Re: One Woman's View On The Topless Issue

["Joan Opyr" <auntiestablishment@hotmail.com>]

Melissa Harrell wrote:

>In the movie, "A Man Called Peter", Catherine Marshall addresses a
>group of young women on the topic of being a woman.
>
>She says how the emancipation of woman came about with Chrisitianity.
>We, as women, were given a dignity we had never had before. We were
>revered, protected and loved. In essence, put on a pedestal. This
>all changed when we wanted to be equal with men. In order to be equal
>we had to step down from our pedestal. Now we have the "right" to >swear, 
>smoke, get drunk . . .

And vote, and serve in Congress, and run for President, and be doctors, 
lawyers, bankers, preachers . . . equality not only grants benefits but also 
conveys responsiblities.  (Not that I'm opposed to the smoking, drinking, 
and swearing bit: I'm a sometime fan of those particular joys.)

As for Christianity giving women "a dignity they never had before," it has 
certainly become clear on this list that not everyone defines Christianity 
the same way.  If you're speaking in purely theological terms, then I would 
point out that different sects have different beliefs regarding the place of 
women therein.  Some ordain women, some don't.  Some regard women as fully 
equal to men.

If you're speaking historically, well, where to begin?  We could range over 
thousands of years through thousands of cultures and find that women had 
"dignity" pre-Judea, pre-Jesus.  But then perhaps we'd find that the 
definition of "dignity" also varied.

>Lets try to get back on that pedestal.

What looks like a pedestal to some looks like a prison to others.  Any woman 
who chooses to hop onto a pedestal of her own free will certainly has my 
best wishes for her future health and happiness.  But I don't want to be 
obliged to share that marble-top with her; and, should she ever choose to 
jump down, I intend to make sure that her progress is unimpeded.

Sincerely,
Auntie E.

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