Can feminism and the Bible truly coexist? Find out here.
First things first — what is feminism?
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica and other relevant sources, feminism is
the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Although largely originating in the West, feminism is manifested worldwide and is represented by various institutions committed to activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.
As someone who holds feminism and its concept so dear, pushing for equality and women’s rights, have you ever found yourself at a crossroads between societal standings and religious principles? Suddenly, you are second-guessing your life choices and wondering if you should remain associated with being a Christian woman.
We get it; pushing for women’s rights and respecting Biblical principles can be overwhelming and contradictory in some cases, and you may find yourself taking actions that go against your stated roles as a Christian woman. It leaves you with questions like:
Where is the balance?
How do I manage this?
Should I ditch being a feminist?
Should I ditch my religion?
Is this even worthwhile?
Then, the million-dollar question – “I have rights as a woman; I believe I should be given the same opportunities as my male counterparts, but does that extend to my marriage and, especially, my husband?”
The world will tell you, “Yes, you’re both equal in the home.”
But the Word says, “No, your husband is your head.”
It might be uncomfortable for a feminist to hear that “The husband is the head of the home,” but if you think deeply, no matter how much you wrestle with this ideology and try to find loopholes, the instruction, like everything else in the Bible, remains unchanged. The husband is the head of the home.
Now, you are not only at a loss for words but also in a heavy decision-biased situation. You may begin to ask yourself, “What should I do? My fellow feminists would never support this, but I don’t want to lose my husband and the blessing he is to me.”
Simple: you follow biblical instructions.
Some Christian principles are rooted in patriarchy (even the Bible mostly uses the male pronouns to refer to both genders), but when it comes to growing a Christian home, you follow the guiding principles as found in the God-given manual for our lives – the Bible.
Now, you might ask, “Okay, so what if I don’t follow these principles? What’s the worst that could happen?”
Easy, the devil comes into the picture, and you lose your peaceful home.
Let’s paint a scenario:
After 10 years of blissful marital and familial life firmly rooted in Biblical principles, you decide to switch things up a bit based on what you see online from misguided feminists. You won’t exactly call yourself a feminist, but you tend to be very vocal about pushing for equality for both genders, especially in the workplace.
Taking it a step further, you get the ‘brilliant idea’ that you and your husband are equals. You know it is not so – you heard the Holy Spirit caution you – but you decided to go ahead and begin to act out of character, forgetting that your husband is mandated to love you while you are mandated to give him his honour as the head of the home.
In other words, you become the proverbial troublesome woman who makes family life a living hell. As a result of your revolutionary attempt at equating yourself to your husband, there are constant quarrels in your once peaceful marriage. You were once best friends, but now you’ve become each other’s nightmare.
Soon enough, your children become sad, your husband tags you as a troublemaker, discomfort settles within the home, and you lose your peace, all in an attempt to put feminism where it has no place – in your marriage.
Alas, the real question you should ask yourself is this: “Is this worth the peace promised in the Bible?”
Wisdom, as we know, is knowing the right thing to do and doing it. It is also the application of knowledge. Rightly applying your knowledge of a peaceful home is wisdom; leaving your husband to perform his role is wisdom; being content with your position as the wife and leaving equality where it belongs (outside your home) is wisdom.
Being a feminist is great; fighting for women’s voices not to be suppressed or not objectifying women and making sure women are not underrated is highly commendable, but remember that being a Christian requires you to follow the Word.
While you are out and actively supporting women’s rights and equality, you still have to remember that God’s Word is supreme to your interests.
If you want to enjoy a peaceful marriage, the WORD is your ultimate standard.
In everything you do, remember that Biblical commandments are not here to brainwash us but rather to protect us – protect us from the sorrows and troubles the world brings.
Rightly said. I think when people say being equals with their husband, it is because of situations where women(read wives) are being suppressed by it. They can’t do anything without their husband’s say, can’t have an opinion about the home or any other discourse. The husband is the one making decisions alone.
Your husband’s words are yea and final!
And this is why some women are of the idea of being equals with their spouse.
I appreciate the dive into this topic.
Several points to note:
You duly recognize that the Bible is rooted on patriarchal values and therefore should understand that Feminism and the feminist movement is a direct response to stifling patriarchal norms.
In addition, within the confines of feminism, marriage is a mutual partnership, it recognizes that servitude expected from women should not exist. We can promote mutual submission which is also rooted in the Bible Ephesians 5: 21 that makes women have a better standing in marriage. Christ is the head of the church, he loves it and does not demean it to submission.
Finally, the writer can eliminate self bias without labeling people as ‘misguided feminists’. The only thing misguided is a world that treats women as second class citizens even when they are responsible for its existence.
Your comment is well appreciated, and thanks for taking the time to read the post. Rightly said, feminism in its pure state is not bad. Yes, we agree that the woman should not be put under servitude or relegated to the background in the society and even in the home. However, let’s quickly note that the Bible never promoted mutual submission in the home. The scripture you referenced was about relationships among the brethren in which we are encouraged to submit to one another in brotherly love. Within the confines of marriage, it is clearly stated that the husband is to love the wife, and the wife is to submit to the husband.