This Third Sunday in Advent has a Gospel reading that once again focuses not on Mary but on John the Baptist. It includes John being sought out as a wisdom figure. The last of the people seeking wisdom are men paid to be violent, soldiers. They ask John, “And what is it we should do?” He tells them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.” John does not tell the soldiers to lay down their weapons. He does not tell them to convert and leave the violent religion of Militarism. John is not entirely wise about Militarism, believing that some people, like soldiers, have the right to choose domination and violence over others. John’s wisdom is limited.
Any of us can be limited in our wisdom. We are especially so if we are pro-choice in regard to Militarism’s violence. That violence has many forms. Militarism is pro-choice for the violence of poverty, hunger, racism, sexism, war, the death penalty, and abortion, to name a few. If we are fully wise about violence we reject them all. Some early U.S. leaders in the women’s movement, were fully wise about such violence; some were not so wise. Some supported Militarism’s choice for war or the death penalty or racism. Most however, if not all, wisely rejected Militarism’s choice for abortion. Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) author of A Vindication of the Rights of Women rejected abortion. She advocated for women and their agency; not agency over – domination, but agency with – power. She knew women’s power was prevented by men’s domination which caused such violences against women as abortion and infanticide. She opposed those who would “either destroy the embryo in the womb or cast it off when born.” “Nature in everything deserves respect.” Lucretia Mott (1793-1880) was an abolitionist, also a women’s rights and anti-abortion activist. Mott and many other women convened the historic but all white Seneca Falls Convention (July 19-20, 1840). It is recognized as a primary organizing event in the women’s movement in the U.S. Sojourner Truth (ca. 1797-1883) was sold as a slave at auction but escaped to freedom and spoke out against racism and sexism. Her love of the baby Jesus came through in her famous Ain’t I a Woman speech, “I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me!” Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) author of The Woman’s Bible, was a prominent abolitionist and women’s rights advocate who opposed abortion, “The social system is too corrupt… There must be a remedy for such a crying evil as (abortion).” Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) published a newspaper called The Revolution which gave voice to women and their rights. She opposed abortion. “I deplore the horrible crime.” Victoria Woodhull (1838-1927), the first woman to declare her candidacy for president (1870) and an advocate for “free love” was deeply concerned about the nation’s treatment of women and children, “Abortion is only a symptom of a more deep-seated disorder of the social state.” Anna Julia Cooper (1858-1964) who was born of a woman enslaved and went on to become the fourth U.S. woman to earn a PhD. opposed abortion, “Woman should not, even by inference, or for the sake of argument, seem to disparage what is weak. For woman’s cause is the cause of the weak.” Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947) was a woman’s rights activist and an abortion opponent. She was a key leader promoting women’s right to vote in the 19th Amendment and was the founder of the League of Women Voters. Alice Paul (1885-1977) drafted the original version of the Equal Rights Amendment. Much later in life when asked her position on abortion she said it is “the ultimate exploitation of women.” “How can one protect and help women by killing them as babies?” Unlike some modern feminists who are pro-abortion, most if not all early leaders in the women’s movement were not so easily co-opted by the violence of Militarism. Early leaders’ lack of support explains the name given to the U.S.’s largest pro-abortion political action committee – EMILY’S List. EMILY is not named for a woman, certainly not any women’s movement founder. A group which champions abortion could not find a foremother who supported that violence. E.M.I.L.Y. is an acronym. It stands for “Early Money Is Like Yeast.”
Wisdom frees us from the foolishness of Militarism that sanctifies being pro-choice for every possible violence. Wisdom is based on but not bound only to the facts of science, which keep trying to educate us on the foolishness of violence against life; in the womb and in the world. Wisdom is more fully based on the reality of our humanity, which keeps demonstrating our power to be pro-life. We are most wise when we are in touch with creation’s pro-life witness in ourselves and in our world.
Prayer: Spirit of Wisdom, guide us always to embrace life.
Question: How is it that women, routinely dehumanized, should dehumanize others; enemies, immigrants, prisoners, unborn babies?
December 16, 2018 Gospel Luke 3:10-18 Third Sunday of Advent