It might be helpful to note that yesterday’s post definitely reflected the agenda of what might be called “radical feminism”. Many “waves” of feminism blur the lines between anti-family feminism, and women who just want “equality”.
This article, “Why Congress Should Ignore Radical Feminist Opposition to Marriage” does a great job tracing the history of radical feminism, quoting from many reliable sources and feminist leaders, making some distinction between radical and modern feminists. It’s an informative read.
The danger is the small step between what many would call “good feminism” and family-hating feminism. The deception is subtle and deadly. (Hmmm…Eve was the first to fall 😉 One concern leads to another wrong solution until there is no way to embrace the love of family and the love of feminism.
God’s ways are so simple…we are fools to reject them.
12 comments
I well remember how seductive the femimist literature was back in the ’70’s, when I was a newlywed.
“Whitewashed feminist” is a new term for me, but that is what I was for years, and I have had to try hard to rid myself of that way of thinking.
God’s Word never changes.
Kelly,
Here is another interesting read on feminism I found from a non-Christian source. I believe it is from Life Magazine, 1969.
There is some graphic language and some odd pictures. Please be warned before you read. Nothing extremely shocking.
http://www.maryellenmark.com/text/magazines/life/905W-000-004.html
It seems that it would be more relevant to discuss feminism in today’s terms and not from the 60’s or early 70’s. If you quote radicals from any group – liberal or conservative – it would sound absurd. I know many feminists and they all love and are committed to their families.
Julie,
The way I see it, is that if you want to know what a tree will be like when fully grown, you consider the roots.
Feminist roots are full of anti-family, man-hating propaganda.
Perhaps the problem is in our definition of terms…you don’t have to label yourself a feminist to believe women are valued. The whole point of my blog is to illustrate just how valued women are in the eyes of God.
But I’m not teaming up with a group of women who have openly hated family and marriage to get my point across.
It’s like saying, “Well, I know there are some nice Nazis”…maybe, but why line yourself up with a clearly harmful agenda?
I fight against the harm of feminism. If there happens to be some feminists who love family and marriage (and I’m fully aware there are plenty), that’s another issue. I’m still going to fight the damage that continues to be done by the feminist movement.
Here is an article from the NOW website written December 5, 2008. Feminism is alive and taking a turn for the worse.
http://www.now.org/news/note/120508.html
Here is a link to NOW’s current agenda.
http://www.now.org/issues/agenda2009.html
Basically, NOW supports abortion, homosexuality, dependence on the welfare system, sex education in schools(putting a halt to abstinence education), embryonic stem cell research, and afirmative action to name a few. And this is the present. It is happening right now.
These things are extremely harmful to marriage and to the family. So Kelly, I agree with you. We must do what we can to fight feminism. I can find nothing in this belief system that is even remotely Biblical.
Basic feminism is simply a movement that seeks justice for women, both in culture and under the law. Basic feminism is at work whenever someone is appealing the Taliban to let the little girls go to school, or to let women take off their burqas.
I don’t understand why someone would say that helping women become educated, or freeing them from female circumcision, or educating them about how to protect themselves from AIDS, etc, is deception. ?
I am asking, humbly but honestly, because I truly don’t understand. How are these things not God’s ways? Isn’t our God the God who liberates those under oppression and gives justice to those who were treated wrongfully? Isn’t He the God who calls us to do the same?
A true feminist is not against family. A true feminist simply works to make “family” something that doesn’t imprison women. For many women across the world (and throughout time), “family” has been the biggest prison of all.
Family is not the answer. The first family recorded in the Bible tells us that, all too plainly. (Where does the Bible say that “family” is the focus, that “family” is the answer, btw?).
Feminism, the basic core principle of it, is not the enemy. Neither is the family.
I think it is easy to paint a picture in bold blacks and whites, to make an either/or proposition. People like those. They make things easy for us. We don’t have to think, we don’t have to do the hard work of engaging in a messy mixed up world. But the reality is that life is much more complex that a black and white painting.
Feminism makes a good target. It’s easy to throw sweeping lobs at. It gets the crowd worked up. It gets everyone cheering, when we go after feminism. This is both my observation and my personal experience.
