Texas Faith - In faith and gender politics, what does submission mean — as in, submissive spouse?

FAITH AND GENDER POLITICS - WHAT DOES SUBMISSION MEAN?

Men are traditionally insecure beings when it comes to dealing with women, particularly the hardcore conservative men, be them be Arabs, Americans, Chinese or Africans.  Each one has adopted a blunt to subtle way of “keeping the woman in her place.” Look at our own conservatives denying equal pay, equal insurance rates, and equal say in health matters and on and on… Mike Ghouse. This is my Bi-monthly take on issues published in Dallas Morning News on April 1, 2014.  

URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/04/texas-faith-in-faith-and-gender.html


Texas Faith - In faith and gender politics, what does submission mean — as in, submissive spouse?

By Wayne Slater
wslater@dallasnews.com
12:16 pm on April 1, 2014 | Permalink

When Sarah Palin ran for vice president, as Hillary Clinton considers a race for president and with Wendy Davis actively engaged in a bid for governor, one aspect of that culture war is what it means in religious terms to be submissive – most notably, a submissive wife. A recent USA Today article notes the subject is popping up these days, preached from the pulpit, pontificated about in a spate of new book releases and prominent on the agenda of next month’s Southern Baptist leadership summit. “All seek to answer the question of whether wives are 100 percent equal partners or whether ‘biblical womanhood’ means a God-given role of supporting their husbands — and, in turn, knowing their husbands are honor-bound to die for them, if necessary.”

Submission in matters of faith and gender politics (Artwork/Todd Slater)

Biblical references to husbands leading their households have long invited interpretations that sound to many people a lot like inferiority. Where’s the equality in submission?  And yet Cynthia Rigby of the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and a member of the Texas Faith panel noted in the USA Today story, the Scriptures came out a world where women couldn’t own property and could be divorced by their husbands saying the word three times. In that world, holding wives up as “holy and without blemish” was a radical idea, she said. In her upcoming book, “Shaping Our Faith: A Christian Feminist Theology,” Rigby explores the idea biblical submission and its implications in the wider public debate.

With gender politics is so much part of our public debate, how do we interpret the idea of submission? What does submission in a religious, political and modern cultural sense really mean?


MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism and speaker on interfaith matters, Dallas


The idea of submission was born to address our insecurities. The sense of loss we experience when we do not have control over our surroundings propels us to create a God in our own image, who in turn demanded submission or conformity to certain rules to assure individual and collective safety. Submission is both voluntary and compulsory.

Ganging up against a thought or an action that questions the established system or fighting tooth and nail against deviation from traditions has become a norm of compulsory submission.  New ideas are rejected by conservatives, the holders of the given values of a society with loud shrill voices, sheer pressure or outright denunciation as a fringe or a liberal idea. It tears the cohesiveness of the society and creates chaos.

The irony of submission is most of the liberal ideas become acceptable over a period of time, and get established as the new norm, and will be guarded as a conservative value against a newer idea.

Voluntary submission on the other hand is subscribing to a new idea, practice or an action (gaining acceptance of same sex marriage) to keep the societal cohesion intact.  The conservatives demand submission to the establishment, where as liberals want the establishment to be submissive to the inclusion – both have the same goal to keep the society intact and in balance with least conflicts.


Submission and Gender Politics

Men are traditionally insecure beings when it comes to dealing with women, particularly the hardcore conservative men, be them be Arabs, Americans, Chinese or Africans.  Each one has adopted a blunt to subtle way of “keeping the woman in her place.” Look at our own conservatives denying equal pay, equal insurance rates, and equal say in health matters and on and on…

The drivers among conservative men “assume” that God gave them superiority over women and expect women to submit to them to keep peace in the family or society, period. They still have not woken up to the fact that we do not live in caves anymore, and men and women are equal partners in all aspects of life.

Over the years we have built up a good and just God who cannot tell us to discriminate any of his creation, but the drivers among conservative men have figured it out to make God sing in their tunes through the Bible, Quran, Torah and other holy books about women.

Thanks to Geraldine Ferraro, vice presidential candidate with Walter Mondale, the woman who paved the way for the highest office on the land, and then came Sarah Palin with John McCain, and both of them have established a new bar for women. Now Hilary Clinton and Wendy Davis are going for the highest national and state offices and both of them have fully earned  it to be one the best Presidents of the United States and Governors of Texas respectively.

