In Defense of Feminism: Shaming Rubbish Myopic Views on Submission

Feminism is a vast umbrella that can be best summed up by the idea that “women are people, too.” This means the stay at home mom. This means the Christian woman blogger. This means the girl who politely says “no” to you on the bus. This means the prostitute on the street corner. This means your worst enemy and your best friend are deserving of equal treatment under the law and by their neighbors because they are human beings. For most feminists, this means no strict gender roles or a hierarchy that demands a man be the authority over a woman just because he’s a man and that a woman be submissive and quiet just because she’s a woman. Feminism means allowing both women and men to be themselves as God created them to be – as individuals, not defined by their reproductive system but rather by their personalities, their relationships, their definitions of themselves. It is a movement that prizes people being who they are without being reduced to what equipment they do or don’t have. It is because we love our brothers that we are feminists, not because we hate them.

- Dianna Anderson

The notion of women’s rights is sometimes tainted by references to Biblical passages commanding that “husbands should be lords over wives,” and that “wives should be subservient and obedient.” Supported with such passages, some clouded minds will postulate that God initially created the male to always have an edge over the female and have the ultimate final say in important decisions.

In the beginning, man and woman were created equal; neither was superior to the other. Yes, they were different. But they were ultimately equal. In Genesis 2:18-24

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Contenders argue that this was only in the old testament though, and things changed over time. However, in the new testament, Jesus was the hugest women's rights activist. This is exemplified in the story of the adulterous woman. She was brought before Christ to be judged and condemned -- her accusers recited Moses’ commands -- that adulterous women be stoned. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

Jesus then asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and sin no more."

Jesus had compassion for this adulterous woman, recognizing the unfairness of punishing the woman while no attacks were launched at her male accomplice. Jesus treated women as human beings, not slaves or sex objects. And this was during a time when men could not even address women publicly.
Jesus clarified the scriptures and gave hope to the woman at the well, someone who belonged to an outcast race. Moved by sympathy, He resurrected the only son of a widow. He healed the woman who had an issue of blood. He never misused His status. He taught women, healed women, respected women, and accommodated women who were considered "unclean."

Women acknowledged Jesus' unbiased gender-neutral love for all, and they reciprocated His love by acts such as pouring fine perfume on His feet and visiting His tomb when some male apostles (Judas, Peter) betrayed and denied Him. When Christ resurrected from the dead, He appeared first to women, not His apostles.

Yes, women are sometimes dependent upon men, but the fact is that men are equally dependent upon women. “Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 11:11). They are “heirs together to the grace of life” (1 Peter 3:7).

The Bible did not ever say: “Husbands, lord over your wives!” The mandate to everyone is that of humility. “All of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).

Paul makes this clear: we are all children of God through our professed faith and belief in Christ. Consider Paul’s teaching: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). This is probably one of the most misinterpreted verses of the Bible. Here, Paul meant that everyone should be submissive, not just wives. Here is the preceding verse: “Submit yourselves one to another in the fear of God” (Ephesians 5:21), that is, wives submit to husbands, and husbands submit to wives. The Christ-like way to success is through humility and deference, and not through arrogance, apostasy, and forceful domination. 

Furthermore, Paul says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Therefore, we are not to identify ourselves by gender, race, or class. Male domination was a curse!! Genesis 3:16-19 -- "And God said to her (as a punishment), Your husband shall rule over you."  But, the good news is that all are now equal in Christ; Jesus came to lift the curse. We are freeeeeee!!!!

I rest my case.