Once upon a time, a group of individuals saw another group of individuals propagating a stupid idea. The stupid idea was that women are inherently less valuable than men, and so the first group of individuals sought to fight against it. They called themselves “Feminists” and their message was that women are just as valuable as men. Naturally, they wanted to spread this message, and any group of people that exist to support the idea that women are just as much made in the imago dei as men are completely in the right and should be supported.
But that wasn’t really what the feminists wanted, and feminism as we know it today is a monolith. A medusa, you could say, with lots of big, scary snake heads with different goals and ideas that you don’t want to look directly in to lest you lose your day arguing with one of them about whether or not a pregnant woman could possibly have no idea how she got in to such a state and shouldn’t be forced to incubate that which she willfully brought in to existence (three glasses of wine deep or not). Which head, exactly, do we want to address? If you know me, you know I would say we should go for the jugular, which is the absurdity that is laid out before us in Romans 1—namely, Creator denial.
Unfortunately, the message of first wave feminists was not, “Both genders are equal and made in the imago dei”, although some, originally, may have asserted such a thing. No, the first wave of feminists were more concerned with contractual matters, such as voting and property rights. You could say they wanted to be a part of the “boys club”. How politics viewed them was much more important than how God viewed them, which means they cut themselves off at the knees. If your value and worth is not first generated from your Creator, you’ve got no legs to stand on, and so we see throughout history a movement that has lumbered on its knees to where it is today, and it has done so as gracefully as the blood-sucking, murderous zombie it has become. You see, feminism has never embraced that women—as women—are just as valuable as men, because feminism doesn’t even understand what women are. Feminism, the liberal monolithic sort, has sought to make us like men, denying the God-given differences between the two genders, and therefore reduced itself to absurdity. Just take a look at what feminists think an “empowered” woman is. What image do you conjure in your head? We laugh, but doesn’t it include pantsuits? Garish images of women dressed as men, flexing, taking on the world, dropping their children off at daycare so they can do real work? Feminists look at the woman who can kill her child in the womb and applaud, because they want no-fault sex to be a thing. Because in a feminist worldview, children are just consequences and we should be free to choose just how accountable we are for our actions. The men can have sex and not become pregnant, so women should be able to as well.
This is what feminists actually get right: if there is no Creator, our value as women is generated from something within us, so then we make the rules. Whatever we say, goes. Certainly in a world that is determined by our own rules, not much can be said for the little women held within our wombs. In a worldview where we are all just here via Neo-darwinian evolution, might makes right, and in a godless battle of desire between who gets what they want between a grown woman and the unborn child inside of her, the larger of the two is going to win. When you reduce yourself to such absurdity, when you make yourself the ultimate authority in your own universe, you can argue that a mother’s desire for a child determines the child’s value and worth.
But friends, no matter how darkened the hearts of those who set themselves up as gods in their universe may be, no one actually lives like this. No one actually, in their heart of hearts, believes this. Eternity is stamped upon all of us because we all are made in the image of God. How many women today live in the lie that their value and worth is determined by others? Have you ever looked in to the eyes of a woman who has looked to another person for her worth and seen the destruction that has been hers? Do you see the anger and the hurt and the general foot stampyness of the women who look to politics, corporate domination, or whatever other man-made institution, to tell them they are worth something? Do they look happy to you?
Second wave feminism, the kind seen in the Sexual Revolution of the 60s, tried to give us a world with no-fault sex, and one of the things we got was a holocaust in the womb of such enormity we cannot even wrap our minds around the untold numbers of dead bodies it has left in its wake. Feminism has not been some nice, quaint idea that we can pat on the head and send on its way after throwing it a bone. This is why we cannot engage Medusa on her own territory. The progenitor of abortion was second wave feminism. The progenitor of second wave feminism was secular humanism. Secular humanism is a result of Creator-denial. All of this to say, we can only win this argument when we trace the disaster in front of us back to its origins and we must engage feminism on the basis of the one man who ever truly lived with no fault, and that is the God-man, Christ. Without Him, there are no rules to play by. There isn’t even a reason to play. Don’t forget this when you engage with the world. It is a good and valuable thing to engage with them on the issues, but there is no meaningful truth to point them to devoid of Christ. Their worldview is broken. They are their own gods. You cannot fight if you cut yourself off at the knees. Tell them about the one, true God. The one place they can actually derive inherent value and worth. Give them the Gospel, because it is what they really need.
