You Can Scrub, But You Can't Hide
Frederick Clarkson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Sat Dec 20, 2008 at 02:17:55 PM EST
The other day I wrote piece for Religion Dispatches (Gimme That Old Spice Religion) that highlighted, among other things, one of the struggles of today's theocrats living in a constitutional democracy that is not much to their liking. The problem is the right of women to vote. Many a theocrat believes that God is against it, and will wax nostalgic for the halcyon days of yore when, well... things were different. But since women do have the right to vote, what then should theocrats do?  

I linked to a 2005 essay by theocratic theorist Brian Abshire that seeks to address this knotty problem.

It was originally, and apparently exclusively, posted at the web site of Vision Forum, headed by Christian home schooling entrepreneur, Doug Phillips. But nerves seem to be raw about this subject. Abshire's essay has suddenly apparently been scrubbed from the site. But thanks to the archival wonders of the internet, you can scrub but you can't hide!

Much more on the flip.

Here is what Abshire has to say about women and voting in Biblical Patriarchy and the Doctrine of Federal Representation:

Until the twentieth century...  The reason why women were not allowed to vote had nothing to do with women being considered "inferior" or "too emotional" (these values arose during the Victorian era and were themselves theologically and socially deviant) but rather because the husband and father was ASSUMED to represent the family to the broader community. By definition, there could only be ONE representative of the family just as there could only be ONE representative of the Human Race to God!

... By the 20th century, American Christians saw the "height" of Christian activism as banning alcohol while at the same time affirming a woman's right to vote. Both ideas were unmitigated disasters; God has not allowed the civil magistrate to outlaw wine and God does not allow women to vote (cf. 1 Tim 2:11ff). But by ignoring God's law, American Christians both destroyed their own credibility (the Prohibition era is STILL a matter of public ridicule and repealing prohibition set the legal precedence for pornography, sodomy and the acceptance of other moral failures) and the integrity of own families.

In regards to a woman's right to vote; if husband and wife are truly "one flesh" and the husband is doing his duty to represent the family to the wider community, then what PRACTICAL benefit does allowing women to vote provide? If husband and wife agree on an issue, then one has simply doubled the number of votes; but the result is the same. Women's voting only makes a difference when the husband and wife disagree; a wife, who does not trust the judgment of her husband, can nullify his vote. Thus, the immediate consequence is to enshrine the will of the individual OVER the good of the family thus creating divisions WITHIN the family.

That seems clear to me. But apparently, there is quite a discussion still going on about that essay in conservative Christian circles.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Chancey, (wife of Matthew, the main subject of my article, as the winner of the Old Spice-sponsored, Art of Manliness' Man of the Year competition) discussed views very similar to Abshire's in a newspaper article in the heat of her husband's unsuccessful campaign for Alabama Public Service Commission. It must be tough figuring out how to campaign for votes when you believe that women should submit their votes to their husband's so they do not cancel each other out. Such are the ideological and practical woes of the modern theocrat.

Meanwhile, Kathryn Joyce, who I interviewed for my story, sent me a transcript of a interview with Jennifer Chancey that appears in the film The Monstrous Regiment of Women:

Chancey: "The bottom line is that God created men for leadership. He clearly says in his Word, when women are in leadership, it's a sign of a curse on a nation. Basically saying, you've messed up so badly, I'm going to put children and women over top of you. You are only fit to be ruled by women."

Narrator: "Today in America, 7.8 million more women vote than men. America is now indicted under this verse, Isaiah 3:12. 'Children are their oppressors and women rule over them. The men of the suffrage era were willing to abdicate their dominion role in that they were willing to give up half of their electoral power to women. The 19th Amendment can be seen as the point in American history when the fahters ceased to sit in the gates as representatives of their families' interests: individualism and self-interest would now be the approach to the ballot box."

There is much more to the Christian patriarchy movement as discussed by Phillips, Chancey and Abshire. And fortunately there is a book coming out that throws the windows open on this important but obscure movement.

Kathryn Joyce's book Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement is due out from Beacon Press in March.




Display:
Have they been informed as to Matthew and Jennie Chauncey's opinions and asked whether the judges who selected him agree that women shouldn't vote?

I am a woman who isn't into "metrosexual pretty boys." Therefore, I like that they sponsor my favorite racecar driver, the sexy and decidedly not metro Tony Stewart. Lots of other female NASCAR fans like him, too. And women are the main purchasers of mens' cologne--we buy for boyfriends, husbands, brothers, and friends. Straight and bi men want our input on their scents. And you know, there are *lots* of great scents out there, and it *is* a tough economy.

Therefore, Old Spice needs to be put on notice that they cannot afford to alienate women in this way. There is a meaningful difference between "a manly man" and "a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal by choice."

by GreenEyed Lilo on Sat Dec 20, 2008 at 06:57:35 PM EST

(as I reported in the original article) stated that they did not want to know about the contestants religious, political and social views, and said that they made no investigation of their backgrounds. They said they relied on the nomination essay and references. (There was no indication as to who the contestants references were.)  

So Old Spice and the webzine sponsors claim they knew nothing, in advance.  That does not absolve them of responsibility of course.  And I would guess that Old Spice, at least, has some repair work to do with their customers.

by Frederick Clarkson on Sat Dec 20, 2008 at 11:48:28 PM EST
Parent



they freeped a poll of a deeply unpopular aftershave.

by strayroots on Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 05:32:45 AM EST

The canceling of votes is only relevant to a two-party system like the in the States. I suppose that the Christian right is not a big fan of a more diverse political climate? Or are they?

Being a European (Swedish), I cannot understand (although I vaguely know the historical reasons) the, in my view, non-dynamical political system. Not to mention the extremely mysterious voting system. I may be completely out of my right to express my view but I suspect that the world would be a better place with a more fair democratic structure of the world's only super power (should I count China perhaps; well democracy is a concept not easily applied to China anyway).


by numberlab on Mon Dec 22, 2008 at 09:51:36 AM EST



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