I’m A Conservative Christian Woman And Here Are My Thoughts On Feminism

Today, feminism sweeps the nation as the repercussions of the Women’s walk on Washington have plastered the walls of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It has become wrong for a woman to not be a feminist in this so-called “tolerant” culture. Perhaps I am a feminist, but my definition of feminism is not derived from the “oppression” to which a number of modern social justice warriors refer. Rather, my feminism is stemmed from the raw idea that women were created by God to be unique and equal beings to man: to accentuate the fabric of mankind. As a Christian woman, this is my stance on feminism:

The Wife of Noble Character

Proverbs 31 refers to “the Wife of Noble Character.” There is a whole passage dedicated to womanhood and biblical feminism rooted not in a woman’s self-empowerment, but in the understanding that the beauty of a woman is bestowed to her from her King. In Proverbs 31, a woman is strong and capable of honest work: she is precious. She is gentle, she is lovely, she is passionate, she provides, loves, cherishes, and she is strong. She is a woman that is confident and educated in the wisdom of Christ. Her beauty isn’t defined through the vanity of outward appearances but in her character. She doesn’t stoop to hate, and she surely doesn’t shy away from adversity. She stands her ground clothed by the Lord who made her.

She is beautiful. Her delicate eyes, graceful body, and elegant hair are something to be celebrated. Her natural beauty given to her in the Garden is the same beauty that is spoken about by Solomon to his wife. However, her body, like the temple of the Lord, is sacred. In the March on Washington, women are referring to themselves as “nasty women.”

The greatest heartbreak is watching women clothe themselves in miniskirts and inject their lips with Botox to achieve what they believe is “ultimate beauty” as they call themselves “nasty women.” Where is the self-respect?

To clothe oneself in dignity is to protect what has been given to you and to save it for the man set apart for you. Save yourself so you can truly be appreciated for what you are: graceful, dignified, and worthy of respect. Let the blossoms of your character outshine your cleavage, and let your words be wise. Body change in inevitable. One day, wrinkles will show. One day, gray hair grows. One day, your six pack will turn into stretch marks from carrying your child. This is the way women were created. We were created to endure pregnancy and someday grow old. There is no shame in embracing the passing of time. With age comes wisdom and blessings. Let yourself be beautiful because you were set apart by the Creator: not because your high school boyfriend says so.

The Role of Feminism in Marriage

Personally, I have heard women distress over the patriarchy presence in marriage. Hearing this thought process breaks my heart as that is not the purpose in marriage. Eve was made to accompany Adam. Yes, the man is the head of the household, but women, this does not mean you are lesser. Our bodies and minds were created vastly different. As a science major, a key theme is “structure determines function.” The same concept applies to marriage.

The genetic, mental, and physical structure of women and men are extraordinarily different; therefore, we have different function. However, this does not mean one is less important than the other. A flashlight cannot work if it lacks batteries, but it also cannot function without the bulb. Is one more important than the other? Women, our job is to respect our husbands and understand his role as the head of the household. Men are precious as we are, and they deserve our respect as we deserve their love.

Much Stronger than Her Circumstances

Women are taught that being pro-life is being anti-woman, but I would like to argue that it is the other way around. I believe that being pro-choice is anti-woman. The pro-choice argument states that the woman has the right to choose her reproductive rights whether that mean keeping a pregnancy or terminating it. I see this as de-empowerment of women because at the root of the argument suggests that women can only be successful if they have control over their reproductive rights. It is demeaning in nature because I believe that a woman is much stronger than her circumstances, and it is an injustice to hold them to such a low standard.

Neither man nor woman are defined by their circumstances. A truly strong woman can take an unwanted pregnancy and make a career–a future–out of it. A truly strong woman will love that delicate life as God loves her and understand that the needs of others come before her own. A strong woman does right: she does good. A true woman puts her identity in Christ before her identity as a woman.

Final Thoughts

My heart breaks for the state of this nation. No matter who is on power here on earth, no matter your background, and no matter your identity, my take away for every woman is that you are loved, you are capable, you are beautiful, you are strong, you are important, you are needed, you are an advocate for good, and you are fearfully and wonderfully made.