Most Recent
-
Interview with Lorri Jean April 25, 2012 12:04
-
The War on Women Continues April 21, 2012 18:04
-
Sexist Ordination Policy Needs to Go April 21, 2012 18:04
-
Hope and Change come to the Hilltop April 19, 2012 20:04
-
William Stuntz’s Criminal Injustice April 19, 2012 16:04
Most Popular
- Georgetown's Latin American Board10 comments
- Out to be the same6 comments
- An accident of history3 comments
- Alvaro Uribe to leave Georgetown at the end of the semester3 comments
- Jose Maria Aznar to leave Georgetown3 comments
Read the print edition
Articles By: Mark Waterman
No Girls Allowed: Women and the priesthood in the Catholic Church
The roots and future of the Church's ordination policy
Since the Obama administration’s late January decision to mandate that Catholic hospitals offer birth control coverage, that long standing and perhaps original American political issue is back under the national spotlight—religious freedom. Fierce debates have emerged at the nation’s oldest Catholic university, where a group of law professors expressed support of the mandate and law student Sandra Fluke was infamously derided by talk-show host Rush Limbaugh for speaking out in favor of the policy. The form of religious freedom championed by the Right, it would seem, is incompatible with women’s health. This latest showdown over contraception, however, is only a small chapter in the tenuous—and, as many argue, outright discriminatory—relationship between the Catholic Church and women. Nowhere is the tension more visible than in the Church’s gender restriction on entering the priesthood, the institution that constitutes the most direct connection between the Church and the communities it serves. Through conversations with priests, activists and historians, Counterpoint set out to uncover the roots of this seemingly outdated and sexist practice, and if the official policy shows any signs of being reversed.
Brazil’s Vale on the Offensive As Legislators Consider Amending Forest Code
Mining company earns dubious distinction as critical vote approaches
In an award show planned to coincide with this week’s World Economic Forum, the world’s second largest mining company, Brazil’s Vale, was honored as it made the jump to number one, though likely not in the category of its choice. Last week, Vale took home the 2012 Public Eye Award, presented yearly by Greenpeace and the Swiss NGO Berne Declaration to honor the world’s worst corporation.
Nuclear Iran Isn’t As Dangerous As It Seems
As tensions rise over Iran's nuclear program, a more sober look is necessary.
On Monday, EU foreign ministers finally managed to approve an embargo of Iranian oil, set to go in to effect on July 1. Greece, Spain and Italy had all previously called to postpone the ban, as all three countries import about 20% of their oil from Iran.
Reaction coming out of Iran has been interesting, with some officials echoing the claim that Iran would close off the Strait of Hormuz in the event of any attempt to impede its oil exports. Other officials have expressed confidence in Iran’s ability to develop new markets and diversify its domestic economy. They have openly called for Iran to cut supply to Europe immediately, hoping that a mid-winter oil shut-off would give Europe a bit of a wake up call. Such a shut-off would certainly be harmful to economic recovery efforts, especially considering that some of Europe’s weakest economies would be hardest hit.
What the north St. Louis champagne and shrimp party told me about America
This past year, after many exhausting months spent quietly fighting to ascend the social ladder, I reached an exciting new height. I was honored with an invite to my small suburban village’s exclusive Champagne and Shrimp Party. Needless to say, I relished the opportunity to rub elbows with the high society of northern St. Louis County. So one can imagine my disappointment when I discovered that, despite the precocious title, it’s truly not much of an event. Ample seating is provided because the median age is over 60, and festivities, rather than going all night, end in time for the evening church service. I tried to enjoy myself nonetheless. (more…)
Comments