The cave men cannot handle it, and have gone berserk and will resort to ganging up on the Hilary and Wendy. Instead of debating on the issues, they will attack them personally, and make every attempt to push them to the extreme to give up. At the end of the race, they will learn that these women are tough and will cause the establishment to submit to a new norm, a liberal value that will eventually become conservative, reaching new heights of balance and social cohesion.
 Additional comments I have added after the publication:

1. Almost all the conservative ideas of today were liberal ideas of yesterday.

2. Cynthia Rigby' statement about Christian dogma amazed me "the Scriptures came out a world where women couldn’t own property and could be divorced by their husbands saying the word three times." Indeed Prophet Muhammad challenged that and said, " women could divorce their husbands equally, and she can refuse to obey if it is against her faith and tradition". But People still don't follow it.

3. No religious group needs to gloat, every one of the scriptures have been misinterpreted. Religions meant good for the society, and of course clergy have made it good for their ego. We simply cannot accept any misogynistic representation of scriptures. God is not a misogynistic thing, he, she or it created all of the universe with equal attention and equal rights to one's space, sustenance and nurturence.

To read the opinions of other panelists, visit Dallas Morning News at http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/in-faith-and-gender-politics-what-does-submission-mean-as-in-submissive-spouse.html/#more-37026

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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and a book with the same title is coming up. Mike has a strong presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.

SPEECH : Preventable Diseases of Faith: Suspicion, Fear, Mistrust -- Pluralistic Solutions

Preventable Diseases of Faith: Suspicion, Fear, Mistrust -- Pluralistic Solutions

The milieu of pervasive social diversity requires that serious persons of faith deeply examine the bases of their personal commitment as they try to develop positive awareness of the pluralistic reality of cultural interactions in the world of today and tomorrow. Mike Ghouse will share his perspective.

Metroplex Breakfast Meetings at Canyon Creek Club house, Richardson
Friday, October 11, 2013

Talking points

Diversity is given

Thumb print to religion bud

What is it that we want?

Resources v consumers :Birth of conflicts : 1) Space, 2) Sustenance and 3) nourishment 

What did Moses, Muhammad .... Do?
Build cohesive societies

Trust – is the driver for safe and secure communities and a panacea for suspicion and fear.
The goal of all religions and Civil societies

Dialogue critical to Suspicion- the monster among us

Mistrust
Fear - the right wing fears phobia MUSLIM take over

Mulberry entry-
Unity day Sikh and Zoroastrian example – reversing the alphabetical order

Firm but fair

INCLUSIVE ATTITUDES ARE CULTIVATED

Our sense of responsibility is akin to wearing the seat belt. If you live in America, and don't wear the seat belt in the car while you drive, not only you feel guilty, but certainly uncomfortable. It was not the case before the seat belt was made mandatory for the driver and the front seat passenger. It is indeed a consciously learned behavior. I feel the same sense of discomfort, when I get to the podium and not mention or include different religions in the speech. My only fear is excluding others in the public square even by mistake.  To allay that fear; I have learned to start my speeches with Pluralism greetings and prayers that are inclusive of every one including my Atheist friends (Pluralism Speaker).

Thanks to my father, mother, and grandfather who lived their lives as an example inculcating Islamic pluralism in my brothers and the sister, like millions of Muslim parents whom you may have not met.  In my talks, I share small examples and incidents where small things do matter. We learned the Islamic version of Vasudhaiva Kutumbukum; the whole world is one family. 

Indeed, Pluralism flows in my veins, and that is respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of the 7 billion of us.

BOLDLY CHANGING THE COURSE OF HISTORY

My father was a Mayor of the town of Yelahanka in the fifties, and we always had construction work at our apartments or remodeling at our historic house, originally owned by the founder of Bangalore, Hon. Kempe Gowda in the 16th century. My father was a maverick, and dared challenging the abusive but prevalent norms of the society, he had the Dalits (shameful word: Untouchables) work at our place, my mother would make them tea or give them food in the plates and cups we used, it was a big no-no in the society at that time, you ‘kept them' away from your house, just as it was for the Blacks in America then. I am proud of my father, and my mother for supporting him in breaking the uncouth norms. He was constantly called on to quit, and at times threatened, but the dare devil held on to his ground firmly and the town loved him dearly and gradually followed his example.

