What does the Bible say about Feminism?

[gone_fishing]

God Bless Us All.

As a Christian woman, this question is especially important to me. Does the Word of God address feminism? The modern concept of feminism was not present during the time that the Bible was written. That does that mean that the Bible has nothing to say on the basic issues of feminism. Even when the Scriptures seem to be silent on something that affects us today, there are eternal principles that speak to the underlying issue.

What are the issues of feminism? Feminism is a counterfeit solution to the real issue of the inequality of women in a sinful society. Feminism arrogates to itself the right to demand respect and equality in every aspect of life. Feminism is based in arrogance and it is the opposite of the call to the born again believer to be a servant. The actions of the modern, militant feminists of the last decade were geared to cause women to rise up and rebel against the order that God has given to mankind. That brand of feminism seeks to impose humanistic solutions that are in direct opposition to the Word of God. Feminism was originally a positive movement, focused on giving women the basic rights God intends for every human being to have. Tragically, feminism has gone past those roots to now focus on destroying any trace of a distinction in roles between men and women.

What then should be the view of a Christian about feminism? A believing woman, who is seeking to obey God and walk in peace and grace, should remember that she has equal access to all spiritual blessings in Christ. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). A believing woman should not allow herself to be a pawn in the worldly agenda of the feminist movement. Men and women have a God-given privilege to fulfill the plan that God has set for us. Rebellion against that plan, and arrogance that seeks to put self above God's Word, results in self-inflicted consequences. We see those consequences in the destruction of the relationship between husbands and wives, the destruction of the family, and the loss of respect for human life.

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2:16). The principles of the fall are present in this verse. Eve believed the lie that eating the fruit would bring her wisdom. She lusted and she took or arrogated to herself something that was forbidden. This is the basis for the movement of feminism. Women have bought into the lie that feminism will bring them what they want, what they think that they "deserve." However, the promise is empty for the premise is based in pride and pride goes before a fall. "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18).

In the last decade there has been the rise of a society that is so concerned with political correctness and so sensitive to being "offended" that civility has lost its way. However, this is really nothing new for there has always been inequality in this world. It is sad but true that artificial barriers that have no basis in God's Word have always divided humanity. There is only one race, the human race! With in that human race we have male and female, different ethnicities, different colors, and different national origins. However, we are all of the same God created human race. It is sin in the heart that causes inequality. It is sin in the heart that causes men to treat women in ways that are meant to demean. It is sin that sets one person above another. And it is sin that seeks to use counterfeit solutions to counteract these inequalities. The only true cure for inequality is obedience to God's Word. If men and women would walk in obedience to God's word, feminism would be unmasked for what it is, and the harmony that God has ordained for the relationship between men and women would be the result.

 

[trini_rican]

Insightful and powerful. Great post Adequate.

 

[momi]

Amen. I for one am grateful for the differences between me and my husband, my daughter and son... there are distinct differences in the inate nature of men and women. I believe God planned it to be so and it does not mean women have less value than men. Quite the contrary... I believe God created our differences to be complements to one another.

 

[tatje]

Hello,

I scanned the post (sorry, I am a scanner and that is a downfall for me at times) and I thought it was quite insightful. I do somewhat believe that feminism is a "hiding spot" for woman or should I say another view like the law of attraction or the secret. I see it as an idea someone took and made it into there own.

I do believe in equality. I believe that is what God wants for all of us. I do not believe a man could do a better job in something then a woman and vise versa. I believe it is up to the individual. I say this because when I think about my Father (God), everything he does is treated fairly and equally. On judgement day, he will evaluate all of us equally not whether one is a male or female or black, white and so forth. I also just read proverbs last night and I'm sorry I forgot what chapter (I will come back to post it), but there is a whole section on fairness and equality and that is what the Father likes.

Just my thoughts.

 

[gone_fishing]

Hello,

I scanned the post (sorry, I am a scanner and that is a downfall for me at times) and I thought it was quite insightful. I do somewhat believe that feminism is a "hiding spot" for woman or should I say another view like the law of attraction or the secret. I see it as an idea someone took and made it into there own.

I do believe in equality. I believe that is what God wants for all of us. I do not believe a man could do a better job in something then a woman and vise versa. I believe it is up to the individual. I say this because when I think about my Father (God), everything he does is treated fairly and equally. On judgement day, he will evaluate all of us equally not whether one is a male or female or black, white and so forth. I also just read proverbs last night and I'm sorry I forgot what chapter (I will come back to post it), but there is a whole section on fairness and equality and that is what the Father likes.

Just my thoughts.

