- The World Wide Web and You
- Theology, Bible, and Christian Living
- Special Topic: World Population,
Poverty, and Reproductive Health
- Current Issues: Recent news about
our sisters around the world
Introduction
Three points to keep in mind in using
"Web Explorations for Christian Feminists":
1. When you
click on the links below (words underlined in a contrasting color)
you'll be taken outside the EEWC site. In most cases,
you can come back to the EEWC website by clicking on the back
button on the toolbar at the top of the screen. (In some cases,
when you click on a link taking you to an external site, a new
window opens up and the back button won't take you back to the
site you just left. In such cases, try clicking on the X in the
upper right corner of the new window to close it. You'll find
yourself back at the EEWC site -- which was there the whole time,
but underneath the new site's window.)
2. Since the
links take you outside the EEWC website, the Evangelical and
Ecumenical Women's Caucus cannot be responsible for their content.
The inclusion in this column of any particular external
link doesn't necessarily mean EEWC endorses all or any of the
content you may find on that site. A listing under "Web
Explorations" only means it's a website that I think you'll
find of interest.
3. All of the
"Web Explorations for Christian Feminists" columns are
archived, so be sure to visit the archives from time to
time to check out tips and links in previous columns.
The World Wide Web and You
"Where spam comes from"
If you've wondered how spammers (senders of annoying junk
e-mail) operate -- how they find your name and clog up your e-mail
box -- this article
from the BBC may provide the answers you're looking for.
More on cybersquatting cases
In the April, 2002 issue of "Web
Explorations for Christian Feminists, " we learned about
cybersquatting. Here is another
recent example of how cybersquatting is being used by
extremists.
Theology, Bible, and Christian Living
Internet theological resources
A wealth of links
to materials on church history, theology, and more ( provided
by the Minnesota-based College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's
University).
Huldah
This website on
feminist theology is the private project of a theologian in
Germany. It is named for the biblical prophet Huldah,
the woman who delivered God's message in 2 Kings 22:14-20.
(Note: if any pages come up in German, click on the appropriate
flag icon to access the English translation.)
What does the Gospel of Mark say to women?
This article by Marie Sabin from Cross Currents provides a
new way of reading Mark. See what it says about Mark's
portrayal of women in connection with the Jewish Wisdom
literature.
Harvard Conference on Religion and the Feminist Movement
Online
Many of you will remember the EEWC
Update reports on this conference held in November, 2002,
in which many had to be turned away because of limited space. Now
you can have a virtual experience of the conference,
because the Harvard Divinity School is making it possible to watch
and hear the speakers online. Various sessions will be added
gradually. As of August, 2003, the presentations of the panel
comprising the first session (Charlotte Bunch, Letty Cottin
Pogrebin, Roberta Hestenes, and Azizah al-Hibri) are available for
listening on your computer. All that is necessary is RealOne
Player, which is available for free download via the Religion and
the Feminist Movement Conference site if you don't already have it
on your computer.
Inclusive language versions of the Bible
If you want to read Bible passages in gender-inclusive versions
online, click on one of these:
Today's New
International Version (TVIV)
New
Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Special Topic
World Population, Poverty, and Reproductive
Health
Population Clocks
Here are some sites where you can watch the increase in the
world's population as it occurs. Check out the Office
of Population Research at Princeton University. To see
numbers of both births and deaths as they are occurring around the
world, see this table
from the Forum Culture website.
United
Nations Population Fund
Many people think the UN Population Fund exists only to provide
information and resources for birth control. But the Fund does
much more than that, as this website shows. It is concerned with
the avoidance of sexually transmitted diseases, safe childbirth,
and the prevention of violence against women around the world, as
well as helping couples with family planning.
For example, the UN Population Fund is working to prevent and
treat obstetric fistula, "a debilitating pregnancy-related
condition caused by prolonged obstructed labour [which] leaves
women constantly leaking urine and/or faeces." The problem is
especially widespread in parts of Africa. A
new report indicates, for example, that as many as one million
of women in Nigeria may be living with this condition.
"A
Saint Saves Women from a Terrible Fate"
This article, by Nicholas D. Kristof, was originally published in
the New York Times under the title "Alone and
Ashamed," and is now accessible online through the International
Herald Tribune. It puts a human face on the obstetric fistula
problem by graphically describing how horrible life is for women
suffering from the condition.
Fistula Hospital
This is the official website of the hospital in Ethiopia that
Kristof discusses in his article on the link just described. (As
of August, 2003, the Kristof article can also be accessed here at
the Fistula Hospital website.)
Worldwide Fund for Mothers Injured in Childbirth
Read abut the "hidden
epidemic of maternal morbidity and mortality." Click on
the items on the left side menu for more information about the
various kinds of childbirth injuries suffered by many of our
sisters around the world -- and reasons behind them.
