But I will never again call myself a feminist.
Martin Luther thought he could reform the Vatican, so he called himself a Catholic till the day he died.
I think those who embrace the title of biblical or Christian feminist, as I have done in the past, think to reform the words feminist and feminism. After all, the definition is innocuous. Simple adult autonomy and equality in every sphere of life. I wholeheartedly believe in this and pour out the days of my life in obedience to the call of my Creator to stand up for the moral and God-given rights of his daughters for adult autonomy with his sons, for his daughters to be free from Christian patriarchy, free to obey the call of God on their lives, wherever and to whatever position of authority that call may lead. But I have accepted that the terms feminist and feminism are too far gone. They are unredeemable. And any further attempt at Christianizing them will be a fruitless waste of time.
Feminism: A condition ascribed to men apparently lacking in the chief masculine traits; the cult of advocating for women full equality with men in regard to political rights, working conditions, social standing, etc.; propaganda on behalf of "woman's rights."
Well doesn't that just say it all? This definition was published in 1931, in the days when feminism really did mean simple equality of the sexes. Can anyone argue that anything mentioned in the above definition is not a good thing?
Before the 1960's (the movement at that time actually did accomplish some much-needed good), feminism had already been linguistically demonized [for decades] by men who hated the very idea of gender-based equality. In an early dictionary definition of the word, feminism was defined it as a "cult" and as "propaganda." And as is still the case today in the Christian community, men who advocated for women's rights were ridiculed as effeminate, "lacking in masculine traits."
Though the early movements were always surrounded by opposition and controversy, the cause itself, was by no means a cult or propaganda, but it has become so since, with every controversial social issue under the sun, falling under the umbrella of "feminism." Sometimes this happens through spurious connections between causes, but largely because of conservative and Christian rhetoric against equality of the sexes.
Even in the 1800's and earlier, there were controversial and divisive issues within the ranks of early feminists, (above and beyond the controversy naturally caused by the mere thought of equality of the sexes in a solidly patriarchal age?). But that doesn't negate the fact that the original premise of the movement was good, and in its purist form, it still is.
I still call on conservatives and Christians to stop calling every agenda they hate and fear a "feminist" agenda. To continue doing so shows remarkable fear of and prejudice against women. Either that, or the rhetoric masks a greedy desire to pander to paying or voting audiences (don't forget that church members are paying and voting audiences who are well-known to vote out pastors they disagree with).
Call the issues what they are, i.e., abortion, gay rights, LBGTQ, racists, white supremacy, anarchy, whatever the issue is, call it that, but STOP calling every agenda under the sun, a feminist agenda. And STOP calling their spokespeople feminists.
That being said, I will still never call myself a biblical or Christian "feminist" again, as the original definers seem to have won the day. I give it to them. They have achieved their goal of forever tainting the word...and their definition seems to have become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Woman this is WAR! Gender, Slavery & the Evangelical Caste System: Andersen, Jocelyn: 9780979429323: Amazon.com: Books
“Gentlemen, don’t even
think about marriage until you have mastered the art of warfare.”
Pastor
John MacArthur
(Quoting
World War Two Field Marshall Montgomery) in
the
Introduction to his teaching, “The Fulfilled Family….”
Does the Bible teach such a thing as a woman’s “place?” Are women really cursed because of sin? Are women silly and gullible as some teach? Jocelyn Andersen doesn’t believe so. To gain a comprehensive overview of what God says about women, Woman this isWAR!, is the book to read.
“I don't think we condone wife beating these days, but something has got to be done to make her [submit]…She doesn't want to submit to any authority...That's the problem, she does not understand authority...You can't divorce her, according to the scripture. I say, move to Saudi Arabia! [where wife beating is legal]" – Pat Robertson, on the 700 Club
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