Author Archives: Valerie Tarico

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About Valerie Tarico

Seattle psychologist and writer. Author - Trusting Doubt; Deas and Other Imaginings.

The Sex-Negative Message in the Virgin Birth—It’s Worth a Family Conversation

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The birth story of baby Jesus celebrates the promise of new life, but for girls it also sends a harmful message. How can we acknowledge this without spoiling the rest? Most Americans, even many who are not very religious, look forward … Continue reading

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Ten Bonus Health Benefits of Birth Control

Coauthor: Robert Hatcher, M.D. M.P.H. “What do you mean, how often do I want to have my period? Are you saying I have a choice?!” We women hear a lot about side effects of birth control, but we don’t hear … Continue reading

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The Not-So-Virgin Birth of the Christmas Story

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Celestial messengers, natural wonders and a virgin birth establish the baby Jesus as someone special. Why does the rest of the New Testament ignore these auspicious beginnings? Sometime toward the end of the first century, the writer of Luke told … Continue reading

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Did Thomas Jefferson Actually Call the Bible a Dung Hill?

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American Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, who authored the Declaration of Independence and served as the third president of the United States, also took a pair of scissors to the Bible, publishing a thin volume of the parts he thought worth … Continue reading

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How America’s Obsession With Bad Birth Control Hurts and Even Kills Women

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Many women know more about the risks of birth control than about how the right contraceptive might improve their lives. For busy women, making good health decisions and actually taking care of ourselves can be a challenge, especially when practical … Continue reading

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