Kristine Haglund Harris of Times and Seasons attended a forum on Mormon feminism. I don’t know if the talks will interest non-LDS or those not involved with Mormonism, but I was intrigued by this comment:
There were lots of great questions from the audience, and a lively, somewhat hopeful discussion. Rather than try to summarize that discussion, I want to just offer the two emotional impressions that have stayed with me from that discussion.
1) We’ve GOT to figure out a way to include single women in the life and leadership of the church. I’ve thought about this as an intellectual problem before, but (I’m embarrassed to confess) it has never struck me with such emotional force before. There I was, in a roomful of incredibly bright, articulate, fabulously well-educated and capable women, many of whom struggle with the feeling that the church doesn’t need or want them. What a waste, what a stupid, shameful waste of talent and devotion that all the church leadership can manage toward them is an occasional pitying nod and a promise that “someday” you’ll be married and valuable, if not in this life, then the next. NO! They are valuable now and whole and complete and worthy. It is not enough to have one Sheri Dew; it is not enough to promise “someday”; it is not enough to publish the occasional stupid Ensign article on “How to Include that One Pathetic Single Sister in Ward Activities.” There’s only one because all the others read the signs on the wall (y’know, the wall where we frame and hang the Proclamation on the Family instead of the Proclamation on Jesus Christ) and left. To the extent that we do not value or appreciate single sisters, we do not value any of the women of the church–single women force us to confront them as individuals and not as soft-focus Hallmark gender-roles (wife, mother), and WE FAIL THE TEST.
(I did warn you it was an emotional response).
Hm… I recommend that the church should have canonized saints, which would include many single women. It should also recognize Doctors of the Church, which can also include women. Barring that, I’m sure that any Catholic convent or order nearby would be happy to give tips on the consecrated single life.
Seriously, Mrs. Harris’ feminist viewpoint seems to lead in the direction of realizing that yes, the consecrated single life for the sake of the Kingdom is actually a vocation, and an enormously important one at that. See also Matthew 19:12.