Feminism Is Not Compatible With Christianity

The woke world in which we live today sort of encompasses every area of our existence. Institutions, workplaces, school, speech, and even thought is under reevaluation and reconstruction. One concept that has become increasingly confusing and difficult to understand is feminism. Its definition and goals have been moving targets for years. Most off-putting is how readily and completely Christians have embraced feminism. However, may I suggest yet another unpopular opinion? Feminism is not compatible with Christianity.

Feminism: What Is It?

If you’re hoping for one clear definition of feminism in which all who gaze upon it can agree, then you’re probably just frighteningly optimistic. That’s sweet, but it doesn’t serve any purpose here.

Let me share a couple of definitions.

1. the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men (Dictionary.com)

2. the belief and aim that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men (Oxford Learner’s Dictionary)

Admittedly, that doesn’t sound bad or anti-Christian, but the dictionary definitions leave out the practical applications behind the words. Feminism has come at us through waves. So, let’s take a walk through memory lane.

The First Wave Of Feminism

The first wave of feminism began in the late 1800’s. It is understood by many to be the first true political movement in the Western world. Essentially, women were looking to be seen as individuals rather than the property of their fathers and husbands. The great success of first-wave feminism is the 19th Amendment which passed Congress in 1920. This protected women from voting discrimination based on sex. Spend more than a minute researching this topic, though, and you’ll discover that first-wave feminism was mostly an immediate win for White women.

The Second Wave Of Feminism

The next wave occurred in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Feminists took aim at women’s roles in society. They questioned why women were primarily the homemakers, and they came after the institutions that they believed were holding them back. For example, a woman couldn’t get a credit card or a mortgage on her own. Banks required that a woman have a male co-signer. Additionally, there was little a woman could do if she experienced domestic abuse or sexual assault. She simply had to accept it because the justice system was no help to her.

Second-wave feminism gave us the Equal Pay Act of 1963 which protects against wage discrimination based on sex. (Despite the accusations today, women are not institutionally discriminated against concerning their pay. That’s what this law protects against.) Feminism also led to the devastating Roe v. Wade verdict in 1973. Thanks to second-wave feminism, abortion is the law of the land.

Finally, the second wave led feminism to branch into three groups.

1. Mainstream Feminism

The focus is on institutional reform, and there is a desire to place women in traditionally male roles within those institutions. “A woman can do anything a man can do! We’re the same.”

2. Radical Feminism

Within this framework society is patriarchal, and there is a focus on oppression. The aim is to dismantle the system. These feminists want to tear everything down to the ground and rebuild it with female leadership.

3. Cultural Feminism

Cultural feminism focuses quite a bit on the differences between men and women which are believed to be culturally constructed. Unlike mainstream feminism, cultural feminism sees men and women as quite distinct. That’s weird, you know, given that the mere idea of men and women is up for debate these days.

OPINION: This is my opinion only. I think that the women in this category (and radical, too) see themselves as superior to men and want to subjugate them. But hey, I’m just some lady on the internet. What do I know?

The Third Wave Of Feminism

This wave began in the 1990’s. (The best decade in which to grow up…just sayin’.) Third-wave feminism is largely defined by women living by no rules. The attitude was that “no one tells me what to do.” It reminds me of the lie our culture currently spreads about “living my truth.”

Female sexuality became something celebrated, encouraged, and placed into public view for all to watch. Music, shows, and movies became even more sexually explicit. Prime time television wasn’t fit for children to watch, and thanks to the increasing accessibility of pornography, women and girls were turning to X-rated materials to learn how to be a desirable woman. Even teen magazines like YM, Teen Vogue, Cosmo Girl and Seventeen were instructing girls on how to be better kissers and how to dress sexy.

The Fourth Wave Of Feminism

OK, this wave may not even exist. Some argue that we are still in the third wave, yet, others insist we are living in fourth-wave feminism. A new wave requires a notable shift, and I am leaning toward a major shift having happened. In fact, I believe we have had at least two of them. First, the #MeToo movement that took over the internet a few years ago radically altered how society views sexual assault against women. Second, we now live in a world where we must acknowledge a man thinking he is a woman is truly a woman. How does that not create a significant shift in feminism as we know it?

Fourth-wave feminists perceive suppression. I say perceive because I’m not sure we can make a strong argument for real suppression. For instance, feminists are now critical of first-wave feminists for a lack of racial diversity. But context might help explain why in 1920 women were not explicitly fighting for the rights of women of color. Fight the battles you can win, right? White female voters would eventually be a net positive for women of color in this country at the voting polls. This is an example of perceived suppression instead of real suppression.

