The "F" Word

Here's an interesting article from the Salt Lake Tribune about the relationship between mormonism and feminism.

I hesitate to discuss my feelings about the "f" word here. (And by "f" word I of course mean "feminism.") I fear that I might offend/ostracize some of my readers (I do have readers, right?). To be brief, I certainly believe there is a place for feminism within the LDS church. And no, that does not mean I think women should recieve the Priesthood, nor should they refuse marriage and child-bearing. Women can be strong, knowledgeable, indpendent, resourceful, and work while still adhering to the counsel laid out by the leaders of the Church. I think this is a generally held belief (or hope so anyway). I have more of a problem with the connotation the word "feminism" has within the Church. A feminist seems to equal a 1. Democrat 2. Supporter of the ERA 3. A woman who is shirking her duties of motherhood. One could argue Sarah Palin, the most conservative of conservative (scarily so), to also be a feminist. Not only was she a candidate for Vice President, but she was also a mother. I think I could go out on limb and safely say that Sarah Palin is not a supporter of the ERA. In summary, I think that the connotation of "feminism" must change with the current culture of the country, both inside and outside the LDS Church. Long gone should be the days where women deferred to their husbands for decision making, where women acquired knowledge strictly for the purpose of teaching their children, and working outside the home received an unfavorable reaction from others. But perhaps those days aren't as far in the past as they should be.