The religious-themed website Beliefnet bills itself as “the most comprehensive online resource for inspiration and spirituality”:
BN Media‘s “fearless and determined” leadership.
With a mission to help people find and walk a spiritual path that instills comfort, hope, strength and happiness for people who are exploring their own faith or are curious about others, Beliefnet is the leading source of information spiritual information presented without a defined editorial point of view. Whether you’re looking for spirituality, health and wellness, entertainment or more, Beliefnet has something for everyone.
This “something for everyone” theme is echoed by the site’s corporate owner, BN Media: “Presented with a broad editorial point of view, Beliefnet‘s online content continues to appeal to a diverse readership.”
Unfortunately, that “broad editorial point of view” has a distinct limit: Apparently, in Beliefnet‘s eyes, “everyone” does not include feminists.
As reported by the journalism blog Romenesko (2/7/13), Kristine Holmgren, a Minnesota-based Presbyterian pastor, playwright and feminist, was asked to contribute a blog to Beliefnet. The snag came when she was asked to provide a title for the blog. The site’s marketing and business analyst Sharon Kirk sent Holmgren an email:
I believe you and Jana previously tossed around a few title possibilities including Feminist Pulpit Notes.
While I agree that title is certainly straight forward, I think it would resonate with our readers more if the title was a bit “softer.” Our readers are looking for editorial that’s uplifting, motivational, inspirational, etc. and I think your blog will perform better if the title speaks to that aspect of your blog. Do you have any ideas along those lines?
When Holmgren proposed as an alternative Sweet Truth—Thoughts of a Faithful Feminist, Kirk objected to that as well:
I love Sweet Truth, however I would suggest changing the tag line or deleting all together, as I’m concerned about the negative connotation that our readers may associate with the word feminism. In addition, we’ll want this blog to focus more on Christianity/spirituality as opposed to issues related to feminism. What do you think of simply Sweet Truths With Kristine Holmgren?
Holmgren told blogger Jim Romenesko that Kirk said on the phone that while she had no problem with feminism, “we know our readers are offended by the word.” Holmgren recounted:
I asked, Why did you contract with me? I made it very clear who I am. I said, I’m afraid this is a dealbreaker. I said was I stunned. I felt like I was talking to somebody from 1955.
Not only couldn’t “feminist” be in her blog title, Holmgren says she was told, she couldn’t even use the word in her blog, because “the word offends so many people.” When told to come up with a word that was softer, Holmgren says, “I told her I didn’t think there was anything ‘softer’ than feminism, a word that denotes equality for men and women and respect for children and families.”
The playwright says she was told, “We can conclude this without rancor.” To which she retorted: “Oh, no we can’t”!
So how to square this “concern…about the negative connotation that our readers may associate with the word feminism” with the site’s professed “broad editorial point of view” that offers “something for everyone”? Well, maybe the site’s point of view isn’t so broad to begin with.
When you look at BN Media‘s page for “Our Leaders” (whom it describes as “fearless and determined”), you see a group of men (all but one white) who seem to represent a pretty narrow set of perspectives: There’s three board members who seem to be there for their business experience, including two who are associated with “Epic Secure Solutions, a leading software technology provider battling pornography on the Internet.” Then there’s two directors who represent different strains of conservative Christianity: Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for Pat Robertson’s American Center for Law and Justice, and T.D. Jakes, a minister who preaches the “prosperity gospel.”
Could it be that these men don’t see anything strange about setting up a website that promises to be a “comprehensive online resource for inspiration and spirituality”—but tells feminists that they aren’t welcome?
Beliefnet can be contacted via this form.
I think what’s “softer” here is the stealth attempt to sell these “values” under the guise of a site with “a broad editorial point of view”
And including Holmgren’s blog may have been a stab at providing a patina of “diversity” for that strategy.
I imagine that had she agreed to their conditions, her first post would have been deemed “offensive” to their readers regardless, if her notion of feminism bears any resemblance to mine.
Or it could be that Feminism is now a very negative influence in the world today, as it has relegated males (especially white males) to be Persona Non Grata. White males are universally demeaned and blamed by Feminisim, when it’s actually only 0.0001% of white men (and a couple of women) who are responsible for what few feminist issues remain relevant (such as the Republican’s war against Women’s Health). If this pastor is being told that the term “feminism” isn’t welcome on that site, perhaps she should look at why. These days, Feminism has become little more than the KKK for women, where they express their hatred of one demographic of people, and cook up rationalizations about why its okay to hate that group.
