Letting Women Off Easy, he said

“[EXCOMMUNICATION] IS LETTING YOU OFF EASY.  IN THE MIDDLE AGES, THEY BURNED HERETICS AT THE STAKE.”

These words were included in a post left recently on the Ordain Women Now Facebook page.  The man’s complete message can be read below.  From some of the words he used, I surmised that he intended to leave the comment on the facebook page of the Mormon group, Ordain Women, and replied to redirect him to their page.  I also asked him if he advocates violence against women because his statement, “letting you off easy” coupled with the reference to burning people at the stake, indicates that he thinks churches still have the power to physically abuse women but are currently holding back.  While accusing women of being “blinded by your desire for power” he exercises power in the form of a threat.  What if men decide again to NOT let women off so easy?

We seldom see the link between the suppression of the voices of women and violence against us spelled out so clearly.  The last bastion of male dominance in the U.S. is the church, our religious traditions.  Religious freedom to oppress women and threaten punishment for questioning and refuting their unjust prohibitions against our full participation and service in the church is protected by secular law.  Secular and religious authorities cooperated in the burning of heretics in the Middle Ages.  Do they cooperate still in the suppression of women’s voices?  And does this suppression lend to the abuse of women?

Quickly following my reply the man deleted the post, but the text of it is in my email notifications for the page and reads as follows:

“This is idiotic. Why do you want the priesthood? God can’t just bestow the priesthood to women. It’s a gender thing. Men are ordained by God to have the priesthood, and women are given the power to bear children. You don’t see men demanding the right to bear children. Demanding that women be ordained to the priesthood is heresy. Any woman who believes in this cause should have their membership in the Church terminated and should be excommunicated for violating the laws of God. This is letting you off easy. In the Middle Ages, they burned heretics at the stake. You women are so blinded by your desire for power and priesthood office that you are ignoring the will of God. Just as men cannot bear children, women CANNOT be ordained to the priesthood. Priesthood is a gender trait that is an eternal law of Heaven. Be thankful for the power that God has already given you. You can create life, and that is the ultimate power of God. Desire no more than this.”