An image of a 14-year old girl holding a sign recently went viral. The sign said: "Jesus isn't a dick, so keep him out of my vagina." I assume this young woman was hoping to be noticed, and she definitely was.
Over at a tumblr page called Public Shaming, the latest article there features a picture of the girl holding her sign as well as internet images from Facebook and Twitter chronicling negative reactions to her sign. The reactions were varied in their accusations. What got my attention was the overall prevailing assumption that because this girl made a statement about vaginas (one that clearly relates to recent actions by legislators to make abortion access more difficult), she must be sexually active (and, more particularly, must be promiscuous or otherwise a slut/whore/prostitute). A secondary assumption that caught my eye was that this young woman was in some way taking the Lord's name in vain. (As the author of the tumblr page notes, however, she's saying Jesus isn't a dick, rather than saying he is--a rather clever part of her double entendre, in my opinion.) Christian conservatives are behind much of this negativity. Sometimes I wonder how I keep company in the same religious tradition as people such as these. How is it possible that I claim to follow in the path of the same Christ they claim to follow? How can I call myself a Christian when this is what Christians are like? Søren Kierkegaard, a devout Christian and famed existentialist philosopher of the 19th century, distinguished between what he called "Christendom" and following Christ, where the former had to do with falling in line with the polite (or, in this century, impolite) opinions and practices of Christian society, and the latter had to do with discerning for oneself, from one's own prayer and study of scripture and tradition, what it meant to take up Christ's cross in one's own circumstances. Kierkegaard would not look kindly on the religious right of 21st century America, I imagine--he would probably denounce it as full of unkindness, full of fear about change, full of unwillingness to imagine the world from the perspective of someone as politically insignificant as a 14-year-old girl. To debunk the power of this girl's Christendom-threatening message, many right-wing Christians who are anti-abortion and pro-vagina-legislation are attempting, in their social networking comments, to discredit her by slut-shaming her. What is slut-shaming? "Finally, A Feminism 101 Blog" sums it up well: "Slut-shaming, also known as slut-bashing, is the idea of shaming and/or attacking a woman or a girl for being sexual, having one or more sexual partners, acknowledging sexual feelings, and/or acting on sexual feelings." To acknowledge one's sexuality (in this girl's case, her vagina) is to be a slut, according to the slut-shamer. Unfortunately, that's not just a logical fallacy. It's a non-sequitur made by a politically powerful crowd, America's modern-day Christendom, to rape a non-powerful person of the most powerful tool she has: her right to speak. Obviously, if she's a slut, she cannot have any authority--at least not in this God-fearing Christian country--to talk about vaginas or what goes in and out of them. (But really, when does any woman have the right in a God-fearing country to talk about vaginas? Vaginas and the people who have them only lead to sin unless God-fearing non-vagina-bearing-people are in charge of them! Right?) As a Christian particularly and a religious person generally, I am dismayed by the way in which right-wing Christians are lashing out at this young woman. Those Christians don't represent me. More importantly, they don't represent Christ. They represent a "Christian" crowd that apparently prides itself on being no less chauvanistic than the most chauvanistic elements of the Bible, rather than practicing compassion as Christ did. I challenge my fellow Christians to take a second look at this young woman--without resorting to slut-shaming--and see what it is that she's driving at. Why would she want to keep the anti-abortion legislation of American Christendom "out of her vagina"? What might be at stake for a 14-year old girl in 2013? Imagine for a moment that she's not religion-bashing or Christ-bashing or pro-promiscuity or anti-babies. What key message does she bear about her sexuality, her ability to bear children, and her vagina? What does she have to say that religious people in this country need an open heart to hear?
12 Comments
Julia Burns
8/2/2013 10:47:27 am
I'm stunned you have not a single comment to this blog post. You make excellent points. Thank you for provoking thoughtful discussion.
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Billy Joe Cain
8/4/2013 04:12:59 pm
Thank you on behalf of Tuesday. Please let us know if we can assist in any way.
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Mike Sellers
8/9/2013 11:25:31 am
As a Christian, a father of daughters, and a friend of Billy's, thanks very much for articulating this so well.
Val Massey
8/9/2013 09:31:29 am
Thank you! I am a Christian, a Texan and an Austinite who is struggling to understand the justification of any American, particularly a Christian, who could advocate or participate in such shameful behavior. This is not showing love as Christ loved us. It is not okay no matter which side you've chosen in the debates regarding women's issues.
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Lori
8/9/2013 09:33:24 am
We need more Christians like you.
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8/9/2013 10:04:45 am
I'm also impressed there aren't a lot of trolls coming in here bashing you for saying the right thing. I am so very impressed with this blog and what you have written here, don't ever stop spreading the honest word!
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Jamie Crawford
8/9/2013 10:19:22 am
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I struggle to reconcile the (primarily loving) religious practice of my friends and family with this behavior, which seems very inappropriate to the 'Prince of Peace'
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Carrie
8/9/2013 11:47:15 am
It's so disappointing when loudmouths claim they speak for the silent majority. Moderates by nature don't shout from the rafters. I'm glad to see moderates speaking louder on the abortion issue lately. It's time drown out the religous zealots. It's time for tolerance and sanity.
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Steve Muchow
8/9/2013 11:53:43 am
Billy is a friend of mine and my reaction to the slut-shamers is the same as yours... How can I be a Christian around those who call themselves Christians and behave so badly?
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Barry Sullivan
8/9/2013 03:39:46 pm
'I love Billy and he is away from God as is Tuesday. My best thing to do is love him for who he is and pray that his heart will be open to the gentle voice of a personal and loving God. When that happens, all else will fall into place.'
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Steve Muchow
8/9/2013 04:32:44 pm
Hmmm... I reread my statement and the only thing I said regarding Billy was his connection to God, which I know from knowing him. No moral judgement there - just fact. Jesus is unequivocal in saying He is the only means of access to God. He is also clear we don't have a proper moral compass - his words - not mine. He also promises to lead and guide us through moral choices if we trust in him - a tall order for all of us. Again. his words not mine. I only wrote that in trusting Christ everything would fall into place - again, Jesus' words. How that plays out in Billy's life is between Billy and God and what that relationship is will not be the same as mine. You are right, it may be status quo. Experience tells me otherwise, but I will let God speak for himself. No moral judgement there at all.
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Barry Sullivan
8/9/2013 05:15:49 pm
Steve, I would far sooner hear of your arguments from an evolutionary stand-point. Your conscience clearly troubles you regarding abortion and you may well have an argument which could convince me that it's wrong. However, neither you nor anyone else will do so by quoting scripture. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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