Feminist: It’s a Scary Word
"For most, "feminist" conjures up images of angry, screaming women,
bra-burning,abortion rights, Mary Daly, and goddess worship. Right or
wrong, these images offend most
people, especially the evangelical
Christian community with whom I identify, serve, and fellowship."
–from the blog of Emily Hunter McGowin, a Baptist theology student
I just read a great post on being a Christian woman, and a feminist on Emily McGowin’s blog called Think, Laugh, Weep, Worship. And it really made me, well, think. She starts with the dictionary definition of feminist:
"Someone who supports the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of
political, economic, and social equality to men."
Does that describe you? Yeah, me, too. It also describes Emily, so she’s decided to call herself a feminist. I like her guts! But I’m not so sure I want to do the same.
Like Emily, I spent years in a Southern Baptist church although I now attend an evangelical church in a
different denomination … but I bear some scars from an early church
environment which was somewhat repressive.
However, I’d still hesitate
to identify as a feminist because, undeniably, there is
a stigma; in the
interests of Christian unity I’m not sure I want to
take on the label. It comes loaded with emotional connotations, including violent anger and a vitriolic hatred of men. Neither characterize me.
So, I guess the label I’m most comfortable with is
just simply "Christian" in the hopes that someday that will come to include
a sublabel of "feminist" because Christ was certainly revolutionary in
his interaction
with women.
But I admire Emily’s attempted redemption of the "F" word.
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Amen!
Given the supplied definition of feminism, shouldn’t everyone be a feminist? It’s a shame there even needs to be a word for this since it should simply be natural for women to be seen as equal to men.
In Goddess communities I have struggled with the idea of feminism. I have always felt that I didn’t want something that seemed so wholly politically motivated to describe my spiritual beliefs. Instead, I believe the Goddess teaches us about Oneness that overcomes gender.
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Hi, Grian.
I agree that there is a gender conflict, but I don’t think gender can be ever overcome because male and female identity exists at the DNA level, and is manifested outwardly in our physical bodies, and inwardly through our minds, hearts, and souls. God created Adam and Eve to live in perfect community, but things were turned upside down when sin entered the world. On the wrong side of Paradise, it’s hard to know what that partnership must have been like! Christians are often afraid to talk about gender and feminism because of the issue you’ve raised–the political side of the debate that so often emotionally charges any discussion.
—SUSY