Well, now that I have your attention, please allow me to explain. According to a recent article I read, feminism allows individuals to redefine feminism and construct a personal feminist philosophy. So, for those who care to see it, here is my "personal feminist philosophy":
- All individuals are created with equal worth and with great value because we are created Imagio Deo (ahem … "in the image of God" … I threw in the Latin for intellectual effect).
- All individuals should be treated with respect and dignity, no matter the gender, color, age, or political persuasion.
- All individuals are designed by and for the Creator's purpose (Numbers 14:21).
- The Creator has designed two genders with distinct differences to function in roles that are compatible and complementary (Genesis 2:15-18).
- Gender differences make life much more interesting (and fun!).
- The Creator's role for the husband does NOT include domination but is one of servant-leadership and humble headship (Ephesians 5:22-33).
- The Creator's role for the wife does NOT include wimpy subservience but intelligent, respectful submission to her husband's leadership.
I just needed to lighten up a bit after submerging myself in several heavy articles on feminism—the history of feminism, feminism's influence as a cultural revolution, first wave, second wave, third wave, and new wave. If you want to read a couple of my related posts on this topic, check out:
Whoa—Not the "S" Word!
Did the Fall Cause it All?
The encouragement to invent a personal feminist philosophy is consistent with the characteristics of the feminist movement. The movement reinvents womanhood, promoting self-authority, dismissing restraints and traditional authority structures, which is one reason why feminism is hard to define—that would require the constraint of definition. Confining it to definite tenets would be "limiting" by placing it under the authority of a stated definition.
Whenever we reject the Creator's design for manhood and womanhood, we are setting ourselves up as our own authority. Isn't this the same thing the serpent invited Eve to do? The only hope for true fulfillment and satisfaction comes through aligning our lives within the parameters of our Creator's tenets:
Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast (Psalm 119:89–90).
What is your personal philosophy?
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