Daniel

> I am not surprised to see such hatred towards Christian men who are
> being seen as evil, right-wing and conservative by the feminist /
> liberal segment of our society who have nothing to do but to monitor
> every move made by Christian men.

1) Where do you see any hatred? I certainly do not hate anyone although there are some segments of society that I consider thoughtless, witless, uninformed, dull, misguided, misinformed, or just blatantly evil. If you want to accuse me of hating some group, please point to a specific place in my writings where I state or imply that I hate anyone or any group.

2) I'm not sure how to take the phrase "towards Christian men who are being seen as evil, right-wing and conservative." I, for one, do not see all Christian men as evil, right-wing, or conservative. You have only to follow my links to the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and various feminist Christian theological sites or to view my Feminist Forefathers to find numerous cases where Christian men are considered anything but evil, right-wing, and Christian. I do acknowledge, however, that Christian men that I do consider evil, right-wing, and conservative CLAIM to represent the majority of Christian men. If evil, right-wing, conservative men have convinced the majority of people in this country that they represent the majority of Christian men, then I think that un-evil, left-wing, liberal men have a bone to pick with them, not me. In the future, please address this type of comment to the likes of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, James Dobson, and "Coach" McCarthey. I can not solve a problem that you have with them. Only they can solve problems that you have with their message.

3) Not all feminists/ liberals view all, or even most, Christian men as evil, right-wing, or conservative. Many of us understand that there have always been Christian men who truly do love women and who have fought for us. Stay tuned for my Father's Day tribute to men throughout history.

On the other hand, many segments of society including moderates and men's rights activists view Christian men as men who are evil, right-wing, or conservative. Indeed, men's rights advocates seem to think that there is a fertile recruiting ground among "evil, right-wing, and conservative men." Again, if spokesmen for your segment of society have misrepresented your views, then your beef is with them, not me. If people who do not share your outlook on life think you are the type of person who can be converted to their side, your beef is with them, not me. Please contact your spokesmen and let them know in no uncertain terms that they don't speak for you. You may also want to contact the news media as in Letters to the Editor of your local paper or call in radio talk shows and let them know that not all Christian men are "evil, right-wing, and conservative."

4) We have plenty to other things to do than "to monitor every move made by Christian men." Your obvious hyperbole aside, feminists and liberals do many things other than keep watch on "evil, right-wing, and conservative [Christian] men." We study, learn, research and teach history, literature, science, and religion; we run foundations; we create rape-crisis centers; we staff women's health clinics; we run programs on women, infant, and child-care; we are artists, painting, sculpting, composing and playing music; we care for our families and our homes; and we have jobs and careers. In short, women are active players in all aspects of American life including the economic, religious, educational, political, and cultural fields. Please don't get the impression that all feminist and liberals sit around thinking about "evil, right-wing, and conservative [Christian] men." We don't. But a few of us do keep an eye on your kind and alert others to the goings on in your world.

> Your letter on Christian men who hate
> their wives / women is nothing but a blatant attack to view Christian
> men as terrible monsters who control their wives.

I assume that you are referring to my booknotes on a book by the name "Christian Men Who Hate Women." This is not a letter, it is a summary of the author's findings that some Christian men do hate women and hide behind their religion. As you indicate later, you agree that some Christian men do hate women. I included that booknotes because I believe it is important for women to know that some men use their religious beliefs to mask their hatred of women. I'm sure you agree that such men deserve to be exposed and that women deserve to be warned about such men. Many women, and men for that matter, tend to believe that just because someone claims to be a Christian that they are a loving and kind person. We both know that some Christians throughout history have always used their religion to mask their hatred of other groups in society. The Christian church has a long tradition of hatred, intolerance, and bloodshed against selected groups: heretics, witches, Jews, women, and blacks to name but a few.

> I must admit that,
> sad to say, there are some Christian men, NOT ALL however, who have hurt
> their wives as well as non-Christian men.

On this we agree. Non-Christian men as well as Christian men have hurt their wives.

> In our Western society, women have every freedom to think, to express
> themselves, to work and in cases of divorce, more often than not, they
> have custody of the children though some of them may be unfit mothers.

Women have fought for these rights usually against the church, but we shouldn't find that too surprising. Men have had to fight the church for many of the same rights. If you think about the Spanish Inquisition, the Catholic church's condemnation of Galileo, the innumerable religious wars, the witchcraze, and the Church's perennial hunt for heretics, you will understand that men also had to fight the church for the freedom of thought and expression. Most churches have fought against the liberation of women, just as they fought against the liberation of men.

As far as women and child custody in the case of divorce, when custody is contested, men are as likely as women to get custody of children. Otherwise, men often abandon their children to the care of women. In such cases, only a small minority of men actually make full child-support payments: by far, the majority of men make only partial child-support payments or none at all. I'm sure you will join me in condemning men who shirk their responsibility for the children they bring into this world.

> On the other side of the coin, in paternalistic societies like the
> Moslem world, women hardly have a right to say anything and in some
> instances, cannot even work or drive a car and must wear a hijab to
> cover their entire face so that they won't pose a sexual threat to the
> men. Shouldn't you concentrate your energy on defending the cause of
> women in the third world rather than putting down Christian men who are
> told by God to love their wives. Where's the hate in this instance?

I agree that Sunshine has been silent for too long on the issues of global feminism. I shall be speaking out about female genital mutilation in Christian, Moslem, and other cultures. I shall also be speaking out about American oil company's plans to run an oil pipeline through Afganistan. Their royalty payments which will be made to the Taliban government will be used to oppress women. I shall alos be speaking out about the sexual slavery of women in other countires and the economic exploitation of women abroad.

None the less, pointing a finger at "them over there" and saying "they are worse than us" does not ameliorate the guilt of America's homegrown misogynists. "They are worse than us" only because you don't have political power to become like them. If given political power, you would become just like them. And women remain far from equal in today's society. I know of no man who would allow himself to be treated the way men routinely treat women. Until the day comes when the vast majority of men are willing to be treated the way women are routinely treated, I will continue to speak out against America's home grown misogynists.

> Daniel Devocht

Sunny

Back to Mail

e-mail sunshine@pinn.net