Posted on 09/12/2003 11:14:27 AM PDT by Vindiciae Contra TyrannoSCOTUS
The worldview of feminism has permeated just about every aspect of American life, education and culture. We see it in the way men are portrayed as lovable but stupid buffoons on TV sitcoms. We see it in the way boys are punished and marginalized in school for not being enough like girls. We see it in politically correct speech that attempts to change the way people think by harassing them for their choice of words.
The anger and frustration that drove feminism's history is legitimate; women have been devalued and dishonored ever since the fall of man. Very real, harmful inequities needed to be addressed, and it's important to honor some of the success of feminist activists. But at the same time, we need to examine and expose the worldview that fuels much of feminist thought.
Modern-day feminism got its major start when Betty Friedan wrote her landmark book The Feminine Mystique, in which she coined the phrase "The Housewife Blahs" to describe millions of unfulfilled women. There are many reasons that women can feel unfulfilled and dishonored, but from a Christian perspective I would suggest that this is what life feels like when we are disconnected from God and disconnected from living out His purpose for our lives. As Paschal said, "We are restless, O God, until we find our rest in Thee."
Betty Friedan looked at unhappy, unfulfilled women and diagnosed the problem as patriarchy, which means a male-dominated society. If women are unhappy, the reason is that men are in charge.
The early feminists decided that women are oppressed because bearing and raising children is a severe limitation and liability. What makes women different from men equals weakness. The next step, then, was to overcome that difference so that women could be just like men. The invention of the birth control pill helped fuel that illusion.
Out of the consciousness-raising groups in the 70's came a shift in the view of women's differences. Instead of seeing those differences as weakness, they now saw those differences as a source of pride and confidence. It was now a good thing to be a woman.
The next step in feminist thought was that women were not just equal to men, they were better than men. This spawned famous quotes like Gloria Steinem's comment that "A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle."{1} Male-bashing became the sport of the 90's.
Feminism says, "The problem is patriarchy: male dominated society." The problem is actually the sin of people within a God-ordained hierarchy. In a fallen world, there are going to be problems between men and women, and especially abuses of power. We must not confuse the abuses of the structure with the structure itself.{2}
Feminism has so permeated our culture that we should not be surprised that it has impacted the church as well. Religious feminists uncovered the "Church Women Blahs." People became aware that for the most part, women were relegated to service positions like making coffee and rocking babies. If a woman had gifts in teaching, shepherding, administration or evangelism, she was out of luck.
The Magna Carta for Christian feminists is Galatians 3:28--"In Christ there is no male or female." However, the context of this verse is not about equal rights, but that all believers have the same position of humility at the foot of the Cross. The issue is not capability, but God-ordained positions within a God-ordained authority structure of male leadership. Other biblical passages that go into detail about gender-dependent roles show that Galatians 3:28 cannot mean the obliteration of those roles.
There are two main areas where religious feminists seek to change gender roles: the role of women in the church, and the role of women in marriage. The discussion has produced two camps, egalitarians and complementarians.
Egalitarians are the feminist camp, with an emphasis on equality of roles, not just value. They believe that hierarchy produces inequality, and that different means unequal. The solution, therefore, is to get rid of the differences between men's and women's roles. Women should be ordained, allowed to occupy the office of pastor and elder, and exercise authority over others in the church. Instead of differences in the roles of husband and wife, both spouses are called to mutual submission.
Egalitarians are reacting against a very real problem in the church. But the problem of authoritarian men, and women relegated to minor serving positions, is due to an abuse and distortion of the hierarchy God designed. Egalitarians reject the male authority structure along with the abuse of that structure.
Complementarians believe that God has ordained a hierarchy of authority in the church and within the family that reflects the hierarchy of authority within the Trinity. And just as there is equality in the Trinity, there is equality in the church and in marriage because we are all made in the image of God. Women are just as gifted as men, but there are biblical restrictions on the exercise of some of those gifts, such as not teaching men from a position of authority, and not occupying the office of pastor or elder. In marriage, wives are called to submit to their husbands. Mutual submission in marriage is no more appropriate than submission of parents to children.
Christian feminists did not evaluate whether the structures or hierarchies of leadership were there because God designed them that way. They just demanded wholesale change. But some things are worth keeping!
