<^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> ........Catt's Claws # 156 ... May 18, 1997......... ........ A Feminist Newsletter by Irene Stuber......... istuber@direclynx.net is solely responsible for its content Archives are found at http://www.imageworld.com/istuber.html <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> Inquiring minds want to know ... I guess. Although maybe we could all live the rest of our lives without knowing what the Religious Right REALLY thinks of women. But there is a thing called KNOW THY ENEMY  and ladies, THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT AND THEIR REPUBLICAN LACKEYS ARE YOUR ENEMIES. Take that statement to the bank. If you ever believed anything, believe that. Poor Arkansas was the butt of lots of jokes when the Baptist Church in Berryville, AR closed its Cornerstone Day Care center for children because it is evil for women to work. Berryville, by the way, is in the upper northwest corner of the state up thar in the Ozarks where they hold the christ in the hills passion plays. It's a hundred and some miles away from where I've retired. I've driven through. That whole area from Arkansas up through Missouri is kinda strange with the lost gray-haired gentle souls of the hippy generation mixing with religious retards and lesbian communes. Berryville's just down from Branson, Missouri where polyester and the old tymers who can't make it in Oprehland anymore reign as kings. But I can describe the area better than that. It's where anti-gay, anti-women's rights Anita Bryant moved when she was bumped out of Florida. Does *that* tell you? (By the way, they aren't THAT bad up in NW Arkansas  I'm funning and exaggerating a bit. Just ask Helen Gurley Brown who was born near there ... and probably crawled away while still in diapers ;^ And a little further along the road is Fayetteville, home of the University of Arkansas and its hog mascot. That's where a lot of the tenured MALE professors assist their wives get Ph.D's at Hog Heaven and then the WIVES are hired to fill out the need for women representation on the faculty. Independent women need not apply.) Anyway, these bright boyz of the Berryville Baptist church are so sure of themselves after their twoway conversations with god, that they ACTUALLY put their thoughts on paper. I kid you not. Before we go on, let me assure you that most citizens of Arkansas are decent, lawful, caring, progressive people. But there are some  there are some in EVERY state  who are downright weird and dangerous. Beware about reading further. Their "thinking and logic" reads like a footnote to _Handmaiden's Tale_, i.e., the future according to Jesus freaks ... reading it hurts my teeth. . . . . . . . ^c^l^a^w^s^ . . . . . . . So, on the eighth day, Berryville Baptist MENFOLK wrote: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A MOTHER WORKS OUTSIDE OF THE HOME? 1. SHE VIOLATES SCRIPTURE  God intended for the home to be the center of a mother's world. In Titus 2:5, women are instructed to be "....discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." In I Timothy 5:15, younger women are instructed to "...marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully." Solomon warned his son that one of the evidences of an evil woman was that "her feet abide not in her house" (Proverbs 7: 11). 2. SHE NEGLECTS HER CHILDREN  No one can fully take the place of the mother when children are young. There is no such thing as "quality time" in a child's world. The needs of children are as urgent as they are unscheduled; and God expects a mother, to whom He has entrusted a child, to care for that child. (Hang in there, Clawers, it's about to get gooooooood!) 3. SHE IS UNFULFILLED  The only way that a woman can find identify identity and meaning in her life is to discover and fulfill the purposes for which God made her. Scripture clearly establishes the fact that God made the woman to be a "help meet" (helpful companion) to her husband. (See Genesis 2: 18.) She will never find fulfillment by trying to copy a man's role. (CC comment >> Isn't Genesis where Adam tried to get off the sin hook by blaming Eve?) 4. SHE DAMAGES HER MARRIAGE  When a mother tries to establish her independence by working outside of her home, she deeply wounds the spirit of her marriage and the love between her and her husband. Love is strengthened when there is a realization of how much each partner needs the other. When we do not think that we need God, we lose our love for Him. When a mother does not think that she needs her husband or her children she loses her love for them. (CC >> WOW !!! What logic!) 5. SHE MAY TRANSFER HER AFFECTIONS  When a wife works for another man, she actually displays toward him some of the attitudes of an ideal wife. During working hours she is alert to her employer's needs and desires. She is flexible. Her expectations are minimal, and she is grateful for whatever he does to make her job easier. Her grateful spirit encourages her to do even more for her. This prompts her to express more appreciation and admiration to him. Soon she begins to compare her husband unfavorably with her employer, and this comparison leads to damage in her marriage relationship. (CC>> What happens if she works for another woman? Ellen?) 