Scott, you just mentioned one of the primary problems I have with most of the cultures and religions that came out of Northern Africa (Christianity and Islam ) and Southern Europe (Greco-Roman): That is the innate misogyny of those cultures.

We of the Northern Faiths have always recognized our womenfolk as being humans, as having as many rights as men, and of being able to be responsible for their own actions to our Gods and our Ancestors. Yes, all of our actions as men or women affect our families’ orlog, and are the concern of the whole family, but each of us are responsible for our own actions. We feel no need to treat “the little woman” as being unable to take care of themselves. But then again, it was Freyja Eriksdottir who reminded the men of Vinland what it meant to be a Norseman when the Skraelings attacked. Even pregnant, she ripped off her bodice, beat her bare breast with a sword and faced off the attackers herself scaring them to the point that they broke off the attack.

I’ll take the heathen ways over yours any day.

Danny

I read your post concerning women, and I will tell you, my husband doesn’t “Train” me, I am not a dog or a horse. And I am responsible for myself, and I will answer to God for what sins i commit, not my husband.

This is one reason I stayed away from church for so long, if I heard “You can’t do that, you’re a girl!” one more time, I would have gladly hit that person with whatever I could find.

I didn’t want to be a priest, a pastor, or a housewife. I didn’t want to spend my life raising children, cleaning house, or being someone’s “wife”. I wanted to join the military and see the world. When I tried to join the military, there were so many restrictions placed on me, I just gave up. I went to college and became a teacher.

When I met my husband, I told him he wasn’t my daddy, I didn’t need him to teach me the way I should go, or any of that. I fear a great many women have stood by and missed out on life because of attitudes like this.

I agree with very little the liberals but forth, but I am adamantly with the feminists on this. I do NOT agree with abortion, nor any of the other junk the liberals spout. But equality, I do agree with, and as soon as we ALL are recognized as humans, instead of male or female, the better off we all will all be.

madeline
shelby, nc

I am a 42 year old gal who lives in Central Pennsylvania. I love photography, animals and travel. I attended the lutheran church most of my life. I love your blog. I really enjoyed reading your entry on Barrack Obama. I don’t like to sound suspicious or negative but I’ve often wondered if he has a hidden agenda. I too can’t imagine how a person can go to the same church for 20 years and listen to the same person and not be affected by his words and opinions. If I attended a church and the preacher talked racism and hate, I would leave. I wouldn’t sit there for 20 years and listen to it. There’s no excuse for hatred. We all need to learn to love each other and start living by the ten commandments. God Bless you!

If you do read all of these posts? I am very concerned about Obama’s ability to have so many people who have been friends of his, including eastern men, who [may be terror sympathizers] who may be funnling cash to terrorists. [Do I believe Obama is personally aiding terror?] I do not know.
I do know that there are millions of people who are able to act a certain way in public, but then are practicing strange beliefs behind closed doors. I hope with all my soul, Obama is NOT such a person who would make his way into the white house so that he could make it easy for our enemies to get inside of our Government after he appoints his “friends” who are NOT who he thought they were for the 20 plus years he associated with these some 4 - 6 questionable people he has direct ties to.

Including the Now CONVICTED slum-loard of Chicago, the openly “hate filled preacher” and all who preach from that particular pulpit - including a white preacher who sounded like he was born and raised in Watt’s California! AND HE’S WHITE! and he felt ENTITLED TO SCREAM FROM THE PULPIT with all of the same “hate filled” nasty behavior as the Churches undecided retired REV.

Joe - I think you are way off base here. The decree to not allow women to be priests has NOTHING to do with thinking half the world’s population are second class and inferior. The Catholic Church has several large orders of Sisters/Nuns that devote their life to God and are just as honored and supported as the orders of Monks/Priests in the Catholic church. There are several women that have been made Saints, Mother Theresa is the newest! A woman!!Hello….

Do not equate the restriction on women becoming priests, something even the Jews did not permit until recent times, as being sexist. In fact, God commands that a man be the head of his household. Responsible for the actions of his wife, children, employees, and himself. When I go to heaven, I will have to answer not only for my sins but theirs because it is my Duty to God to train them right, hold them accountable to HIS will and Law, and discipline them when they disobey God’s Word.

Terry…there is nothing in the Bible about priests not marrying. They did in the Jewish tradtition and they did in the beginning of the Christian churchs and Catholic church. The problem came about in the Dark Ages as the Papacy was split and the sale of indulgences was rampant. There came a time when the Bishops and high Church officials were in collution with the monarchs and they married their children off to seal deals and make political alliances. A Pope (forget which one, Father should know) banned the sale of indulgences and also banned the marriage of priests from that point on to prevent the craving of political power over the Power of God and following in the teachings of the Church. It has held ever since, I believe the ban was in place by the late 1100’s or 1400’s, I forget which.

Well, I usually do not post under my real name but for this and for Father Jonathan, I will. I am a Roman Catholic by birth and by choice, I was confirmed at age 14 because I wanted to and I believed in the teachings of the Church, I still do regardless of what some members or clergy do or have done. Currently I attend a nondenominational christian church that just happens to be 40% Catholic by make up since there is no real local Catholic church to us and my wife is simply Christian.

I am 36, father of 2 by birth, 3 more by marriage. I am well educated, not just by schools but life, I have a BS in Physics from UCLA and an MA Ed from Pepperdine University. I am born and breed in Southern California from a Kennedy Democrat Roman Catholic family. However, I grew up in the Reagan years and the man and his life and work have had a profound effect on my thinking. I am a Reagan Conservative for life. My brothers, sister, and I were taught from a young age personal responsibility, independence, and strength of convictions.

I found Father Jonathan’s writings over a year ago and since then have read every back dated blog entry I could. There is hardly an instant where I do not agree with his analysis of a situation. He is a Roman Catholic of the same vein as I, spiritual-religious yet with a high analytical logical thought process tempered by reality. I look forward to following and supporting his career as he might one day by my Pope. I believe he would make a great successor to Pope Benedict XVI in 20 years or so.

I believe this forum discusion can only help the life mission of Pope John Paul II, the reunification of the Catholic Church, Anglican, and other denominations under one banner. It is also a life mission that I feel God has placed in my life with a dream that rattles in my mind and has continued to since watching John Paul’s funeral a few years ago.

I talk straight, I don’t pull punches. If you are going to comment make sure your point can be backed by more than just emotional reasons. Facts, truth, logic are immutiable as are the ethics, moral, and values that God has granted His people on Earth. We are all His chirldren, no matter how disobedient we have become.

God Bless and LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!
=)

Although an Agnostic/Atheist, I have read your column for quite some time, and always find it enjoyable. I don’t always agree with you, but often do.

For such interest as it may hold, here is a link to a site on which I frequently post articles and comments. I have a feeling that many of the articles and comments — which are sometimes more enlightening than the articles — there might be right up your alley.

One small suggestion: since your site permits HTML code, it would be very helpful to have a “preview” button, because sometimes the code is confusing and people forget to close tabs. This problem can generally be prevented by allowing a preview.

Dan