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Monday, May 1, 2006

Christianity, Meet Feminism

Posted by on May 1 at 13:54 PM

The “May Madness” web site, a fake competition between female Seattle Pacific University students for “hottest girl at SPU,” has been taken down and replaced by a site “celebrat[ing] the outstanding activities of all SPU women.”

The site, which disappeared after the Seattle Times and P-I ran stories about it on Friday, included photos and full names of all the women, many of whom wrote indignantly in the comments that they did not consent to have their photos on the site. The comments threads were particularly inflammatory: One commenter called a student “one hot sexy piece of ass”; another called students who complained “sluts”; and still another said the complainers should “sew up [their] vaginas and stop complaining.”

At a rally at SPU’s Martin Square Friday, attended by Stranger intern Kelsey Amble, about 200 students at the conservative Christian school gathered to protest the web site. Rally organizer Kristina Demain said she wasn’t surprised by the site but added, “this is not a Christian attitude and we are Christian women.” Addressing the men who created the web site, Demain continued, “God didn’t make you ignorant, stupid animals who can’t control themselves.” At the end of the rally, Amble reports, the women “huddled in a circle with arms wrapped around one another and prayed.”


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Thanks for this heads up about yet more Christian bigotry.

The Jewish religion has always been feminist. Even orthodox Jewish commentators celebrate the female body, and have a sense of humor.

Orthodox Jews certainly would have no problem with a silly website full of half nude Jewish college students.


Christians need to lighten up.

Shoshana: Christian bigotry?

I don't know that this has much to do with Christianity. I'm sure there are plenty of people (Christian or not) that would get upset about their photos being posted without permission - and the comments in response to their protests were pretty ridiculous.

I'm sure if I made a site with unauthorized photos of Jewish women in a sexual context I could find plenty of people in the Jewish community who would be upset about it.

Erica's posting mentions Christianity a half dozen times. The point of the posting was "Christianity meet feminism" so readers were lead to believe the writer wanted to focus on Christianity.


Christians are stupid bigots for the most part, and Jews are more open minded. For example Jewish women don't submit to men, it's just not a part of being Jewish.

Actually, Christian men are some of the biggest misogynists on the planet. Many of those same women will end up in a subversive, subservient marriage to a well-to-do Christian man someday.

Well, SPU is a conservative Christian school and that isn't a group that's usually associated with feminism - as such, the title and focus on Christianity seems pertinent. If anything, the post was observing that there is an overlap in values in this context.

Are Christians biggots? Maybe. I've seen examples both ways depending on denomination and underlying cultural values. Does the topic of this post eximplify Christian biggotry? Not at all.

Further, I'm still baffled at how the Jewish community permitting (if not embracing) a site like this is indicative of intrinsic feminist values: even the sex-positive / pro-pornography sects of feminism would be opposed to sexually exploitive photos being posted without consent.

Now - whether it was really a serious issue or not I'm not sure. Maybe they do need to lighten up. Unfortunately I didn't see the site and so I can't comment.

And by "unfortunately" I mean to say that I am bummed that I missed out on the opportunity to see hot young school girls strutting their stuff.

"Christians are stupid bigots for the most part, and Jews are more open minded."

Based on the logical implications of this statement and dismissing self-deprecation as a motive I assume you are neither Christian or Jewish.

And just in case I'm not being clear: this comment comes across as closed-minded, bigotted and arguably stupid. That's a lot easier to support than a broad generalization.

I'm sure if I said "Muslims are angry, blood thirsty extremists" as the result of the actions of a few individuals, plenty of people would rightfully criticize me. Why is the same type of unfounded generalization acceptable here?

I'm not a Christian (personally I think religion in general is a bit silly) but the hypocricy of this statement pretty well gets under my skin.

I am so pleased to see Christian women have re emerged ......... with the only goal in life to utterly frustrate Chrisitian men.......

Cover those arms, show no ankles, deliver sermons about respect to all potential sexual suitors....oh, GOD, the Christian value of the un penetrated vagina.....

Boys, so much easier to do each other....good sex...no fuss...no yeast infections, and less guilt trips...

That University is a Chrisian Pit by the way .... Christian homophobia reigns...

Yes, Heaven forfend that women expect to be treated as anything more than tits and ass.

I go to SPU (don't worry, I'm transferring out next year) and the amount of uproar this caused on campus was ridiculous. I agree it's not cool to use people's likenesses without permission, but the reaction was a bit over the top. It was mentioned in almost every class at least once around the time of the rally, usually out of context and of course always from the same POV. The president even sent out a three-page open letter about it. Jesus.

By the way, having gained first-hand experience -- SPU deserves whatever criticism/mockery you want to level at it.

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