Rachel Ford is a programmer, and since 8:00 to 5:00 doesn't provide enough opportunity to bask in screen glare, she writes in her spare time. She was raised a very fundamentalist Christian, but eventually "saw the light." Rachel's personal blog is Rachel's Hobbit Hole, where she discusses everything from Tolkien to state politics.
Late last month, Archbishop Braulio Rodriguez Plaza of Toledo decided to address the topic of domestic violence in a sermon. Which sounds like a great idea, not least of all since it’s been reported that at least 50 Spanish women died as a result of domestic violence last year. The great idea remained just that, though, since the sermon itself was a disaster. As far as Rodriguez Plaza was concerned, the issue largely came down to two things: (1) There aren’t enough “true” marriages out there. (2) There’s too much independence among women. Read more
It’s no secret that many conservatives have a bizarre, obsessive hatred for Planned Parenthood. It’s also no secret that many women and men (2.7 million a year, for the record) rely on Planned Parenthood for a variety of reproductive health services. So when actress Jennifer Lawrence mentioned in an interview with Glamour magazine that she relied on Planned Parenthood as a teenager growing up in a religious household, it wasn’t very surprising to those of us who understand the variety of services offered by the organization. It’s also not shocking, though, to see some hand-wringing and whimpering from the usual suspects who like to pretend that Planned Parenthood is the Great Satan of Healthcare. Read more
Last month, Wheaton College suspended Professor Larycia Hawkins. Her offense? Stating, in defense of her decision to wear a headscarf in a show of solidarity with Muslims, that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. After complaints about the comments, Wheaton administrators put her on leave and said they were reviewing the case. In a press release on Tuesday, the school confirmed that it is beginning the termination process against Hawkins. Read more
Back in November, the advice column Dear Abby ran a letter from a young woman whose husband indicated that, in case of a life-threatening pregnancy, he would prioritize the fetus’ life over his wife’s. In her response, Abby made a comment that about Catholic hospitals having a similar policy. This past Wednesday, the column ran several letters from Catholic readers correcting Abby on the ostensible inaccuracy of that claim: Read more
