I am not a preacher, pastor, or prophet so I try to stay away from religious discussions. But I read an article and it really caught my eye. It’s not that I disagreed with it as a whole, but I disagreed with the notion that feminism means that you are opposed to God’s will.
No, what I am opposed to is:
-Women being objectified in the media
-Women making less money for doing the same job
-Women being treated as second class citizens
- Women being spoken to like children “hey sweetie” “hey cutie”
-Pornography destroying marriages and families
-Women being forced to have child, after child, after child by their so-called “Christian” husbands when their bodies (and minds) just can’t do it. Does Andrea Yates ring a bell?
So does feminism conflict with being a Christian?
I guess it depends on your definition of feminism . On the first post I made on this blog I said that you can’t always try to force someone in a group just because it makes it easier for you to understand.
So if you see feminism as some crazy, bra burning, anti-panty wearing, i hate men and kids movement, then yes; that may be in conflict with Christianity.
However if you see feminism as a movement that promotes that women are not inferior to men; then I don’t see how that conflicts with any Christian values.
I think a lot of this argument could be cleared up if we cut back on using labels; or went through life with the understanding that one persons actions does not represent an entire group.
You see someone on the street frantically shouting that everyone is going to hell, you are going to hell, and you don’t know God. You see this persons eyes filled with rage and they don’t attempt to have a discussion with you, they aren’t trying to minister to you- they just shout judgments at you with no space to allow you to respond. People look at that and say “See, that’s why I’m not Christian.” Then you have the men who sleep with children, take several wives, and don’t allow women to think, all for the name of God. Are we to judge Christianity as a whole based on these mens actions? We have to stop thinking one person represents a group because that type of behavior isn’t Christian- it’s crazy.
Likewise; you know a woman that hates children, wants to oppress all men, sees herself as some sort of ‘goddess’, and is a lesbian. That doesn’t mean that this woman represents feminism. It means that you know a woman that has some radical beliefs.
So the question still remains; can you be a Christian and still stand up for women’s rights?
Christian Answers says:
“…Yet, the husband violates the Bible’s instruction if he treats his wife as an inferior. “In the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God” (I Corinthians 11:11-12)…The Bible does not prohibit women from enjoying equal opportunities legally, socially, or economically, nor does the Bible require Christian women to be submissive to all men. This would mean that godly women should feel perfect liberty to take positions of authority over men in professional, business or social contexts. But the Bible does prescribe the form which should accompany freedom for the Christian woman in her home and in her church.” [C.A.]
What do you think?
Technorati Tags: Feminism, Christianity, Christians
16 responses so far ↓
1 Snusket // Oct 12, 2007 at 12:02 am
“…promotes that women are not inferior to men; then I don’t see how that conflicts with any Christian values.” That is at the core of christian religion though, that women are inferior to men…honey…
2 DJ // Oct 12, 2007 at 5:59 am
It’s really not. But so many people twist it to make it seem as so. Everyone has their own interpretation though. I just don’t like anyone saying “believe in God OR believe in women’s rights”.
3 (army)wife // Oct 12, 2007 at 8:44 am
I wonder…why is it that “a woman that hates children, wants to oppress all men, sees herself as some sort of ‘goddess’, and is a lesbian” is considered “radical”, when a Christian who has very radical beliefs and behaviors is considered crazy? Its okay to be PC when discussing a lesbian, but not when discussing a Christian?
Also, Andrea Yates and her husband BOTH decided to have many children based on their religious beliefs. Part of what led to Yates’ “insanity” was the fact that both her and her husband decided to not have more kids and they were berated by their religious leader for that decision. Yates’ husband stopped contact with the leader, while Yates continued to have contact.
4 DJ // Oct 12, 2007 at 5:03 pm
I feel no need to be politically correct with that one. That wasn’t a made up example, I took it from a page in my life story.
I call it how I see it and when I am walking down the street minding my own business and someone is frantically shouting all these outrageous and hateful things at me I’m going to call them crazy. When someone is using hate and trying to label it as Godly and Jesus-like- I am going to call them crazy. And yes, if someone thinks it’s ok to have sex with their child…I am going to call them crazy…along with a few other things that I’d have to restrain from saying aloud.