I saw humiliation in the eyes of men, women and children, who came to collect water from the public tap on each corner of the street, the upper caste person would wash the tap three times before he or she collected the water. It was difficult for me, and I played out my share of the drama and mumbling in protest. Despite the significant progress made, we have a long way to go in the housing discrimination, indeed, even in America we have ways to go, but we are all going forward.

As I am writing this, I grudgingly acknowledge that I have learned nothing new; my father did everything that I am doing now, Gee, a drop of tear rolls down my cheek in reverence to Mahatma Gandhi for becoming a catalyst in uplifting the down trodden and restoring their God-given dignity to them. I just have to pray for the Mahatma for saving the Indian souls by getting rid of guilt from our minds, by having us open our hearts and minds toward the fellow beings, just as MLK did in America. 

COMMUNAL RIOTS

My father is my hero and opened the doors of wisdom to us. Pluralism indeed runs in my family. He taught us one of the biggest lessons of my life in social cohesiveness and dealing with extremism that I continue to reflect in my talks, acts and write ups.

During the communal riots in Jabalpur (India) in the early sixties, both Muslims and Hindus were killed in the mayhem, as it happens every time. I wish every father in India, America and elsewhere teaches this lesson to his kids. He was crystal clear on his take; He told us the "individuals" are responsible for the bloodshed and not the religions. If we get the guy who started the conflict and punish him for disturbing peace, rather than calling it a religious issue for the communities to jump in and aggravate it further, we would have saved many lives. He would emphasize that you cannot blame the intangible religion and expect justice; we must blame the individuals who caused it and punish them accordingly for disturbing the peace and thus bring a resolution to the conflict by serving justice. He said you cannot annihilate, kill, hang or beat the religion, then why bark at it?

WHAT IS PLURALISM?

Simply put, it is respecting the otherness of the other and accepting the uniqueness of each one of us. In cultural terms, it is recognizing your culture as a beautiful expression of life to you, as my own is to me. When it comes to food, it is appreciating the Rice you enjoy over the Naan I delight, or vice-versa. For Americans, it is medium rare stake versus the well done. In religious terms, it is learning to honor the way your worship or bow to the creator in gratitude, is as divine as my own.

OUR FUTURE IS PLURALISM

By the end of 2020, there will not be a major work place America or India and other places, where you will not find people of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities, races, nationalities and social backgrounds working, eating, playing, marrying, and doing things together.

We need to prepare ourselves for those eventualities to prevent possible conflicts and lay a good foundation for nurturing goodwill and effective functioning of the societies.  Exclusive communities will become a thing of the past. (Foundation for Pluralism, Pluralism Center)

Being a Muslim, I am deeply committed to nurturing the pluralistic values embedded in Islam (World Muslim congress). The role of a Muslim is to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill, most people get that, a few don’t, just as with any other religious group.

Pluralism is our future, and as a futurist, based on the trends, I foresee, that two generations from now, we would be comfortable in saying, my religion, culture or life style is one of the many choices, and further down the road, a significant number will proclaim that my way of life is not superior or inferior to any.

They will consider ‘claiming superiority’ would be sheer arrogance and religion (a major part of life to many) is believed to imbue humility that builds societies, communities and nations in creating that elusive kingdom of heaven where all of us can live  without apprehension or fear of the other.

WE ARE ONE NATION

We are one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. We are represented by every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion. We see God as one, none and many and in every form; male, female, genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names. Indeed, we must preserve the pluralistic heritage of America. 

 

 Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.

Action for Republicans by Republicans

ACTION PLAN FOR REPUBLICANS BY REPUBLICANS
URL - http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/mike-ghouse/51982/action-for-republicans-by-republicans   

Please consider sending a fax to your congress person and the senator, and I just did. To find your representative go to http://www.contactingthecongress.org

Congressman Kenny Marchant: fax: 202-225-0074
Congressman Mark Veasey: fax 202-225-9702
Senator Ted Cruz: fax 202-228-0755
Senator John Cornyn: fax 202-228-2856

I am a Republican and I don't want to be responsible for wrecking my country, I elected you to do the best for us collectively, and now you have betrayed us. All I ask of you is to reconsider your decision.

