Female Genital Mutilation

Each culture has their own traditions and respecting them is essential, but some need to be brought to light.  To examine both the purpose and consequence of the specific practice.

Last night, I spent time talking with Hellen, a Maasai woman visiting from Kenya.  Dressed traditionally in her Masaai clothing, we headed downtown Portland.  Destination: Jakes Grill.  On the ride, Hellen taught me about many practices in her culture.   She has spent an immense amount of energy trying to “rescue” young girls from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).  For the Masaai, this is a rite of passage that takes place around the age of 14.  The purpose:  to avoid the shame of a teenage or unwed pregnancy.  Meanwhile it robs women of deriving any pleasure from sexual encounters and is often botched due to the lack of medical experience and uncleanly tools.   Women can be disfigured in the process and in some extremes, it can even lead to death.

How about that as a means to fight teenage pregnancies, America?

Hellen continued to tell me more about her life in Africa. Fascinated, she held a captive audience of one as she shared her stories.  Disabilities are not seen as anything other than an embarrassment or nuisance to a family.  So they either kill them or hide them.  Hellen began taking these young people to a local mission hospital, established and run by Christians.  Having little means, Hellen went to discuss the price of treatment.  Unless one converted to Christianity, the price remained high.  But upon conversion, treatment would be free. Now, I admit I am not a theologian but I think Jesus did things because of his beliefs and people believed because they saw his love.  It was never intended to be a quid pro quo establishment.

They should do the treatment at no cost because they are following the way Jesus lived his life.  And they love, because they were first loved by Him.   Missionary work should not be based on a transaction.

Gandhi said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

~ by travelingmercies on October 16, 2009.