All I can say is this was awesome!!! Beautifully written and full of truth!!
Very Nice
Cant wrap your head around abortion?
Me Neither.
620,000 Americans died in the Civil War!
640,000 Americans died in ALL other wars COMBINED!
Over 59,000,000 Americans killed in abortion since Roe v. Wade!!!
If War is Hell, what is going on in America?
I agree that feminism is a confused movement that is mistakenly trying to make women into men. I disagree however that scripture holds the salvation of the movement. I the bible holds sexism both subtle and blantant.
If you look for the value of women in the bible then there is a passage describing how much silver you can be bought for depending on your age.
I think that the holy gospel has contributed to the bias against women that we see intergrated into our scociety.
There is literally not a NT scholar in the world that would argue against the radically positive treatment women are given in the New Testament, except for the feminist type.
Mr Bill Burr has commented on feminism. The video is at the following address:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0vZhz3sN_E
Note: Mr Burr is anti-Christ and his language is offensive.
I hope you realize that you can espouse Christ without putting down women. Feminism–gender equality–and living a Christ centered life aren’t exclusive ideas. But the way you write it sounds like you believe suffragists burned crosses. “feminists were more concerned with contractual matters, such as voting and property rights. You could say they wanted to be a part of the “boys club.” Pick your battles more wisely.
I hope you realize that you can espouse Christ without putting down women.
I literally just spent an entire article on the fact that women are made in the image of God and that’s why they are so valuable….
Feminism–gender equality–and living a Christ centered life aren’t exclusive ideas.
Can you point me to what exactly you think “Christian feminism” is?
But the way you write it sounds like you believe suffragists burned crosses.
Um, nope. Never said that.
“feminists were more concerned with contractual matters, such as voting and property rights. You could say they wanted to be a part of the “boys club.”
Can you point me, historically, to what they were actually working towards as a moment then, or…?
Pick your battles more wisely.
Feminism is legitimately my favorite thing to battle. Thanks, though.
Thanks for your wise words, Summer. Keep up the great work that you and Joy are doing!
“tried to give us a world with no-fault sex, and one of the things we got was a holocaust in the womb of such enormity we cannot even wrap our minds around the untold numbers of dead bodies it has left in its wake… The progenitor of abortion was second wave feminism. ”
I hate to break it to you but abortion predates your bible. So long as there have been people to get pregnant, there have been unwanted pregnancies. So long as there have been unwanted pregnancies, there’s been methods to get rid of them.
Silphium. It’s a herb whose properties, so we’re told, were birth control and abortion with little to no side effects. It was driven to extinction because of those selfsame properties. That’s the Ancient Greeks and the Romans.
For a long time ending a pregnancy was legal so long as it was done before the quickening – the first declaration of the baby’s movement by the mother.
And then people started getting morally outraged over women wanting votes and codified rights and not wanting to birth and bury double digits of children. So we get the complete outlawing of abortion. Which leads to back alley abortions, which leads to Roe vs Wade and the sudden amazing cessation of women turning up to hospitals having attempted to induce an abortion with a coat hanger.
You want to talk about a holocaust in the womb, then it’s not feminists you need to talk to, it’s your creator. Because far FAR more pregnancies, WANTED pregnancies, end in miscarriage or stillbirth than do abortion. And that’s got nothing to do with feminism.
In fact, in general, feminists want the number of abortions to drop. We’re just realistic enough to know that the single best way to do that is by educating people accurately about appropriate methods of contraception and then giving them those methods of contraception as readily and cheaply as possible. Amazingly, that consistently lowers the number of unwanted pregnancies which lowers the number of women who need abortions (and coincidentally lowers the number of STDs). Of course other things which help are a living wage, universal healthcare and a safety net of benefits.
