Criticism is intended to point
out injustices
Recently a group of women read one of my
columns and got so agitated and upset that they telephoned my
desk and insinuated that I was playing favorites with certain
religions. For instance, one woman said I criticized
the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod for the way it treats women
because the Missouri Synod Lutherans will not ordain women. She
continued the criticism by saying that I had never criticized
the Mormons for the way they treat women. And she charged that
the Mormons never ordained women in their church either. But of course, the Mormons dont ordain
anyone in their church men or women. Everyone is expected
to have a ministry in the Mormon Church. Therefore, sometimes
women preach in church, and sometimes they simply sit and listen
to men. Sometimes they teach in the school, and sometimes they
sew quilts. If the Mormons mistreat women, I condemn their action. Another woman called to say that I never
criticize the Muslims. She said they expect their women to dress
with long flowing robes and to cover their faces. And this same
woman said that men always lead people in the Islamic faith and
that women always have to sit apart from the men, in the back
of the mosque. According to Magda Saikali, a local spokesperson
for womens issues in the Islamic faith, women are equal
to men. The long robes Muslim women wear are commanded by the
Koran, but Saikali doesnt believe that makes her unequal
with men. She sees the opportunities women have through Islam:
to be educated, to inherit estates, to choose their own names
to have their own identities. I was a businesswoman for 22 years,
Saikali said. But for the past eight years, I have stayed
home to care for my children because I want to build something
good for society. Another woman called to say that she was
sick and tired of me always criticizing religion. Why cant
you just leave religions alone? Why do you always have to criticize
religion? If I could have had a conversation with
any of these women (none of them left a telephone number), I would
have pointed out that I am a person called to criticize. I see
injustice in our society in places where these women apparently
see only happiness. Further, the people who distribute my weekly
column want me to be a critical person. They do not ask me to
always praise religion but rather to dig around and find the problem
areas the little troubles that may someday become huge
crises. I am not asked to comment about the smooth road ahead
but rather about the huge potholes that threaten to stall movement. I would like to see these women and others
like them join with men in creating religions that are friendly
to both sexes. I would like them to think into the future
and see their daughters and granddaughters being negatively influenced
by these decisions to exclude women from the leadership of the
church. I find it embarrassing that religion, which
promises freedom, is the last place in our culture where women
are denied the right to be leaders. For some reason, my mind says
that is not just. The real problem for these women is neither
my column nor my criticism. The real problem is they see vast
changes coming to their religion, and they want to stop the progressive
movement. But in their hearts, they know it will come no matter
what they do. And when a columnist chides their religion, it sets
them off. I can understand their frustration because
I have lived through decades when the only constant was change.
I have watched cherished things, such as Bach cantatas, become
antique memories rather than rousing music for the present day.
Probably every person over 40 years of age grieves for something
when worshipping in our churches today. But friends, we have to look deeply into
the future at all the pressures that will come to bear
upon our religions. We have to break down weaknesses and replace
them with a strong resolve that no person, in any religion, will
be kept from exercising his or her full potential as a child of
God. I believe God wants that to be true.
Clark D. Morphew
Posted For July 6, 2000