In this section we will discuss the impact of feminism on our college campuses. Abraham Lincoln once warned, "The philosophy of the school room in one generation, will become the philosophy of government in the next." What happens on college campuses eventually affects the rest of the culture, and nowhere is feminism's pervasiveness more evident than in our colleges.
A new discipline of Women's Studies has arisen in many universities. These courses usually stress women's literature, treating with contempt anything written by dead white European males. They often incorporate women's religions in the curricula, especially the Goddess worship of Wicca on campus. The main tenet of this pagan religion is that the worshipper is in harmony with Mother Earth and with all life. They worship the Goddess, which is described as "the immanent life force, . . . Mother Nature, the Earth, the Cosmos, the interconnectedness of all life."{2} Many witches (followers of Wicca, not Satanists) and pagans are involved in women's studies programs because, as one Wiccan website put it, "Many feminists have turned to Wicca and the role of priestess for healing and strength after the patriarchal oppression and lack of voice for women in the major world religions."{3}
Christianity is often portrayed on college campuses, and especially within Women's Studies, as an abusive religion. There are several reasons: first, because Christianity is hierarchical, teaching differentiation of roles and that some are to submit to and follow others. Secondly, their skewed view of the Bible is that Christianity teaches that women are inferior to men. Third, Christ was male, so he is insufficient as a role model for women and can't possibly understand what it means to be a woman. And fourth, since the language of the Bible is male-oriented and patriarchal (both of which are evil), it must be dismissed or changed.
Feminism impacts dating relationships on campus. Heterosexual dating is often colored by an attempt to persuade women that all men are potential rapists and cannot be trusted. Even a remark meant to compliment a woman is taken as sexist and unacceptable. One woman, wearing a short skirt on campus, heard someone whistle appreciatively. She strode into the women's study center complaining, "I've just been raped!"
Angry feminists convey a hatred and fear of men as part of the feminist ideology. When it comes to dating, for a number of feminists, lesbianism is considered the only appropriate option. If men are brutes and idiots, why would anyone want to have an intimate relationship with one? In fact, there's a new acronym on campus, GUG: "Gay until graduation." But the fact is, most women really like men; that's always been a problem for feminists. Let's consider more problems that result from feminism.
Feminists started from a reasonable point in recognizing a most unhappy aspect of life in a fallen world: women tend to be dishonored, disrespected, and devalued by many men. This is as true in religious systems as it is in society and political systems. Feminists started out trying to rectify this problem first by trying to prove that women were as good as men. Then they decided that women were better than men. They ended up trying to erase the lines of distinction between men and women altogether. This has resulted in tremendous confusion about what it means to be a woman, as well as what it means to be a man. And naturally, it has produced a lot of confusion in relationships as well. This confusion ranges from men who are afraid to open doors for women for fear of receiving a rude tongue-lashing, to women who are baffled in the workplace because the men they compete against at work won't ask them out on a date.
Radical feminist thought despised much of what it means to be a woman-to be receptive and responsive and relational, to treasure marriage and family. Only masculine traits and behaviors and jobs were deemed valuable. Nonetheless, many young women are confused by the messages they are getting from the culture: that an education and a job are the only worthwhile pursuits, and the social capital of marriage and family is no longer valued. However, these same women feel guilty and confused for finding themselves still longing for marriage and family when they're supposed to be content without them. One college student said, "I've taken all the women's studies courses--I know that marriage and motherhood are traps--but I still want to do both."{4}
The legacy of feminism is the refusal of the God-given role of men to be initiator, protector and provider. And the God-given role of women to be responder, nurturer and helper is equally disdained. The consequence of this rebellion is relational confusion, especially in the home. Dads aren't communicating to their sons why it's a blessing to be male, because frankly, they're not sure that it is. The message of feminism is that being male is a joke or a curse. Moms aren't teaching their daughters the basic skill sets that homemakers need because they're too busy at their jobs and besides, haven't we been taught that being a homemaker is demeaning? As a mentoring Mom to mothers of preschoolers, I see how many young women are totally clueless about how to be a wife and mother because those essential skills just weren't considered important by their mothers. Radical feminism hates family and families, and we all suffer as a result.
Feminism says, "The problem is patriarchy: male dominated society." The problem is actually the sin of people within a God-ordained hierarchy. The heart of feminism is a rebellion against the abuses of this God-ordained hierarchy, but it's also a rebellion against God's plan itself. This is a perfect example of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Feminists believe they have the right to reinvent reality and to change the rules to suit them. This rebellious belief system has had some disastrous effects on our culture and society.
