Culled from a religious feminist blog discussing the Barna survey:
All the women I know who are not in church are amazing followers of Christ who are tired of church yuckiness destroying their faith walk.
OK, right. Now let's try the same scenario in a related biblical context:
All the women I know who are not living with their husbands are amazing wives who are tired of husbandly yuckiness destroying their marriage.
Wait for it.
Nope. It just doesn't work, does it?
It didn't for St. Cyprian either, who wrote in De Unitate Eccslesiae:
"He can no longer have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother; . . . he who gathereth elsewhere than in the Church scatters the Church of Christ" (vi.); "nor is there any other home to believers but the one Church" (ix.).
It wasn't just St. Cyprian who thought that. The maxim has been repeated down through the Church Age by Catholic and Reformed.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Time for a reminder: The Definition of Feminism
Now I know some will disagree with me on this, particularly my Catholic friends who have embraced the "New Feminism" spurred on by JPIIs use of the term in Evangelium Vitae, but I believe that feminism is feminism is feminism and, as I've said before, I'm not a great fan of "isms". In the months since I first developed this definition of feminism (with the wise guidance of some faithful brother-theologians, I will add), I have not felt the need to seriously revise it. The definition includes both the genus, feminism and the particular species of feminism with which I am most concerned, religious feminism:
Yes, there it is again. I used both the "h" word and the "p" word. If there is one thing religious feminists hate more than the implication that they are not the schismatics, that they are not the ones causing the current rift, that patriarchalists are not trying to put something in Scripture that was never there to start with -- it is the implications of that necessary and beautiful paradox at the heart of Christian anthropology.
Feminism is the belief which denies the created order of the sexes. Religious feminism, in particular, is the heresy which denies the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the authorship of Scripture and denies the paradox at the heart of orthodox Christian anthropology - that man and woman are equally created in the image and likeness of God and that, by creation and sovereign decree, God has established the headship of the man over the woman.
Yes, there it is again. I used both the "h" word and the "p" word. If there is one thing religious feminists hate more than the implication that they are not the schismatics, that they are not the ones causing the current rift, that patriarchalists are not trying to put something in Scripture that was never there to start with -- it is the implications of that necessary and beautiful paradox at the heart of Christian anthropology.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Monday Merriment
I was going to start a second feature called, "Monday Merriment" today, but in searching for fodder, I found this. And while its more like a kick to the solar plexus, it may afford a sort of sad chuckle. Courtesy of the Sacred Sandwich, I present Condimentality:
Feminists should back off the wah-wah peddle
Barna's got a new survey out and religious feminists are leaning a bit hard on their wah-wah peddles. Or should that be waaah waaah peddles? According to Barna, the only religious behaviour that has increased among women in the past twenty years is women becoming unchurched. One religious feminist muses that perhaps churches don't have the welcome mat out for women, that women are getting their feelings hurt. Apparently the Ezer-warrior women aren't so ezer-like after all?
The truth is that the truth will out, you can't fool "mother nature" and you can only suppress those truths we can't not know for so long. We know those truths, they penetrate deeper than the marrow in our bones, we can suppress and ignore them, but not for long. Sooner or later, something's gotta give. And now that religious feminists have gotten the church they wanted they've also found that they really don't like it very much.
Read the report for yourself. Then ask yourself how much evangelical churches, parachurch ministries and educational institutions have been affected by religious feminism. Twenty years ago, would your church have considered calling a woman as pastor? Associate pastor? Senior pastor? Look back, think seriously and honestly. Twenty, thirty, forty years. And then consider whether you can honestly tell me religious feminism has not accomplished much of its agenda. If they have, as I think you will find they have, then why are women leaving?
Why do they not seem invested now that the battle has largely been won?
The truth is that the truth will out, you can't fool "mother nature" and you can only suppress those truths we can't not know for so long. We know those truths, they penetrate deeper than the marrow in our bones, we can suppress and ignore them, but not for long. Sooner or later, something's gotta give. And now that religious feminists have gotten the church they wanted they've also found that they really don't like it very much.
Read the report for yourself. Then ask yourself how much evangelical churches, parachurch ministries and educational institutions have been affected by religious feminism. Twenty years ago, would your church have considered calling a woman as pastor? Associate pastor? Senior pastor? Look back, think seriously and honestly. Twenty, thirty, forty years. And then consider whether you can honestly tell me religious feminism has not accomplished much of its agenda. If they have, as I think you will find they have, then why are women leaving?
