GOD IS A FEMINIST

Sir,

By definition, a feminist is anyone who recognises the equality and full humanity of women and men. If feminism in its purest sense is the quest for justice and equal rights for women, then, yes, God was the first feminist.

God created woman in his image and bestowed on her equal dignity with man. But as sin entered the world, and things began to change, the God-given dignity of men and women has been lost as corrupt people with power oppress those without power

Because people who have always been in power have created their own rules and laws of running this world, God’s feminist ideals do not correlate with the world’s circular ones. In actual fact, it is nearly impossible to value women and put forth their needs and rights correctly without first valuing the God in whose image they were made.

Abused

So does this mean when women are being demeaned and abused, it is indeed God who is being disrespected and debased? If we value the God in whose image woman was made, we will value the woman herself.

While the Bible is not exactly the first book that comes to mind when talking about feminism, it does have many stories about feminist women who made a mark. Women who are strong or outspoken or overcome great odds or simply question the status quo around them.

Created

Take for example, the very first woman the Bible reports to having been created by God, Eve. While she is called lesser because she was created from Adam’s rib, her existence in the beginning of the Bible proves that men and women were created together equally.

Eve is the only one in the Garden of Eden who questioned the status quo, she shows no sign of seeing herself as anything other than equal to Adam and having the ability to make her own choices.

Another example of a feminist in the Bible is Esther. She is one of two women with a book of the Bible named after her. When Haman wanted to kill all Jews, Esther defied Persian law by presenting herself to the king without being summoned. She told the king of Haman’s plan and the Jews were saved, Haman was punished and Esther established a memorial that is still even celebrated today.

My other example is Deborah, who is the only female judge which is mentioned in the Bible, and a prophet among the Israelites. She helped lead and attack against Canaanites and prophesies that not only will the Israelites win, but that the glory of killing the enemy commander will go to a woman.

Instead of a social justice that gives woman complete independence from man, God calls for social justice in interdependent relationships between men and women. God lifts up all His creation, but not in a way that frees one from the other.

The Bible instructs men and women to work in covenants of mutual responsibility, at the same time advocates that each one of us be responsible for their actions, to be careful that our actions do not bring injustice and unfairness to the other. These principles are the foundation of feminism. And therefore, God is a feminist.

Nomsa

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