For example, one of feminism's biggest achievements was the legalization of abortion. Keeping it legal is one of feminism's biggest goals: if women are to be truly free, then they must be free to decide whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term. A woman's ability to conceive, give birth, and nurture babies is seen as weakness and vulnerability, because women can be forced to be impregnated and to bear unwanted babies. Removing the consequence of sexual activity, and getting rid of unwanted pregnancy to cancel out a woman's so-called "weakness," is important to many feminists. So, since 1973, there have been over 40 million abortions in the U.S.{5}. But that only tells part of the story; "while some women report relatively little trauma following abortion, for many, the experience is devastating, causing severe and long-lasting emotional, psychological and spiritual trauma."{6} I have the privilege of helping post-abortal women grieve the loss of their babies and receive God's forgiveness for their sin. They know that feminism's insistence that abortion is every woman's right is a lie.
Another impact of feminism is seen in the feminization of American schools. Feminism's disrespect for men and boys has shaped schools and educational policy around values and methods that favor girls over boys. Competition, a natural state of being for many boys, is considered harmful and evil, to be replaced with girl-friendly cooperative, relational activities. "Schools are denying the very behavior that makes little boys boys. In Southern California, a mother was stunned to find out that her son was disciplined for running and jumping over a bench at recess."{7} My colleague Don Closson wrote, "Gender crusaders believe that if they can influence little boys early enough, they can make them more like little girls."{8}
To despise the glory of masculinity is to reject the very image of God. To despise the treasure of femininity is to reject what the Bible calls the glory of man.{9} That's the problem with feminism: it is a rejection of what God has called good. It has gone too far in addressing the inequities of living in a fallen world. It's a rebellion against God's right to be God and our responsibility to submit joyfully to Him. Notes
Irina Dunn has confirmed this story, in an e-mail of January 28, 2002: "Yes, indeed, I am the one Gloria referred to. I was paraphrasing from a phrase I read in a philosophical text I was reading for my Honours year in English Literature and Language in 1970. It was "A man needs God like a fish needs a bicycle." My inspiration arose from being involved in the renascent women's movement at the time, and from being a bit if a smart-arse. I scribbled the phrase on the backs of two toilet doors, would you believe, one at Sydney University where I was a student, and the other at Soren's Wine Bar at Woolloomooloo, a seedy suburb in south Sydney. The doors, I have to add, were already favoured graffiti sites." http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Vista/3255/herstory.htm
© 2003 Probe Ministries
EMILY's List, which contributes only to Democratic pro-abortion feminist candidates, put $20 million into political campaigns in 2000 and another $20 million into campaigns this year.
That's twice as much as the second largest political action committee. Such a vast amount of money explains why Democratic Senators don't dare to confirm a judge who is pro-life. Why The Democrats Are The Way They Are -- Phyllis Schlafly Nov. ...
. . .Therefore, be it resolved that NOW oppose the confirmation of nominee Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court of the United States; and
Be it further resolved that NOW will pressure the Senate Judiciary Committee, especially Senator Biden and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, as well as the entire Senate to oppose his confirmation; and
Be it further resolved that since members of both political parties are responsible for the confirmation of the current anti-women Supreme Court majority and these members are now in a position to vote against nominee Thomas, that NOW will target for defeat any Senators who do not oppose the confirmation of Clarence Thomas for the Supreme Court. The Radical Goals of the Feminists -- December 1991 Phyllis ...
The principal targets of feminist fire in the on-going "gender wars" are not men but traditional wives and mothers, says a lawyer-turned-housewife in a powerful critique of contemporary feminism. Domestic Tranquility: A Brief Against Feminism by F. Carolyn ...
"The MO of these feminist organizations is to threaten with lawsuits and threaten with embarrassment. They don't care about women, they care about their own power."
