Women of Intelligent Faith

A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Women, Religion & the Law: Does the Christian Worldview Offer the Best Hope for Women's Rights? Abstract:  Protecting women from violence and discrimination is a hot topic. The feminist movement claims to address these issues in its fight for women’s rights.     However, without knowing the true source for women’s rights—or human rights—communities will fail to accurately diagnose the problem and to effectively provide a solution. I propose to compare four major worldviews and their impact on laws regarding the treatment of women in order to convince the reader that Christianity offers the best treatment of women. First, I will define women’s rights in the context of defining human rights. Next, I will compare laws pertaining to women’s rights through the lens of the following major competing worldviews: Islam (i.e. Saudi Arabia), Hinduism (India), Atheism (i.e. China), and Christianity (United States).     Finally, I wi...

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."  ~ C.S. Lewis I'm delighted to announce I enrolled at Biola University in the Masters of Arts in Christian Apologetics program. Never stop learning. Never stop growing. Never stop asking questions. Never stop searching for answers. Never stop helping others. Never stop growing in faith. Never stop loving. Never, never forget how much God loves you.

I am thrilled to announce that John and I have recently acquired this beautiful building in Panora, IA for our office space.  On the lower level will be Stewart Law & Mediation, PLLC. On the upper level will be Ratio Christi International. Stay tuned for Grand Opening information...

Sometimes opportunities come and you just can't say no. On our last trip to West Africa, John and I met with a few Christian lawyers. They were very interested in the teaching I do on conflict resolution. The Christian lawyers in this town have a heart to start a mediation center. They asked if I would come and teach. This area has a history of heavy religious persecution, so the need was real and urgent. When John & I returned the following year to teach, I had hoped for maybe 20 students. However, the interest grew. We were informed we should expect over 100 lawyers, judges, and other leaders in the community. We packed 6 suitcases to take with us, 4 filled with books and other teaching materials. Thankfully they all arrived, despite cancelled flights, long delays, rerouting flights, and one suitcase temporarily missing. Words cannot begin to describe this teaching opportunity. What do you say when a woman tells you story of bringing someone into her home to help f...

Myself, John Stewart, John Njoroge, and J.T. Bridges South Africa! When I first landed in Jo-berg, I asked "Where is Africa?" It looked more like Europe to me than the Africa I was used to. I would describe South Africa as "Africa meets Europe." The cities are much more advanced than the one I have visited in East and West Africa. And Cape Town was just as beautiful as I had heard. This trip was fascinating and so different. We had the opportunity to travel and speak with some brilliant Christian Apologetic minds, including Dr. John Lennox, Michael Ramsden, and John Njoroge of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.  J.T. Bridges just earned his PhD from Southern Evangelical Seminary. Charming Dr. Lennox And of course, my brilliant husband!  We visited several universities and churches. These college students had a hunger for truth that I've never seen. The highlight of the trip was going to an "after glow." The day after D...

How do I even begin to describe our recent trip to West Africa?  No matter where I go in the world, I am always at home with our brothers and sisters. Even in seemingly dangerous places. This time I had the enormous privilege of teaching biblical conflict resolution to a group of leaders at a Bible school where John taught a class on Apologetics. How does one teach peacemaking to a people who know religious persecution in a way that I have never experienced? Although I don't have all the answers, I do know One who has the answers. And I do have the best Book to guide me in all things. And that is what I shared. I will never forget one of the students in my class, a former Muslim who became a Christian. Toward the end of the week and end of my teaching, he stood up and publicly confessed he had been harboring anger and hatred towards Muslims ever since his conversion. However, after learning biblical principles for peacemaking and conflict resolution, he realized he needed ...

          Earlier this year, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services unveiled a new policy now known at the “HHS Mandate.” The new Mandate would require nearly all private health insurance plans to include coverage for all FDA-approved prescription contraceptive drugs and devices, surgical sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs—drugs that interfere with implantation in the womb and therefore destroy the life of a human being in the earliest stage of development. This Mandate is the result of Affordable Care Act, commonly known as “Obamacare,” passed in 2010. Although the HHS Mandate provides an exemption for “religious employers,” the exemption is so narrow, most religious institutions providing health, educational or charitable services will have no protection.           On February 10, 2012, responding to intense opposition from a broad spectrum of religious institutions all over the c...

"The quest for the Inner Ring will break your hearts unless you break it." "If you follow that desire you will reach no inside worth reaching." C.S. Lewis. Last night at LSL, Dr. Jacob Rodriguez shared some amazing insight to how universities are powerfully influencing our worldview in a way that is incompatible with biblical Christianity. Here are some of his thoughts: "One of the most allu ring temptations all people face in life is the desire to be inside and the terror of being left outside. That is what C.S. Lewis called the desire to enter the "Inner Ring." What he meant by this was that people desire the secret intimacies and confidentialities of some group or association, to be with those that are in the know, to be with some "in crowd," to be an inner ringer of wealth or political power and influence. The whole struggle to be on the inside of that invisible line and to avoid the loneliness and humiliation of b...

Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 1 Cor. 8:1b Berkeley.. .What comes to your mind when you think of Berkeley? I used to think of the 1960's Free Speech Movement of course. But now I think of my daughter, who has chosen to live there for the next four years pursuing a Bachelor's Degree at the university. John and I visited her at college this past weekend. It was Parent's Weekend and it was a blast. Not only did we get to catch up and find out all about college life, we toured the campus, ate delicious food, attended interesting faculty seminars, visited art and science museums, and made a quick trip to San Francisco. We fell in love with Berkeley. Yes, it is still a progressive town, but the university is a bit more tame these days. However, it still manages to makes the news occasionally.  Just Google the recent "Diversity Cupcake Sale" and find out about the on-campus Republican protest to affirmative action. The opposition tried to stop them. ...