Yep, we started off the most awkward unit we cover- sex, love, and relationships! And we had plenty of food and beverages to keep us occupied. But really, we didn't start off with anything too hard, and we had some great discussion about the things we were defining.
So what did we define? We started off with the differences between sex and gender:
Sex: the biological sex you're born with (chromosomal). Your options are male, female, and hermaphrodite/intersex. Intersex people are born with either ambiguous genitalia or with both male and female parts (such as a uterus and undescended testes). Statistics show that approximately 1 in 2,000 births have some form of ambiguity or hermaphroditism, though not all of them are obvious (and some people only learn they're intersex when they're getting tests for some other issue much later in life). We also discussed how many intersex babies used to have gender assignment surgeries at birth. Numerous studies, however, have shown that many of those babies grew up to identify with a different gender than the one they were assigned, and gender assignment is now generally delayed until a person hits puberty or shows a strong association with one gender.
Gender: how you identify yourself (male or female). Most people identify with their biological sex (cisgender), but some believe that they are the opposite gender (transgender). Transgender has several layers of commitment, ranging from occasional cross-dressing to living as the opposite gender, but not modifying their bodies, all the way to a full-out gender reassignment surgery. There are also two other categories of gender identification: androgyne (someone who doesn't identify with either male or female), and pangender (someone who identifies as both male AND female, often depending on circumstance or situation).
Note: the recognition of differences between gender and sex is a fairly new understanding, and you won't find it referenced in the bible.
We then moved onto different types of relationships:
Celibate: refraining from sexual activities. This can be a short-term commitment, a promise to wait until marriage, or a life-long vow. The reasons someone chooses celibacy can be numerous, but they often fall along a couple of lines: they may want to wait to have sex until they find the right person, or a person may have a low sex drive (and they're simply not very interested), or they may have questions/concerns about the morality of their sexual orientation (such as feeling that homosexuality and Christianity are incompatible [note: the UCC is an open and affirming denomination, meaning we don't view homosexuality as a sin]), or they may have deviant sexual urges that they recognize as wrong and illegal, such as pedophilia or a desire to have sex with animals, and they choose to abstain from sex to avoid harming others. The final reason people choose celibacy is to devote the passions and energies otherwise occupied by sex and growing a family to a cause greater than themselves- this is the reason that Catholic priests take vows of celibacy. But you don't have to join a monastic order or become a man of the cloth in order to commit to celibacy- ordinary folk/laypeople can choose celibacy for this reason, as well!
Monogamous: being in a relationship with just one person, without any outside sexual activity. This type of relationship models the fidelity and commitment the Christian faith espouses, as it also mirrors the kind of faithfulness and commitment God requires of his people (you don't get to have other gods on the side).
Polygamy: being married to multiple spouses. Polygyny is when one man is married to multiple wives; polyandry is when one woman is married to multiple husbands. Polygamy is illegal in the U.S., but it does exist, often with second and third (and fourth, etc.) wives being "spiritual" marriages, rather than legal marriages.
So why is it illegal? Polygamy tends to have a destabilizing effect on society; most societies have roughly equal birth rates for males and females- thus, for every additional wife, there is one less female available to marry another male. So if one man has 4 wives, there are 3 men in that society who have lost the opportunity to marry. In turn, those men tend to have a much bleaker view of the future- they have no chance of finding "love" and having a family, and lose some of the incentive to try hard, take on responsibility, and contribute. Numerous studies show that polygamous societies have higher rates of violence, crime, and drug use- or they exile their extra males into a population that doesn't practice polygamy, which creates another set of issues.
Polygamy also contributes to power and wealth imbalances- if those three "extra" men want to marry some day, their best chance is to suck up to the man with 4 wives, in hopes that they'll some day be allowed to marry one of his daughters. So men with many wives retain power and influence, whether they deserve it or not. And it also means that daughters are married off earlier, to older men. It's probably also becoming easy to see why polygamous societies tend to not have equal rights for males and females- the women become bartering pieces, rather than choosing their own mates.
*Polygamy can be found in the Old Testament, though it is not promoted in the New Testament (which champions equality under Christ and loving others as you love yourself).
