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“In the nineteenth century, the central moral challenge was slavery. In the twentieth century, it was the battle against totalitarianism. We believe that in this century the paramount moral challenge will be the struggle for gender equality around the world.”
The Age of Enlightenment began in the mid-seventeenth century and a case can be made that it was the most influential and far reaching metaphysical movement in the history of the world; indeed, we are still witnessing its potent aftermath as the tide that it launched continues to roll through the Middle East, etc. (a prevailing view these days is that Baruch Spinoza was to the Enlightenment what Paul was to Christianity). In the wake of the Enlightenment, and a but for result of the Enlightenment, came free markets, the dissolution of theocracy and royalty, representative governments, worldwide exploration and settlement (indeed the very impulse for this activity), science and reason replacing faith and mystery and superstition as the predominant public ethos, separation of church and state, the American Republic, the French Revolution, etc., planned parenthood, day cares, and gender and racial equality (such as they are nowadays). Communism, fascism including radical Islam, US Protestantism, Cardinal Ratzinger, Mormonism, the Romantic age, Russian novels, postmodernism, etc., all have occurred more or less in reaction to the Enlightenment.
Think about this: The LDS patriarchal structure is as much a vestige of the Old World order swept aside by the Enlightenment as were slavery and polygamy, as the priesthood ban. Think about the explanations for it. They require citation to an Old Testament world view that supported every one of the other archaic and barbaric institutions from which the Enlightenment has more or less liberated us. Indeed, monotheism is the one continuous currently operative ancient artifact that still remains in our public culture.
LDS sexism and misogyny is as indefensible as the priesthood ban. I am not just talking about women being deprived the priesthood and unrestricted access to LDS church leadership. I’m talking about the kind of psychic oppressing delivered even from the pulpit of general conference that leads professional women to feel shamed and diminished and little girls to believe their purpose in life must be subordinate to males in every walk of life except having babies and maintaining a home's culture.
Actually the sexism and misogyny is much more damaging than the priesthood ban because its effects on women are so much more pervasive and tangible, and there being so many more women than blacks in the church.
You don’t believe such oppression exists? Think about this. Why are women so muted in their response to the LDS patriarchal structure?
It's time for a new "revelation" and a new apology and recognition of responsiblity. As to women it's as morally imperative as what is required for blacks. Don't you think?
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