A recent dust up between political candidates, manufactured by the media and followed by a call from a reporter asking “are you a feminist,” caused me to really think about the term and my own identity.
Words matter. However, it has become clear that the term “feminism” has been revamped to mean something completely different than its original concept. Dictionary.com says it’s an ideology “advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.” Well that’s hardly helpful. What about the rights of women still in utero?
If one asks the average woman on the street what it means to be a feminist, she may say one must support equal pay for equal work. Were that true, we would all be feminists.
Unfortunately, that’s neither the historical meaning, nor the philosophy of the ubiquitous female branch of the professional left. No, true feminist ideology is steeped in Marxist thought. The government must redistribute wealth, control businesses to make them hire us, and even take on the responsibility of raising our children via government daycare for us to be equal.
Essentially entwined in that idea is government-funded abortion, because women can never be free without breaking the heavy bonds of motherhood. By their reckoning, those darned kids are keeping us down, and frankly, capitalism is the enemy. They are NOT proud of our country or its Founding Fathers.
And finally, they are anything but orthodox in their religious beliefs, if they believe in any kind of God at all. I was blown away by the radical notions of religion espoused at the Fourth U.N. Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995. It was a rude awakening for this southern belle to the ugly intentions behind the pretty words. The word “patriarchy” was used to describe any Biblical tradition, and, instead, they advocated a “re-imagining” of religion to embrace goddess worship. In fact, Christianity was specifically cited to be the main culprit in the subjugation of women.
No, I am not a feminist. I stand with the strong traditionalists who, throughout history, have seen the world quite differently. Women like Abigail Adams contributed to the founding of our nation but sought no official title. Susan B. Anthony advocated for the right to vote but believed in the rights of the unborn. I can’t be a feminist, because I love my family and make choices based on what’s best for all of us. I love my country and believe both capitalism and democracy are the essential building blocks for a healthy economy and prosperity for all citizens. And most importantly, I love my God and believe that He sent His Son to free us all. Galatians gives us the message of real freedom and equality: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
I am a traditionalist, and I hope others will join me in rediscovering and embracing that label.