It wasn't the right to vote that liberated women in the 20th century. It wasn't the right to work outside home, receive education, or the contraceptive pill.
No.
It was the washing machine that led to female emancipation. At least according to the Vatican and the Catholic Church.
This was revealed on March 8, the International Woman's Day, in Vatican’s official newspaper and the mouthpiece of the Catholic Church, l'Osservatore Romano, in an article titled "The Washing Machine and the Liberation of Women - Put in the Detergent, Close the Lid, and Relax."
The article was written by a woman.
The author writes that "even though early models of the washing machine were expensive and unreliable, the technology had improved to the point that there is now the image of the super woman, smiling, made-up and radiant among the appliances of her house."
So all you women out there, please stop complaining about not being paid the same amount of money as men for the same work or showing men that you are as good as them in everything you do.
Please, just "put in the detergent, close the lid, and relax." Washing machine has brought you happiness and emancipation, not equal rights or pay.
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Comments: 12
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/07/2510130.htm
I must admit I'm still boiling with anger, what, generally, seldom happens with me... the more I live, the more skeptical I become in regard to ANY organized (read - man-made) religion.
Blessings and best wishes - S.
Outside of that privileged Italian palace, there are still women in the world who are forced into marriage, forced to be the man's 'slave' and hardly ever get out of their 'domestic bliss.' Its real name is 'conditioning.' I wonder if the official has an opinion about that.
Consider this, in the 19th century the problem of getting a clean white starched business shirt, especially around the neck area, was so extremely difficult that a company in Troy NY started a revolution by creating the “detachable collar” that could be washed and starched separately.
In today’s modern society a clean pressed white garment is taken for granted. Back in biblical times even a vision of such a sight was considered a “miracle.” The visible sign between classes was that of dress, made possible by expensive custom tailoring and the ability to pay to have someone else clean the clothing. Now good clothing is freely available and in many cases price does not parallel quality or style.
It is sad how some people set priorities. The Vatican obviously hasn't read Luke 10:38-42 (in this passage, Mary sits at the feet of Jesus to learn while Martha does housework. When Martha asks that Mary be told to help her, Jesus tells Martha that Mary is doing what is more important.).
I assume you checked how much merit was in that statement? I hope it's gone for good, because that was the most shameful smear I've seen in a while. You have M.A. in conflict management so I wonder if your professor taught you that using such phrases is a good way of communicating. If they have, I would ask for my money back....
But it illustrates your approach toward the Catholic Church. Don't get me wrong, but you seem to have a Pavlow's reflex as soon as you see the words: Pope, Church or Vatican. You picked the Church as an enemy and that is your absolute right. You don't have to be a member of the Church or accept it teachings, but if you aspire to be the voice for fairness, maybe you should be fair in your arguments as well.
This article that you've mentioned, the way you describe it, seems to be an official position of the church. Does that mean that every article in NYT is from now on the official position of the Obama administration? Moreover, it takes a lot of bad will to interpret it as demeaning to women, or as an encouragement to discriminate against them. It's an observation on social changes in the XX century, controversial yes? But I guess you'd be cool with the article saying that the pill was the liberator? Probably, but in my humble opinion there is just as much merit in either one.
Going back to fairness, if you don't think that such comments about women are appropriate, maybe you should also focus on what the "good guys" are doing? Maybe you should write about Barack Obama nominating Lawrence Summers to be in charge of the National Economic Council. The same person who, being the President of Harvard University, said that women are not capable to succeed in science....but again, if that would happen in Vatican, then it would be a story.
Or maybe you would like to take a look at the recent studies conducted by EU, which show that wage disparities between men and women are much lower in Italy, Spain or Poland (countries considered to be very Catholic, with "medieval' values) than in Netherlands, Finland or Sweden, hardly big fans of the Pope, but big advocates for equality??
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/news/2007/jul/genderpaygap_en.pdf
Again, Savo, you have absolute right to have your views on Church and express them (last time I checked being a member of the Church is not mandatory and leaving it is not a capital offense), but if you aim at convincing someone else than those already agreeing with you, you have to do better than that. Maybe you should find yourself a new nemesis or better yet, following your training, choose not to have one.
Tom D.
Did the EU studies look at equal pay for equal work or did also include equality in education and job opportunities? As long as the educational and job opportunity available to women are limited there is no equality.
Would it be a shameful smear to, in about 30 years, call a former member of al Qaeda a former member of al Qaeda?
And by the way, my professors say hello!
Don't forget the clothes dryer! Hanging clothes on a line and bringing them back in take a lot of time,
I guess you did not understand the word I wrote. Well, happens. But tell me this, what does the fact that the current Pope was forced! (hence, your analogy with Al-Quaeda is useless) at age 14 to joint paramilitary youth organization in Nazi Germany has to do with Catholic faith?
Also, as for operating with "facts" as you call it, tell me if you would like all possible inferences coming from the following statement (all facts):
Savo Heleta was present in the former Yugoslavia during the Balkan war.
Slobodan Milosevic was also present in the former Yugoslavia during the Balkan war.
As you can see "smear" is not only about facts versus fiction, but also about how you use facts (or parts of information)and your intent in using them. If you can tell me what your intent was in using this phrase, other than smearing the Pope, I will take that back.