I do so respect your views on this issue but I disagree in a way. There are some things that I think men excel in that women cannot duplicate as well. Likewise, I think there are things women excel in that men cannot duplicate as well. I think that God made women and men to compliment each other like a puzzle so that what one gender is lacking the other gender completes. I think men and women have different stations and that we as human beings don't always understand his divine plan and the way he does things. I believe though, that since this is HIS world, what he deems as fair may not be understood by me. We have done such an excellent job of erasing the line between the roles of men and the roles of women that now many of us don't have a clue as to what we are doing (in our relationships). Does that make sense?

 

[tatje]

I'm back ...............

In Proverbs 20:10 :

The Lord despises double standards of every kind.

Proverbs 20:23:

The Lord despises double standards; he is not pleased by dishonest scales.

I post these to say that even when a male says he can do it but you can't or vise versa this is scripture that applies. This does not show inequality but equality. I see it as if it is like that for me then it is like that for you.

I know he has made us different, yet I do believe as far as what we can do when we ask him are not limited to being man or woman.

 

[tatje]

I do so respect your views on this issue but I disagree in a way. There are some things that I think men excel in that women cannot duplicate as well. Likewise, I think there are things women excel in that men cannot duplicate as well. I think that God made women and men to compliment each other like a puzzle so that what one gender is lacking the other gender completes. I think men and women have different stations and that we as human beings don't always understand his divine plan and the way he does things. I believe though, that since this is HIS world, what he deems as fair may not be understood by me. We have done such an excellent job of erasing the line between the roles of men and the roles of women that now many of us don't have a clue as to what we are doing (in our relationships). Does that make sense?

I see what your saying. I do believe that men and women have defined roles. I always believed that. Being in the age that we are in now, there are many times when women have to go beyond there "role" because they may have a man (speaking of relationships) who will not play his part or again vise versa. Now when a person steps up, that just tells me that it is not something that only a man or woman can do. Some men make a better parent then the mother as far as nurturing and so forth.

I do agree that we are made to compliment each other, yet the way the world has warped itself, many see themselves and don't know how to complement someone else or may not even want too.

To the bolded...it is very true. What he deems as fair may be beyond what we think as I think about the statement (well half the statement) in 1 Samuel 16:7 The Lord doesn't make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the person's thoughts and intentions."

That scripture may not make sense in the sense it may not fit what I'm saying but some reason I felt that it did and posted it.

 

[golden bronze]

Well I am going out on a limb here, because I seem to have a different thought than everyone on the board, but I believe that life is full of contrasts, and this question is no difference.

I believe in male/female equality, and I don't believe that conflicts with Christianity. God is a God of order and balance. He is a God of equality. He made the heavens and the earth. Does one supercede the other? No both are needed to have balance on the planet.

Are men and women are the same? Of course not. They were made for different purposes for one another. Genesis makes it clear that it obviously wasn't good for man to be alone. (Ladies we know this, don't we? try leaving your man home alone with a washer dryer if he isn't used to that!) And I don't just mean i it is bad for man to be alone in the physical sense. Men obviously lacked something that a help mete could provide to them. In that sense, there is equality. Although we are made for different purposes in our relationships to one another, our relationship to God never changes. In Him we have equality, because we are images of Him.

Does that mean they are equal heirs? You bet.

I believe I have proof.

1.) God created men and women in his image. Jesus came to bring equality among believers, because he says so in the word.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them


Galatians 3:28

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

2.) Gender roles as they are currently defined are not as God intended.

One of the reasons it is so difficult for us to maintain a decent marriage is because of sin. Think about the Garden of Eden. The man, the woman and the serpent were all cursed because of their sin.

Man was cursed because instead of living in harmony with the earth and having dominion over it, he now had to work by the sweat of his brow to obtain his sustenance. Genesis 3:19 states: "By the sweat of your brow, you will produce food to eat until you return to the ground, because you were taken from it. You are dust, and you will return to dust."

Woman was cursed because instead of having pain free child birth, she now must suffer birth pains from bringing a new human life forward-- this is sort of a forlorn foreshadowing of the fact that now human life was defined by joy and pain.

We are also told that her desire would be for her husband and he would rule over her. Genesis 3:16 "He said to the woman, "I will increase your pain and your labor when you give birth to children. Yet, you will long for your husband, and he will rule you."

Was this God's intent? No! It was a result of the curse of sin. How can we then say that gender roles the way they are are the way they're 'sposed to be? I don't think we can.

Even when the Bible defines marriage, and gender roles in marriage there is equality. Yes, wives are required to submit to their husbands, out of respect, but husbands have a greater charge. Husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church.