You may agree with me if you put politics aside, that the affordable care act is the best thing for me, you and many of our fellow Texans. Our system is not about me, me and me; it is about us, taking care of each other when are vulnerable. You and I, and our relatives and friends are as vulnerable to health risks as any one else. We are not invincible.

I had a heart attack two months ago and have a huge bill to pay, I was not getting insurance coverage for the preexisting conditions or I had to pay over $800.00/month. Thanks to the ACA, I just got the insurance for $380/month after the heart attack and an impending quad pass surgery. It's not about me; I can afford $380/month, but millions are out there who cannot afford even $200/month if you mess with the ACA.

Please call in John Boehner and offer your support to support the budget of the President. He is elected by the people just like you, and it behooves for you to respect him, as you expect us to respect you. John McCain said it right, the ACA was approved by the two houses, signed by the President, and ratified by the Supreme Court, what else do you want?

Our State has the highest number of un-insured, and don't know how many have died for lack of funds for medical care, and yet, we are letting one of our senators wreck the ship, that is America.

ACA is the law of the land and I do not want to see you, my congressman to break the law of the land. I will hold you responsible. Let's move one and not let Cruz rape our nation with you as an accomplice. Mike Ghouse is a Moderate Republican and is a speaker, thinker and a writer on the topics of Pluralism, Coexistence, politics, interfaith, Islam and cohesive societies. He is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

STUFF FOR A GOOD MOVIE

It's a plot for a good movie - the villain Ted Cruz tries to rape the girl, and John Boehner the hero rescues her and turns her over to father Obama.

Cruz is like a toddler throwing tantrum for the candy at the store, he called on the 38 some tea partiers to not vote for Presidents Budget. The old saying, the evil persists not because of the 38 Republicans, but because the good Republicans did nothing to stop the man.

John Boehner is doing his best; he is in between a rock and a hard place. It's time for him to take a bold stand and take leadership back that was derailed by the extremists from within the Republican Party. If you divide the party, you have no future in it.

Ted Cruz figures, he has nothing to lose, so he wrecks the ship, in the process he strengthens his own base for the future presidency - one must be out of his mind to vote for this man, who does not care about America or any one, it is all about him; Ted Cruz and we should not let him get by with his shenanigans. 2018 Is not far to nail him.

Ted Cruz does not have solutions - Obama has pulled the economy from the worst situation, the unemployment is down to 7.2% and things are on the way to sail smoothly. If we default on the debt, the United States will lose the trust it has built over 200 years for meeting her obligations. Economy will tank…

Let's get back on the track and to the right thing; support our president.

Mike Ghouse
www.TheGhouseDiary.com
_______

 

Ghouse on Hannity Show on Fox News Tonite

Sean Hannity offers the conservative perspective, and I will be on his show tonight to offer pluralistic solution on issues of the day. A moderate's point of view for our friends on the right as well as the left, to see the bigger world. I may not talk a whole lot, but I will precisely make a few points.  This must be my 40th or 50th appearance on the show, I don’t keep track of it nor do I save it any more.

TONIGHT ON HANNITY SHOW @ FOX TV
8:30 PM EST | Monday, February 11, 2013

In the last few weeks, Sean Hannity has been called names on my forums and the Facebook, what we need to realize is that Hannity is a patriotic American who keep our government in check. I am glad Hannity does not give a pass to Obama or any one. Had he grilled President Bush, we would not have been in the mess we were. Obama should not be spared either, no matter how good he is. 

We don’t have to agree on anything, but we have to talk, even if it is unpleasant. My favorite media heroes are those who nail the respective governments down, and keep them on their toes. Imagine an America without criticism, but without it, our democracy will not be fully functional.  

http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804

 

Mike Ghouse, President,
America Together Foundation

........ Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.

Domestic policy and the Presidential candidates

If we look at these two men running for office on the issues of Security, women, freedom economy, health care and foreign policy, it makes it easy to consider voting for one of them. Romney's actions (listed below) will push America into Chaos and Regress it back to Bush's 2008 America, while Obama's efforts will continue to bring stability to America.

