The Vatican, International Women's Day & the washing machine

International Women's Day has been celebrated for over a century around the world. Festivities occurred in hundreds of countries yesterday in honor of women and you can read all about it here.

Now the Roman Catholic Church has never much liked women, except in their proper place, which is to serve males. Much of the Vatican's misogyny is based on the fact that Jesus' 12 disciples were all of the male persuasion.

That's why the Vatican refuses to allow women to be ordained to the priesthood. Which is really quite funny when you think about it. As Dan Barker mentions in his book, Godless, the disciples were not only all males, but were also all Jews. "How can there be an Italian, Polish or German pope, an Irish bishop or a Mexican priest?"

Marinda Bryant, writing at The Independent, says that on International Women's Day, "the Vatican had a novel message for the women of the world: give thanks for the washing machine. This humble domestic appliance had done more for the women's liberation movement than the contraceptive pill or working outside the home, said the official Vatican newspaper, Osservatore Romano."

Bryant notes this newspaper article is entitled: "'The washing macine and the emancipation of women: put in the powder, close the lid and relax.'"

Heh. Heh.

What a bunch of morans!