Why FGM is Not the Same as Circumcision

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is not on parity with male circumcision. As a student of social work, I find this to be an important distinction, and a topic that we must be made aware. With patterns of immigration, FGM is on the rise in the US. This is not something we can brush aside as a culture difference, or a minor issue. This is a brutal practice that must be stopped. It is the very face of patriarchy and oppression.

There are different levels of severity with FGM that are categorized into types. Daughters of Eve has created a diagram and explanation of the types that breaks down the differences well. The type is dependent on culture.

Type 1: Clitoridectomy is the most common. It involves the removal of the clitoris. Scar tissue and raw nerves remain. According to Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture,“The pain inflicted by FGM does not stop with the initial procedure, but often continues as ongoing torture throughout a woman’s life”. Here are three accounts of sex after FGM. 

“It is worse than labour pains because it is continuous. Every time you urinate, it feels like you have been cut afresh. It felt like my private parts had been set ablaze. I cried silently so that people wouldn’t say I was a coward. What I really wanted to do was scream out loud. There was no one to soothe me or comfort me, I had to be strong. To date, when I close my eyes, I can still feel the pain I felt then.” And to think this was only the beginning of a painful womanhood." --Chepokilipa in A Woman's Experience at the Thorns of Culture

Type 2: Excision involves the partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora. 

Type 3: Infibulation occur by cutting out the clitoris and surrounding area and stitching together the folds to create a seal. Everything is closed only allowing for a small amount of urine and menstrual blood to escape. This creates a back log of urine and frequent and painful infections. Often a knife is needed to reopen the vagina enough to engage in intercourse. After childbirth the women may be restitched. This is an excruciating and potentially deadly procedure. 

Over 130 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM. The reasons are varied for FGM, but total control over women is the key theme. FGM guarantees that the women who undergo it will remain chaste (since sex is far too painful to ever be enjoyed). In many cultures it is seen as a right of passage from girlhood to womanhood. The girl is now ready to be married off.   

 FGM is far more prevalent in the USA than previously thought , rates have doubled in the USA, yet this is not something many realize. Medical professionals and social workers must be made aware of this practice. The UK has made strides to not only ban the practice on UK soil, but also making "Cutting Holidays"illegal. It is time we take a proactive stance here too.  

I wrote this blog out of frustration. Nearly every article written on this subject inevitably has several comments on how this is 1. a cultural issue that we need not worry about (Why white men should care about FGM too) and 2. What about the men? Male mutilation happens all over the world too! I compiled this information to answer these questions in one place. Hopefully it is clear to see how FGM is not the same as circumcision. The removal of the foreskin in circumcision does not affect the male sex organ. Whereas some scholarly works argue in favor of male circumcision, there are none that could possibly promote FGM. There are absolutely NO health benefits to FGM; only excruciating pain, infections, and severe scar tissue, as well as psychological pain, and PTSD. Clinicians need to remain aware of the risks to their clients as well as a working knowledge of the pain and effects to help their client in a culturally sensitive manner. It remains a stigma as long as we ignore its reality. 

There are numerous ways to get involved to stop the process. Support existing programs. Maasai cricket warriors, Young Woman's Center, 28 Too Many just to name a few. Educate yourself on the practice and write your congressperson. Ask them to support legislation to further prevent FGM on American soil. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments. Together we can end this. 
   

Welcome to My First Blog!

I have been using Facebook Notes to write down my thoughts for some time now. After being prompted by several friends, I moved over to an official blog space. I am not sure who will stumble upon this blog, but I thought a quick introduction would help.

My name is Jessica, I have an insatiable need for adventure and travel. I have no true roots, but call multiple places "home". I am a Christian, progressive, bleeding heart, animal loving, environment protecting, social justice advocating, activist. This blog will be used to share my thoughts on world events and practical ways to get involved to make a difference. By identifying with multiple causes, I am doomed to ruffle some feathers. My aim is to create a place where we can expand our worldviews together, and hopefully help heal the false dichotomy that our nation has plummeted into (I know a lofty goal for sure). I wholeheartedly welcome discussion and differing viewpoints; just no trolling. I do not suffer a troll.

Some Questions for Fellow Christians: How Can We Overcome Disunity in the Church?

I keep seeing part of this Christopher Hitchens quote circulating around social media. I find it both troubling and thought provoking. Here is the quote: 

"I am not even an atheist so much as anti theist; I not only maintain that all religions are versions of the same untruth, but I hold that the influence of churches and the effect of religious belief is positively harmful..."

My commentary: No, not all religions are versions of the same "untruth". Truth is tangible and non-contradictory. It cannot all be the same. We can speak to this, but does his claim that churches are "positively harmful" hold merit? It may need investigation. We have lost our relevance. Are we spreading the beauty of the Gospel, or are we bogged down in bickering and party politics? What happened to the church? May this be a sobering reminder of our true calling. Let's prove Hitchens wrong.  

I think it is time we enter into this sticky conversation. In what areas does disunity exist? How are we failing to show the beauty and glory of God to those around us? 

Some that come to mind for me are listed below. These are only observations. I don't want to come across self-righteous. They are merely observations of areas that bother me. I would love to know what people think, if I have missed any, and especially if I am off base on any of these. 

