Is Biblical Feminism A Term Used in Scripture?

Hey there!

Welcome back to the Feminism and Perspective series. In case its your first time, you can get the whole gist here https://resolutescribbles.com/category/guest-post-series-perspective-and-feminism/

Today we shall be answering the first part of question 1.

Is there anything such as Biblical feminism? If yes, how do you reconcile the two belief systems? And if no (if not Biblical), what is the difference with secular feminism?

***

History of Feminism and Our Worldview

Greetings from Texas! Thanks for opening your minds and hearing my perspective on this volatile subject.  A wise person once said, “good decisions have good consequences and bad decisions have bad consequences.”  I want to be discerning and open to new ideas but measure all I read or hear by the truth of the situation.  I find the Bible to simplify life if we believe it and follow the teachings of Jesus. When we don’t, there are bad consequences from my experience. Please know this is my personal take on this and we all learn in different ways. As a result, I tell you I am not judging anyone but just sharing my own personal experience to help others avoid the mistakes I made in the past believing lies.  I hope you find this information stimulating, thought provoking and interesting. The scripture below speaks to my heart about my perspective whether you are a believer in Jesus or not.

“Live wisely among those who are not believers and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” Colossians 4:5-6.

As we set the stage for the discussion of perspectives on feminism as Christians, we first asked 5 questions about our starting point as believers in Jesus.  To make sense out of complicated world-view topics, we first need to identify our beliefs. This starting point is influenced by our history, family role models, religious beliefs, educational influences, the media, and our peers. It requires an honest evaluation of the factors that influence us because they impact all our filters when discussing a topic. Are we willing to be open minded to being challenged about our current beliefs? Do we believe the Bible is foundational and true? If so, let’s examine how it guides us. I make the choice to see things through this Biblical filter because I find it trustworthy. We have choices about what we believe and how it impacts our lives.

Question 1- Part 1-History of Feminism.

If you do a search on the internet you can find these terms so yes, the terms exist. However, it creates a bunch of chaos and confusion for believers in Jesus and the Bible. Bottom line the word feminist isn’t in the Bible. Also, God values men and women equally…more to follow on this. The issue is more complex because we live in a world filled with evil due to the fall as described in Genesis. Also, we have a spiritual enemy, Satan, who the Bible says is “the father of lies.” If we don’t understand all these variables, we can be deceived. We would never go into a war zone without protection and an understanding of the enemy. It would be unwise to do so.

To understand the feminist movement, we need to know the history behind it. To most people today the word feminism brings an emotional reaction but in the mid-nineteenth century the movement started with Biblical roots. In the Bible, Mosaic law protected women in a patriarchal society. However, during the 1800s in the U.S. there was no legislation in place to protect women socially, economically, and politically. Abortion was hidden and often occurred when women were not able to provide for their children economically. If their economic rights had been provided for by the fathers of their children, maybe many babies would have lived.

Founders of the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869 Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton saw parallels with the abolition of slavery and the rights of women. Women were not allowed to vote (suffrage) or given any legal rights or protection if they were divorced by their husbands or their husbands died. Gaining the right to vote was a huge step forward. Not until 1920, was the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution passed giving all adult women the right to vote. Anthony’s successor as president of the National American Women’s Suffrage Association was Carrie Chapman Catt. She was known for being very practical, evidence based and was instrumental in getting the 19^th Amendment passed. She started the League of Women Voters. To this day the league stands for her principles that the political process should be dominated by citizens not politicians and related to the issues, evidence based and rational. It even impacted other countries throughout history. 

Being respected and recognized as significant, early feminists were not “man haters.”  In fact, many men such as President Woodrow Wilson supported the early feminists. They wanted femininity to be valued as it is by God instead of being marginalized. Early feminists believed they were significant and contributed to many aspects of life. The Bible references the Wife of Noble Character in Proverbs 31 which is an outstanding lesson in economics and hard work.  I find it fascinating that God used a businesswoman to describe an ideal woman.  In Ben Quine’s book Answers for Difficult Days: Economics, he goes into details about this. Even in Biblical times there were women who owned property. Proverbs 31:16.

