One thing is becoming naturally clear in the world we live in today as opposed to a generation ago when third-wave feminism began and times before that. “I Am Woman” has become a force to reckon with but, should we hear all women roar? This is in light of the shocking part in Ketanji Brown Jackson’s recent Supreme Court confirmation hearings where she was asked by Sen. Marsha Blackburn to provide a definition for the word “woman” and said she couldn’t, her defense being that she is not a biologist to which Sen. Blackburn responded, “so you believe the meaning of the word ‘woman’ is so unclear and controversial that you can’t give me a definition?”
Such controversies have spread worldwide with more and more people becoming “woke” by the day and it’s such a shame there’s no lockdown for these types of epidemics. Our societies are filled with women fighting for women’s issues and against patriarchal systems and structures that have existed since time immemorial, bringing about small to large and historically evident changes in the cultural norms and practices we see today. There are also issues that exist alongside the feminist movement that has been critiqued as not being fundamental to their original agenda- women’s freedom from male oppression- which is largely credited to the enormous differences in the emerging feminist waves’ strategies for social change; they rather seem to have hitched a ride with the feminists toward a similar destination i.e. inclusivity and equality. Just to point them out, sexuality and gender identity issues.
Gender-statistics bias aside, should humanity address the crucial issues? Absolutely; we all have the ability to know between right from wrong (Genesis 3:22.) Rape, racism, violence, paternalism, etc. all need to be put against morality’s measuring stick. Yet, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccles. 1:9). Any historian or anyone who’s dug into history would tell you that humanity has been riddled with such problems for centuries past and no amount of revolution regardless of their huge strides, has amounted to a total change because such is the reality of the world we live in i.e. fallen. At the heart of these issues of social injustice lies a deeply rooted and easily deceiving cause- sin and its wages, death (Romans 6:23) and our only hope is Christ.
Definition of Terms
Did she really have no idea what it means to be a woman? Dictionary.com defines a woman as “an adult female person.” Understanding and distinguishing between the meaning and application of the terms “sex” and “gender” can feel crafty especially since a majority of us are ‘not biologists.’ Male and female vs. feminine and masculine; the former, refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women while the latter refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. In other words, being a female is entirely biological while being feminine is a social-cultural aspect. No wonder some women roar! The better question to ask is, how do we as Christian women reclaim our femininity that seems to have been lost somewhere along the trenches of feminism? That’s a subject we can discuss later but for now, let’s look at a biblical view for the basics of what a woman is below.
Creation and Fall.
A biblical definition of the term “woman” is a “female human being,” similar to the contemporary meaning. “Then God said, ‘let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-27.) In the first creation account, God creates man and woman as perfectly equal bearers of his image; neither of them has more value than the other. Then, together, they receive his blessing and are given authority to rule the earth. What has become controversial is the second account of creation (Gen 2:18-23) which specifies the order of creation between man and woman. God created the man first, then, the woman from the man’s rib and as a suitable helper for him. The “suitable helper” part is usually the trigger, most of the time it is not even about who was made first in such debates. But, if we are to humbly submit ourselves to the authority of the Word of God, then it is a fitting belief that by God’s design these first two human beings are made equally valuable, they are created in a different hierarchy from one another and with each a unique purpose to fulfill on earth- a truth that is increasingly being rejected today. Hard truth? Perhaps, but it is the absolute truth nonetheless.
The fall. According to Gen 1:31, all things were good (perfect) before the fall but that reality soon changed and became the lost and unjust world we live in after the fact that the first two human beings disobeyed and sinned against God (Gen 3:1-6.) As a result of their rebellion together, God punishes them each with a distinct consequence including the deceiver. The woman’s burden, therefore, is to suffer increased pain in her childbearing, and additionally, God tells the woman “your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Gen 3:16). What should have been a simple (perfect) role of subordination (help-meet) by the woman to the man as they harmoniously dominated the earth quickly became a power struggle between the couple- the seduction by the woman and tyranny from the man. From both creation accounts, patriarchy stands out as God-ordained but, paternalism was borne out of man’s sin. This, I believe, trumps feminism. Paternalism and feminism did not exist before the fall. All injustice is just a bitter aftertaste of the fall that cannot be washed down with however much water women and men take.
A Lost Cause.
An article, low-calorie feminism by Sharon Hays and Jess Butler, a book review of Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti reads, “Feminism isn’t a luxury, it’s not easy, and it requires something more than blithely saying, “’ f-word’ you!” to systematic oppression. Dedicating yourself to the hard thinking required to understand the historical, cross-cultural, structured, and constructed roots of gender inequality, and dedicating yourself to the hard work required to sustain collective and inclusive political activism, may not always make you particularly “happy,” but it will make you a better person and a better citizen of the world.” Going by what the Bible points out as God’s fashion for womanhood, no wonder feminism is “not easy.” However noble at the start, in the end, feminism will prove to be a futile cause. They’ve bought into the idea that a social revolution will free them from injustice, oppression, and mistreatment only for them to find out that it lacks true joy, purpose, and clarity on one’s own identity and worth if all they achieve, at the very least if not happiness and after all their “hard work” is become “a better person or a better citizen of the world.” Preaching, Voddie Baucham said, “Here’s what the feminists fail to acknowledge and hope you don’t realize. Women in the Christian world where the Bible has taken root and shaped the culture are the freest, most prosperous, most protected women on the face of the earth,” a message that is indisputably evident in Jesus’ relationship with women during his time on earth.
The Greatest News!
Dear reader, Christ is the only hope for true restoration. The sin of the first two human beings distorted the harmonious relationship between the man and the woman and between them and God. It is not only in a patriarchal world and society where women are sinned against, women sin against women too. Sin is something we all participate in, it is part of us all and we all fail one another. Surely, we must come to such a realization that humanity is inherently sinful and God is ever holy. It is because of the sins of both men and women that there are women fighting for equality with the men because they have been denied rights and opportunities by both men and women who paternalistically dominate over them. It happened in the Garden of Eden too, that sin-full dynamic and entitlement began with Adam and Eve. They should have been content with everything they already had except they weren’t and instead took what they shouldn’t, or from their perspective, couldn’t have.
“… Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29.) This is the greatest news of all time, Christ dealt with sin on a cross at Calvary once and for all. The ruins of the fall have been restored to magnificent beauty in him. We can only look to Christ if we ever hope to know what being truly known and deeply valued is. Christ said, “… if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37-38.) There is only one well we can drink from that completely turns the bitter taste of injustice in our tongues into sweet joy and freedom (John 8:36.) What is a woman? She is a female human being made in the image of God. In Christ, her worth, identity, and purpose are everlastingly secure and sealed by his precious blood, even in her suffering; not in her role as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and certainly not in her vocation as feminists would have you believe.
Author
