I think we should open our blog to the article from the NY Times entitled Professor Says Seminary Dismissed Her Over Gender. This article was sent to us on the Listserv by Dr. Abrahams, and I think it would be an important discussion to have on the blog and in class. I have a feeling that most people would agree that this is a horrible situation, that shouldn't have happened. I know as a woman who is hopefully going on into higher levels of education this article made me feel uneasy about religious institutions. The New Testament, in which Timothy is written and the quote taken from, is used in all Christian schools from elementary to college level. Have women been released because of this and have not spoken up? Could this happen to any of us with out our consent? And, if you're Christian in any form, How do you fight against these opinions with out denouncing what you believe?
Also I think this article could lead to a further deeper discussion about all prejudice in school systems today. Problems still arise today concerning, Gender, Faith, Race, Sexual orientation etc. How do we protect ourselves against these prejudices? How can we up hold feelings of equality in out classrooms? How should we teach, and guide students to believe in equality so these prejudices don't continue?
posted by Anonymous @ 8:13 AM
2 Comments:
I have a lot to say and want to preface this by noting that I did infact discuss the nature of my reply with Kate previously, and mean absolutely no disrespect.
That having been said... I would like to comment on the following sentence:
I know as a woman who is hopefully going on into higher levels of education this article made me feel uneasy about religious institutions.
Are religious institutions going to thwart your position in higher education? Or perhaps you are planning to work within a religious institution? The point that I am trying to make (by lovingly using Kate as my guinea pig) is that there needs to be a clear distinction between government funded and/or public education and secular education. I think it is unfair to lump this scenario into one giant blanket attack on "discrimination in education."
Many religions are infact discriminatory in nature! For example, in a specific sect of Islam, women cannot even worship in the same establishment, at the same time as men. And what about homosexuality in the clergy?
Religion has many branches of tradition and ritual, many of which, in other contexts, we would consider to be racist, or sexist, or prejudice... So, yes, I would also say that I feel "uneasy about religious institutions," not because they threaten my role as an educator, but rather because they support such ideas of inequality in the first place! Unfortunately, the situation described in this article is something that our culture allows to happen within the context of religion. Who has the authority to denounce the traditions of something so many people truly need, like religion? Our culture has built this very wall around the subject to prevent archaic beliefs, such as women not being allowed to preach, from being questioned.
Education provides an entirely different scenario. Is there discrimination in education? OF COURSE! But there is also discrimination in law... and in science... and journalism... and pediatry... and cosmotology... and marketing... get the idea? ;)
In conclusion, it is selfish of us, as educators (or as women, or gays, or anything else...) to assume that discrimination is something that mostly affects our employment. Let us rather concentrate on providing a biased-free environment for our students, while still preparing them for a world where discrimination will unfortunately always exist.
I feel that this issue is not something that can be changed. The decision of the Seminary is not based on sexism because of egos or one group of people trying to exert unjust power over another. These issues are based on a firm set of beliefs in the Baptist religion.
I'm not saying I feel that everything in the bible should be followed, and by no means do I feel that it is right to judge against anyone over race, sex, or creed. However, I do not feel that we can judge these people for the beliefs that they hold either. Critical pedagogy speaks of honoring the worlds of others. Who are we to say that one religion, education, or political scheme is superior over another? I strongly believe, with the little knowledge I have of the situation, that this decision was made solely on religious beliefs, rather than on chauvinism, and is not something that should be questioned by outsiders. (The only support I have for this is that the president supporting the decision was also a female.) Questioning this decision is the same as questioning why Islamic women are not allowed to show their hair, and why Catholic priests are not allowed to wed. Some things should be left untouched.
That's not to say that I feel commenting on this issue is wrong. I believe that everyone should voice their opinions - keeping in mind what I have said. I do have two problems with the decision. The unjust action taken against this woman was not telling her, when she started, that she would not be allowed to apply for tenure. Or in that matter, that she would not be taken seriously as a teacher. With that information this teacher wouldn't have wasted her years. Also, if women are not allowed to be superior to men then how is it that the president is a woman. That is a contradiction, but there may be more to the situation that has not been released.
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