6. SHE FINDS HERSELF IN TWO COMPETING WORLDS  If a wife does find a job which she enjoys outside of the home, she will suddenly find that she is in two worlds  one at home and one at work. Each one will make demands and give rewards. Since no one can serve two masters, she must ultimately decide which world become her primary source for acceptance, approval, achievement and fulfillment. (CC>> How come men can serve two masters?) 7. SHE SUFFERS DESTRUCTIVE PRESSURES  When a mother assumes employment outside of the home, she subjects herself to an additional set of pressures and tensions. These produce physical and emotional stresses. Prolonged exposure to these stresses is causing many women to suffer physically, psychologically and spiritually, and to transfer these pressures to their families. 8. SHE NEGLECTS VITAL HOME FUNCTIONS  If a mother gives her time, energy and talent to a job outside of the home, it obviously means that she is less able to fulfill the Godgiven functions in her home simply for lack of time. The priceless opportunities within a mother's home cannot be reclaimed once her children have grown up. 9. SHE SETS A BAD EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS  Some women may appear to function effectively in two worlds. By doing so, however, they provide a damaging example to other mothers who definitely cannot manage such a schedule. 10.SHE IS FINANCIALLY UNWISE  Many mothers feel that they have to work outside of the home in order to make ends meet. However, a careful evaluation of that second paycheck reveals that it is an unprofitable venture. On the other hand, a woman who develops the potential functions of her home and who practices wise buying can greatly increase the finances of the home. The basis of `making ends meet' is not increasing income as much as it is decreasing bills by finding more efficient ways to utilize present resources. Here is the piece de crapola  Berryville mathematics: ========================================================= The Myth of a Mother's Paycheck *The following costs have come from independent sources and accurately reflect the expenses which a wife and mother would incur by working outside the home. Annual wage ............................ $14 000.00 Monthly salary (That's right, they figure a woman can only make $6.70 an hour) Monthly Salary ..... 1166.66 EXPENSES (Monthly) 1. Federal income tax 15%) $175.00 2. State income tax (3%) 35.00 (WAY, WAY high for Arkansas!) 3. Social Security tax (7%) 81.66 4. Tithe  10% 117.00 5. Transportation 120.00 (400 mi. @ 30 cts. per mile) 6. Meals ($3 a day) 60.00 (cheap McDonald's up thar?) 7. Restaurant and carryout meals 80.00 (From lack of time for preparation) 8. Extra clothes and cleaning 100.00 9. Forfeited savings on thrift shopping (10%) 116.60 10. Hairdresser 20.00 ll. Employee insurance 15.00 12. Day care ($50 a week, one child) 200.00 13. "I owe it to myself" expenses 95.00 $1,215.26 Net Loss ($48.60) This does not include the additional costs of a second car which might be needed because of the mother's job. ================================================================ (Pardon, but why do these CHRISTIAN churches who say "ACCEPT JESUS" always use Old Testament sources and things other people said in order to prove their bigotry is Jesusgiven? Why don't they *ever* quote Jesus? . . . . . . . ^c^l^a^w^s^ . . . . . . . By the way, I am so sick of National NOW and its constant goof-ups that I would ignore the latest coverup attempt but they are trying to rewrite actual occurences in an attempt to undermine my truthfulness. Here's the REAL sequence of events: Tom Dashle, U.S. Senate minority leader had a news conference in Washington, D.C. on May 9. (National NOW is located in Washington, D.C., and is supposedly right there on women's issues.) The story appeared in the NY Times_ on May 9. Finally, in disgust, I put out a special edition of Claws on According to an article in _Family Medicine_ (04/96), only 12% of residents studying for family practice take any abortion training. The pressures on future doctors by the anti-woman forces is so extreme that they are afraid to take the courses because of threats of publicity that they are abortionists when they are in practice. . . . . . . . c^l^a^w^s . . . . . . . An ad that has that itsy-bitsy dot in the corner with claims that mammograms can spot it is just about the biggest fraud being perpetrated on women. Mammograms missed tumors about 10% of the time in older women and 25% of the time in younger women (40 and under). The ad is being revised by the American Cancer society because of one woman, Susan F - who felt a lump but her mammograms didn't see it. When the mammogram did spot it, it was stage 3 cancer. She discounted the lump because she was led to believe a mammogram would spot a cancer. The Network News of the National Women's Health Network covered the story. . . . . . . . c^l^a^w^s . . . . . . . Planned Parenthood has FINALLY put out a publication _Emergency Contraception_ available to doctors for distribution to their patients. It contains up-to-date information about hormonal and IUD insertion methods of emergency contraception. It includes costs, etc. Ask for item #2675. Or read Catt's Claws for the past 2 years ... well, that isn't quite right. We have not written about IUD insertion methods for emergency contraception. In this day of HIV/AIDS we're not too eager to push IUDs as birth control although, with the kind of nuts running around not using condoms or putting holes in condoms, you may want a