Biblical Womanhood Verses Feminism
When a woman reads Proverbs 31, how does she apply those scriptures if she believes this woman never existed? Why would Christian women believe this?
Here are some theories:
1. The scriptures in Proverbs 31 seem impossible to fill; therefore, it must be an allegory.
2. This is just an idealist poem.
3. Proverbs 31 is a composite of several women.
4. Proverbs 31 is an overview of an entire life.
5. Proverbs 31 is a compilation of the best traits of Godly women as a whole.
The list goes on and on. There are thousands of articles and blogs dissecting Proverbs 31:10-31.
There are other components of why women today struggle with the Proverbs 31 woman. One major factor is the birth and rise of modern feminism and the media. What is the media, and how is the woman in Proverbs 31 affected? The media is the means of mass communication through television, radio, print, and now the Internet. She is affected by the media in one significant way: She is ignored. By ignoring the vital role described in Proverbs 31, they not only diminish that role but little by little, cause a woman to despise it. How does the media cause a woman to despise the Word of God? The media distorts and twist the scripture, but more than that, they entirely ignore women of faith.
The composition of the media is counter-culture to the culture of the Church and the Christian community as a whole. It does not elevate marriage or the family. The media communicates in such a way to make women ashamed of themselves if they don't emulate the women of the world they portray as the Goddesses and the final authority on womanhood. These Goddesses that the media lift are to be worshiped and idolized. Women must emulate them or be considered ignorant, uninformed, and unaware.
Two overreaching groups or types of women have emerged in our culture; Feminism and Traditionalism. These two influences bring a line, even a barrier, between women leaders and women with strong opinions. Then millions of women are caught in the fray between the two conflicting beliefs. Feminism calls out to women to be all that they can be. Their underlying message is don't depend on or look to a man for anything. Do it yourself. Feminism is about empowerment for women. Get that degree, and corporate position, rise to the top and don't look back. Women are told marriage, and children can come later. Take care of yourself first. It's all about women and their rights as women. To live in a man's world is death, and it is. Let me explain.
In Genesis Chapter 3:6, Adam ate the fruit with his wife, and sin entered the world. Romans 5:1 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one MAN and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. According to scripture, one of the consequences to this act of allowing sin in the world is the corrupted power of men ruling over women. "Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." That was not the plan of God in His creation. The fact that this instruction came after sin entered shows the result of disobedience.
In the beginning, God created both male and female to have dominion and be one with Him. Sin entered the creation, and we know that the Creator of the Universe had a plan to restore the male/female mandate in creation. It wouldn't happen for many years, but God would fix what was broken. In the meantime, some women are abused, mistreated, and misunderstood. Outside of the United States, women are still struggling under oppression from men. This oppression was not part of God's original plan. Please remember the original mandate. God created male and female to be fruitful, multiply and have dominion. In general, outside of God's plan of love and service, men oppress, and women rebel against that oppression.
What do the oppression of men and the rebellion of women look like? The APA American Psychological Association states, "Men and boys in the United States are not doing well. They're diagnosed with ADHD at twice the rate of girls; they perform worse on standardized tests, and they're suspended and expelled from school at a disproportionate rate. As they get older, men use drugs and alcohol more often. They don't seek help for mental health issues like depression as frequently as women do. They commit 90 percent of homicides and make up 77 percent of homicide victims. They account for 93 percent of federal prison inmates and are 3.5 times more likely than women to commit suicide. In fact, male suicides are up more than fifty percent in the U. S. since 1980." [1]
In some cultures, men are servants of severe cruelty. For instance, in our present time, in some Muslim countries, young girls are commanded to be circumcised. This circumcision is quite different from the one that young boys receive. In the girls' procedure, part of the clitoris is removed. The term is called Female Genital Mutilation. This mutilation is supposed to take away the pleasure of sexual intimacy. Other religious institutions have done quite a number on women, Mormons with Polygamy, Catholics with birth control ordinances, and Fundamentalists with the complete silence of women.
In some religious circles, there are still severe dress codes, including wearing head coverings to show outward submission. A thought-provoking question remains. Why are women the receivers of such stringent rules in some religious circles? It comes from a darkened heart that distorts the scriptures. Under these circumstances, women have no recourse but to fight and rebel against these strange religious rituals.
While women fought distorted views, there came an opportunity to bring down institutions created by God and spoken through His word. The institution hit the hardest was marriage and family. Wounded people can become bitter in their fight. What came out of the Feminist movement in the 60s and 70s was a deep mistrust of men in general (especially husbands) and the despising of motherhood.
What was the underlying message of the feminist movement in the '60s? According to Suzanne Venker in her book, "The Flipside of Feminism," Betty Friedan is credited with being the leader of what is now known as "second-wave feminism." In Betty Friedan's book The Feminine Mystique, she wrote that the home was a trap for women, and the suburban housewife felt caged, lonely, and bored. She referred to the home as a concentration camp for women and that a woman's devotion to her husband and children is a sacrifice of such magnitude that it inevitably stunts her growth as an individual. Raising children, Friedan argued, is a thankless pursuit that doesn't allow women to use their intelligence in a manner that benefits society.[2]
The feminist has moved on to two more waves. As a member of the Woman class, the third wave demands preferential laws, services, and programs to compensate for centuries of patriarchal oppression. Feminists' fourth wave are joining with Islamists, BLM, and other radical groups to end the nuclear family and capitalism, leading to the toppling of the despised patriarchy.
The feminist view is the exact opposite of the view in Proverbs 31. The Proverbs 31 home is far from a prison or concentration camp. She gives her time and life skills within the home and outside of it as well. She lives a full, balanced life of love and compassion. The woman in Proverbs 31 is a wife and mother who smiles at the future, and her family loves and blesses her. She's not at war with her husband; his heart is fully engaged in trusting her (verse 11). God's love is poured out upon the whole family of a woman that bonds with her children and husband. The Proverbs 31 woman loves, serves, and gives out of a heart of peace.
The Feminist is never satisfied with life and family as it is. They are constantly looking for loopholes in the structure of marriage and family. The most fascinating thing is that God, in his word, knows what a wife and mother need and what it means to be filled with light and love. Proverbs 31 fits all the needs of a woman that desires to change and make the world a better place for future generations. That change doesn't involve ripping apart the institution of marriage and dividing the family into compartments or demeaning the role of men in society.
There is no male or female in Christ. There is no Patriarchy or Matriarchy in Christ because both types of leadership bring imbalance and lack when they work separately. Men silencing women and women manipulating men are losing strategies. Christ came and destroyed barriers and dividing walls. Ephesians 2:14-15, "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. In this scripture, it is referring to Jews and Gentiles, but also in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." In a marriage, the two become one, and the barriers and division no longer apply through Christ. If you are one with your husband, you are him, and he is you. You lead together, you envision together, you plan together, and you grow together. You love yourselves, your family, and your community and change the world together.
[1] APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men
[2] Venker, Suzanne. The Flipside of Feminism.Washington D.C.:WorldNetDaily,2010.print.