Why do they not seem invested now that the battle has largely been won?
Friday, August 5, 2011
The religious feminist's useful lie
Excuse me a moment, will you? . . .
ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There. I feel a bit better now. Harder to kill than Dracula. If you'll forgive the Princess Bride-ism, it's never more than mostly dead. It's the useful lie by what Lenin would have called useful idiots (folks supporting something they really don't understand is a kinder way to put it). You can put a stake through its heart, cut off its head, burn it at the stake (oops, that might have been the wrong picture to evoke), feed it to the fishes in Sicilian fashion, but it simply w-i-l-l n-o-t d-i-e.
What is it? It's the libel against the Church, that it has traditionally held that women do not have full access to God and that women are by nature lower than men. Now it is true enough that some men who are called Fathers of the Church have rather gone off the rails on this point, but to indicate it ever was a widely held belief is nothing short of libel. This same Church called Mary Magdalene the "Apostle to the Apostles" and St. Nina was honored "Equal to the Apostles". Then there is Hildegard of Bingen, a Magistra who corresponded with Bernard of Clairvaux, Frederick Barbarossa and at least two popes. One of those popes was so impressed he sent her on a preaching tour of Germany. Just a few examples, I know,but it's hard to see how someone who knows a bean about church history can get sucked into the perennial lie.
Here are just two correctives, two more stakes in the heart of the lie:
From Augustine and Aquinas
Please feel free to add your own stake.
ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There. I feel a bit better now. Harder to kill than Dracula. If you'll forgive the Princess Bride-ism, it's never more than mostly dead. It's the useful lie by what Lenin would have called useful idiots (folks supporting something they really don't understand is a kinder way to put it). You can put a stake through its heart, cut off its head, burn it at the stake (oops, that might have been the wrong picture to evoke), feed it to the fishes in Sicilian fashion, but it simply w-i-l-l n-o-t d-i-e.
What is it? It's the libel against the Church, that it has traditionally held that women do not have full access to God and that women are by nature lower than men. Now it is true enough that some men who are called Fathers of the Church have rather gone off the rails on this point, but to indicate it ever was a widely held belief is nothing short of libel. This same Church called Mary Magdalene the "Apostle to the Apostles" and St. Nina was honored "Equal to the Apostles". Then there is Hildegard of Bingen, a Magistra who corresponded with Bernard of Clairvaux, Frederick Barbarossa and at least two popes. One of those popes was so impressed he sent her on a preaching tour of Germany. Just a few examples, I know,but it's hard to see how someone who knows a bean about church history can get sucked into the perennial lie.
Here are just two correctives, two more stakes in the heart of the lie:
From Augustine and Aquinas
Please feel free to add your own stake.
Friday Focus: Truckers aganst Trafficking
Human trafficking victimizes men as well as women, children and adults. And it is probably happening within minutes of your own home. If you have ever taken a road trip with your family, you have probably been within feet of a victim of one particular type of trafficking at one of those travel plazas where the hash browns always have crispy backs but if you order cinnamon toast, it may come with plain cinnamon and not cinnamon sugar.
Human trafficking takes many forms. Men are victimized for labour and women and children are often victimized as sex slaves. Some of the newest forms, such as reproductive tourism, don't even look like trafficking or slavery. Evil evolves to fit the conditions available to it and yet there is nothing new under the sun. There have always been users and victims.
There have also always been Good Samaritans who help restore victims to health. Truckers against Trafficking is on such "Good Samaritan" organization, helping to equip and mobilize members of the trucking and travel plaza industries to recognize and combat sex trafficking.
Sometimes all it takes is one phone call from one trucker to rescue one victim. Pay the website a visit. Find out how you can help. Connect with them on Facebook and spread the word.
Human trafficking takes many forms. Men are victimized for labour and women and children are often victimized as sex slaves. Some of the newest forms, such as reproductive tourism, don't even look like trafficking or slavery. Evil evolves to fit the conditions available to it and yet there is nothing new under the sun. There have always been users and victims.
There have also always been Good Samaritans who help restore victims to health. Truckers against Trafficking is on such "Good Samaritan" organization, helping to equip and mobilize members of the trucking and travel plaza industries to recognize and combat sex trafficking.
