I stumbled upon this woman's blog a while back and I just love her writing. She says so much of what I'd like to say if I was only a better writer. She writes of coming out of patriarchy, among other things, (particularly about being a mom and her kids), but I really like her religion/God posts the best. I really agreed with this post and thought I'd share.
Oh, and this is a good one too!
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
17 July 2009
08 July 2009
Women and Men are Equals?
I've been reading a lot lately about patriarchy and women's rights and feminism, etc. I still have a lot in my brain to think about and a lot more I wish to read. But I had a bit of an epiphany the other day and thought I better write it down before I forget it! (Been forgetting things lately, old age seems to be creeping in).
Anyway, while I was thinking about God and whether He is really a He or is He a combo of a He and a She, seeing as the Bible says in Genesis 1:27:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
How could God create a woman in his own image unless He also had some attributes of a woman?
In John 24 God is referred to as Spirit. While Jesus was referred to as a man, God is always referred to as spirit. Does a spirit have the attributes of a man, female or both, or none? If God is spirit, then how and why did He come to be known only as He?
There are so many passages in the bible where God takes on the attributes of women. He refers to birth pains (sorry men, only women have birth pains). He also talks of caring for children the way a mother does, Isaiah 66:13 -
"As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;"
So anyway, these are things I have been thinking about and praying about which brings me to my epiphany. While meditating/praying on these things the other day, I came to the conclusion that women have been fighting the wrong battle. It is not for us to prove that we are like men to be equal. I don't want to be like a man. And I don't believe I am meant to be a like a man. I was born a woman and meant to be a woman. We can be equal but different. We don't need to be like men to be equal. We need to be respected as equals for who we are, not what we can change ourselves to be.
We were made in God's image just as men were. Not to be below, not to be above, but to be equal, to come alongside each other, for each other.
Anyway, while I was thinking about God and whether He is really a He or is He a combo of a He and a She, seeing as the Bible says in Genesis 1:27:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
How could God create a woman in his own image unless He also had some attributes of a woman?
In John 24 God is referred to as Spirit. While Jesus was referred to as a man, God is always referred to as spirit. Does a spirit have the attributes of a man, female or both, or none? If God is spirit, then how and why did He come to be known only as He?
There are so many passages in the bible where God takes on the attributes of women. He refers to birth pains (sorry men, only women have birth pains). He also talks of caring for children the way a mother does, Isaiah 66:13 -
"As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;"
So anyway, these are things I have been thinking about and praying about which brings me to my epiphany. While meditating/praying on these things the other day, I came to the conclusion that women have been fighting the wrong battle. It is not for us to prove that we are like men to be equal. I don't want to be like a man. And I don't believe I am meant to be a like a man. I was born a woman and meant to be a woman. We can be equal but different. We don't need to be like men to be equal. We need to be respected as equals for who we are, not what we can change ourselves to be.
We were made in God's image just as men were. Not to be below, not to be above, but to be equal, to come alongside each other, for each other.
Believe nothing merely because you have been told it.
Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher.
But whatever, after due examination and analysis,
you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings -
that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide.
Buddha
Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher.
But whatever, after due examination and analysis,
you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings -
that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide.
Buddha
22 September 2008
The "Sisterhood"
I have been utterly shocked and disgusted with the response from some women in regards to John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin for vice president. I knew girls could be mean when I was in high school, but these are adults. Come on ladies, did you ever grow up?
I am a conservative woman. According to one “scholar” women who are conservative aren’t really women. I guess unless you are happy to murder your unborn children, you aren’t considered a woman in some camps. Isn’t it funny how they demand they have the right to kill their unborn children, but they don't think you should have the right to bear arms and defend yourself against someone who wants to do you or your family harm.
I guess I just do not understand the outrage. Isn’t feminism all about raising girls to be whatever they want to be? I used to believe that was what feminists were fighting for. My mom considered herself to be a feminist. She always told me and my sister that we needed to learn how to care for ourselves. We didn’t need a man to survive. My mom worked, full time, from the time I was about 4. I was put in daycare in NYC in 1972. I think it was one of the first day care centers open to the public. When we moved to Illinois, due to the transfer of my father within his company, one of the first things my mom did was get another job. I was a latch-key kid. I had an older brother and sister, but they were usually busy after school, so from 3rd grade on, I mostly came home to an empty house. But I could take care of myself. I knew how.
My mother also felt my brother needed to learn how to care for himself, so he didn’t treat a woman as a housekeeper. As soon as we could see the dials on the washing machine, we washed our own clothes. We learned how to cook for ourselves by age 8. We all got jobs as soon as possible. I was babysitting at 11 and cleaning offices by age 13.
Suffice it to say, my sister and I grew up knowing we didn’t NEED a man, and my brother grew up knowing he didn’t NEED a woman. We were self sufficient. The fulfillment of my mothers feministic dream. She raised her kids to be something she wasn’t. See, my mom married my dad at age 20. They dated since high school. She had my sister one year after her marriage, and my brother the next year after that. This was in the sixties, right when women were just getting their voice. She felt like she missed it. She wanted to be that bra burner, but she had two babies at home, and soon she had three (me). So she passed on her dreams to her children. Only we realized, or at least I realized, that her dream wasn’t reality. Feminists today are not the feminists of my mothers era.
