WARNING: This article talks about mature topics that often are disturbing (and should be).
I’m one of those people that believed Feminism was a foul word, tainted by liberal ideology, and something to be avoided at all costs. Then I woke up. The original ideas of Feminism are solid ideas, but the philosophy has been co-opted by the leftwing. In fact, females do indeed deserve to be treated equally to men, we should indeed have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Life; we have the right to not be murdered and killed simply because we are female. All over this globe, and down through history, a female’s life is often weighed to be less than a man’s. I believe this is one reason why feminism in this country took a liberal turn; we won those rights and instead of helping other women in other countries, the feminists in this country turned insular and began to morph feminism into something it was never meant to be.
In countries such as China, male life is held more dear than female life. That is a current fact. Babies are killed (often before they leave the womb) or abandoned simply because they are female. Do China’s policies effect this? Of course they do. That’s the point. In this current age of globalization, isn’t it time that we women in the US start trying to help other women in other countries gain basic rights? Should that not be the true goal of classical feminism?
Abortion policies under the euphemism “the right to choose” are anti-feminist. Abortion is a plague that is scarring women and targeting female babies in particular. The earliest feminists, were (in the main) against abortion. Abortion kills scores of females every single day, and leaves the mothers scarred and hurting. True feminists fight for the lives of the unborn, male and female, and strive to make a world where females who are pregnant have the help and support they need through private charities and support groups.
Liberty; we have the right to not be owned by another human being, or by the government. We should have the same freedoms afforded to males. The right to influence government policies for one, which obviously includes the right to vote. True feminism is pro-democracy. We should care very deeply that there are women living in countries where things like Sharia law denies liberty and freedom to women.
The pursuit of happiness; we have the right, as much as we are able, to effect our own lives and to make them positive. Around the globe females, young girls and women, even babies, are being sold into sex slavery. This is not prostitution, there is no real choice, this is rape on a massive scale done in the name of money. It takes money to fight the love of money. Capitalism in a democratic society is one of the main ways to insure women have the right and means to pursue happiness.
On the flip side of sex slavery, in many places, women and their sexuality are seen to be bad just because they are women. Genital mutilation at the hands of traditionalists (especially in Muslim countries) is torturing and disrupting females every day. Not only does genital mutilation rob women of their God given capacity to enjoy sex, but also disrupts normal waste elimination, and causes additional hazards to women in childbirth. Part of being a true feminist should be to put your foot down and decry beliefs and customs that call for the physical mutilation/torture of young girls and women.
If I believe my happiness lies in being a stay-at-home wife or that motherhood is my goal, true feminism supports that. Somewhere along the way someone started teaching that women must become like men, not equal to them, but literally like men. Liberal feminists look down upon the women who choose “traditional” paths in life. It is as though they fear all that is male, and must try to force themselves to become the same as that which they fear.
It is time that we Christians wake up and take another look at what we can do to support females in this world. Many have the skewed belief that women are seen to be inferior in Christianity, or that we cannot teach, or serve in the church, etc… This is a false view, and one that I hope to tackle in a future article. Also, read up on this stuff and have your eyes opened. It can be a painful awakening, but is necessary if we wish to do right by the females in the world. I recommend the book, and PBS show “Half the Sky.” Yes, watch out for liberal ideology, but gather and gain the knowledge needed. Also, if you are looking for a Christian organization helping to make an impact on issues directly related to feminism, check out Wellspring International.
