The Proverbs 31 Woman - The True Original Feminist

Feminism - The doctrine — and the political movement based on it — that women should have the same economic, social, and political rights as men.
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.

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 -

Inclined or ready to submit;  unresistingly or humbly obedient:

Dictionary.com Unabridged
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