WashPost's Miller Sad That Nuns No Longer Escape the 'Oppression of Marriage'
In Saturday’s Washington Post, religion columnist Lisa Miller brought her usual radical feminism to the table insisting Mary be “heard” as the Vatican insisted that American nuns and sisters actually act like they belong to the Catholic Church.
But this line stood out: “For more than a thousand years, women like Mary have entered religious life hoping to find a safe place where they might receive an education and protection from the oppression of marriage and the dangers of child-bearing.” The oppression of marriage?
Miller seems to be arguing that being a nun used to be the way an independent woman of learning escaped the clutches of overbearing husbands, only to now be dominated by overbearing bishops. It’s as if Miller paid no attention to the obedience and devotion of nuns and sisters to church teaching before “Women’s Lib” kicked in the late Sixties. Miller claimed Mary as a feminist icon:
When I see that a department of the Vatican, in Rome, has rebuked a group of American nuns for “radical feminism” and for speaking out of turn and has called in a man — a superior — to set things right, I think about Mary. When I see American bishops wanting to make rules about sexuality and contraception for ordinary people, I think about Mary.
A woman is at the very center of the Christian story, yet that story has been told and controlled for millennia by men. 
This is a bizarre analogy, because, as even Miller admits, Mary was submissive to the Lord’s wishes. Jesus was not contracepted. Mary did not demand to be named one of the first bishops or seek any feminist victory. She proclaimed she was a “handmaid of the Lord.”
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It can certainly be argued that Catholic tradition has raised Mary to a highly esteemed status, where as the Bible proclaims, all will call her blessed. That does not make her Gloria Steinem:
Nearly 40 years ago, in “Alone of All Her Sex,” Marina Warner presciently argued that Mary undergirds all of the church’s contemporary dissonances on gender and sex: The view “that natural law ordains that women must bear and suffer underpins the church’s continuing indefensible ban on contraception; a dualistic distaste for the material world reinforces the ideal of virginity; and an undiminished certainty that women are subordinate to men continues to make the priesthood of women unacceptable.”
Miller performed this routine before on the cover of Newsweek.
- Tim Graham's blog
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Comments
<sound of duct tape ripping off roll>
Submitted by motherbelt on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 8:58am.
Right, Lisa, that's why women become nuns....to avoid the oppression of marriage and the dangers of childbearing.
Because, you know, a woman can't live a single life unless she's in a community of other women.....
Good grief! Does this woman actually expect to be taken seriously?
She takes Mary, the model of submission to God's will, even at great sacrifice, and tries to remake her into a feminist icon?
This is a rewriting of history that is just mind-boggling.
But they believe it, I'm sure! Just like they think the women "got it" first and then "explained it" to the men.
Whatever gets you through the night, honey.
But please, don't try to pass yourself off as any kind of expert on Christianity.
Bingo...
Submitted by adamsmith on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 9:28am.
This pretty much says it all. I can't help but think if Jesus were to come back today, the feminazis would re-crucify him as none of the apostles are women.. I'm a Catholic and don't want women priests. Just my opinion.
And under the
Submitted by misterbee241 on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 1:17pm.
Mosiac Law Mary could have been stoned. But God protected his own.
Oppression of Marriage.
Submitted by PeskyDane on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 8:57am.
Oppression of Marriage.
Every man who has ever hammered a piece of lumber, thrust a shovel into the earth, turned a wrench, or set is hand to a wheelbarrow should be filled with an ice cold contempt upon reading that.
I know I am.
"Oppression of Marriage"
Submitted by Blonde on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 9:16am.
When I read her silly phrase, I have only one word.
Seriously?
That has to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Along with the "fact" that
Submitted by motherbelt on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 10:02am.
Along with the "fact" that women "like Mary" (who was married and had a child) join convents to escape it.
Yeah right.
Submitted by Blonde on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 10:29am.
Like the last time that happened, when Henry II wanted to get rid of Eleanor of Aquitaine by sending her to the convent so he could marry his mistress.
Can you say "Plantagenet"? I can!!!
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
agreed
Submitted by dmacleo on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 11:58am.
its insulting, just plain insulting.
What?
Submitted by GG_NB on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 8:58am.
Miller using Mary as an example for her arguments makes no sense. Miller, can you list the characteristics and behaviors of Mary from the Bible?
"What would Mary do"? Well, I think she would not have Miller as her spokesperson.
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
~Ronald Reagan
What would Mary do?
Submitted by motherbelt on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 9:01am.
She would say "Be it done unto me according to thy word."
Duplicate
Submitted by GG_NB on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 9:06am.
.
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
~Ronald Reagan
A few verses on Mary from the
Submitted by Bettendor on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 9:26am.
A few verses on Mary from the Bible:
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” - Luke 1:38 (NIV)
"But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.'" - Luke 1:30 (NIV)
"And Mary said: 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name.'" - Luke 1:46-49 (NIV)
"In a loud voice (Elizabeth) exclaimed: 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!'" - Luke 1:42 (NIV)
Mary really sounds oppressed here. (sarc/).
Lisa, as a Jew you know NOTHING of Catholicism or Christianity.
Submitted by drsamherman on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 9:57am.
You keep embarrassing yourself by writing about things about which you know nothing. Stop projecting your problems onto the Catholic Church and Christianity in general.
Got it, sweetums?
Indeed, Doc.
Submitted by HockeyKid on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 10:10am.