But I have yet to see God angry at those who are working to see that girls under Taliban rule recieve an education. I have yet to see God frustrated at those who are fighting female circumcision. So until then, I think I’ll be just fine with being called a God-loving feminist. 🙂
AM,
“I don’t understand why someone would say that helping women become educated, or freeing them from female circumcision, or educating them about how to protect themselves from AIDS, etc, is deception. ?”
In your attempt to make a point, try not to be naive, or make me look so…readers of this blog know that I am FOR women, if anyone is.
While it is true, there are different degrees of feminism, different waves, and even different interpretations, the overarching feminist movement has crossesd over from “protecting women” to the subtle destruction of them. I am for anything that extols the value and treatment of women.
However, much of the feminist movement IS aimed at tearing down the idea of marriage and family. And where in the Bible, you ask, does it say family is the answer? The whole Bible, really…from the beginning institution “It is not good for man to be alone….therefore, ‘EVE’…now go have children and take dominion.”
Every analogy is given as a family model (The Father/Son, Bride/Groom, etc.)
Family was God’s idea and it remains the only proven strength of a society.
Feminism breaks the idea of family down, even if only subtly.
Those who “aren’t into black and white” are those who can’t see the deception until it’s too late.
As believers, it is our responsibility to understand what we teach to others. If you claim Christ, teach the value of women. Don’t propogate an ideaology that is destructive.
Just because a few good things came out of feminism (which aren’t necessarily feminism, but basic human rights issues, like AM talked about) doesn’t mean that it is good as a whole. I’m on board to fight it. Strong families mean strong nations. I love my country and don’t want to see it go “down the tubes”.
Amen Civilla,
Molly,
How about men, women, AND children… not just women huh?
I would think femism began, initially, out of a good motive-desiring equality for women where none was otherwise given. Most things in life, that are born out of something ‘good’, generally have the capacity to go to extremes, and become twisted.
Women were probably oppressed, and abused, and not cared for, and their God-given conscience most likely revealed this to them. So someone, in the beginning, began a fight. A fight worth figthing for, but nonetheless, some who jumped on the ‘feminist’ bandwagon took it to an extreme, and had different motives in their personal ‘agenda’. Some took it and manipulated it subtly…..others went hogwild extremist. Either way, those attempts to define ‘feminism’ were off topic, and on many levels, still are.
Men and children are affected here; everyone is affected by a society gone downhill. But we were talking about ‘feminism’, so naturally we are going to focus on women much of our discussion on the topic of ‘feminism’.
The rebellion of the ’60’s did not start with the down-trodden and the abused. No rebellion ever does (my husband has a degree in political science, as well as Bible) and it was proven to him as a political science student that rebellions and revolutions are always started by the middle-class, usually in the universities (they are the educated ones with the self-confidence and the financial means to do things).
This is why in some of the South American countries, when there is a revolution, the government simply shuts down the universities. My husband says that in Chile, they once shut down the universities for 10 years!
No, the hippie movement, flag- and draft-card burning movement, and feminist movement (all of the ’60’s) gained momentum with upper-middle-class students in the universities, not with the working-class people, or with the poor, down-trodden people. I was there. I lived through it.
Helping truly abused people is a basic human rights issue. African-Americans getting their civil rights in the ’60’s was a basic human rights issue, and it helped men, women and children.
A “few” good things, Civilla? Female doctors, education, medical treatment, and the right to vote and hold positions of authority are major things, not a “few” things. Other than that, I agree.
I used to call myself a feminist, but there are too many misunderstandings tied to that word now, plus it’s secular. I’m what you might label a “whitewashed feminist” (aka egalitarian). I recently found a book that summed up my feelings of womanhood and strength perfectly; it’s called “I wouldn’t thank you for a Valentine” and, inspite of the cynical title (which has to do with mocking saccharine stereotypes of a holiday, not slurring men) it portrays every part of womanhood I love: mother, lover, fighter, independence. The book speaks greatly of loving men and sons; you may like to look into it sometime on Amazon.