I'm with you,Julie. Go for it! You're not alone.

So that is why little Lisa from the Simpsons was raising the issue on a programme yesterday here in the UK.

I think perhaps the programme was a repeat - but for me I am somewhat behind the times - hence just catching up.

Also in watching the Simpsons - it is for purely Psychological Analysis - you understand!!!!

I'm just getting caught up with some of my blog reading. Thanks for posting this. I am a bit (ahem) older than you and I think I have believed what you say:

"I am a feminist - but contrary to popular dismissive labeling techniques I don't hate men and I don't support a "woman's right to choose". I support equality and human rights - for everyone."

...for a long long time, but have been unsupported by the church in this. May I just say that I also say that I believe LIFE IS A CHOICE. In ministry we've counseled so many young women who had suffered from incest and then were forced to have an abortion. They had no choice to say NO to begin with, and no choice to say NO for the second abuse. We need to raise our children with life as a high ideal, but also make sure their lives are safe enough to have LIFE be their choice for all time. IMHO.

I don't always have people stay with me on that, because they are blinded by the crusade of pro life--which I am, but don't take it for granted.

We are going through a wave of ultraconservatism in our church that will ultimately mean we (spouse in ministry and I) have to find a new denomination. I dream of a place where I can allow people to read my honest blog site and be equal with pride like you are!

Keep up the inspiration! And I'll see you over at the J.C. site, too!
My two cents

nothing wrong with the simpsons... we only have all of the dvd sets ...

And I agree that life is a choice that too few women are given. The pressure is to abort these days, even women who aren't forced by family to abort often feel forced by economics, judgemental churchs, or our social system to abort. Very few women do feel like that actually have that choice. Have you checked out the work being done by Feminists for Life? They try to help women actually have options for life.

This comment has been removed by the author.

oops, i accidentally deleted this, was just trying to change my user name. i am fairly lame at blog posting, that is clear! here's what i wrote in the previous post...

i am glad i stumbled upon this today...it is always so refreshing to hear others speaking out, risking, not settling for the status quo. i am currently co-pastoring a church plant in denver and often feel fairly alone outside of our community. inside our body it is just accepted that we have a flat, diverse, equal leadership team, that i teach and lead and shepherd and just basically be me. honestly, our people don't think much of it. it is just how we do it. i am copastoring with a good friend who my husband and i have so much respect for because he has taken a big risk to actually live it out instead of just talk about it. he easily could have a cush professional pastor job in a white suburban church but he took the risk to actually live out a different model that we passionately believe in. now outside my community is a different story! i have had many people say they supported women in leadership but only to a point. in fact, everyone loved me when i was in senior leadership "under" the senior pastor and elders. now that we are co-leading, well, that's heresy. it has been painful for me, the cost of stepping out has honestly been more than i expected--before i was leading out, the phone rang for speaking at women's events, but now i think i am too scary for some. when i team taught at our old mega church on a weekend, someone wanted my teammate to stand with me on the stage (no kidding, thankfully he said no) but then afterward, despit the positive response, someone with power questioned the elders about "the church's position on women" and the elders & staff decided that we weren't quite "ready" for a woman to teach to men (this was at a hip, supposedly progressive church), when my daughter's classmate found out i taught at church she brought in bible verses about how women weren't supposed to teach to men and were supposed to be submissive and quiet (yes, never underestimate what is being taught in some sunday schools!) but i am learning that despite the cost, it is worth it. there's a cost for following Christ, for living out who he calls us to be. the only way for things to change in this world is for those in power to give a voice to those who don't have it. that's what i love about the beatitudes--jesus' way turned the world upside down. but just look at the beatitudes. how often are they practiced in a typical church? the whole system is set up for just the opposite--a business model where those in power conform to the ways of the world and not to the ways of the Kingdom. it's so interesting on this one, the world has been far more progressive (at least in the west) at least valuing what women have to offer the corporate world. when i went to seminary and met with a "career counselor" they told me "whatever you do, don't work a church, they won't know what to do with you." they were right. but i value justice. just because a system is messed up doesn't mean we have to settle for it. in the Kingdom, women are valued equally by God. Jesus certainly wouldn't say "don't pastor" because you are woman. He wanted the Kingdom to be contagious. and in the Kingdom, the poor, oppressed, marginalized, abused, crippled, lame, unlovely are loved and given esteem. the only way for things to change is for us to stop conforming, to be willing to risk our pride, our reputation, even our hearts for the sake of doing what is right. equality is right. there's no question in my mind that in the Kingdom of God, the Body of Christ, women should not be oppressed, marginalized, pigeonholed just because of their gender. i do not raise the women's rights banner day after day but i realize how taxing it can be to always be swimming upstream. that is why connecting with others who share some of the same vision and heartbeat helps me keep on keeping on and feel a little less crazy. my husband is in law school for social justice and has been an amazing cheerleader. every single movement in history started with some people who said "we are done doing this...something has to change...this isn't right...we can't just stand by and let these people be treated this way anymore." every drop in this bucket has a ripple effect that sometimes we'll never know. i do believe we can shift the tide of sexism in the church but it will take a slow and steady "we are not going to settle for this anymore" movement where people are ready to vote with their feet, stand up against the oppression, advocate for those that have no voice, and be willing to take the heat for a counter-church-culture belief. well, that's my rant for the day. i love the conversation.

Kathye - thank you so much for sharing your story. It is so hard when people support women in theory but not in practice. I see that all the time. People say one thing to look good, but never expect to actually have to live it out. And the women pay the price.

This all has been a process of awakening for me. Small steps that have allowed me to trust God and become fully myself. It is frustrating a lot of the time, but there is a wonderful community of support out there that I just have to make the time for.

Again, welcome here, thanks for your input, and glad to have you as part of the conversation.