I wonder if she understands that, in Catholic ceremony (as Catholic friends have explained to me, at least), a novice becoming a nun is "married" to God, forsaking all others (including herself). I don't think this is the kind of "self-fulfillment" that women like Lisa Miller constantly proselytize.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
And for at least 50 years, gender feminists like Lisa Miller
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 10:03am.
. . . have sought sanctuary in academia and the media from where they can try to convince women that marriage and child-raising are slave endeavors designed to keep women from reaching their full potential.
It's curious that she paints religion as sanctuary in which women became nuns in order to seek protection from the oppression of marriage while offering education (??? -- These sound like feminist dogma). Actually, I believe the women who became and become nuns do so out of a faith-driven desire to serve God, and not out of self-preservation.
I feel sorry for Lisa Miller.
Submitted by HockeyKid on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 10:05am.
I feel sorry for Lisa Miller. Her perspective on human relations is very warped, and quite depressing.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Shut up, woman!
Submitted by Servo1969 on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 10:16am.
"they might receive an education and protection from the oppression of marriage and the dangers of child-bearing"
Shut up, woman! Get back to birthin' them babies! And clean up this pigsty 'fore I get back!
And where's my lucky hat? You know I can't fish without my lucky hat!
What? All I know is I better smell dinner when I step back onto this porch or there'll be hell to pay!
The oppression of marriage?
Submitted by almostacowboy on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 12:09pm.
I...I.....I can't even respond to that other than to quote Konrad Adenauer, who said, “In view of the fact that God limited the intelligence of man, it seems unfair that He did not also limit his stupidity.”
Just Keep Talking
Submitted by Jonah Johansen on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 12:35pm.
I am slowly moving from being routinely angered and outraged by left wing talking heads,
to wanting to encourage them to speak their mind.
When I hear a biased revealing stupidity like this-
“For more than a thousand years, women like Mary have entered religious life hoping to find a safe place where they might receive an education and protection from the oppression of marriage and the dangers of child-bearing.”
I want to say: "Just keep talking."
The real intellectual battle is for the persuadable middle,
the disappointed/disenchanted/skeptical former democrat
turned independent and undecided young minds.
What truly matters is how influential a given talking head is with that demographic.
We may hate the whole MSNBC crew but in reality they are in general a net positive for our side.
Everyone of their shows speaks to and is targeted at true believers. There is virtually no attempt to appeal to anything but rabid, kool-aid drinking hard left progressives. I would be much more concerned if they adopted a faux moderate, middle of the road, independent voice and then inserted the bias with nuance subtly and atmospherics. (i.e. Diane Sawyer,Tom Brokaw, Brian Williams are far more dangerous than Rachel, Al,Ed and Chris)
A hidden benefit is they re-enforce the out of touch, radical, loony extremist positions of their core audience; giving them a false sense of security and making them far less able to persuade others of their positions. Their viewers are thus both overconfident and tone deaf to the rest of society's political views.
Mary's last words
Submitted by imjustagirl on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 12:43pm.
I love Mary's last words in the Bible as she spoke to the servants at Cana: "Do whatever he tells you." Jn 2:5.
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0234.htm
God Bless America
Male oppression in Marriage
Submitted by CobraMan on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 12:53pm.
Hay, Lady, have you ever considered the Male oppression that is inherent in Marriage? Men have to do nearly all of the dirty, labor intensive work that is inherent in a Marriage. How many married women do things like carry out the trash, mow the lawn, gas the car, ect? It is nearly always the Man that has to do those things, while the woman writes reams of "to do "list in an oppressive attempt to control the actions of their husbands. We are the virtual slaves of the wife, who use their own sexuality in order to control us. That "you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight, hunny!" threat they bandy about with reckless abandonment. Tell me that's not oppressive, I dare you!
Then there's the mandatory monetary requirements of men to care for their children, even after a marriage is over and the woman and children leave the man. Ever hear of Child Support? Ever hear of Alimony? By far and large it is the MAN who has to provide both! That's direct evidence of male oppression! Maybe that's why so many men become Priests, to escape the oppression they face in Marriage, up to and including the forced support of children they may not want?
See, I can play the Oppression game too. Of course, it's just as foolish as when YOU do it, but you'll never admit that on your part, will you? No, you would undoubtedly tell me, ad nasum, just how wrong I am, because I'm a man, and inherently oppressive, correct? Well, I am in your oppressive, female dominated view of nature, anyways. Reality, on the other hand, is quite different. In reality, men and women share responsibilities, and authority, in things like marriage.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Silly me
Submitted by misterbee241 on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 1:19pm.
And here this Baptist boy thought women became nuns to serve God.
Marriage has freed me.
Submitted by Radical1979 on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 2:10pm.
It freed me to express my love to my husband, to have children, and to be protected by my husband.
But Cobra, I have to say I do the trash, the lawn, and the snow. My husband shouldn't have to do all the dirty work!
Lawn and laundry~
Submitted by GG_NB on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 2:57pm.
This is going to sound odd, but I have NEVER mowed the lawn since being married. Now before anyone calls me a princess, this is because my husband likes to mow the lawn. AND my husband has only done the laundry about five times (when I was too sick and it piled up) -- because I like to do the laundry. I also like to clean. My husband and I both cook.
But in our home, my husband and I honestly do want to help the other whenever help is wanted/needed. So he'd do the laundry if I asked, and I'd mow the lawn (once I figured out how to operate it) if he asked. It just seems to work out well that we generally like different tasks.
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"
~Ronald Reagan