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04/19/2004: "Polymorphous perversity"
The Institute on Religion and Democracy has a story about a bizarre feminist conference at the Boston University School of Theology this past weekend. Here are a few excerpts:
A major barrier to justice is a "binary society" that insists on "gender constructs" and "exaggerated differences between men and women," [theologian Virginia Ramey] Mollenkott complained. To confront this, she is pushing for an "omnigender society to correct gender assumptions.
"Binary gender constructs are wrong on every count. It doesn't account for cross dressers.They are compelled to do it. They must do it. Their creator must have made them that way.
"Let people be who they feel they are," Mollenkott implored, calling this new gender understanding "polymorphism."...
"Religion must stop making sexuality a focus point," Mollenkott declared. "Jesus didn't do it. Moses didn't do it. Muhammad didn't do it." She called for sex education for children that focuses on sexual orientation and "safe sex."
Gee, it's a good thing Mollenkott doesn't make sexuality her focal point. Otherwise I'd have thought she was obsessed with it.
Feminist theologian Mary Hunt, a Roman Catholic lesbian activist, hailed the many female clergy present, and announced with a smile, "My ordination day is pending!"
Hunt lamented an "erosion of reproductive choices," citing proposed bans on partial-birth abortion. And she bemoaned the "demeaning debate" on same-sex "marriage," which she described as a "right" for everybody.
Calling Gene Robinson: your canon theologian is looking forward to her ordination. Don't keep her waiting.
Joining Hunt in urging greater sexual and theological freedom was United Church of Christ minister Susan Davies, who is at Bangor Theological Seminary in Maine. Davies described herself as a "reflective crone," incest survivor, divorced woman, and out of the closet lesbian.
Davies underwent her croning ceremony, which is a wiccan-related rite of passage ritual for middle aged women, at age 60.
No comment necessary.
[Korean-American] Presbyterian minister Unzu Lee warned, "We are not doing a good enough job in fighting those who are corrupting the language." Specifically she was concerned about conservative church women who are using the language of "diversity" to expect inclusion of a pro-life perspective in the women's caucus of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
This is my favorite. Rev. Lee obviously had her theological training under Kim Jung Il. Her Orwellian concern about the "corruption of language" comes directly out of the Stalinst lexicon. I'd love to ask the article's author, Mark Tooley, "did she really say this with a straight face?"
Read the whole thing. It's a laughfest–or at least it would be if we could be sure that denominational leadership didn't take people like this seriously.