Those aren’t Christian behaviors to me. That doesn’t represent Christianity which was an underlying point to the whole post- how one defines the terms Christian and Feminism will all depend.
5 Alexa // Oct 12, 2007 at 9:03 pm
To be a feminist Christian is to re interpret the Bible. Most moderate contemporary Christians do this in their own way, taking bits and pieces that suit them and rejecting others, which is fine- at least they’re showing discrimination in the values they’re adopting. It might just be the case that women need to work harder to suit Biblical teachings to themselves, than other demographics. I’m an atheist but like some of the biblical stories for their metaphorical and allegorical value. Still, there are some blatantly misogynist anecdotes in the Bible that I could never justify in any form if I were a feminist Christian.
6 Allena // Oct 20, 2007 at 5:53 pm
If women aren’t inferior to men, then how come women can’t be priests in the Catholic religion? I don’t label myself neither Christian, Catholic nor Feminist, really, so I don’t know. I do know Catholicism is a kind of Christianity, a sect if you will, and that they don’t allow women to reach the highest places of power.
7 DJ // Oct 20, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Don’t even get me started on Catholicism…really, please don’t.
8 Isabella // Oct 24, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Yes, because calling someone “sweetie” or “cutie” is SO wrong and degrading to women. You know, because guys are NEVER called those names.
9 DJ // Oct 24, 2007 at 8:18 pm
I’m an adult, I am not your “sweetie” or “cutie” unless it’s my husband talking to me. You can answer to what you want Isabella, but that’s not my name and I don’t take well to being called that especially in a professional environment.
10 Amanda // Oct 29, 2007 at 10:32 pm
I believe that you can be a feminist and a Christian depending upon how you carry yourself. If you defend women’s rights in a loving, Christ-like way that is one thing. However, if you try to defend women’s rights like the man on the corner with the megaphone, that is going against Christianity. God gave us all free will, so we shouldn’t feel obligated or under compulsion to serve God. Nor should someone feel threatened to be just to women. I believe with anything we get more bees with honey than with vinegar.
11 Amy // Dec 15, 2007 at 10:38 am
I do not believe a person can be both a feminist and a christian. The first two comments here are in opposition, but I am with the first commenter.
Christians believe that “God” is the FATHER, SON, and Holy Spirit. There is no woman. There is no mother. We are all supposedly “born” out of a man. At its CORE, christianity is misogynist, and therefore anti-feminist.
12 DJ Nelson // Dec 16, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Who said that the Holy Spirit was male?
13 Amy // Dec 17, 2007 at 12:53 am
Not me.
14 Yasmin // Jan 4, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I loved your post you took the words out of my mouth. I am a christian and feminist. That does not mean that i want to be like a man or dominate any man. I just want women to have equal rights and oppurtunites to do whatever the want. We should be treated fairly and justly and not be looked upon as being inferior. It makes me sick when people twist the words in the bible to support their misogynist views.
15 Deborah Robinson // Jan 30, 2008 at 9:05 pm
I recently had rather a heated discussion via email with a Catholic woman who objected to my brand of feminism. This is what she had to say:
“As for the Bible, one of the foundational lessons one learns from the good book is that might makes right. The Lord establishes his authority by destroying all who reject him or disobey him. He tones it down a bit for the New Testament, but there is still Hell there waiting for the distractors. Brute force ends all conflicts. In our world, in terms of might, men have the upper hand — and therefore championing totalitarianism as you do is not smart. Women do not have physical might and we would lose out.”
This woman was objecting to my blog posts about sexism and my involvement in the CP80 Internet Channel Initiative to protect kids from being exposed to pornography on the Internet. Imagine my shock when I saw her email address was from ‘catholic.org’ and she was actually supporting pornographers???
I am a feminist and a Christian and I see no conflict with being both. But obviously, some women see it differently.
16 Tracee Sioux // Feb 28, 2008 at 3:11 pm
If you think Christ came to oppress anyone - women or men - then you’re reading it wrong.
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