By Viviane KIREZI
Girl power, the future is woman, god is a woman, etc. are words heard today from women and men advocating for feminism. Although things have changed, feminism is about challenging systemic inequalities undermining women.
The feminist movement began around 1840s but became popular in the 1960s. Like any other cause worth advocating for, feminism started as something great and wonderful. It was an effort to advocate for women since they were not treated as they should, just because they are women. Starting from having the right to vote, the right to be educated, being able to go to work besides being stay-at-home wives, etc.
Contrary to its original intentions, wanting the world to know, or at least acknowledge, the different ways men and women are treated, feminism has come to be associated with misandry, belittling men, supporting sexism against men, and working not towards equality, but female superiority. Today when you hear that someone is a feminist, you imagine man-hating, bitter, and angry women (although some men can be feminist too).
Adhering to the current understanding of feminism is very dangerous in that it is not only unbiblical, but also harms marital and social relationships. That is either between family members or general correspondence between women and men in their communities.
There are many women, after hearing about all terrible things spoken about men, chose to never be mothers or wives (some of them choose to be married to fellow women instead).
Misunderstanding equal rights have also destroyed many marriages when the wife demands equality and respect from her husband in an unwise and harsh way. Another danger is when facts and truth are distorted to support an argument. The Creation Of A Feminist Theology, an article posted in the New York Times in 1983, mentions how in 1960s women decided to correct the Bible saying it is oppressive to women. Some feminists have even gone an extra mile and said that Jesus was a woman!
As it is says in genesis 1:26-27: “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” God created men and women in His image. We see God calling and using both men and women in the Bible to serve Him. In the context of family, God has given different roles to husbands and wives. Therefore, as Christians, why don’t we learn and follow what God tells us and not the ideology incited by the popular culture?
