Kate,

I could feel the passion in your words! And, some of them bear repeating:

I, too, am supportive of progressive Evangelical groups who are speaking out on environmental and economic issues, as well as torture and violence related to war. These are incredibly important issues. BUT, they are interconnected with reproductive and sexual discrimination.

You are so right. I'm so glad that you wrote this blog post. The elephant in the room is that some may harbor the incorrect and unjust view that compassion for "unsinful" people is OK but certain "sinful" people who may have caused their own woes with their "sins" are less deserving of compassion.

You summed it up best with:

Justice is justice!

I'm so glad you wrote this!

PS. I took the quotation marks out of your title only cuz they cause some sort of thing to go bonkers whenever there's quotes in a title...

Great post, Kate Ott! Everything you said needed to be said just the way you said it! And, probably it will need to be said again, and again.

Bravo!

Nora T.

Kate, speaking of the Compassion Forum, I was shocked to discover that David Brody (far right commentator at Christian Broadcasting Network) actually admitted that the Democratic Party is the big winner because:

Look, the reality is at the presidential level, Republican candidates, for the most part have not engaged on the faith issue. Mike Huckabee has, so has Sam Brownback and yes, Alan Keyes. But c’mon. No top tier candidates like McCain, Giuliani or Romney showed up at the Value Voters debate last fall. Yet Obama and Clinton show up to this forum and tackle the tough questions. Heck, this is the second time in a year they’ve done something like this.

At least we've not only found our place at the faith table, but we are seemingly the most dependable group there. We do deserve some pats on the back for that, at least.

Still, though, I'm 100% with you that gender equality cannot be thrown under the bus.

Whether or not readers here are Clinton supporters, it should be crystal clear to us that she has been subjected to venomous sexism. That same sexism permeates our society - and, as you point out - poorer women suffer the most for it.

Phenomenal post, Kate. We are fortunate to have you as a part of our community here!

Simone

I totally agree with you! (Great post btw)

I feel like there is little avenue for people of faith to enact meaningful political change through their issue of choice that specifically deals with these issues in a faith based way.

I'm at a loss - but I think the most important thing is to have a dialogue with people... I wish we could start a series of round table discussions where progressives of faith can communicate with church leaders, church goers, youth groups, whatever and talk about what issues are most important and then what we can do to influence those issues. That way we can get outside the issues like gay marriage and abortion and enact a citizen force of faithful people who are determined to start recycling drives, or food pantries, or baby-sitting centers for single moms... all at churches who are also invested...

what state do you live in? Perhaps we need to organize together!!

Ally, Kate works in Connecticut at Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing. The Institute has a Declaration here that states:

God hears the cries of those who suffer from the failure of religious communities to address sexuality. We are called today to see, hear, and respond to the suffering caused by violence against women and sexual minorities, the HIV pandemic, unsustainable population growth and over-consumption, and the commercial exploitation of sexuality.

Faith communities must therefore be truth seeking, courageous, and just.
More than 2,600 religious leaders from more than 40 religious traditions have endorsed it. Read the full text here.

Very cool. Kate, you are cool.

Ally & Kate, I think you both agree with each other. YOu both see the inter-relatedness of these issues.

Ally, you see that since they are related issues, that once the evangelicals buy into the ideas of healthcare justice or economic justice, that - surely gender and sexual justice will follow.

Kate, you see the issues as inter-related too - but, if I hear you right, you are less willing to accept that if we separate them or tease them apart now - that we will ever be able to relate them back together again into one simple and all encompassing definition of justice.

I think you are both right! I also think that some progressive Christians are just so thankful that other Christians are starting to understand justice issues that they are afraid to scare them away or something by insisting that they buy into all aspects of justice.

Kate is right and true when she says "justice is justice." I wonder if we will ever get to the point that people see all other people as equals under justice. Who knows which way to get there?

I don't. But I will say this... I'm so glad that we are warriors and that we have each other for moral support as we march onward!

I'm going to leave this comment over at Ally's post too because I'm not sure she'll catch it here.... ;-)

Thanks for all the responses and dialogue going on here. I do work for a group that is active in faith communities and working with clergy on reproductive rights and inclusiveness for LGBTQ persons.

As a local activist who has worked in a variety of prison related ministries and done health education in the poorest cities in Connecticut, these issues are deeply interconnected. It does take energy to keep them together as we work for justice. I don't have one way to go about it. I just try to keep every vigilant in my own reflection and work. I do turn to feminist liberation theology and womanist theology as a method for how I as a Christian woman practice justice-making in the world.

Ally, I definitely hold tight to the optimism of the "centrist" Evangelical groups' movement as a process and further movement as inevitable to include reproductive rights and sexuality issues.

I do think the Forum however mischaracterized the faith voices and the issues that progressive people of faith care about more broadly. It truly was a platform for the Evangelical middle - AND, if folks had said that and someone commented on why reproductive rights and LGBT issues would not be covered . . . I might not be writing this post.

(I'll post this on Ally's page as well).

Well, I'm glad you are writing, Kate. Whether it be about this topic or any other. We're just glad to have ya.

Great conversation. I'm so glad you blogged it, Kate.
-Nora