I recommend every try an experiment to see what I mean. Get a notebook and place it next to where you sit when you watch television. For a week, take note of whenever women are portrayed in a negative light, whether it be in TV shows, commercials or news. Likewise, mark whenever women are portrayed in a positive light. Do the same thing for males; taking not of how many times males are presented in positive or negative lights.
When the week is over, look at the totals. I can guarantee that you will find that the entire media tends to paint women as always good and men as always bad. Remember to take note if you watch crime shows; how many times the actions of a female perpetrator are considered to be justified because of what a male did to you. I guarantee that it will be a rare instance that a man’s criminal actions are justified by how a female screwed him up.
So, maybe feminism has earned its negative reputation. It’s not what it used to be; now it’s about uplifting women by having them step on the backs and heads of men.
Feminism is just another term for the pursuit of self-determination and equal rights for 51% of the population. Get over it, Rush Limbaugh, McBob and all self-pitying grievance collectors. Blaming females for all your problems is delusional and won’t solve anything. I’ve warned my 3 granddaughters that men who don’t respect women and their abilities are potential wife beaters. One can’t be too careful where irrational, foaming at the mouth misogyny is concerned.
“Lies”, by any other name, are still lies; “liars”, by any other name, are still christians (muslims, scientologists, mormons, moonies, etc).
The main problem seems to be that “feminism” means different things to different people. To McBob (and many others), “feminism” refers only to the radical fringe of the movement, people who have very extreme views. To me, “feminism” refers to the movement as a whole, which has been pretty succesful and whose success is because most people agree that men and women should be treated equally under the law.
Many people who believe in equal treatment don’t consider themselves feminists, because the word has been tainted by radicals who give feminists a bad name, and by reactionaries who try to claim that all feminists agree with the extreme fringe.
While I agree with freedom of speech, I think there is a need to mention that feminism is a belief that laughably contradicts nature. Among tame and domestic animals, males dominate females in the pastures, trees, henhouses, forests, etc. As families moved from the country into the city during the nineteen-forties, this obvious fact of nature was quickly forgotten by some on the left who often are overly sophisticated. As a self-described leftist (without their pemission, no doubt), I am more interested in those monster males who overdominate us other males in the political and economic arenas: using our bodies for their greed-driven wars and our labor for their wealth. Proud and loud feminists (who famously claim us men are as valuble to women as bicycles are to fish–see Gloria Steinem) also seem to forget that good men are just as oppressed by the same self-centered monsters who oppress their wives. It’s a matter of personality, ladies (ooops?), not gender. Get the story straight and get off your high horse! You are obnoxious and proud of it. At least admit that much.
I agree with most of the others here, feminism today is negative for the most part. I know some fairly good women that call themselves feminist, but its not the more popular group for the last few decades, and i actually follow feminist issues, it stopped being about equality long ago.
The top selling feminist writings and speeches and debates are just about blaming men for everything.
Feminists who really want equality need to try a new title, its not hard. The dems used to be called republican.
Leave the feminist label to the radical but common feminist today.
((as it has relegated males (especially white males) to be Persona Non Grata) -.McBob
Really? Or maybe it;s just you, cause I somehow don’t seem to be said person, at least not from the feminist side of things; however with the ‘corporate side’ of things which is rather inimical to all people who don’t have millions to toss around that is not so. Too bad we seem to be getting corporate trolls lately, I was hoping for something with substance
(( I think there is a need to mention that feminism is a belief that laughably contradicts nature.- Tom Saltsman))
Wow and they said all the Troglodytes were dead…… Um did your daddy forget to explain to you about the birds and the bees, and the difference? I mean a 10 year old has a better concept of feminism than you. This is not 1900. No matter what you would like to think.
The popular feminist authors and speakers, like dorkin (I believe thats the name) – Walter
You can’t possible be serious!!! The only example for feminism you can come up with Is Dworkin? If you tried paying attention to some thing other than the Fux Snooze reports who think anyone who is not White, male and republican is unacceptable, you might know this.
Excuse me but I have only helped actually fight for equal rights for more the 40 years, and currently work in educational setting where we are little more aware of reality when it comes to woman’s rights. Not just spewed the same corporate line of trash like a single winged parrot.
The top selling feminist writings and speeches and debates are just about blaming men for everything. – Walter
And you say I am using anecdotal evidence? Not one name, not one example only “them feminists” other someone who you only heard of in the news. Again try someone else other Limburger and his “femi-nazi” rant, or the rest of his buddies who pick nothing but those “radicals”. Maybe you should try someone else, like Susan Faludi instead of jumping on the Tea Bag band wagon.
