By now, one would think that “Making America Great Again” is actually a movement propelling many facets of American society back into the past, particularly when it comes to certain people’s rights. One of these groups of people affected constitutes half the country: women.
It is possible to observe how this sexist phenomenon has seeped into the legal system over the past few years. For instance, through the overturning of Roe V. Wade in 2022, or how, this year, Arizona nearly revived an 1864 law that would criminalize all abortions except when the mother’s life is in danger – which, if one does not turn a blind eye to many American women’s horror stories, one recognizes that’s not in practice how this works, as many health care professionals do not want to risk having their licenses revoked or being thrown in jail.
That said, there were people in the past, namely Thomas Jefferson, who better understood the importance and necessity of “building a wall of separation between Church and State,” than some, over two centuries later, seem to.
Someone who would likely be ecstatic if this wall were demolished is Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who acquired further notoriety this year for his controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College.
In response to the backlash, The New York Times quoted Butker as saying, “At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion.”
Usually, gentlemen with mindsets like Butker are quick to defend themselves with the “freedom of religion” card while leaving the “freedom from religion” out of the deck. Well, this TikToker, going by The Feminist Lawyer on the platform, decided to pull a UNO Reverse card on Christianity and the Bible, just to offer some much-needed perspective on the issue.
“In Jess’ name we pray, amen”
In 2022, Christianity Today, published an article titled “With Gen Z, Women Are No Longer More Religious than Men.” While this statistical data could be baffling to some, to others, it isn’t in the least. It is precisely because of patriarchal, paternalistic mentalities like that of the Chiefs kicker that many women are turning on their heels and running away from dogmas that constrict their freedom.
In the video above, the Feminist Lawyer, in response to Harrison Butker reiterating his beliefs that women should “step aside” to Laura Ingraham on Fox News, decided to use a fun hypothetical scenario to illustrate how, shockingly, imposing laws strictly rooted in the interpretation of a book completed about two millennia ago, none of whose texts were attributed to women, would inevitably tilt the scales against one gender.
The women in the comments were impressed by how the TikToker cleverly turned the tables on Butker’s argument: “THIS IS THE BEST BREAKDOWN OF THIS SITUATION IVE EVER SEEN!”
Others, couldn’t help but join in on the humorous but poignant anecdote: “12 disciples: Petal, Jane, Joan Iscariot, Andrea, Phyllis, Julie, Martha, Thomasina, Jane (daughter of Athena), Barbara, Joan Thaddeus, Simone Zelotes. Depends of which version of Her book you read.”
“The comment section definitely passed the vibe check! #InJessWeTrust 🤞🏾🤣,” wrote another commenter.
None of this intends to mock or disrespect anyone’s religious beliefs, though it is almost certain some will interpret it that way. Instead, it seeks to advocate for the argument that freedom of religion is just as important as freedom from religion.
So, dear Harrison Butker, kindly allow women to decide with their own capable brains whether what they have been told are “diabolical lies,” if lies at all, and leave your guesses as to what we’re “most excited about” to yourself, as – it may surprise you but – each woman is their own individual, with singular, unique personalities, tastes, and dreams, and you’re not Mel Gibson in What Women Want.
Published: Oct 14, 2024 11:18 am