Also, trans women (biological males) perceive suppression when people like me (high school biology graduates) take issue with equating biological females to trans women. And let’s not forget the victim mentality that has run amuck. Women are trying to check off as many squares on their intersectional BINGO card as they can. The more “disenfranchised” a woman is, then the more voice she has in this fourth-wave feminism.

Whew! You made it through that stroll through feminist history. I can say that first-wave feminism makes sense to me. Even parts of second-wave feminism are sensible, but feminism, as we see it today, has grown to be toxic and entirely unbiblical. So, does that mean Christians are patriarchal misogynists who desire to hold women down in society?

The Christian Faith Is True Feminism

We Are All Equal In Christ

God doesn’t prefer men over women or women over men. He loves us equally. He has offered us the same salvation through Jesus Christ, the same adoption into His family, and both sexes are called to serve Him and share the gospel. We see our equality in Christ in Genesis 1:26-27. Galatians makes it even clearer.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:28

Important Women Of The Bible

To be clear, I’m not trying to suggest women are unimportant or have no special gifts to use for God’s purposes. Women do play an important role throughout the Bible, but I want to touch on just three.

1. Phoebe

She is mentioned in Romans 16:1-2 as a servant in the church of Cenchrea. She also helped Paul in his ministry. In Phoebe we see a woman working for the Lord.

2. Priscilla

She was Aquila’s wife, and she assisted her husband in teaching Apollos the gospel of Jesus Christ more accurately than he understood it (Acts 18:24-26). Priscilla was a woman who knew the gospel, and she shared it alongside her husband. She was a faithful witness of the Lord.

3. Us

Yes, ladies, we play an important role. We are supposed to disciple the younger women (Titus 2:4-5). The Lord didn’t mention you by name in Titus, but those verses are for you!

Verses That Support Christianity As A Feminist Faith

“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

Ephesians 5:23-25

“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”

1 Peter 3:7

“Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.”

Colossians 3:19

“Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man. Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.”

1 Timothy 5:9-10

I don’t know what you see in those verses, but I see tender and loving care for wives and widows. That is the heart of true feminism. It is men loving and protecting women. It is women loving, respecting, and submitting to their husbands.

Fundamental Differences Between Christianity and Modern Feminism

1. Christians know the real problem.

Our world is fallen because of the sin of man (Genesis 3:15-19). The reason men and women are treated differently is due to our sinful nature, and that same sinful nature makes women push against any level of restriction on our lives. The world says there is a patriarchy. We know the issue is sin, and the only way to fix problems between the sexes is to see people saved and hearts changed.

2. Christians understand men and women are equal but different.

The world views different roles as misogyny, but God gave us those roles because they are best for us. Woman is a complement to man. She is his help meet (Genesis 2:18). Men should love and care for women because we are meant for them, and we should happily work alongside our husbands even if it means we take a role that is less in the spotlight than our pride desires.

3. Christians know we have the rights God gave us.

Women love to demand rights, but God already gave those to us. We don’t determine what is owed to us. In fact, if we investigate what is owed to us, we will find the answer is Hell. That is all we have earned. Anything outside the rights God gave us are preferences/desires/wants.

Check out this list of rights God has given to us created by Got Questions HERE.

Feminism Has Gone Too Far

I’m all about women voting, being treated fairly and equally by the legal system, equal pay, equal access to resources, etc., but feminism has gone far beyond the point that a Christian should associate with it. To summarize, feminism supports the murder of unborn babies, fornication, the destruction of traditional Christianity, racial strife, and LGBTQ+ lifestyles. Feminists not only support these things, but they insist we all celebrate all of it and teach it in our schools. Christian, run from these agendas and speak out against them! They are poison.

Final Thought

Feminism is a tricky topic. If you publicly say you aren’t for it, like I am doing, then people think you hate women and want men to keep women oppressed. I am literally supporting a real-life Handmaid’s Tale because I see the incongruence of Scripture and modern-day feminism. So be it. Let people think I am awful, brainwashed, and evil. Actually, why don’t you join me? No social movement, however well-intentioned, will solve our societal ills. Jesus can, though. Pray with me for people to know Jesus, to accept Him as their own, and walk this faithful, obedient, and counter-cultural Christian life with us.

What do you think about modern-day feminism? Is it something Christians should support?

Image courtesy of Sincerely Media via Unsplash.