Men
and Population decision making
This site discusses the need to give more attention to men as
partners in reproductive decision making and shows the need for
couple communication. The material is from Population Reports,
published by the Population Information Program, Center for
Communication programs, the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
World Population and Reproductive Health
The Population Reference Bureau
and Population Action
International are two other organizations with information on
world population and reproductive health.
Short history of religion and contraception
A succinct overview of
religious attitudes toward contraception over history. The
article appears on the website of the Museum of Menstruation and
Women's Health, which has lots of other fascinating material as
well.
Two different viewpoints on Christians and contraception
The authors of these two essays published in Christianity Today
hold different opinions about contraception in Christian marriage.
Check out each of them at the following sites:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/014/3.48.html
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/014/4.58.html
The Childfree choice
Some couples have chosen not to have children. This website
provides resources and links on the topic.
Religious
Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Sincere people of faith differ in attitudes toward reproductive
choice. According to its website description, "the Religious
Coalition for Reproductive Choice works to ensure reproductive
choice through the moral power of religious communities. The
Coalition seeks to give clear voice to the reproductive issues of
people of color, those living in the poverty, and other
underserved populations." A list of member organizations is
included on the website.
UNESCAP report (United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific)
This site summarizes a report
by UN Secretary Kofi Annan in which Mr. Annan emphasized that
population, reproductive health issues, and the rights of women
must be addressed if poverty and hunger are to be eradicated.
(Click on "Message" to read his speech.)
Talking is better than fighting
In recent years, a number of successful efforts have been made to
bring people from both sides of the abortion debate together. The
goal is to discuss the issues involved, looking for areas where
there is some common ground, such as mutual concerns about
pregnant women facing difficult situations. Here are some sites
that present these efforts.
"Pro-Life,
Pro-Choice: Can We Talk?" (from Sojourners,
December 1994-January, 1995)
Alliance
for Conflict Transformation
Beyond
the Abortion Debate
"Talking
with the Enemy" from the Boston Globe, January 28, 2001
(See also the related links with this article.)
Jewish Rituals for conception, pregnancy, and childbirth
These rituals
come from Ritual Well, a website offering creative,
contemporary rituals for Jewish individuals and families who want
to mark the specialness of a range of occasions.
Deciding about having another baby
Various viewpoints
from members of the La Leche League are expressed on this
site.
Methods of contraception
You can click on any of the topics on this list from Planned
Parenthood. The site clearly describes the various choices
individuals and couples can make in managing their fertility,
ranging from abstinence to sterilization.
Infertility and related issues
Inability to conceive is a problem facing many couples. This
website from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)
contains helpful
information about infertility in a clear, reader-friendly
question and answer format, plus information about other issues
related to reproductive health (including menopause,
endometriosis, and surgery related to the reproduction system).
Current Issues
Recent news about our sisters around the
world
Believing it is important for Christian
feminists to be informed about women's concerns throughout the
globe so that we can pray intelligently and reach out to our
sisters in their challenges and suffering, I'm including some
recent news reports that you might have missed.
Rural
Women saying no to "sex cleansers" in Kenya
Notice especially this article's last section, showing the
importance of educating girls and women, enabling women to be
economically independent, and helping women band together in
sisterhood.
Source: Seattle Times, August 19, 2003
"Rape
reports surge in war-battered Liberia"
Source: CNN, August 9, 2004
Iran
orders women to button up
Source: BBC, May 25, 2003
Iraqi
women forced to veil
Source: BBC, June 13, 2003
Deaths
in childbirth in Afghanistan
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, May 25, 2003
Sad
plight of women in Afghanistan continues
Source: BBC, July 4, 2003
More
about women in Afghanistan today
Source: Mother Jones, July/August, 2003
"Women
protest over Afghan security"
Source: BBC, August 9, 2003
Stoning
sentence appeal
Source: BBC, June 3, 2003
Baby
girls in India "more likely to die"
Source: BBC, July 18, 2003
"India
Dowry Cases Soar"
Source: BBC, August 2, 2003
Brides
rebel over dowries
Source: BBC, May 19, 2003
I hope visiting the various sites listed in this
edition of "Web Explorations for Christian Feminists"
will touch your heart and mind -- and that your vision will be
enlarged to pray and act in any of the areas that have especially
moved you. Be sure to visit Web Explorations often, checking over
a few different links each time you stop by. (You could spend all
day on some of the sites!) And don't forget, from time to time, to
click on "previous issues" at the top right corner of
each page of Web Explorations. Many of the sites from past
editions are regularly updated and will have new material when you
visit them again.
That's all for now. See you next time when we get
together for more Web Explorations.
Your Web Explorations tour guide,
Letha Dawson Scanzoni
© 2003 Evangelical and Ecumenical
Women's Caucus
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