Revisiting Feminism

Over Thanksgiving break I met up with my two best friends for lunch and one brought up my previous post on feminism. Of course they challenged me about it, which is part of why I love them. Just to make things clear...

One of the points raised was about the objectification of women. My friend asked if you couldn't say that women were objectified before so-called "sexual freedom", before feminism. I don't mean that we should return to the days when a woman could be abused and forced by her husband without any protection by law or society. Those who view(ed) women as subservient to men were and are most certainly mistaken. Yes, women could be objectified, but does that mean we take it to the extreme and move the woman from the role of servant to the role of dominator and even predator? Does that make it okay to remove modesty and chastity from our clothing, from our very minds and virtues and exchange it for that which is revealing and seductive. Is that not just as bad, if not worse? The equality is still not there. Power? perhaps in some warped manner. But certainly true freedom has no part in this. The mastery has simply been taken from men and given to desire, which when given such free reign is even more uncontrollable and over-powering.

What femininity and masculinity are was also questioned. Are gender roles merely created and placed on us by society? Why should we not question what society has forced on us? Well, I approach it from my Catholic faith. Gender roles, femininity and masculinity, aren't forced on us by society. They've been given to us by God. Women are naturally more in touch with emotions, more in touch with others, more compassionate, empathetic, and nurturing. Does that really make us the weaker sex, as society has apparently made us? Pardon my language, but hell no! Emotions are difficult to deal with, difficult to control and understand. What femininity requires takes so much more strength and power than mere physical strength, more than intellect and savvy. It requires a deep soul, firmly grounded in faith, and strength that bares the burdens of us all. The great gift of woman is the ability to truly understand the human heart (understanding of course requires the powers of discernment and intelligence). As for masculinity, where women are with the heart, men are with the body. They are naturally inclined to provide for the physical needs of others and protect. If these characteristics were forced on us they would not be so natural to us. So why should we fight it? People seem to have a tendency to focus on the idea of a woman being obedient to her husband, but not going beyond that or even deeper into it. It's not that a woman should blindly follow her husband in all things, but she should trust in him and support him (she does after all understand him in ways even he may not). More than this though a man is meant to cleave to his wife. Men are called to remain faithful, in body and mind, to protect and love his wife. This doesn't mean that all women have to be housewives, relying soley on husbands, but whether or not a woman has the means to provide for herself, it is still a husbands responsibility to be able to support a wife.

Men and women are different, but that does not make one better or superior to the other. It makes them compatible. Society seems bent on continually warping our roles, both pre and post-feminism. Exchanging one perceived extreme for another is no way to fix the problem we are faced with.

Humans vs. Animals: What Feminism Has Done to Our Nature

Tonight in my American Literature class an interesting point was made while looking at the poetry of Robert Frost. In the animal kingdom have you noticed that the more beautiful creatures are the males? Male birds are more colorful, their songs more beautiful, male lions have long, glorious manes, etc. There is usually something more distinctive about the males among animals. Why is this? To attract a mate, of course! If the male wants to reproduce, which is one of the most basic instincts, he has to be the showiest, the most beautiful and attractive, he has to fight for a female's attention. While the females are often more dull in color and less majestic in appearance. The male doesn’t look for that outward beauty in a mate. In humans, however, it's the opposite. The female has to be beautiful, has to look and act a certain way, do everything she can to attract the attention of a man.

What happened to wooing?! Why don't men pursue women anymore? Why are women now forced to fight for the attention of men? Granted we aren't mere animals, we are the pinnacle of creation. We are capable of intelligent thought and reasoning. So why does it seem that we are going against what is natural?

I'm sure most men have no problem with this. I'm also sure that most women wouldn't like my view on the cause of it.

Enter the world...feminism.

A woman should be cherished, not forced to degrade her body and over-all worth because it has become ingrained in men to not show her love and admiration otherwise. Second-wave feminists wanted sexual freedom and they got it...and now we must all deal with the objectification and sexualization that this so-called "freedom" has left us with.

Obviously, I don't like feminism. Don't get me wrong, good has come from it. Things that needed to happen happened. Women should have political, economical, and social freedom and equality. HOWEVER! equality doesn't mean we're the same. Men and women are different. I know, it's a shocking statement, but we have been created differently, with different purposes and strengths, different roles and responsibilities in regard to each other. What feminism has done is created characteristic equality. It has de-gendered identity, and thus confused our roles. It has worked to destroy femininity, and even true masculinity. Women are told that they should be treated as equals to men and to accomplish this they have to fight harder for it, be tougher, more rigid...they have to be de-feminized. It's become deeply rooted in our society that in order for a woman to be treated as equal to a man she must act less womanly and more manly. So where does that leave the feminine role? And where does that leave men? They have to take up some of that role that does not truly belong to them. Masculinity no longer belongs to man and femininity no longer belongs to woman. Our identities, roles, and responsibilities are muddled together, leaving us no true cultural male/female identity.

And people wonder why marriages fall apart, why divorce rates have increased...

People wonder why we're unhappy, why depression and suicide rates have increased...

Thank you feminism...for all you've done to "help" us poor women live more fulfilled lives. Thank you for depriving us of our true identity and purpose. Thank you for decreasing our great worth to society.

Something New

A good friend of mine (Patiently Waiting) occasionally does these posts, and I always enjoy reading them. They seem like a good way to take a few moments and reflect on what's around me and find God in the little things. It's high time I partake.

DAYBOOK

FOR TODAY Nov. 8, 2010

Outside my window...are bare tree limbs, their colorful, crispy leaves lying on the ground for me to enjoy crunching.

I am thinking...that God could certainly choose less terrifying ways to help us remember how blessed we are...but who am I to question.

I am thankful for...my dad. He's my hero and the best man I've ever known.

From the classrooms...I don't particularly care right now. I don't have class until 2:20 this afternoon and I'm taking a break from homework so whatever is happening over there can't reach me here:)

From the kitchen...there is a gentle humming from the various appliances...can one ever truly find silence?

I am wearing...a thick, pink bathrobe with my hair wrapped in a pink towel.

I am creating...plans.

I am going...on Fall Retreat this weekend with the youth group back home. I'll sadly be missing some things here at Rockhurst but it will be completely worth it when I get to spend the weekend with all of those wonderful teenagers and young adults in prayer and fun.

I am reading...The Latin Mass Explained. I read half of it this summer when I started going to the Latin Mass every once in a while with Gabe. Now that I'm going almost every Sunday here at school, it's about time I finished it

I am hoping...just to be better. A better, kinder person. A better, more loving daughter. A better, more patient friend and girlfriend. A better, more faithful child of God.

I am hearing...the Pride and Prejudice movie/miniseries. Though I'm not actively watching it, I'm so familiar with it, I can tell you precisely where the story is at any point, even if the only sounds are footsteps and music.

Around the house...things are needing cleaning!

One of my favorite things...hot cocoa in giant mugs:)

A few plans for the rest of the week: I'm going to wake up every morning and just breathe. I'm going to try to remember to thank God for everything I'll meet in the course of the day, whether good, bad, or indifferent, to remind myself, whether good, bad, or indifferent, every blessing, challenge, and innocent moment is a gift to shape who I am and my faith.

Here is a picture for thought I am sharing...

Act goofy...go on it's great...especially in puiblic.

Visit The Simple Woman's Daybook


Love and prayers

Dear Jenny,

I love you...now shush! I don't want to hear it anymore!

Love forever,
Sarah