mechanical, non-drug emergency abortion, and the insertion of an IUD by a medical practitioner generally works IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES. . . . . . . . ^c^l^a^w^s^ . . . . . . . Stories you may not have read: A form-fitting, liquid condom now available in S. Africa It's a doityourself brushon liquid condom. The liquid latex comes in bright, lurid colors and is painted on an erect penis with an applicator brush. It air dries. And no, it hasn't gone through any trials to see if it protects against disease or pregnancy. The makers claim it take "only" 5-7 minutes but the process can be speeded up with a hairdryer. It rolls off like a regular condom. (From a Reuters news article.) . . . . . . . ^c^l^a^w^s^ . . . . . . . Roberts Pharmaceuticals' Advantage 24, a new spermicide introduced in Canada, has the potential to be a "condomless condom,"physicians say. The spermicidewhich is currently being tested by the United Nations AIDS program and U.S. National Institutes of Health in Africa and Asia for its effectiveness against HIV, herpes, and chlamydiais said to lower the risk of sexually transmitted diseases as well as prevent pregnancy. Doctors recommend, however, that it be used in addition to a condom. According to Howard Levine, a researcher with Roberts Pharmaceuticals, laboratory testing has found that only extremely small doses of the productwhich blends nonoxynol 9 with a bioadhesive  are needed to kill sexually transmitted viruses, including HIV. (From the CDC news - note the testing is OUTSIDE THE USA. That means that if it is any good and is sold outside the USA, it will take another TEN years or more for approval, testing, etc., to be done in this country. So don't look for it on your store shelves until at least 2010, if then. . . . . . . . ^c^l^a^w^s^ . . . . . . . Remember when a man was hanged for stealing a loaf of bread and the world was horrified when it was recited in a famous novel? We have become enlightened, haven't we? Well, recently a French appeals court overturned the ACQUITTAL of a single mother who stole food to feed her children. She had been acquitted on the basis of the legal concept tolerating theft for reasons of necessity. The court thought the woman with an income of $315 for her family did not show sufficient reason for stealing fish and meat from three supermarkets and levied a $520 fine on her. . . . . . . . ^c^l^a^w^s^ . . . . . . . Someone sent us over to Mimi Coucher's web site: "A Girl's Guide to Condoms" http://eng.hss.cmu.edu/feminism/guidetocondoms.txt May quote the following as a good reason for stopping by the site: "The strangest variation by far is the ribbed latex condom. Why are these condoms ribbed? This is supposed to be stimulating? Should one attempt to play washboard tunes on it? This is just part of a big problem with condoms. Condoms were, and are, designed by men. "If Girls Designed Condoms... "What a wonderful world it would be. Skip the ribbing, skip the lube. If women designed condoms there is no question that they would be padded." . . . . . . . ^c^l^a^w^s^ . . . . . . . Come on guyz - you make all those remarks about women's breast and hip sizes and expect women to take it and smile ... can't YOU stand a little ribbing? ;-^ . . . . . . . ^c^l^a^w^s^ . . . . . . . From a June, 1996 UNICEF report: About 585,000 women die worldwide each year during pregnancy or childbirth...and about 17.5 million suffer injuries, infections or disabilities related to pregnancy and childbirth, many of them humiliating and painful problems or morbidities that will continue for life. That comes to 1,600 women dying worldwide because of pregnancy or childbirth EVERY DAY! May of these death are preventable according to Carol Bellamy, UNICEF director. In the U.S. the death rate of women due to pregnancy is 2.5 EVERY SINGLE day or approximately 950 deaths a year. And since nearly 25% of all deliveries result in serious complications for the mother, that means almost ONE MILLION women suffered serious medical problems because of birthing. ONE MILLION !!! And our church fathers, our medical profession, our society proclaims refuse to acknowledge the pandemic. SHAME ! . . . . . . . ^c^l^a^w^s^ . . . . . . . The Emergency Contraception (EC or Morning After Pill). Their number is 18005849911. They are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, and will refer you to the nearest place to get EC. EC has a website (http://opr.princeton.edu/ec/ec.html. . . . . . . . ^c^c^ . . . . . . . Women's rights are young and tender and we must protect them from the plagues of holy hypocrisy and newts. ======================= >>> Send your ideas, comments, and news to istuber@direclynx.net for inclusion in the Catt's Claws feminist newsletter which will be emailed up to three times a week. This is NOT an interactive discussion net but an exchange of information. Catt's Claws is NOT sponsored by any organization. We are accepting *limited* donations (only what can be spared) to help offset the online costs of posting Catt's Claws and archiving them. Copyright 1997, Irene Stuber. PO Box 6185, Hot Springs, AR 71902, email istuber@direclynx.net<<<< To receive Catt's Claws by email, write and in the body of the note We thank Jennifer Gagliardi for handling the madding subscription list through her listserv. And a BIG thanks to Sam McMillan for doing our Web site: http://www.imageworld.com/istuber.html