Another breeding ground for lawsuits is on college campuses, where schools are required under federal Title IX statutes to give women equal access to athletic programs in public institutions that receive federal funding. FOXNews.com
In a mixture of anti-male enthusiasm with a psychology which holds that if one but think positively, she can overcome any inadequacy; the feminist has embraced a coarse assertiveness, which assumes that others must always indulge the assertress in long conversational diatribes against real or hypothetical detractors--those who doubt the theories or worth of the protagonist. Often, this is only harmlessly offensive. But in some situations, it involves conduct that only a saint would tolerate from another man. And only a residual femininity, which she may scorn in herself, will prevent that protagonist from obtaining the more physical reaction that any man would expect. The Feminist Absurdity
Feminism's Thousand Year Reich: When persons call for the decimation of half the world's population, that grabs my attention. This is what I'm talking about: "The proportion of men must be reduced to and maintained at approximately 10% of the human race." -- Sally Miller Gearhart, in The Future - If There Is One - Is Female. LAF Home I
Sommers details how Harvard professor Carol Gilligan, the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and other like-minded organizations have imposed their strange brand of feminism in the schools, and popularized the notion that girls are being silenced, subdued and subjugated, while boys are aggressors-in-waiting who must, for the good of society, be conditioned to be more nurturing and emotive-and less boy-like.
However dubious their arguments, they have managed to initiate numerous federally funded programs, which they then develop and administer, effectively cornering the market on school-based gender-equity programs, and ensuring a captive audience of children to promote their ideas. Book Review - The War Against Boys
"Judge [Robert] Bork also identifies Radical Feminism as 'the most destructive and fanatical' element of this modern liberalism. He further describes Radical Feminism as 'totalitarian in spirit.' Most Americans do not yet realize that they, through their institutions, are being led by social revolutionaries who think in terms of the continuing destruction of the existing social order in order to create a new one. The revolutionaries are New Age Elite Boomers. They now control the public institutions in the United States. Their 'quiet' revolution, beginning with the counter-culture revolution of their youth, is nearing completion. A key, or even a dominant element because purportedly it represents the largest political and social constituency among their potential followers, is Feminism. The Marxist movement in its 'quiet' cultural latter-day phase is seemingly sweeping all before it. With its sway over the media, fully in the grip of Feminism, it is hard to discern the stirrings of a counter-counter culture. Are the elite Boomers, the New Totalitarians, the most dangerous generation in America's history? William Strauss and Neil Howe suggest so, in their book Generations: The History of America's Future-1584 to 2069." Gerald L. Atkinson, "Radical Feminism and Political Correctness," Free Congress Foundation. Marxism and American Society
In January 1993 newspaper and television networks reported an alarming statistic. They stated that the incidence of domestic violence tended to rise by 40 percent on Super Bowl Sunday. NBC, which was broadcasting the game, made a special plea for men to stay calm. Feminists called for emergency preparations in anticipation of the expected increase in violence.
Feminists also used the occasion to link maleness and violence against women. Nancy Isaac, a Harvard School of Public Health research associate specializing in domestic violence, told the Boston Globe: "It's a day for men to revel in their maleness and unfortunately, for a lot of men that includes being violent toward women if they want to be."
Nearly every journalist accepted the 40 percent figure--except for Ken Ringle at the Washington Post. He checked the facts and was able to expose the myth, but not before millions of Americans were indoctrinated with the feminist myth of male aggression during Super Bowl Sunday. Feminist Myths
Feminism, is not only about women. It is about an entire obNOXIOUS philosphy which recognizes the individual right to GODLESS autonomy, and a social/economic/cultural system which allows promotes class mobility warfare.
The theocrats would. When discussing women on their TV and radio shows, and in articles, they usually rely on Old Testament verses to support their position; if the New Testament is invoked, it is the words of Paul or other writers , not Jesus.
They don't seem to realize(or frighteningly, perhaps they do) that in Old Testament times women had a legal status only slightly above livestock.
I'm hardly a supporter of radical feminism, but these theocrats are nutty.
Probe Ministries. Heh-heh.
Of the two sexes, he/she, the female must be the superior one since it is to 'she' that the Supreme Court has granted special privilege in allowing her to hire a serial killer to kill an alive fellow individual human beings in utero, right?
FEMINISM VS CONSTITUTION:
That is untrue. At abortion's zenith (in the mid 1980's in the US) 25% of pregnancies were aborted. At present it is about 20% and declining. It was never 1/3.
Granted, 20% is 20% to many. But we should not make the facts worse than are.
In any large organization like this, of this size and influence, you'll ultimately have a leadership who's pimary interest is power. After the original founders depart, the agenda tends to become secondary.
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