Thursday Thoughts: Feminism

One of the most interesting social studies I can think of is simply opening doors for people. No, really, try it sometime. I have held doors open for many a person—some with hands full, others behind me waiting to get into McDonalds. The most interesting of these experiences, though, is when I hold a door open for a woman. Often times she seems genuinely appreciative, but there have been a few times when I receive a glare that seems to say that she would rather have had me slap her in the face than politely open a door for her.

What is this? I am merely being polite and chivalrous, and almost everybody I open a door for sees the act as such and offers a “thank you” as they file past. But yet still there is that occasional female who takes offense at the action I only meant to be polite.  This, my friends, is feminism in all its glory.

Yes, if you didn’t know already, I do not think highly of feminism. Of course, if you make such a claim in today’s world, you had better have a good explanation to back it up, or you will be labeled something close to a he-man woman hater.  So here goes.

What is wrong with feminism?

 First, let us know what feminism is. This definition is from the Webster’s Dictionary: Feminism: The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.

At face-value, feminism does seem to have a few good qualities. We see in most Muslim cultures what feminism claims to combat (inequality of the sexes), and I don’t think any of us would disagree with the fact that women are treated wrongly by a good number of Muslim males. No one should be treated as property or forced to veil themselves from head to toe, let me make that abundantly clear.

The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." [Genesis 2:23]

Adam, the first man ever to walk the Earth, honored Eve, the first female, as just as human as himself. As he put it (rather poetically), Women are of the same flesh and bone as men. That means women are just as human as men.  We are equals and should treat each other as such! This idea is backed up even further in 1 Corinthians 11:11-12:

However, 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.

Neither sex is independent! We need and complement each other perfectly. We are equally important to both God and each other.

But I still do not believe in feminism.

You see, you must understand that feminism takes “equality” to a completely different level. Yes, we are equals in the sense of our human existence, but it is a plain Biblical fact that God has given men and women different roles to fulfill as we live out our equal existences. Feminism takes these God-given roles and tries to blend them together and make them neutral, accessible to both male and female. Feminism goes directly against God’s Word.

For instance, it is clear from Ephesians 5:22-24 that men are to be the head of the household. Wives are to be subject to their husbands in everything. Guys, with Christ as our leader, we are expected to lead our wives. And please don’t think that you have the short end of the stick, ladies, for whereas you have three verses devoted to how you should be lovingly subject to your husband, we males have about nine verses in this same Ephesian passage teaching us on how to lovingly lead our wife. Men have been given the courageous, nearly-daunting task of leading families. We are the ones who should protect and provide for our families, which is a task that can only be started on our knees before God.

Feminism takes this Ephesians passage and throws it in the garbage. According to a feminist, women should be at least as much of a leader in the household as her husband is. Obviously, this sets up a pretty confusing muddle of roles. Who should be bringing home the paycheck, or if both are bringing home paychecks, whose should be used to cover the bills? Who is going to look after the kids? Who should be responsible for making meals? What if there is a decision to be made that both spouses disagree on?

A pretty good test on whether an idea is Biblical or not is to look at its effects on a family. Does it bring the families closer together, or does it tear them apart? According to feminism, women should have just as much of a career as men. So ask yourself, does having both parents in the workforce from 8 AM till 5 PM strengthen a family, or make it weaker?

Now for those reading this who are a part of a two-income family, let me pause really quick and just apologize if I have offended you. It is never my intention to hurt a fellow brother and sister in Christ. There is every once in a while a unique situation where a wife may need to enter the workforce, and I am not condemning you if you are in one of those situations. However, if unnecessary, is having an abundance of income more important to you than the valuable time you (as a mother) could be spending with your children, training them up in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6)? For our family and my future family when I am married, the answer to both questions is no.

There are also many single women who have had to raise families on their own because their husbands have not been obedient to the Lord as they should. To any woman reading this who has raised a family by herself because of her husband’s failure to fulfill his leadership role, know that I admire your courage.

God has put in place the guidelines for what a Biblical family should look like. It is the parents’ job to train up their children; it is the children’s job to be obedient to their parents; it is the wife’s job to be obedient to her husband; and it is the husband’s job to be obedient to the Lord. When even one of these guidelines is broken, the family suffers. Feminism tries to break this God-given pattern, making sure that women know that they need not be subject to their husbands at all, and many families are suffering as a result.

You see, as with other unbiblical views, feminism just doesn’t work. God knew what He was doing when He put His Word in place, and those who follow His instructions will have lived to the fullest! We see in Proverbs 31 (starting at verse 10) an ideal woman from God’s perspective. Her worth is far more than jewels, and her children and husband praise her. But let every feminist take note that this ideal woman was indeed . . . a homemaker. Yes, she works with her hands and does appear to have her own “earnings”, but she always works and uses her gain in a supporting role to her husband and household. She never seeks to usurp the role of leader from her husband, and he trusts in her.

The female warrior?

We see female fighters everywhere in our world today. Movies tout them as heroes, and even in real life we now see our country increasingly okay with women fighting in combat roles. Most everybody seems to have a romanticized view of the female warrior valiantly killing foes right alongside the men. To me, though, this is the most ugly of offspring feminism has produced.

From a Biblical perspective, there is not a specific command that women are not to fight, but it is clearly implied that God intended it to be the men’s job to go to war. We see only the men counted among the available fighters in the Old Testament. We never see a woman fighting praised or upheld in the Bible.

Yes, the feminists will at this point jump over each other in their eagerness to tell me all about Deborah and Jael, the two women in Judges who played prominent roles in freeing the sons of Israel from Sisera (the commander of the Canaanite army).  First off, it must be understood that neither of these women were warriors. The only reason that either of these women were forced to a role in battle or to driving a tent stake through Sisera’s head was because of a man's (Barak) inability to lead courageously. In the time of the Judges, things were far from ideal. Women were forced into roles they were never intended to fulfill. It is clear from the Bible that when women are leading, the state of the nation they govern is far from well. This should be a serious wakeup call for the United States, by the way, but I digress.

I can’t think of a better way to put it then how I did through my mouthpiece Darias in my sci-fi story Eriar: The End of an Age. After just being asked what his reasons were for not allowing the women to fight in the upcoming climactic battle, here is how Darias replied:

“It is not out of any prejudice to your physical abilities that this decision was made, though all must admit that men are naturally stronger than women. Nor are we belittling you at all. It is because we deeply respect you women that we keep you from fighting. The blood and gore of battle is not an honor for anyone to bear part in; it is in many ways the worst evil of our fallen world. I know I speak for all of us here when I say that I take no pleasure in killing my fellow man. Battle is a grim, haunting conflict that changes those who partake in it forever. I would not have a woman bear that burden unnecessarily.”

Summing it up

I believe that though women think feminism is for their honor, in reality feminism is disrespecting women tremendously, forcing them into roles they were never intended to fulfill. As a Christian young man who seeks to honor women as the Bible commands, feminism is something I will never commend.

 

As always, I would love to hear your comments, constructive corrections, or encouragement. Comment below!