Christianity & Feminism

Today I am going to say something that might make everyone that belongs to the inner circle I was raised in break out in hives: I am a feminist.

I feel like this post was important for me to write for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that this term is plagued with negative association, most of which is rooted in huge misunderstandings.

For the sake of maybe, just maybe smoothing out some of the tensions and setting a firm precedent for some of the articles I want to write moving forward, I would like to clarify the meaning of the term "feminism" to me, undo some misconceptions, and explain why I think Christianity and feminism can be synonymous.

Misconception: Feminists are pro-choice/pro-abortion.
Fact: I am pro-life, as I have always been. My belief that all human life is made in the image of God, and therefore inherently equal in value and worth extends from conception to natural death. 

I feel like one of the first things critics of feminism picture when they hear the term is women marching on Washington for the right to abortion, carrying profane signs and wearing, ahem, cat-ear hats. The fact of the matter is, that the term feminism is not a blanket statement to encompass beliefs about other social issues. At the end of the day, it is simply the radical notion that women are human beings with worth that is the same as men. A lot of feminists do believe in a woman's right to bodily autonomy (which is valid) but then also conclude that autonomy extends to an unborn fetus inside a woman's body. I do not share this slippery-slope type thinking, partly because I understand the biology of how conception and fetal development works, and partly because I believe that pregnancy is sacred. There are a lot of different views on this, as you well know, but do not assume that someone who is a feminist is inherently pro-abortion.

Misconception: Feminists hate men.
Fact: Feminists don't hate men, or masculinity, or testosterone... we just believe that we share the same inherent value as men. 

I feel like this one is a bit silly... If you are a grown adult who still equates feminism with man-hating, then just take a minute to open a dictionary and figure out what we're actually talking about here. Being a feminist does not mean that we believe we are owed "special" rights, it means we know we are entitled to equal ones. What we are discussing is a belief system that suggests that women and men have equal human worth, because they do. We believe that as a culture, we can do better, and aim higher, than patriarchy. We can dismantle the current patriarchal standard of living that does a disservice to both genders, and actually create a culture that is equally beneficial and equitable for everyone. What often stops this from happening, however, is men who are very comfortable with the way that things are, or believe that they have something to lose if the patriarchy is dismantled. You see, gender stereotypes and expectations don't just negatively affect women, they also harm men. The same type of assumptions that assume women are hysterical and emotionally sensitive also put men in an unfair box of stoicism and hyper-masculinity. The same stereotypes that discredit women's thoughts and opinions also discourages men from showing (or even having) emotions. The same harmful thought processes that blame female rape victims for the crimes committed against them also silence male rape victims, because, "come on, all men think about is sex anyway" or "that doesn't happen to guys." If you take a minute to think about it, there is a cycle here that is harming all of us, and those who have identified a need for feminism in today's culture have done so because of this vicious cycle.

Misconception: Feminists hate masculinity, and that's why they keep talking about "toxic masculinity." 
Fact: Toxic masculinity and masculinity are not synonymous. They are not terms to be used interchangeably, and we are not suggesting that masculinity itself is inherently "toxic." 

If you still are confused, please read that again, because this one is really, really important. The week after Gillette released it's commercial, essentially saying, "is this the best we, as men, can do?" There was a massive backlash from social conservatives and Christians, because somehow, we concluded that a commercial suggesting we as humans could do better than we're doing now, was an attack on masculinity. I even saw pictures of a guy standing in a field, with all of his children holding firearms of some sort, saying "thanks for the advice, Gillette, but I'll raise my kids how I want."
To that, I say "????"
First of all, the commercial in question was anti-bullying and sexual harassment. The idea, was to challenge the [very tired] "boys will be boys" anecdote and to encourage everyone to hold each other accountable and change the expectation. I thought it was fabulous. Why? Because I am raising my son to be a man some day, and I believe the world needs him in all of his masculine glory, to do better and aim higher. But my opinion about a commercial aside, it was obvious to me that people are very confused about what "toxic masculinity" is and is not.

Toxic Masculinity IS NOT: Testosterone, sports, guns, cars, having a beard... literally any traditionally manly things. 
Toxic Masculinity IS: sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, domestic abuse of any kind, a reluctance to display or even have emotions because of societal expectation, pressure to be sexually active or perform sexually in ways you are not comfortable with due to societal expectation, bullying, gender prejudices, or any type of jokes/anecdotes/conversations that make light of any of those things, or as some would say "locker room talk."

Misconception: Feminism is not biblical. In fact, it is contrary to scripture.
Fact: The basic, core principles of feminism are not counter-biblical and in fact, are supported by scripture in many cases. 

When you read scripture, there are examples of female leaders who had great significance in Jesus's lineage and the course of human history, who were specifically chosen and used by God. In Genesis, God creates Adam and Eve both in His image, and makes a point of clarifying that in scripture;
"Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over... all the creatures. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:26-27
From the start of human history, God makes sure that we know both men and women are created in His image. The question at the core of all human identity is answered before we can even think to ask it; that both men and women are made in the image of God. When the enemy manifested himself and came to tempt them to sin, he specifically targeted Eve. I know I may ruffle feathers when I say this, but this was not accidental, it didn't just "happen" to be Eve because of her availability or location: Eve was targeted because the enemy's hatred of women is deep-seeded and predates most of human history. Eve was targeted because Adam would follow.
Throughout the old testament, there are several examples of women who would serve great significance to Jesus's lineage and also to the furthering of His kingdom. In Judges, we have the story of Deborah, "a prophet, who was leading Israel at the time..." who delivered the message from God to have Barak to take 10,000 men into battle. When he hesitated, and insisted he would not go unless she went with him, she said "certainly I will go with you, but because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman." Then, it was Jael who ultimately killed Sisera and won the victory for the people of Israel.
In Jesus's lineage, there are the names of five women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. Tamar and Rahab were both prostitutes, and they and Ruth were also Gentiles. Jesus used poor, misfit, unknown and sexually impure women to complete His genealogy. During Jesus's time on earth, He spent His time advocating for women who had been cast out by society, and intervening for them when the lawmakers wanted to punish their sexual sin. Jesus was the first to point out that the men seeking to stone the woman who had committed adultery had also sinned and were just as guilty as the woman they were pointing fingers at. Why? Because Jesus loved women dearly, and He advocated for them as a result. He made women important pieces of His story and His legacy, just as He did men, because they were just as valuable to Him. He advocated for, loved, supported, was supported by, ministered to, and spent time with women, just as He did men. Did He allow them to remain in sin? No, He called them out on their sin, just as He did with men. And when Jesus was raised from the dead three days after His crucifixion, the first individual He sought out and loved on was a woman.

In the churches of biblical times, women were prophets, leaders, ministers and missionaries, alongside men, not in place of. They weren't having to ask for seats at the table, because they were already there. I believe that was actually the intention for humanity, and if I leave you with nothing else, please hear me say: Patriarchy is not God's dream for humanity. God did not orchestrate a human race that was dominated exclusively by one gender or another. The portions of history where we see God's hand blatantly involved in pruning human culture included women in positions of leadership, being demonstrated the same sense of worth and identity from God to humankind. Were men and women designed differently, and for different types of roles? Absolutely. But at the core of our existence, our identity is made up of the fact that we are made in the image of God, and that is the most important thing about us. To restrict either gender to a set of stereotypes and expectations that are based in anything other than that truth is to do a disservice to our holy, sacred identities.