And no, I don’t insult people because they disagree, I point out the bullshit when people like you and Troglodyte Tom try to pretend that your some ‘intellectual giant” and it is all the females fault, again.
E.G. (who famously claim us men are as valuble to women as bicycles are to fish–see Gloria Steinem),
The person uses a Quote that was falsely attributed to Ms Steinem which means he did not one whit of research, because it only took me 5 secs and rough search to find out otherwise. Read up on the quote, and the actual person who made it, instead of reading the back of the Fux Kool Aid package for the 1 millisecond sound bite info.
Further the person also tries to use ‘nature’ as his excuse for diss’ing the ladies. I would be willing to bet he would try and tell us that “in nature, a male never raises the young or helps with birth. If you’re going to “pretend” to be someone with higher education than the back of cereal box, then also try doing a little homework and stop spouting the corporate garbage that has been spouted and disproved for more than 20 years.
Last, I never said once I believe that I am ‘the better man’ and wouldn’t; which just shows your nothing more than corporate breed troll spewing the ‘accepted line’ and pretending to be smart. I accept my flaws and short comings; too bad your trying to make it sound like your reallyan intellectual when your not.
I am a feminist.
I never realized these semantics were a problem until recently. In school I was told feminism was the belief in equal rights for women. At new year’s with my inlaws, i proclaimed myself a feminist as an aside during a conversation with my cousin (works at UC berkley, doesn’t shave her legs, and ultra socially conservative christian to the point of being a 35 y/o virgin even though she’s smoking hot) and she SNEERED at me. The conversation got real quiet real quick (because it’s family I couldn’t get argumentative like i would at a coffee shop.) It’s a shame that people like this who call themselves feminists have given a bad name to the whole philosophy.
Tom Saltsman: you’re nuts and/or ignorant of the state of our society. as a male nurse, and B-personality, I work with many women who are more forceful, better leaders, and more confidant than I. so i think you’re nature argument is silly. As far as you’re “the man holds us all down” argument, you simply have to look at income statistics to see that the man holds down women a bit more than men.
Maybe we should start saying “gender egalitarian” as calling it feminism does seem inherently one-sided and inevitably leading to misunderstanding.
It’s a shame that people like this who call themselves feminists have given a bad name to the whole philosophy. – Carter
Thank you, and I agree; we do know that there are always people who will be obnoxious, and your cousin is the “classic” that everyone like to trot out, so I can understand the feeling. What the never talk about it is the females who call themselves Feminists and work for equality for both sides, not just one side. They however don’t get the airtime or the T.V. time and yet they are working, paying taxes, raising children, sending kids off to school, or join the military and serve their country. So when they are told that they mustn’t talk about it, that it is better to be quit and things will just be nicer, I say go Alanis Morissette on em and make it Hit Song on the major media outlets.
Wow – judging by the comments, I can see why women are still paid less than men; why men still want to force women to carry pregnancies to term, even when it’s not in the best interest of the child or the mother; why we are still fighting to get the Violence Against Women Act renewed; the list goes on and on.
When you’re not thinking too hard about it, it seems like women have a pretty good shake in this country (not so much in a lot of other countries) – but then when you start actually examining issues, you see there are still men like McBob, Tom and Walter who want to keep women in their “traditional” roles; men who get nervous when women start speaking up about their rights.
It’s especially true in the Christian community, where “feminism” is a dirty word, and there is an active movement to keep women from speaking – whether from the pulpit or in the literature. Having lived most of my life surrounded by Evangelical Fundamentalist Christians, I can guarantee that is not an overreaching statement. And this article just goes to prove the point. It’s ok if a woman speaks, as long as she is “soft” and “sweet” about it.
Thanks to blowhards like Rush Limbaugh (“feminazi” anyone?), feminism has a bad ring to it – and that’s a shame.
By the way, Dee; in my job field, MEN make 20% less than women.
Feminism……a simple word that means so much.Yet it sure took a beating at the hands of some of the militant types that ran it into the ground.Now it has a bad rap.Remember Gloria Stienem saying it was at first ,”a place for ugly angry woman to get together”.Now feminism is largely a moot point.There are truisms left that the sexes are different.But woman are roaring ahead in every field.The word almost feels like someone throwing the peace sign and saying- burn your draft cards man.Look out for the fuzz.Antiquated with a militant feel.