Religion

by Alan Fernald

Created on: April 05, 2008   Last Updated: October 06, 2008

Do you believe that women's rights are important? So do I. In fact, I believe that not just women but every person should be treated with equal respect and provided all the same rights and opportunities. Unfortunately, there are some people who believe differently than I. They believe that women are more like chattel than people, and that they should be treated more like animals than human beings. Though I disagree with these who disregard the rights of women and the religion which they serve, I must also ask myself which right I value more dearly.

This article is meant to weigh and balance our individual freedom to practice the religion of our choice and to have and hold our own system of beliefs against the freedom to live in a world where people are judged based upon individual merit rather than their stereotypical role. In this matter, I myself am in an internal conflict because of my deeply felt belief that all religions must be free to hold their beliefs and traditions sacrosanct, while I absolutely abhor those who would deny anyone an opportunity based upon things beyond their control (the standard race, gender, age, etc...).

In this case of a religion that subjugates women, I believe the right to practice religion outweighs the need to enforce non-discrimination based on gender requirements. While I do agree with the assertion that we must challenge religious institutions to eliminate their biases, I do believe we should not take any actions that support those prejudices either.

The primary question I believe that needs to be addressed in this discussion would actually fall along the lines of the old adage, "For evil to succeed, it only requires that good be silent." Would a failure to directly challenge religions that practice gender-based prejudice be the equivalent of promoting those same religions? My own answer to this is an unequivocal "No!"

This does not mean that I would not indirectly challenge these same religions. In fact, I believe that we should let them make their own choices, but as with all choices, there are consequences to those choices as well.

In a recent case in Kansas, a private school located in a little town named St. Mary's made national news with their actions. The town is monopolized by St. Pius X, a traditionalist branch of Catholicism. A female referee was scheduled to oversee the local high school girl's basketball game. The boy's game was scheduled immediately afterwards. However, the scheduled referee called out sick for the second game and a replacement was needed. To fill the gap, the woman referee agreed to stay and call the second game.

However, St. Pius tradition states that women cannot be placed in positions of authority over men, and thus, the boy's basketball team refused to take the floor. The school in question is a private school, but the opposing team was a public school, and the referees were provided under an agreement between the St. Pius School and the Kansas State High School Athletic Association (KSHSAA).

In this situation, I feel that the school, being a private institution, has the right to choose who is permitted to referee their basketball games. However, as the referees were provided under an agreement with the KSHSAA, the school must accept the officials chosen by the KSHSAA. In this particular case, KSHSAA has the right to provide whichever officials they so desire, and the private school, if not in agreement, has the right to forfeit the game.

In this situation, my personal solution would be to respect the tenets of their religion by not using female referees; however, in this case, to be fair to other schools, other referees and women in general, I would also refuse to provide male referees as well. I would choose to not provide any referees until the school agreed to accept all qualified personnel, regardless of gender.

Though this may seem like external coercion, I believe that this upholds both the freedom of this religion to have and practice their own beliefs, while also refusing to participate in their prejudicial practices. I also believe that if individuals (or groups) have the right to protest the school and the church.

I do believe that over time (measured in decades rather than years), the patience of the many will win over, and organizations such as St. Pius X will have their philosophy marginalized and kept out of the mainstream of society. This may not help women who currently fall under the St. Pius reign; however, I believe that it is more crucial for us to defend our right to hold our own beliefs (religion), even if it limits the possibility of some to overcome bias and prejudice. Those women who fall under the tenets of this religion will have to face their own challenges; however, they do have the possibility to escape the repression of equality that is evident in their religion.

Though that chance of escape may seem small or even insignificant, it does still exist, and I personally know several women who have already availed themselves of that exit. They will be the first to tell you that it was not an easy decision, giving up their family/friends for a better life; however, they also prove that escape is not impossible. However, this also brings up an entirely separate topic for debate.

On one last note, in any situation where subservience or religious tenets lead to a situation of abuse or neglect, I believe that it does become a criminal matter which should be handled in the light of prevailing laws, not by religious tenets.

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