Polygamy isn't to be confused with polyamory, which is basically an agreement between adults about having a sexual relationship with multiple people. It can be a married couple with a third party involved (as a relationship, rather than a one-night stand), multiple couples, or pretty much any combination you can think of. It can be open (you can sleep with anyone you want) or closed (we have mutually agreed upon other partners, but anyone else would be considered cheating). The biggest difference between polygamy and polyamory is that polyamory doesn't really have any firm boundaries other than requiring communication and knowledge.
It probably comes as no surprise that polyamory is not a relationship format that is compatible with the Christian faith; it doesn't require faithfulness, commitment, and monogamy. And it has issues even outside of concerns with faith: jealousies, easier spread of STDs, confusion for children, and power imbalances, to name a few.
Aaand that's all we got to cover on day one! You guys had some great questions, and I was really glad to see how much you were willing to talk- please keep up the discussion in the following weeks!
5 Minutes of God Time: Any Other Way by Tenth Avenue North
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Saturday, February 8, 2014
The Upside
We finally wrapped up our Social Justice unit by talking about the good things- what people are already doing, how we can help, and what we can do in our everyday lives!
We started with a selection of quotes, and I asked you all to choose your favorite (my apologies- authorship is missing on some quotes):
And finally, we took a few minutes to discuss what we can do every day to make changes:
Our closing prayer:
-- Susie Larson.
We started with a selection of quotes, and I asked you all to choose your favorite (my apologies- authorship is missing on some quotes):
- We live in a culture where people are more offended by “swear” words and middle fingers than they are by famine, warfare, and the destruction of the environment. –RSIFIAOI
- To live charitably means not looking out for our own interests, but carrying the burdens of the weakest and poorest among us. – Pope Francis
- I always wondered why somebody didn’t do something about that. Then I realized that I am somebody.
- Sometimes I want to ask God why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice in the world, when He could do something about it. But then I’m afraid He might ask me the same question.
- The more often [a person] feels without acting, the less he will be ever to act, and in the long run, the less he will be able to feel. – C.S. Lewis
- Everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world. – Paul Hawkin
- Change happens when enough people speak up in the same voice.
- Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- You may choose to look the other way, but you can ever say again that you did not know. – William Wilberforce
- If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. – Desmond Tutu
- The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little. – Thomas Merton
- It’s easier to get free Wi-Fi than it is to get free water, and people act like there’s nothing wrong with the world.
- What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains, and is immortal. – Albert Pine
- One person speaking up makes more noise than a thousand people who remain silent. – Thom Harnett
- Do not let what you cannot do tear from your hands what you
can. –
-
If only I had an enemy greater than my apathy, I would have won. -- Mumford and Sons, "I Gave You All"
And finally, we took a few minutes to discuss what we can do every day to make changes:
What can you do?
- Check your consumption- make sure you’re not indirectly fueling war and poverty. This goes for yourself AND for gift giving to others!
- Pay attention to what’s going on around you- look for opportunities to help
- Talk about the things that matter. Try for once a week to start.
- Donate to causes that are trying to right wrongs
- Write your alderman, senators, representatives, governor, president, whoever is most appropriate
- Recommend books, articles, blogs to people
- Post them to your Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- Invite your friends to volunteer- help them to see the problem and how great the solution would be
- Look up initiatives that are doing something you approve of, and send them a letter of encouragement
- Set aside time each week (maybe just one hour) as your time to focus on social justice
- Think about how you can incorporate your talents and skills into fighting injustice
- PRAY!
Our closing prayer:
May God give you perspective on the things that frustrate
you. May your heart of compassion grow for those who suffer in unimaginable
ways. May you pray as passionately for them as you do for yourself. May God
protect you from a small, selfish mindset. May He fill you up with thanksgiving
and joy for the freedoms you enjoy! May he renew your resolve to be a grateful,
humble soul. And may he use you tomorrow in ways that surprise and bless you.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Social Justice Jeopardy
This post is a two-in-one! The last two weeks we've been covering some of the root causes of a couple of areas of social justice issues- and we've done it through Jeopardy! Listed below are our different categories and questions, with some of the more basic parts of what we covered to help jog your memory. Remember that there is so, SO much more out there to explore, and that we went through these different areas to get us thinking about some of the not-so-obvious ways you can attack the root causes and systems of injustice. And as always, our 5 minutes of God Time songs are at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!
