Pasadena reverend delivers passionate sermon about the 'war on religion' vs. the 'war on women'

In an epiphany sermon given by the Rev. Susan Russell at All Saints Church, Pasadena, on Sunday, February 19, 2012, titled "Margaret Mead, The Mountaintop & The War Against Women," the pastor reflected on the church's role in honoring equality and civil rights.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has," Rev. Russell said in her sermon, quoting anthropologist Margaret Mead and reflecting on the church's 20 years of blessing same sex unions.  "What makes change possible is the experience of love," she said, saying that Jesus called all to love one another.

Her sermon was going to be about the season of Lent and how it is to be a season of preparation, but her attention was drawn to the "war on women."

"Oh Lord, not that again," she joked about the war on women, "didn't we do that in the 70s when we were women and you heard us roar?"

The "war on religion" is fictitious, she said, noting:

We grew up to be priests and bishops and doctors and lawyers and secretaries of state and studio heads.  And here we are again, watching our rights be questioned, our choices be challenged, in the name of religious liberty and in response to a fictitious war on religion.

Yes, that again.

Because it is not a "war on religion" when the First Amendment protections are employed to protect both freedom of and freedom from religion.   It is not "war on religion" when it is pointed out that nobody has the right to write their theology into our Constitution. {Applause.} I'm just getting started.

It is not a "war on religion" when the courts recognize that equal protection guaranteed by the 14th Amendment equally protects all Americans, as the 9th Circuit Court did in ruling Proposition 8 unconstitutional.  And it is not a "war on religion" when the White House just says no to efforts to make women's healthcare a sacrificial lamb on the altar of partisan politics by politicizing equal access to insurance for contraception.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

As to the hearings last week about whether female employees' access to contraception coverage threatens religious liberty, she noted the pictures of the hearing:

Perhaps you've seen the pictures, the pictures of the panel of witnesses at the House hearing on Capitol Hill, the table of men — all men — every one of them, men — they've been called to testify about their religious liberty being infringed by women in their employ having direct access to insurance for contraception they are neither being asked to approve of nor to pay for.  A ranking committee member asked the chair to include a female witness.  His request was denied.  The reason given was the hearing was not about birth control, it was about freedom of religion and conscience —  Which begs the question, don't women have consciences?  Don't women have religious freedom, too?

And no matter what the issue is, to bring forth only male voices is nothing less, my brothers and sisters, than systemic sexism incarnate.

And if the issue is religious liberty, the fact that the leadership is so blind to the fact that women do indeed have a voice in protecting our collective religious liberty, it is nothing short of shocking, because the First Amendment guarantees the freedom to exercise religious beliefs to every American.  It does not guarantee the freedom to impose religious beliefs on any American.

Whether the target is health care for women, which is under attack in Virginia, or marriage for same sex couples, which was vetoed on Friday in New Jersey, all Americans suffer collateral damage when the fundamental rights of some Americans become sacrificial lambs on the altar of patriarchal partisan politics.

And yet, never doubt, that a small group of thoughtful, committed people, can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

The mission of the church, she says, is to get off of the mountaintop, to show God's love 24/7 and to follow the high calling of God to transform the human race into the human family.

"Be the change that changes everything," Russell encouraged her parishioners.  "Never doubt that a small group of committed, thoughtful people can change the world."

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D. Beeksma

One of the growing crowd of American "nones" herself, Deborah is a prolific writer who finds religion, spirituality and the impact of belief (and non-belief) on culture inspiring, fascinating and at times, disturbing. She hosts the God Discussion show and handles the site's technical work. Her education and background is in business, ecommerce and law.

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