Sometimes all it takes is one phone call from one trucker to rescue one victim. Pay the website a visit. Find out how you can help. Connect with them on Facebook and spread the word.
It's worse than that . . .
Sign #479 that the Apocalypse is near and the world as we know it is ending:
Just a few moments ago, I entered the Solid Grounds coffee shop and waited for the coffee mistress to finish emptying the trash before I ordered my tea. No, that is not the sign. The sign is that, when she reached for the cup in which she would pour my iced tea, I said, "Unh, Unh, Unh!" The look she gave me appeared to be a combination of, "What's the problem?" and "What's your problem?" So I explained, "You've just handled trash, wash your hands." Which is really more of a demand than an explanation, but not an unreasonable demand.
She argued back, "I only touched the outside!" and shook her head in consternation.
At this point, recognizing the SURE SIGN of the Apocalypse, I put my money back in my purse and walked out.
Just a few moments ago, I entered the Solid Grounds coffee shop and waited for the coffee mistress to finish emptying the trash before I ordered my tea. No, that is not the sign. The sign is that, when she reached for the cup in which she would pour my iced tea, I said, "Unh, Unh, Unh!" The look she gave me appeared to be a combination of, "What's the problem?" and "What's your problem?" So I explained, "You've just handled trash, wash your hands." Which is really more of a demand than an explanation, but not an unreasonable demand.
She argued back, "I only touched the outside!" and shook her head in consternation.
At this point, recognizing the SURE SIGN of the Apocalypse, I put my money back in my purse and walked out.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Magic Roundabout
I never quite understood the fascination with roundabouts. I guess they are a nice replacement for a four-way stop at a low-traffic intersection. And it's kinda fun to zip around without stopping.
So why in blazes do the unthinking beings called city planers and landscapers plant TALL GRASSES as landscaping on the approach to a roundabout?
Can someone please tell me why?
It turns a roundabout into a four-way stop. Isn't that what the roundabout was designed to avoid?
So why in blazes do the unthinking beings called city planers and landscapers plant TALL GRASSES as landscaping on the approach to a roundabout?
Can someone please tell me why?
It turns a roundabout into a four-way stop. Isn't that what the roundabout was designed to avoid?
Monday, July 25, 2011
We're all Feminists now
Over the weekend I got into a disagreement (on a mutual friend's FB page) discussing the relationship between the death of Amy Winehouse, feminism and Christianity. I am sure this was not the direction my friend wanted to take things, so I quickly exited the discussion. The woman with whom I disagreed is an established author and speaker in the CT/Moody evangelical mould and yet she defended herself as an Orthodox Christian. Now I am quite sure she meant orthodox, since she blogs at Her.whatever and not with Ancient Faith radio's website. Sadly, it was clear from her confident declaration syncretizing feminism and Christianity as well as Denver Seminary's being cowed by the goddess of syncretism in their continued unwillingness to stand against the gnostic women's center they formerly promoted* along with countless other instances I could name - it is clear that feminism has captured Evangelicalism. That battle is over as well as the one in the culture. We're all Feminists now.
Well, not quite. A few of us rebels still exist and I am very thankful for two of them in particular, Suzanne Venker and her aunt Phyllis Schlafly and their new book, The Flipside of Feminism. I knew I was going to love this book by the middle of the second paragraph when I read these words, "Many qualify their position by distinguishing among different kinds of feminism." I've never been a big fan of "isms" to begin with and qualifying the ism seems to me about as quixotic as the attempt to re brand conservatism as "compassionate conservatism". If a thing is worth defending, don't waffle, defend it. Then, in the very next paragraph they write:
The first chapter, "Brainwashed", separates two types of feminists operating in the culture. The fringe feminists are the "out and proud" sort of feminists who are proud of the abortions they've had, for instance. I disagree with the authors when they say these fringe feminists are not the problem. They perform a vital function in furthering the feminist agenda - their vocal presence helps to desensitize and normalize the objectives of feminism. They soften the culture up for the elite power-broker feminists to come in and push forward with their "more reasonable" agenda. These elites rarely call themselves feminists and act more like nannies, always knowing what is best and punishing anyone who disagrees as a nanny would a naughty little girl in her care.