Social Justice Speedy Scriptures:
Psalm 106:3 Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.
Isaiah 59:8 The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will know peace.
Jeremiah 5:28 and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor.
Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-- mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-- justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."
Global Hunger:
Video card: The Cycle of Malnutrition
Walk me through some of the ways that climate change impacts hunger: salination of fresh water, erosion of soils, desertification of areas, required (and often unexpected) relocation due to natural disasters, which increase in intensity, frequency, and diversity due to climate change. All of these make it much harder to grow traditional foods (or any food!), and increase the amount of stress put on the body and mind. *Developed nations (hint: that includes us) have a huge impact on climate change, as do our tendencies to move manufacturing to countries that have fewer restrictions on pollution.
War has a huge impact on ability to provide for yourself and your family. List 2 influences that can cause war: Economically advantageous areas (want to control the funds- diamonds, precious metals (particularly for technology *this is something we contribute to), fertile lands (*also something our demands for say, flowers in the winter, contributes to), drugs), religion, extreme imbalances in wealth (corruption, graft, and improper controls on international aid are all ways this can happen), tribal/cultural conflicts (country lines don't follow traditional territories), political/governmental instability (which then leads to instability in global markets, rising prices, restricted crop production (not sure if the market will be there, or if war breaks out, if the crop can mature), declining ability to work, lack of jobs, environmental impacts due to lack of regulation or putting importance on it, general illness).
What is the estimated cost to end global hunger? $30 billion a year, for 10 years ($300 billion total), primarily invested in improved infrastructure and farming methods. If the U.S. were the ONLY country to tackle this problem, it would cost us $95/person/year.
Poverty in America:
Discussion about the differences between social and economic classes. The differing expectations, concerns, and goals of each class can make it very hard for someone to either a) advance to a higher class and feel like they fit in well enough to stay within that class or b) understand why other classes act the way they do, often leading to stereotypes and anger, rather than working together. We discussed the importance of mentoring to help bridge these gaps.
List 3 reasons/challenges to someone might not be able to advance economically: the -isms (racism, sexism, age-ism, disability), insufficient funds to purchase a vehicle or pay for public transportation (this also includes location and zoning issues, as we tend to legally separate work/live areas- harder to live by where you work), high cost of education, lack of time to search for new ideas/opportunities (long hours worked just to survive), expensive housing/utilities in areas of economic development (i.e.- more jobs in Milwaukee than in northern WI, but cost of living is also much, much higher), poor nutrition (no energy, decreased development due to malnutrition- and you can be obese and malnourished, as well!), exposure to narcotics, etc. as a child/in utero, lack of support (childcare, abuse, housing issues), circumstances out of their control (accident, injury, etc.)
Name 3 reasons that contribute to a lack of employment opportunities in the U.S.: corruption on Wall Street, legal requirement that public companies (those with stockholders) make decisions to create highest return for stockholders (not for their employees or society as a whole), high CEO salaries (rather than using those funds to create more opportunities or pay a higher wage), reliance on technology (which has eliminated some job fields), cheap consumerism (when we search for the cheapest option, with no other considerations, we're encouraging companies to move their jobs overseas to cut costs), political incentives (some say we should sweeten the deal for companies to keep them here, others say we should make it harder for them to ship jobs overseas, and others say we just need to butt out politically and become more responsible consumers, incentivizing companies through our purchases).
True or False: Welfare and other social aid policies alleviate poverty. This was a discussion (not a right or wrong answer) about enabling vs. helping, and how people can get lost in the cracks (such the gap between being eligible for benefits until you make a certain amount of money, but the cost to provide those benefits for yourself actually costing much more than the income cutoff).
Human Trafficking:
In June of 2013, 100 children were rescued in a nation-wide sex slavery sting. Did you hear about it? Bonus points if you can name the city where the most children were rescued (Milwaukee). The issue here is a lack of awareness- Milwaukee is our backyard! This doesn't just happen in third world countries.
