Growing up in the Bible Belt in the 1990s, abortion was one of the most frequently cited symptoms of America’s “moral decline” from the pulpit. Sometimes likened to child sacrifices made to the pagan deity Moloch (and the Holocaust), abortion was depicted not only as the epitome of America’s wickedness but also proof of demonic…
The guest speaker stands behind the podium. A clear pitcher of water sits on a stool at his side. Our youth group listens with rapt attention. The guest speaker is talking about sex. He invites three boys to the front and tells them to spit into the water pitcher. Like, really spit. To make it…
Continue reading ➞ Dispatches From Purity Culture: How Sexual Shame Overtook a Generation
The Talmud - a vast collection of ancient Jewish laws and traditions - said it's better to "burn the Torah [the first five books of the Bible] than it was to teach it to a woman." Saint Clement, considered to be the first Apostolic Father of the Church, said, "Every woman ought to be overcome with…
Continue reading ➞ Unveiled: Women, Misogyny, the Bible and Church
Trigger Warning: The following article contains graphic sexual content and intense depictions of sexual abuse. Reader discretion is strongly advised. However, none of the hyperlinked text links out to pornographic websites. In January 2017, PornHub - one of the largest online porn sites - released its annual Year In Review statistics. In 2016, PornHub used…
Continue reading ➞ Skin in the Game: The Feminist Case Against Pornography
It was 'Sex Night' at camp. A month before my freshman semester, I attended an orientation camp designed to 'welcome' me to my university. Overwhelmingly, the staff was made up of sophomore and junior college students. On the second night, they split the girl and guy campers into two separate groups. The format was a…
Continue reading ➞ Men Will Be Boys: The Root of Modern Misogyny
Instrument of Mercy 