Marie's Blog
Rev. Dr. Marie Fortune offers analysis and commentary on issues that concern the work of FaithTrust Institute.
Dear Pope: Now You've Done It!
May 03, 2012 — Categories: Current Events, Sexual Abuse by ClergyIn going after the nuns in the U.S., you have struck a rock. You are attacking the church’s representatives who are the face of the church where it matters most--- in the hospitals, the schools, the parishes...
Men’s Laws
Apr 20, 2012 — Categories: Current Events, Violence Against WomenThe tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman has focused the nation’s attention on a new breed of law called “Stand Your Ground.”
“’Hope’ Is the Thing With Feathers”
Apr 12, 2012 — Categories: Current EventsI have been watching the live cam coverage of the eagles’ nest in Decorah, Iowa, since early March along with thousands of others. This pair of eagles returns to this nest each spring to lay eggs, hatch them, tend the eaglets and then launch them into the air. This has become part of my spring/Easter ritual.
Guest Blog: Easter Reflection - “Violence Against Women and Girls: An Easter Lesson from A Stone”
Apr 04, 2012 — Categories: Current Events, Christian, Violence Against WomenA group of terrified women watch as their friend and relative is humiliated, violently beaten, and killed while the authorities refuse to help. If the women speak up or even cry aloud, then they could suffer the same fate as their loved one.
Guest Blog: Passover Reflection
Apr 01, 2012 — Categories: Current Events, Jewish, Domestic ViolenceI can always remember the timing of important events in my life because I associate them with the order of the Jewish calendar.
"Same Old, Same Old. . ."
Mar 22, 2012 — Categories: Jewish, Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse by ClergyWe have become almost numb to the steady stream of disclosures of child sexual abuse: the Roman Catholic experiences continue even with serious efforts to stem the tide, the Penn State tragedy and subsequent campus situations. So in some ways this most recent release of a new documentary, “Standing Silent,” could easily be overlooked.
The Time to Act is Now!
Mar 19, 2012 — Categories: Current Events, Violence Against WomenIf you care about violence against women, you should care about the Violence Against Women Act. It's up for renewal in the U.S. Congress. And for the first time in its history, it's becoming partisan. Sen. Orin Hatch (R) and Sen. Joe Biden (D) were the first co-sponsors. And every renewal since has been with strong bipartisan support. Until now.
“I listen . . .”
Mar 13, 2012 — Categories: Current Events, Clergy Ethics, Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse by ClergyThe Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, was recently interviewed on 60 Minutes, discussing his efforts since becoming Archbishop to address the sexual abuse of children by priests.
Beyond Belief
Mar 01, 2012 — Categories: Violence Against Women, Sexual ViolenceInternational Women’s Day was first celebrated in 1911 and has been observed each year since as a day to recognize women’s achievements as well as to lift up the issues of gender inequality such as violence against women that continue to plague the human race and diminish the lives of women and men.
Sure, Mr. President . . .
Feb 16, 2012 — Categories: Healthy Teen RelationshipsThe sad but not surprising story of Mimi Alford’s “affair” with President Kennedy when she was an undergraduate echoes Monica Lewinsky and poses the question:
“Life is Hard But The Kids Are Alright”
Feb 02, 2012 — Categories: Healthy Teen RelationshipsFebruary is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Seems somehow appropriate with Valentine’s Day in the middle. I wonder, do teens do Valentines? Do they actually “date” anymore? I wonder about the Glee world of high school which teens are navigating. This blog is a shared endeavor with Emily Cohen, our Program and Learning Coordinator.
Rape is Rape is Rape . . .
Jan 26, 2012 — Categories: Sexual ViolenceThe U.S. Department of Justice has updated its definition of rape. Now we can name more clearly what victims of rape have known for centuries.
Judge Adams, Part 2: “Judge Not That You Not Be Judged . . .”
Jan 14, 2012 — Categories: Current Events, Child AbuseChristian scripture is very clear. In Romans, Paul doesn’t mince words about the hypocrisy of sitting in judgment on another . . . when you are doing the exact same things.
Judge Adams, Part 1: “Fathers, do not . . .”
Dec 30, 2011 — Categories: Current Events, Child AbuseI was traveling and speaking at a conference in November when the story broke about Judge Adams beating his teenage daughter, Hilary, on tape.
You or Someone You Know . . .
Dec 27, 2011 — Categories: Current Events, Violence Against Women, Domestic ViolenceThe latest study on sexual assault was released in December and for some suggested a new awareness of how widespread sexual violence against women really is. In fact, the new figures by and large merely confirm what we know from earlier studies: violence against women is an all-too-common experience. The bottom line: 1 in 3 women report being victims of rape, beating and/or stalking.
16 Days is Not Long Enough
Nov 20, 2011 — Categories: Current Events, Other, Sexual ViolenceThis time last year I was on my way to Capetown, South Africa, to visit my friend, Elizabeth Petersen and the South African Faith and Family Institute (SAFFI). This was my first trip to this massive continent and, like so many people, I immediately fell in love with South Africa.
The Church of College Football
Nov 10, 2011 — Categories: Current Events, Child Abuse, Sexual ViolenceA former defensive coordinator for the Penn State football team, Jerry Sandusky (a priest in the Church of College Football), has been arrested and charged with sexual abuse of boys over a 15 year period.
“A woman of faith, a formerly battered woman, a mother of six children . . .”
Oct 30, 2011 — Categories: Violence Against Women, Domestic ViolenceLeymah Roberta Gbowee is now a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Gbowee, who shares the Peace Prize with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tawakul Karman of Yemen, was responsible for organizing a peace movement that brought an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003.
“Corrective Rape”? No, Hate Crime
Oct 24, 2011 — Categories: Current Events, Violence Against Women, Sexual Violence“Corrective rape.” When I first heard this term, I stopped dead in my tracks. Having thought that I had heard it all when it came to violence against women, here was yet another perverse variation of rationale for sexual assault.
"If there's one place that you should be safe . . .”
Oct 15, 2011 — Categories: Current Events, Violence Against Women, Domestic Violence"If there's one place that you should be safe, it should be in your house of worship." This was the comment made by Sheriff Grady Judd in Polk County, Florida, as he began to unravel the murder of a wife by her husband who then went to their church and shot the pastor and assistant pastor in the middle of Sunday services.