Name 2 forms of human trafficking: Adoption (adoption is a beautiful thing! But without due research, many have unknowingly adopted children who had families, simply by using unethical agencies), organ harvesting, manual labor (a major form in the US), domestic servitude (this also happens in the US), sexual servitude (including personal slaves, pornography, and prostitution- all present in the US), debt bondage (entering into a work agreement to pay off a debt, and then not ever being released), drug trade, early marriage, begging, athletic endeavors (camel racing jockeys are often trafficked children), forced recruitment for the armed services/child soldiers. All of these areas have root causes that can be addressed.
Name 3 risk factors for becoming a victim of human trafficking: poverty, moving/relocating for the promise of a job (high unemployment in an area and being cut off from support are the main issues here, though high unemployment often also increases the number of johns perpetuating prostitution), age/youth, broken families, running away, drug/alcohol use, government corruption (can buy off the officials who should be prosecuting these crimes), lack of community closeness (less likely to notice when things are wrong), being part of a socially excluded group, homelessness, refugee status, and last but not least, being female. Addressing any of the causes of these issues also indirectly addresses the issue of human trafficking (and for the smart alecks, the being female one is more about inequality than plumbing)! Social justice issues are almost always interconnected, so work in one area can have good outcomes in multiple areas- which should be really encouraging!
Name 2 tools used in human trafficking: kidnapping/force, "selling" a person (to pay a debt, for property/possessions, etc.), promising a job (often combined with relocation), relationship with the trafficker (such as luring girls into prostitution by being their "boyfriend"- also goes along with the promise of marriage in many cases, including trafficking outside of sex slavery), physical/mental/sexual/emotional abuse to "break" the victim psychologically, bribery of local police, fear of legal repercussions (for example, prostitution is illegal, "so if you report me as your pimp, you'll be thrown in jail for being a prostitute, too."), internet listings (even Facebook, Craigslist, and Twitter have been used to promote human trafficking, since it's harder to catch someone who's not physically there).
And just in case you're interested:
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/slavery-america-undeniable-truth/story?id=5330502&singlePage=true
5 Minutes of God Time:
Kings and Queens by Audio Adrenaline
You are More by Tenth Avenue North
Social Justice Speedy Scriptures:
Psalm 106:3 Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.
Isaiah 59:8 The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will know peace.
Jeremiah 5:28 and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor.
Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-- mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-- justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."
Global Hunger:
Video card: The Cycle of Malnutrition
Walk me through some of the ways that climate change impacts hunger: salination of fresh water, erosion of soils, desertification of areas, required (and often unexpected) relocation due to natural disasters, which increase in intensity, frequency, and diversity due to climate change. All of these make it much harder to grow traditional foods (or any food!), and increase the amount of stress put on the body and mind. *Developed nations (hint: that includes us) have a huge impact on climate change, as do our tendencies to move manufacturing to countries that have fewer restrictions on pollution.
War has a huge impact on ability to provide for yourself and your family. List 2 influences that can cause war: Economically advantageous areas (want to control the funds- diamonds, precious metals (particularly for technology *this is something we contribute to), fertile lands (*also something our demands for say, flowers in the winter, contributes to), drugs), religion, extreme imbalances in wealth (corruption, graft, and improper controls on international aid are all ways this can happen), tribal/cultural conflicts (country lines don't follow traditional territories), political/governmental instability (which then leads to instability in global markets, rising prices, restricted crop production (not sure if the market will be there, or if war breaks out, if the crop can mature), declining ability to work, lack of jobs, environmental impacts due to lack of regulation or putting importance on it, general illness).
What is the estimated cost to end global hunger? $30 billion a year, for 10 years ($300 billion total), primarily invested in improved infrastructure and farming methods. If the U.S. were the ONLY country to tackle this problem, it would cost us $95/person/year.
Poverty in America:
Discussion about the differences between social and economic classes. The differing expectations, concerns, and goals of each class can make it very hard for someone to either a) advance to a higher class and feel like they fit in well enough to stay within that class or b) understand why other classes act the way they do, often leading to stereotypes and anger, rather than working together. We discussed the importance of mentoring to help bridge these gaps.
