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

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