A Christian Reaction To Feminism
I am sympathetic to much of the criticism of Feminism within the conservative movement. However, it is helpful to understand why it was attractive to women in this country in the ‘70s.
Homemakers became very isolated after the move to the suburbs. Plus, the careerist culture started to take hold. A man’s job was no longer just a means to provide for himself and his family; it became his identity and a tool to raise his status. That made women feel their work in the home was less valuable. These things existed before, but they became the norm in the ‘70s. Christians did nothing to address the loneliness and the feelings of inadequacy women were experiencing, so Feminism stepped in and exploited our failure.
Since Feminism is not informed by godly wisdom, it caused more pain than it healed. We have had half a century of the pill, abortion, and pressure on women to be sexually liberated, all of which emerged while men controlled most of the levers of power.
Many men did not favor these policies, but not enough spoke up to turn the tide. Some women embraced the new values, but the experience scarred many women because they bond differently than men. However, Feminism dramatically limited the consequences of men’s promiscuity. Men did not have the patriarchy taken away from them. They gave it up willingly.
Today, without the guardrails of potential responsibility attached to their actions, most young men put off marriage. They face genuine financial obstacles to forming a family, but this trend started long before the economic downturn.
Once they decide to settle down, men frequently complain about being unable to find a “suitable wife.” Some even go overseas to find a spouse. However, there is no discussion of the young women and their previous dating history left in its wake. The men in their peer group sometimes even jeer these women. We often have contempt for those whom we betray.
Many young women set impossibly high standards for potential suitors. Much of this is a reaction to the wounds left by the broken promises of previous relationships. We tend to aggrandize the future as a way of coping with the pain of the present.
When these women attempt to contend with a hypersexualized world, in many cases without the benefit of a father in their lives, they sometimes make poor choices. The Internet has chronicled our failure to steward the culture. These experiences often culminate in a search for a substitute for the family unit, which causes them to grasp things that appear to provide security and stability, such as government programs and social safety nets.
I am grateful to be married to my wonderful husband for nearly twenty-four years. However, it breaks my heart to see too many Christians who have had the blessings of a secure, godly environment all their lives heckle and even mock young women who have been mistreated.
Whether we are male or female, our attitude toward women reveals much about the condition of our hearts. Expressing a lack of compassion for the women suffering due to the chaos in the culture is not the path to healing our society. We must share the light Christ has given us and be a contrast to this harsh and fallen world.
Wrong Speak is a free-expression platform that allows varying viewpoints. All views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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"These experiences often culminate in a search for a substitute for the family unit, which causes them to grasp things that appear to provide security and stability, such as government programs and social safety nets." No, what women are grasping these days is an education and a good career so they don't have to depend on the government, safety nets, or men that could leave them. Women don't want to be dependent anymore, not on a man or on a government program. Without feminism they would still be financially dependent on someone or something else, and they're never going back.
Loved this. Well said.