 | LDS Women Unite: Wear pants to church in solidarity for women's equality. If you already wear pants to church (we're talking to you men!), we invite you to show your support by wearing a purple shirt, tie, socks, or ribbon, purple being a color historically associated with the suffrage movement. This is the first act of All Enlisted, a direct action group for Mormon women to advocate for equality within our faith. “The Church has not attempted to indicate just how long women’s or girls’ dresses shoul
d be nor whether they should wear pant suits or other types of clothing.”--LDS Church Presidency (1971)
We are feminists. We do not seek to eradicate the differences between women and men, but we do want the LDS church to acknowledge the similarities. We believe that much of the cultural, structural, and even doctrinal inequality that persists in the LDS church today stems from the church's reliance on – and enforcement of – rigid gender roles that bear no relationship to reality. We subscribe to the Book of Mormon teaching that “all are alike unto God,” and hope that our choice to wear pants to our Sunday worship services (a choice sanctioned by our spiritual leaders over 40 years ago!) reminds our families, congregations, and leaders that we have not forgotten this gospel truth. Please refer to this link for a comprehensive list of the doctrinally unnecessary gender inequities that exist within the church: http://www.ldswave.org/ I feel like these women are missing the bigger picture. Don't get me wrong, I don't care what you wear to church, you being there is the important part. However, I think there comes a point where you wear your Sunday best out of respect. Wear a dress, and if you are really, truly concerned with how other women feel (being left out or isolated) put your arm around them, get to know them, become their friend. 1:Church is not the place to make political stands. 2: The church may take a political stand (Gay marriage, abortion) but that's not something done inside of the actual three hour block. 3:The roles between men and women ARE DIFFERENT. Period. Some of the things are set up with the intention of having Priesthood holders lead, that's not going to change. And in the end you or the people following you may fall away from the church because they become blinded by things that don't matter. I don't know about you, but I have NEVER ONCE felt put down, or unequal as a woman in the Church. I have felt the opposite. When I think about it, I feel that the roles we have as women and men in the Church are divinely inspired to help us refine and use the qualities and traits we have/need to develop . I just don't understand why people get hung up on things that are so meaningless and/or things that are not going to change (Women giving blessings). Am I alone in thinking that this "protest" is disrespectful and walking that slippery slope? |
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Venting
So I just saw a post on facebook that this sunday is LDS wear pants to Church for equality day. And this is their reasoning and what their purpose is
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Forever!!!
7 comments:
Might I say amen to all your commentary. I don't understand how wearing pants would make us feel equal? Shouldn't feminism be about being proud to be feminine--not about trying to be more masculine?
I agree Rach. There is no rule that I HAVE to wear a dress to church. I do it because I want to. I like wearing dresses to church. And I think most other women do too. If they want to wear a pant suit, by all means wear a pant suit. But do it because you want to, not because you are trying to make an "equality" statement.
Aw crap I was hoping you were into this protest so we could wear our jeans together when you get home! This is so dumb. Whoever said you can't wear pants to church? Besides if i wear pants I will get confused as to which bathroom to use because the lady on the sign is wearing a DRESS! I think this protest lady needs a new hobby.
I am so glad you posted this! I saw this girl on the news last night and I have not stopped thinking about it. She said that she loves the church, but that things need to change. Like she doesn't agree with how she can't give her husband or kids a blessing if they are sick and how she thinks that all people should be allowed to hold all callings. I am pretty sure she has never read the The Family: Proclamation to the World and she definitely doesn't understand the covenants she has made in the temple. Being equal doesn't mean you get all the same things or hold the same callings. We are all working toward the same goal and helping each other how we can and that's what makes us equal. The door greeter and the Bishop are the same if they are magnifying their calling. Lift where you stand.
I agree with you Rachel. I think it is ridiculous and that these girls heading this are missing the point. It made me sad. I personally love wearing skirts and dresses. I do not feel mistreated because of it. I hope they figure out the bigger picture later.
Hey Rachel-
I'm excited that your family gets to be home for the holidays! I have loved reading about your adventures in England.
I also haven't been able to keep this "pants" issue off of my mind. My first reaction is to cringe. I feel like women who feel unequal CHOOSE to feel unequal. They see what they want to see.
I am also finding that many of the women who have loud voices on this issue are also very committed to the church but have conflicting feelings about equality that they are trying resolve. While I don't feel the same way as they do, I can try and understand. I like reading this blog: http://www.cjanekendrick.com/
Sometimes I have to stop reading in the middle because I just plain disagree and I get all flustered and frustrated. But she just wrote two posts about pants at church that made sense to me.
I think for us the question isn't what can we change to help them feel equal (because like you said, there are many doctrinal things that aren't going to change) but how can we reach out to those who need to feel loved and important?
Maybe pants at church isn't the best way to address the issue but it's definitely getting attention and maybe that's all these ladies need. I don't know.
Thanks for letting me "vent" in return on your blog where I can feel safe enough to write down my thoughts as I try to sort things out in my mind. :)
Hope you have a great trip home and enjoy the holidays!
I wholeheartedly agree with everyone on here! This protest is extremely inappropriate. It's not the actual wearing of pants that bothers me so much as it is the fact that they are trying to start up a protest in the House of the Lord on the Lord's day. To me it just sounds so disrespectful. I would never participate in a protest that was disrespectful. There are better ways of accomplishing what they are trying to accomplish. I would say, get together a petition. Write a letter and present it to the leaders of the Church. Then let them ponder on it and pray and if they come back with an answer of no, respect that. Because if you cannot respect the leaders of the Church, then why are you a member? As for myself, I do not feel like less of a person because I wear a skirt to church. I am a DAUGHTER of GOD and my worth is not defined by the clothes I wear. I dress up in a dress or skirt on Sunday because I want to show respect to the Lord. And every LDS member should already know that absolutely everyone is special in the sight of the Lord. It's primary 101 and if you haven't learned that, then maybe you need to go back and learn the basics.
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