List 3 reasons/challenges to someone might not be able to advance economically: the -isms (racism, sexism, age-ism, disability), insufficient funds to purchase a vehicle or pay for public transportation (this also includes location and zoning issues, as we tend to legally separate work/live areas- harder to live by where you work), high cost of education, lack of time to search for new ideas/opportunities (long hours worked just to survive), expensive housing/utilities in areas of economic development (i.e.- more jobs in Milwaukee than in northern WI, but cost of living is also much, much higher), poor nutrition (no energy, decreased development due to malnutrition- and you can be obese and malnourished, as well!), exposure to narcotics, etc. as a child/in utero, lack of support (childcare, abuse, housing issues), circumstances out of their control (accident, injury, etc.)
Name 3 reasons that contribute to a lack of employment opportunities in the U.S.: corruption on Wall Street, legal requirement that public companies (those with stockholders) make decisions to create highest return for stockholders (not for their employees or society as a whole), high CEO salaries (rather than using those funds to create more opportunities or pay a higher wage), reliance on technology (which has eliminated some job fields), cheap consumerism (when we search for the cheapest option, with no other considerations, we're encouraging companies to move their jobs overseas to cut costs), political incentives (some say we should sweeten the deal for companies to keep them here, others say we should make it harder for them to ship jobs overseas, and others say we just need to butt out politically and become more responsible consumers, incentivizing companies through our purchases).
True or False: Welfare and other social aid policies alleviate poverty. This was a discussion (not a right or wrong answer) about enabling vs. helping, and how people can get lost in the cracks (such the gap between being eligible for benefits until you make a certain amount of money, but the cost to provide those benefits for yourself actually costing much more than the income cutoff).
Human Trafficking:
In June of 2013, 100 children were rescued in a nation-wide sex slavery sting. Did you hear about it? Bonus points if you can name the city where the most children were rescued (Milwaukee). The issue here is a lack of awareness- Milwaukee is our backyard! This doesn't just happen in third world countries.
Name 2 forms of human trafficking: Adoption (adoption is a beautiful thing! But without due research, many have unknowingly adopted children who had families, simply by using unethical agencies), organ harvesting, manual labor (a major form in the US), domestic servitude (this also happens in the US), sexual servitude (including personal slaves, pornography, and prostitution- all present in the US), debt bondage (entering into a work agreement to pay off a debt, and then not ever being released), drug trade, early marriage, begging, athletic endeavors (camel racing jockeys are often trafficked children), forced recruitment for the armed services/child soldiers. All of these areas have root causes that can be addressed.
Name 3 risk factors for becoming a victim of human trafficking: poverty, moving/relocating for the promise of a job (high unemployment in an area and being cut off from support are the main issues here, though high unemployment often also increases the number of johns perpetuating prostitution), age/youth, broken families, running away, drug/alcohol use, government corruption (can buy off the officials who should be prosecuting these crimes), lack of community closeness (less likely to notice when things are wrong), being part of a socially excluded group, homelessness, refugee status, and last but not least, being female. Addressing any of the causes of these issues also indirectly addresses the issue of human trafficking (and for the smart alecks, the being female one is more about inequality than plumbing)! Social justice issues are almost always interconnected, so work in one area can have good outcomes in multiple areas- which should be really encouraging!
Name 2 tools used in human trafficking: kidnapping/force, "selling" a person (to pay a debt, for property/possessions, etc.), promising a job (often combined with relocation), relationship with the trafficker (such as luring girls into prostitution by being their "boyfriend"- also goes along with the promise of marriage in many cases, including trafficking outside of sex slavery), physical/mental/sexual/emotional abuse to "break" the victim psychologically, bribery of local police, fear of legal repercussions (for example, prostitution is illegal, "so if you report me as your pimp, you'll be thrown in jail for being a prostitute, too."), internet listings (even Facebook, Craigslist, and Twitter have been used to promote human trafficking, since it's harder to catch someone who's not physically there).
And just in case you're interested:
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/slavery-america-undeniable-truth/story?id=5330502&singlePage=true
Make sure you attend on February 2nd to get the happier side of this story- what people are already doing, and how you can incorporate social justice into your own life!
5 Minutes of God Time:
Kings and Queens by Audio Adrenaline
You are More by Tenth Avenue North
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