When I consider the 1960s, and feminists I knew during this time they were different. As compared to earlier feminists having a Biblical frame of reference the new breed didn’t. The ones I knew had a filter of anger and bitterness, even telling me “you are a victim and need to be active.”  It is interesting how some movements want us to think of ourselves as victims. By convincing us that we are victims they think they can control us. But with Jesus we are more than conquerors. I find it interesting the subtle moves of the devil. These women wanted no distinctions between men and women and wanted to be independent of men. I found the deception was rampant, and so was the manipulation. The enemy of God was using manipulation to deceive, destroy and depress what God had created to be good.  God created women and men to be unique. No one has the same characteristics. There is no one size fits all. Some women are stronger than men and some men cook better than women. God did not create stereotypes.

I considered working on a masters’ degree in Social Work after university graduation and explored the opportunities. I met with a feminist advisor who told me I needed to live 6 months away from my husband so I could identify with divorced women and be a better social worker. Her filter did not value marriage or family or consider the consequences of this decision.  As I look back on this, I see how the enemy wanted to do everything he could to break up my marriage and other families. God designed marriage to create synergy as the best of both people creating one. Fortunately, God protected me and after almost 50 years of marriage I am blessed. So, you see our decisions and those who influence us have an impact on the outcomes of our lives.

The second cycle of feminism was not so focused on abortion, but it was still a problem and prevalent. I remember being told as a Child Development major in university that it was ok during the first three months to get an abortion. The baby was just tissue. The academic environment was fertile ground for the movement. But did this make sense to me? I found this to be confusing. On one hand I was to consider all aspects of a child’s development but not an unborn baby’s well-being. In 1976 when I saw my own daughter’s sonogram at 10 weeks, I knew it was a lie.

From 1923 when Alice Paul first introduced the Equal Rights Amendment to 1972 when Congress submitted it to the states for ratification, women have worked to improve their rights. In 1972 Bella Abzug and feminists Betty Frieden and Gloria Steinem led the charge for the U.S. Congress to approve the legislation. To ratify the amendment, three-fourths of the states had to approve it.  However, many individual states already supported the rights of women without its ratification. A lawyer, Phyllis Schlafly focused on rights of all women whether they chose careers or to stay home raising their children and being a full-time wife and mother. She pointed out a legal challenge in the amendment was the “loose wording.”

Specifically, Schlafly and her followers were concerned about issues such as forced military service of women, more use of abortion on demand and same sex marriages. The states already had provisions for women to own property, and protecting women’s pay from gender discrimination.  Ratification could create confusion in the courts which would remove existing protections for women and their children. As a result, the ERA was never ratified because there were never three-fourths of the states that approved it.

In the 1980s the movement was greatly influenced by two men, Bernard N. Nathanson and Lawrence Lader, who were instrumental in impacting the National Organization of Women (NOW) and the legalization of abortion. They formed the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) and were feeding false abortion statistics to attorney Cyril Chestnut Means involved with the Roe v. Wade case. Nathanson later converted to Catholicism and became a pro-life advocate. Lader continued to support Margaret Sanger and wrote her biography. She was known for her research in eugenics (genetic improvement and selective breeding), birth control, and as a sex educator.

Notice in the previous eugenics link how her starting point impacted her decisions. Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in Brooklyn, NY in 1916 (The forerunner of Planned Parenthood International, currently the world’s largest abortion provider) and was arrested. The Catholic Church called her “the mother of the sexual revolution.” This was before the birth control pill was introduced in the 1960s and abortion was used as a form of birth control. The sad thing about this is the disproportionate number of black babies who were aborted. Statistics show in the latest study by the Center for Disease Control more information. In my opinion Sanger expanded the sexualization of women’s exploitation furthering the sexual revolution and leading to promiscuity of women. It also gave men a way out of responsibility for babies they helped create.

Don’t get me wrong. Birth control has its place in marriage. However, it can be harmful to women outside of marriage spiritually, emotionally, and even physically with AIDS and STDs when there is unprotected sex. From my personal experience as a mom, my daughter at 16 years old could get birth control pills from Planned Parenthood without parental consent in the U.S. However, when she had a sore throat, her doctor required parental written consent for a test for strep throat. This is more evidence of the manipulation of the agenda to engage youth before they are old enough to make rational, thoughtful decisions.  Also, it undermines the family by undermining parents.

Part two continues our discussion of feminism with a focus on the types of feminism. Finally, as we conclude both parts of question one, I will provide an answer from my perspective. God is faithful, true and loves justice. He also loves men and women equally. Hopefully, I am revealing the evidence of these principles.

Margaret Noblin, The Rock Outreach-US 501c3/The Rock Kingdom LTD-Uganda NGO

Email me at [email protected]