The next chapters provide a history and primer on feminism, including the disconnect between the suffragettes and "second-wave" feminists as well as the Marxist roots of the latter, the advent of absentee parenting and the never-ending search for empowerment and reproductive rights. The feminist air we breathe pushes sex education which leads to the hook-up culture, more sex education and so on, and their cultural icons never get herpes or genital warts, though they may suffer a sort of cartoon heartache. Neither the sex ed or the icons prepare real-life women to handle real life and real heartaches. Another chapter looks at why marriage has proven to be so elusive to the rising generations. None of these difficulties will improve, as Venker and Schlafly point out, until we remember who men and women are and what we mean to each other. There follows an excellent chapter on working mothers and the one way more women can have it all -- by "Sequencing" or taking their life in stages. And then there are the single mothers who replace husband and father in their lives and homes with Big Brother Government, another fruit of feminism.
In the final chapter, "A New Road Map for Women", the authors begin to map out the way forward. A quote from Ann Taylor Fleming pulls us up short. It is a simple question that helps us refocus, begin to recognize the rotten bill of goods we've been sold and move forwards on a new road:
*Note: Although Denver Seminary has pulled the video promoting the center, their professors continue to support the work of Pomegranate Place, and the seminary has failed to publish an assessment of the "ministry" of the women's center.
Well, not quite. A few of us rebels still exist and I am very thankful for two of them in particular, Suzanne Venker and her aunt Phyllis Schlafly and their new book, The Flipside of Feminism. I knew I was going to love this book by the middle of the second paragraph when I read these words, "Many qualify their position by distinguishing among different kinds of feminism." I've never been a big fan of "isms" to begin with and qualifying the ism seems to me about as quixotic as the attempt to re brand conservatism as "compassionate conservatism". If a thing is worth defending, don't waffle, defend it. Then, in the very next paragraph they write:
Some have even tried to rehabilitate feminism by claiming conservative women belong to something called the "new feminism" or even "pro-life feminism" (Sarah Palin comes to mind) - as if there were such a thing.Feminism is feminism is feminism. It will always consume the modifier.
The first chapter, "Brainwashed", separates two types of feminists operating in the culture. The fringe feminists are the "out and proud" sort of feminists who are proud of the abortions they've had, for instance. I disagree with the authors when they say these fringe feminists are not the problem. They perform a vital function in furthering the feminist agenda - their vocal presence helps to desensitize and normalize the objectives of feminism. They soften the culture up for the elite power-broker feminists to come in and push forward with their "more reasonable" agenda. These elites rarely call themselves feminists and act more like nannies, always knowing what is best and punishing anyone who disagrees as a nanny would a naughty little girl in her care.
The next chapters provide a history and primer on feminism, including the disconnect between the suffragettes and "second-wave" feminists as well as the Marxist roots of the latter, the advent of absentee parenting and the never-ending search for empowerment and reproductive rights. The feminist air we breathe pushes sex education which leads to the hook-up culture, more sex education and so on, and their cultural icons never get herpes or genital warts, though they may suffer a sort of cartoon heartache. Neither the sex ed or the icons prepare real-life women to handle real life and real heartaches. Another chapter looks at why marriage has proven to be so elusive to the rising generations. None of these difficulties will improve, as Venker and Schlafly point out, until we remember who men and women are and what we mean to each other. There follows an excellent chapter on working mothers and the one way more women can have it all -- by "Sequencing" or taking their life in stages. And then there are the single mothers who replace husband and father in their lives and homes with Big Brother Government, another fruit of feminism.
In the final chapter, "A New Road Map for Women", the authors begin to map out the way forward. A quote from Ann Taylor Fleming pulls us up short. It is a simple question that helps us refocus, begin to recognize the rotten bill of goods we've been sold and move forwards on a new road:
Was you ideology worth the empty womb?
Feminism is a failed experiment in social engineering. The same women who have brought us feminism have, in consequence, given us girl firefighters who would have trouble carrying a medium-sized dog down multiple flights of stairs let alone carry an adult man out of a burning building. They have given us a whole new crime - date rape, as well as a new protected class of victim - the battered woman. This is the air we breath and the most difficult part of the way forward is removing ourselves from the culture to a great enough distance that we can begin to see things clearly.
The Flipside of Feminism is an engaging read that I highly recommend, especially to younger women who may thereby be able to avoid the traps that women of my generation found ourselves caught in without knowing it until it was too late.
*Note: Although Denver Seminary has pulled the video promoting the center, their professors continue to support the work of Pomegranate Place, and the seminary has failed to publish an assessment of the "ministry" of the women's center.
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