Would you be willing to admit that women are equal to men in every way – even though men are not allowed the privilege of giving birth? Men are not asked to carry a child, but women alone are given this privilege. This has been true FOREVER. Shouldn’t we quit trying to argue whether or not this makes women Subjected to inequalities by society and instead view it as a beautiful difference. Different doesn’t have a darned thing to do with equality. We are different and as such have different responsibilities. Women alone are responsible for deciding if they do or if they don’t use their bodies to make a baby. Women are not responsible for deciding if and when they can kill that baby. We have all decided that human life is valuable enough that we can’t kill each other. March on the streets for affordable birth control, yes, because we are different from men and they don’t have that worry so sometimes we have to remind them that we are different. March on the streets for the right to kill a baby, no, because you know you’re different from a man and your body makes babies. Stop making babies until you’re ready to make babies. Because you are equal to a man but you’re different. Embrace your differences and take responsibility for your own body. Stop pretending you have the right to decide a baby’s life is less important than yours. Let’s admit we are all equal. Just different. And be proud of your privilege.
Your article and concurrent podcast have been a great help for me. In my current cultural climate, teenagers are taking feminism as their mantle and heralding all that it espouses. My heart breaks for them and the adults (both parents and teachers) in their lives that have allowed this nonsense to permeate their minds. Thank you for the information and I look forward to the coming podcasts!
Feminism is about equality which is incredibly important to strive for in a world where female genital mutilation, forced marriages and inadequate healthcare for women exists. Your article focuses on one very narrow view of feminism while summarily ignoring what it’s really supposed to be about. I can honestly say I believe Jesus would be a feminist if he were to return today as evidenced by his ministry of inclusiveness. I’m sorry if your privilege is keeping you from expanding your thinking enough to understand why feminism is so important today.
“…ignoring what it’s really supposed to be about.” Funny how often this claim is used as a defense. It’s by paying attention that we see how the feminist movement rejects femaleness by demanding the “right” to bring a violent end to the uniquely female process of bearing new life. And then comes the all-purpose trope that your “privilege” blinds you; therefore I needn’t consider your arguments in a serious way.
Proud2BFeminist
I want to lovingly appeal to you and address your comment. Please hear my love and concern for you.
You said “Feminism is about equality which is incredibly important to strive for in a world where female genital mutilation, forced marriages and inadequate healthcare for women exists.”
If you have listened to Sheologians’ podcasts, you would have heard them explain that at its core feminism is *not* about biblical equality, and how Christians do not need Feminism. The Bible (which is complimentarian- men and women are equal value but fulfil different roles in God’s creation for His purposes and glory) gives women the highest privilege possible (and not because we deserve it) being saved by Christ though we’re sinful rebels. Feminism at its core is an issue of authority- men’s authority in some aspects of life, the Bible’s authority and God’s authority.
People who sin against women through female genital and forced marriages do not need a social movement, they need a radical heart change- the Gospel. A systemic hatred towards women is because of sin, and the Gospel is the only solution. Do you believe this?
God’s plan for men and women in the Church as revealed through His Word is ultimately the best for us because that’s how we were created even though it can be marred by sin. We can only see this if we’ve been born again.
Also, Jesus would not have been a feminist, and we must be careful when we speak presumptuously about Him. Jesus intentionally never aligned Himself with a social movement while He was here, and that’s the same for His Word. He had a higher purpose, and even disappointed people who thought He would free them from Roman oppression. He was concerned with their hearts. Again, the Bible doesn’t need Feminism.
God bless.
Jesus would not need to be a feminist. He already professes that humans are made in His likeness, thus valuable. God gives both sexes an extremely purposeful existence individually and in relationship to one other.
Did you even listen to her podcast on first wave feminism? Maybe that would help you understand her stance more.
I applaud your efforts! And I follow your podcasts and writings with great interest. And I pray you find greater reach and acceptance as you continue to make the truth about real feminism known.