I have never been alarmed about the future of America as Iam now. We have gone through bad times, losing jobs, foreclosure of homes, living on food stamps, budget deficit, sacrifice of thousands of Americans in wars and devastation of other nations and deaths of millions of civilians, and finally we have a grip on the situation and don't like to see a reversal of this.
 

On the social front, during the primaries millions of Americans were apprehensive with the harassing attitudes displayed by the candidates. The Women, Mormons, Gay and Lesbians, and Muslim in particular, Hindus and Buddhists in general are relieved, and all other Americans have welcomed this healthy change. It is a relief to see the diminishing role of religions in the general elections.

We have come a long way in accepting each new tradition with suspicion; we still have ways to go, but go, we will. Obama has put an end to that tension for these groups with his bold assertions, that were politically risky. As Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, we owe him another four years to bring full stability to every one of the Americans. No American has to feel apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other.

Obama has set in motion the process of stabilizing and we are right on the trajectory, whereas Romney is inclined to upset everything and will take us back the Bush era. Why on the earth would people want to choose Chaos over Stability?

Romney has betrayed Republican conservatives more than anyone else, had they known that he would abandon the conservative ideas just to get the bloody votes from the group of independents, they would have continued with their reservations. Essentially Romney is telling the conservative go eff yourselves, as we cannot de-nominate him now.

Romney did not spare any one, he betrayed the Moderate Republicans as well, towards the end of the primaries that carried him thus for with his moderate stance, he switched positions to appease the right to get a percentage to clutch the nomination.

Romney has ditched his base; the moderate Republicans who dumped the extremist elements of the party like Santorum, Bachman, Gingrich, Cain, Perry, Pawlenty and others to give him a hand out.

I am a moderate Republican like millions of others, but unlike others, I have chosen to speak up. It is time for fellow Republicans to save the nation from Chaos and vote for the right candidate and place loyalty to America above the party. If we have America, we have the party and not vice-versa.

No one knows which Avatar of Romney will make it, the moderate, conservative or the one for himself.

OBAMA ON WOMEN

Passed Equal pay for women act
will preserve the right of women on Abortion
will appoint judges who will honor previous Supreme Court decisions will keep government out women’s business

ROMNEY ON WOMEN

Force women from abortion even if her life is threatened
Will keep government obsessed with controlling vagina
Will appoint judges who will repeal Supreme Court’s enduring  Roe. Wade decision creating chaos

OBAMA FOR AMERICANS

Obama will not trample on anyone’s rights
Obama will represent every American
Obama held the free fall of the economy, brought stability
Obama will let the average American keep his deductions

ROMNEY FOR RICH

Romney is a business man and will do what is good for his donors he does not care about half of America, because every other person between you and I are bums.
Romney will hit those deductions will hurt average Americans
Romney will mess up the economy with his experimentation
Romney will shut down another major industry in chaos instead of resuscitating it, because he and his buddies see an opportunity to profit from other’s misery.

OBAMA ON HEALTH CARE

Obama believes a Healthy America ensures a productive America
Obama believes every American should be insured
Obama believes no American has to let their loved ones die because they cannot afford insurance
Obama believes men and women should pay the same premium
Obama believes that it is the sacred duty of the nation to protect Americans from outside attacks, and it is a sacred duty of the nation to protect Americans from bacterial attacks and keep them safe.

ROMNEY ON HEALTH CARE

Romney believes, if you cannot afford to pay, let your loved one die
Romney believes, if you have preexisting condition, that is your problem
Romney believes, America is for those who can take care of themselves
Romney believes, he will repeal the everything that brings security to Americans.

OBAMA ON EQUAL RIGHTS

Obama believes all Americans to be equal
Repealed the don’t ask don’t tell act
The Gay and Lesbian Americans will be free to live their lives and marry who they want
Obama will mind his own effing business

ROMNEY ON EQUAL RIGHTS

Romney will bring back DADT
Will annul gay marriages, creating further chaos in their lives
Romney likes to poke his nose in everyone’s business.

 Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on the topics of Pluralism, Coexistence, politics, interfaith, Islam and cohesive societies. He is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His daily work is at www.TheGhousediary.com and all his works is indexed atwww.MikeGhouse.net including 4 sites and 30 blogs.