** A fear of liberalism keeps many from helping in programs that have even the slightest scent of the left. Christians were leading the way in social reform in the day. Now, fairly or not, we are painted as reactionary, bigoted, and judgmental. 

Could this be that our politics have taken precedence over our faith? 

We live in a sound bite culture. It is possible that we have lost our ability to reason through issues bit by bit. We get bombarded with sensational stories and anecdotal evidence. 

Do we take the time to sift through it? We tend to put the issues into a binary. Left/Right Good/Bad, which leads us to be either "in" or "out". This is a false dichotomy. In reality, life is far more nuanced than this. 

I worry that the mantle we take is more of a modern political stance. 

The result of this, I fear, is that we have pulled out of academia, and hunkered down in our communities. We share the same ideas over and over again with one another, without seeking to challenge our understanding. 

It is easy to gain confirmation and approval from those who think just like us. It solidifies our views whether they have merit or not.  

I have noticed a fear of the "other". We fear the brainwashing indoctrination of liberalism and secularism. Everyone knows the old adage, "to be in the world, and not of the world". If we have a strong foundation, why are we not engaging more? 

We elevate homeschooling and our church circles walling ourselves in, then become distressed by our lack of relevance in the market place if you will. We lament and ask what happened. We shied away and self-affirmed, that's what happened.

**Racial segregation of the body still largely exists. We should be the first group to dismantle oppression. I am not seeing this in the church; a more unified body that transcends racial, and socioeconomic barriers. Why aren't we connecting more, and being purposeful to do so?  

**Theological segregation. It is right to pour into the scriptures seeking God's heart. We are called to seek after Him. The more we learn, the better. What is not right is allowing the non-doctrinal conclusions to create disunity. This has been my issue with great teachers such as Piper and Sproul. No one has all the answers. 

We can sit together over good wine and hash out the merits of limited atonement, but it becomes fruitless and down right bad, if we do this at the sacrifice of fellowship and community. 

I had one dear brother tell me that he knew true Christians were Calvinists, and he didn't even bother talking with those who did not prescribe to the 5 Solae. They were weak minded and not actually in Christ. I didn't know how to answer at the time. I just sat there dumbfounded. I was at that moment embarrassed to admit that John Wesley has had a greater impact on my growth then Spurgeon. 

These areas become such high points of contention that I have noticed nearly as many churches crop up as people. Here in Hope Mills, there is a church on just about every corner. Across the street from one another there is a church that says "KJV" on their marquee, while the other says "ESV and contemporary worship band!" What's up Church? Why are we doing this? Sure personal preferences may come into play *a little*, but this is getting nuts. They were both Baptist, one was a more true form of Baptist than the other? It reminds me of Dr. Seuss and the "Star Belly Sneetches".  

We are the oddballs being Anglican in a Southern Baptist neighborhood. It shouldn't matter, but it really does impact how fellow Christians relate to us.  I feel like I go through a vetting process when meeting Christians. ::eyes narrowed:: "What church do you go to?" "Hmm...whose the pastor?" "Isn't that with pastor Spud, who put up 'Happy Holidays' on his marquee?" "Hmph ya know Christ is the reason for the season". 

**Disunity caused by dismissing the work of half the church. Here is the most controversial one of my struggles. I am an egalitarian. What does this mean? It means only that I see a Biblical precedence for mutual submission in marriage and spiritual gifts being dolled out equally to both men and women. This is not the predominant view of the church, and I grew up with a complimentarian (men and women have equal worth but different roles) view. Through much searching, deeper exegesis in my study time, and praying, my views began to change. The egalitarian view is not a new one, it was not founded after the feminist movement as some have been led to believe.

There are plenty of sources that shed light on this topic. I recommend checking out Christians for Biblical Equality as a starting point. Here are a couple links to get the ball rolling; http://www.cbeinternational.org/files/u1/free-art/what-is-biblical-equality.pdf,  http://juniaproject.com/resources-2/.  

Much of our assumptions of roles are not Biblical, but cultural. Here is another good source to check out: http://juniaproject.com/origins-sexism-church/ 

When we dismiss half the population, we really limit ourselves. Not only that, but it opens the door for abuse and manipulation. It is not God's order. We are doing a grave disservice to ourselves and to the world, by not recognizing the talents of all the body.  This is a long topic and deserves it's own post, so if anyone has any questions as to how I arrived at my conclusions, please email me or comment below. :-) 

**Marriage vs Single. I notice that we tend to elevate marriage above being single to the point that it too causes disunity. Are we providing space for singles to feel welcomed and loved? True community leaves no room for isolation. Single people should not feel lonely if we are doing our job of inclusion. I worry we elevate one state of being over others. Even though we may not directly say it, it is as though we implicitly state that being a mother is the most honorable and proper role a woman in the church can have. Everyone has a different calling. Some will marry and not bare children, some will stay single, some will be single parents. The body is varied. Are we making sure all are welcomed and apart of our family?  

So anyone still reading, did I miss anything that you have noticed causing disunity within the church? Any further ideas how to gain back our relevance and our mission as people of hope and light? Feel free to comment away. 

Feminism Basics for Christians

No,no it does not. Maybe it's time for a quick lesson on what feminism actually means.