However, even as a mature christian woman, I still rest uneasy given the country and culture I come from. You see, I am from India and a culture that hates women! Literally! I don’t need to give you the stats on female foeticide, dowry deaths, honour killings, forced marriages, gross lack of education and health care, abuse and high crime rates against women- yep, all very much a part of the fabric of the Indian subcontinent even today. I am a privileged woman- for I escaped all that. But the reality is millions of women in my country are routinely and systematically abused and discriminated against even as I stay secure in my identity in Christ, educated, well cared for, respected and leading a fulfilling life. I have never had to fight for anything in my life! My parents wanted a daughter badly and when they had me, it was the best thing that happened to them. That is not true for millions and millions of girls in India and many parts of the world. As a christian, I do feel such a tension! Feminism in the third world has it’s place I feel. No really, think about it? If it weren’t for it’s string voices, it’s fighting- a lot of women would be just dead! How would you adress that in the context of the third world cultures? I am gebuibely curious. You are a faraway voice- first world, white, privileged, safe, educated etc. I now live in the middle east in one of the welathiest cities of the world, leading a cushy life. How do women like you and me ignore the plight of our sisters in countries like India? And how do we not acknowledge some of the good feminism has brought about in such socities? I think we should redefine feminism as we know it today and make our voices heard, feminism as it should be. My apologies if I sound confused and seem to be rambling on… but I am torn between the reality of where I come from and post modern feminism.
Best,
Harshika
Dubai
I felt the same way, coming from a third world country myself, I have the same thoughts as you. Feminism, especially in Africa has done a lot for women including advocating for female education, property rights, fighting child marriage practices, advocating for the inclusion of women in legislation etc I could go on and on. To completely brandish the movement as evil has always seemed myopic and insensitive to me (and somehow intellectually dishonest because we cannot deny that many women all over the world suffer from social, economic, cultural and political disenfranchisement).
Feminism is a secular ideology, like capitalism, socialism, liberalism, even conservatism, and like all secular ideologies it has its shortcomings, and it is nothing compared to the gospel of Christ. Nevertheless, this idea that is unnecessary is just not true……especially in developing countries/continents. In the West a lot of problems women face are very different from the problems women face in third world countries.
As a young woman growing in the faith, I appreciate your insight on a lot of things Summer but your stance on feminism has always left me a little confused. Feminism is also not a monolith. It continues to evolve even till this day. Many suffragettes may not stand for the idea of sexual liberation that many feminists hold today. The main idea of feminism for me has always been the belief in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes. Is that an unbiblical belief? Not being sarcastic, I genuinely want to know.
Why is believing a woman’s truth worth is that she is made in the image and likeness of God incompatible with her right to vote, own property, avoid discrimination in the workplace, work in any profession for which she is qualified, etc., simply because she is female. It would seem that the opposite is true. You can acknowledge that women and men generally have different God-given strengths without saying that a woman’s sphere of influence is limited to children and home, as crucially important as these are.
Literally no one involved in Sheologians believes that a woman’s sphere of influence is limited to children and the home, otherwise we wouldn’t be blogging or creating podcasts. 🙂
Well, to get right down to it–dont call me sacrilegious, please–all, (and I mean every one) of the attributes, physical and otherwise, in women originated in God. The totality of “man” consists in the duality of the components (male and female). The bible is rife with examples of God himself describing or amplifying a precept with a a predominantly female attribute. “Jerusalem, jerusalem, thou that hates the prophets, how oft would I have gathered you under my wings as a hen gathers her chicks” certainly is a female attribute of motherhood being used to describe the love that Jesus and the father have towards their children. Feminism has little to do with gender equality or perceived self worth, but more to do with justifying the consequences of refusing to live within the “love and obedience boundaries, or hedges” that God has set. There is no justification except to repent and to turn back to a God willing to forgive upon turning from the said sin.
That is not the actual history of feminism, but the assumed perception of someone such as yourself who has done little to no research on the subject. It’s clear you have no concept of the former or current beliefs and practices of feminists. You claim to know what feminists believe yet have never been one, so then how could you know? You would do well to learn the facts then talk about your own perspectives rather than creating straw man arguments that make you appear ignorant.