It seems to me that all feminists care about today is abortion. Women must be allowed to kill their unborn babies. Under any circumstances. Babies are an inconvenience, a mistake. Girls shouldn’t be punished with mistakes, says Mr. Obama. If you don’t believe that, you can’t be part of their club. Nope, no conservative woman, who believes all babies are a gift from God could ever be a feminist. And if you happen to believe in that pesky savior, Jesus, and his teaching in the Bible, then you probably aren’t even a woman. No feminist woman could possibly believe in a a book written by men.
I was happy to see Hillary Clinton running for President. I certainly didn’t share her values or positions, but I did feel it was about time a woman had a chance to run for the highest office in our country. Many women around the world have already proven they have/had what it takes to lead : Margaret Thatcher, Indira Ghandi, Golda Meir, Benazir Bhutto, Angela Merkel, Mary Robinson and too many more to list.
Why is it that some women in this country keep saying “I wanted a woman to run (Hillary) but I didn’t want that woman (Sarah Palin)”. Pity, that as women we can’t just seem to support other women. We could agree to disagree and still be supportive. You can say to someone “Good for you, I applaud your accomplishments, but I don’t plan to vote for you, I don't share your views”. I think that is what many conservative women did in regards to Hillary. Sadly, the liberal women have all turned into attack dogs against Sarah. Guess their true colors are finally showing. It isn’t about supporting women, it’s about supporting their own selfish causes. And if a woman happens to be supporting their causes, hoorah. But if not, to hell with feminism and women's accomplishments, they'd rather take the man.
I am a conservative woman. According to one “scholar” women who are conservative aren’t really women. I guess unless you are happy to murder your unborn children, you aren’t considered a woman in some camps. Isn’t it funny how they demand they have the right to kill their unborn children, but they don't think you should have the right to bear arms and defend yourself against someone who wants to do you or your family harm.
I guess I just do not understand the outrage. Isn’t feminism all about raising girls to be whatever they want to be? I used to believe that was what feminists were fighting for. My mom considered herself to be a feminist. She always told me and my sister that we needed to learn how to care for ourselves. We didn’t need a man to survive. My mom worked, full time, from the time I was about 4. I was put in daycare in NYC in 1972. I think it was one of the first day care centers open to the public. When we moved to Illinois, due to the transfer of my father within his company, one of the first things my mom did was get another job. I was a latch-key kid. I had an older brother and sister, but they were usually busy after school, so from 3rd grade on, I mostly came home to an empty house. But I could take care of myself. I knew how.
My mother also felt my brother needed to learn how to care for himself, so he didn’t treat a woman as a housekeeper. As soon as we could see the dials on the washing machine, we washed our own clothes. We learned how to cook for ourselves by age 8. We all got jobs as soon as possible. I was babysitting at 11 and cleaning offices by age 13.
Suffice it to say, my sister and I grew up knowing we didn’t NEED a man, and my brother grew up knowing he didn’t NEED a woman. We were self sufficient. The fulfillment of my mothers feministic dream. She raised her kids to be something she wasn’t. See, my mom married my dad at age 20. They dated since high school. She had my sister one year after her marriage, and my brother the next year after that. This was in the sixties, right when women were just getting their voice. She felt like she missed it. She wanted to be that bra burner, but she had two babies at home, and soon she had three (me). So she passed on her dreams to her children. Only we realized, or at least I realized, that her dream wasn’t reality. Feminists today are not the feminists of my mothers era.
It seems to me that all feminists care about today is abortion. Women must be allowed to kill their unborn babies. Under any circumstances. Babies are an inconvenience, a mistake. Girls shouldn’t be punished with mistakes, says Mr. Obama. If you don’t believe that, you can’t be part of their club. Nope, no conservative woman, who believes all babies are a gift from God could ever be a feminist. And if you happen to believe in that pesky savior, Jesus, and his teaching in the Bible, then you probably aren’t even a woman. No feminist woman could possibly believe in a a book written by men.
I was happy to see Hillary Clinton running for President. I certainly didn’t share her values or positions, but I did feel it was about time a woman had a chance to run for the highest office in our country. Many women around the world have already proven they have/had what it takes to lead : Margaret Thatcher, Indira Ghandi, Golda Meir, Benazir Bhutto, Angela Merkel, Mary Robinson and too many more to list.
Why is it that some women in this country keep saying “I wanted a woman to run (Hillary) but I didn’t want that woman (Sarah Palin)”. Pity, that as women we can’t just seem to support other women. We could agree to disagree and still be supportive. You can say to someone “Good for you, I applaud your accomplishments, but I don’t plan to vote for you, I don't share your views”. I think that is what many conservative women did in regards to Hillary. Sadly, the liberal women have all turned into attack dogs against Sarah. Guess their true colors are finally showing. It isn’t about supporting women, it’s about supporting their own selfish causes. And if a woman happens to be supporting their causes, hoorah. But if not, to hell with feminism and women's accomplishments, they'd rather take the man.
There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women.
~Madeleine K. Albright~
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