A movement for granting women political, social, and economic equality with men.
The
American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third
Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
I think of myself as an Intelligent,
Conservative, Christian, Feminist. Do those words look strange
together in a sentence? It is really sad that people don't think of
those words as belonging together because the author of feminism is
God. Do you really think that Gods purpose for women was to be
beaten, abused, humiliated and kept in slavery to the whims of a man?
I believe that God created us to be exactly what he said in Genesis,
a helpmate. Seriously, think about Gods view of women, how does the
One who created us want us to be treated? How does He work through
us? How do we appear to Him? Look at the women in the Bible –
Gloria Steinem eat your heart out! These women were in charge, won
wars, provided for the family, saved their entire race, Gloria should
have been as productive or important.
Numbers 27:7 – God establishes the
daughters right to inherit if there is no son to pass on the name. Judges chapter 4 – This is a
chapter all about women and what they can do, Deborah (a married
woman with a career) is the judge (deliverer) of the children of
Israel. Deborah ends up having to accompany Israel into the battle
and then the enemy leader is captured and killed by a woman, Jael.
There is Ruth - who takes care of another woman (obviously not a
'Mean Girl) and joins the ancestry of Jesus. Esther, who saves the
Jewish people from one who would destroy them, by risking her life -
brave women whose place in history is assured because of their
obedience to God and sometimes heroic actions.
Many will say that the New Testament is
very hard on women, they have to be quiet and submissive!
Submissive -
Dictionary.com
Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
In the time of Paul's ministry there
was Priscilla – she made tents with her husband, it doesn't say she
was married to a tent maker, she was a tent maker, She and her
husband Aquila also go on a missionary journey with Paul (didn't he
hate women? Stop it!!) and end up staying and ministering in Ephesus
and helping Apollos in his growth in the way of truth. There are
Lois and Eunice – The grandmother and mother of Timothy. Jesus own
mother, and his friends Mary and Martha, there was Lydia, and more.
Jesus, his disciples, and even Paul talked about the women who
helped, and they all hung out with strong amazing women.
Yes I know there are instances in the
Bible when women were treated horribly, but I don't think this is
Gods purpose, I do think that humans are fallible and men make
mistakes. I think the horrible treatment of women is a perversion of
God rules and that his heart (the heart of a father) bleeds for his
daughters who are treated this way. It is an interesting fact
that some of the most restrictive religions of the world at least
regarding women and their behavior are the religions which were
started by a male 'prophet' reinterpreting Gods will for the world.
Some of the most cruel punishments for women are given when men lose
control of themselves. It was the woman's fault she was raped. Of
course it was!! Women have no souls, women can only get to heaven if
they marry a man of the faith, men marry multiple women to save them.
Really? Do any of these things sound like words of God? Of course
not they sound like the words of men! In the Christian church
shortly after the death and resurrection of Christ, women were
missionaries and teachers, helpers in the church. The subjugation of
women by the church is, I believe man made - the voluntary submission
of a wife to her husband is not the same thing. He then submits to
Christ and now we have a chain of command. I have no problem with
this, the key word is voluntary.
The women of the Bible, including the
'perfect' Proverbs 31 woman, were strong, they worked outside the home
at times, some raised children. They were smart - training
missionaries for Paul, and they were careful to behave in ways that
would not dishonor themselves or their families including their
husbands, in other words they were Intelligent, Conservative,
Judeo-Christian Feminists. Women should have the same
political, economic and social rights as men. But when the
discussion gets into the physical then it gets all ridiculous –
“Men don't have to have babies, they can sleep around with no
consequences so I need the abortion choice!” or “I want to be a
firefighter, so can you make the test easier for me so I can do the
same job as a man”? Whoa there!! If you think either one of those
sentences sound reasonable just go away now, you are never going to
agree with me and you will probably irritate me. I do not want to be
a man! (OK I am a little envious of the pee standing up thing)
I am a woman - with all that entails,
My husband loves me and takes care of many things and frees me to be
myself, we discuss our plans but if we do not agree he has the burden
of making the final call and living with the consequence of his
decision. I have run my own business for years, but I never could
have given my kids the life they had on my own, the fact that my
husband took the responsibility and did his biblical job gave me the
freedom to be the wife and mother and homemaker and cook and shopper
without the concern about those things he took care of – roof over
our heads, money, security etc.. What a great freedom for me!
OK I think I'm done now. This turned
into a really long rant and I hope you are not too bored, I promise
to turn off the TV the next time that ridiculous Kathleen Sebelius
starts talking about women being denied their 'constitutional' rights
to an abortion by the horrible GOP!!!! OK I probably won't turn it off but I
will try to work out my anger by pinching her head while she's on the
screen!! (It really is only mildly childish!!)
- Kathy