That is major. Get this. God is saying that even in marriage, although there isn't "parody" in the requirements he is issuing to men and women, there is equality to a certain extent. Could it be that God asks more of men in marriage because Genesis 3:16 shows us they have more power? Remember this is the same bible that tells us, "To whom much is given, much is required." This is the same God who is orderly.

Perhaps God has given us laws to help us have better relationships with each other as men and women because he knows that sin has warped the way that these relationships were intended to be?

More mind blowing is that Jesus himself alludes to the fact that marriage in its present form is not what God intends for eternity.

In fact, Jesus himself said when he was trying to be duped by the Pharisees, that in heaven there will be no giving and taking of anyone in marriage because we will be like angels in heaven. Mark 12:25 When the dead come back to life, they don't marry. Rather, they are like the angels in heaven.

If it ain't broke why fix it? Why in paradise is marriage no longer in the picture if the relationship is perfect? Because our relationship with God wasn't the only thing that got broken because of sin. Our relationship with each other was broken.

Obviously, in the life to come, gender roles are not what they are on earth, if there is no marriage as we know it, because the imperfect relationships that were tarnished by sin have passed away.

Just some food for thought as we think about these things.

 

[gone_fishing]

bump.......

I'm going to respond to the post above me in a little bit. I respectfully disagree with some points.

 

[Nice & Wavy]

Thank you for this post, goldenbronze...very thought out and well put.

Well I am going out on a limb here, because I seem to have a different thought than everyone on the board, but I believe that life is full of contrasts, and this question is no difference.

I believe in male/female equality, and I don't believe that conflicts with Christianity. God is a God of order and balance. He is a God of equality. He made the heavens and the earth. Does one supercede the other? No both are needed to have balance on the planet.

Are men and women are the same? Of course not. They were made for different purposes for one another. Genesis makes it clear that it obviously wasn't good for man to be alone. (Ladies we know this, don't we? try leaving your man home alone with a washer dryer if he isn't used to that!) And I don't just mean i it is bad for man to be alone in the physical sense. Men obviously lacked something that a help mete could provide to them. In that sense, there is equality. Although we are made for different purposes in our relationships to one another, our relationship to God never changes. In Him we have equality, because we are images of Him.

Does that mean they are equal heirs? You bet.

I believe I have proof.

1.) God created men and women in his image. Jesus came to bring equality among believers, because he says so in the word.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them


Galatians 3:28

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

2.) Gender roles as they are currently defined are not as God intended.

One of the reasons it is so difficult for us to maintain a decent marriage is because of sin. Think about the Garden of Eden. The man, the woman and the serpent were all cursed because of their sin.

Man was cursed because instead of living in harmony with the earth and having dominion over it, he now had to work by the sweat of his brow to obtain his sustenance. Genesis 3:19 states: "By the sweat of your brow, you will produce food to eat until you return to the ground, because you were taken from it. You are dust, and you will return to dust."

Woman was cursed because instead of having pain free child birth, she now must suffer birth pains from bringing a new human life forward-- this is sort of a forlorn foreshadowing of the fact that now human life was defined by joy and pain.

We are also told that her desire would be for her husband and he would rule over her. Genesis 3:16 "He said to the woman, "I will increase your pain and your labor when you give birth to children. Yet, you will long for your husband, and he will rule you."

Was this God's intent? No! It was a result of the curse of sin. How can we then say that gender roles the way they are are the way they're 'sposed to be? I don't think we can.

Even when the Bible defines marriage, and gender roles in marriage there is equality. Yes, wives are required to submit to their husbands, out of respect, but husbands have a greater charge. Husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church.

That is major. Get this. God is saying that even in marriage, although there isn't "parody" in the requirements he is issuing to men and women, there is equality to a certain extent. Could it be that God asks more of men in marriage because Genesis 3:16 shows us they have more power? Remember this is the same bible that tells us, "To whom much is given, much is required." This is the same God who is orderly.

Perhaps God has given us laws to help us have better relationships with each other as men and women because he knows that sin has warped the way that these relationships were intended to be?

More mind blowing is that Jesus himself alludes to the fact that marriage in its present form is not what God intends for eternity.

In fact, Jesus himself said when he was trying to be duped by the Pharisees, that in heaven there will be no giving and taking of anyone in marriage because we will be like angels in heaven. Mark 12:25 When the dead come back to life, they don't marry. Rather, they are like the angels in heaven.

If it ain't broke why fix it? Why in paradise is marriage no longer in the picture if the relationship is perfect? Because our relationship with God wasn't the only thing that got broken because of sin. Our relationship with each other was broken.

Obviously, in the life to come, gender roles are not what they are on earth, if there is no marriage as we know it, because the imperfect relationships that were tarnished by sin have passed away.

Just some food for thought as we think about these things.