Southern Baptist Convention, the country's largest Protestant denomination, declared its opposition to women as pastors. In the same doctrinal statement, adopted last June, the group advocated a literal interpretation of the Bible. Two years ago, the group called for wives to be submissive to their husbands. (Somini Sengupta: Carter Sadly Turns Back on National Baptist Body. The New York Times. October 21, 2000)

(Hanna egyéb társadalmi és kulturális témájú írásai az EMPIRIA Magazin Mindenféle érdekesség rovatában olvashatók, politikai elemzései és washingtoni tudósításai pedig a Jelenkor rovatban.)

VISSZA  az EMPIRIA Magazin nyitólapjára

VISSZA  a 90-es évek rovat címlistájára