LETTER: Men of God

I was impressed with Chris Lehmann's analysis of the common roots of male sexism in the Mike Tyson and Magic Johnson situations. However, he is profoundly mistaken about his belief that male domination over women is not and never has been preached from the pulpits of America. My experience in white Christendom tells me this is proclaimed all too often. How else would you explain the sanctioned patriarchial structures of most major religions which gives credence to only half their constituencies? How do you explain "men of God" who advise battered and bruised wives to return to an abusive marriage in order to save her husband's soul at the risk of jeopardizing her own personal safety? How do you explain the passages of scriptures used to justify keeping women dependent, socially alienated or prohibited from positions of religious (social and corporate) authority? How do you explain the male idolatry that has been promoted from the pulpits for centuries? White women have been commanded to adore, admire, submit to and obey the authority of the male on the sole basis of genitalia, presumably because God wills it. We were told men are created in the image of God and women were the source of evil. It is this religious belief in the divine male prerogative over women that supposedly gives men the right (and responsibility?) to control women's sexuality whether it be controlling access to birth control, limiting information and sexual education, or forcing pregnancy. It is this domination/submission model which encourages "conquering" women through rape as with Tyson, "obliging" female sport groupies as with Magic Johnson and intimidating or trivializing women, as in many male run organizations. There can be no mistake that it is the power model -- supported by a male God -- which gives divine sanction to such abuse. Fortunately, religion also points us toward an ethic and morality which decries the evils of exploitation and the creation and/or perpetuation of constricting systems and unjust structures based on inequities. Scriptures can give us the very tools and criteria with which to critique all dehumanizing actions and corrupt values. Our critique must be applied not only to society at large, but also to the "sacred" confines of religion, even the pulpit itself. BEVERLY DALE Executive Director Christian Association