The article is also a continuation of Qualities of a Godly Wife - Can a Godly Wife Embrace Feminism? - Part 1, Part 2a, Part 2b, Part 2c.
7. What can we do about Feminism in church?
The case study on Sam is just one of the examples when the Christian Feminists wreak havoc in the church. I have questions for church leaders who allow Christian females to embrace feminism.
Questions for the church leaders and the godly wives who allowed Feminism to grow in the church
It is a mystery how church leaders allow the Christian Feminists to sow discord to destroy fellow Christians. I have six big questions for church leaders who allowed the Christian Feminists to write scripts of conflict among Christians:
i. Why are one-sided judgements accepted as the truth in ignorance of Deuteronomy 13:12-14?
The biblical precedent is clear hearsays and opinions are to be investigated.
ii. Why were the Christian Feminists allowed to sway public opinion in the church and lead people astray in spite of Deuteronomy 13:12-14?
I’m sure we have read Jesus’ warning of false teachings in the end times.
iii. When facing conflict, why wasn’t a thorough investigation done in accordance to Deuteronomy 13:12-14?
iv. Where is the justice (Leviticus 19:15)?
Do not take sides just because the gossipers are our friends, relatives or a person of high status or wealth (James 2:1-4) Everyone deserves a chance to defend against accusations.
v. Why are young Christian ladies who exhibit a feminist attitude to life left to grow up as feminists?
I have heard leaders claim feminism is part of their personality. I have seen young girls at the age of 9 write English compositions that reek of the women-are-always-superior-to-men attitude. Why wasn’t their ungodly attitude corrected with the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17)?
vi. I do not ask for crucifixion of the feminists, but where is the mediation, confession of sins and reconciliation between the feminists and the people they hurt (Matthew 5:9; James 5:16-17)?
Christians are to uphold justice, and conflicts are to be mediated and people reconciled. Labeling Sam as “philandering” or a “playboy” was blatant injustice. Calling his friendly banter a “fling” was bad judgement. Prejudice, stereotypes and “The Blame Game” have no place in the church.
Deciding women are always right, and following the Christian Feminist’s one-sided judgements is myopic. Church leaders who allow weeds of feminism to grow and impede true spiritual growth, shows a lack of God’s truth in decision making.
I have also thought of a probable checklist for the godly wives to deal with hearsay and opinions about other Christians:
i. The Feminists – feminists, Modern Feminists and Christian Feminists included – are not
always right.
Do not broadcast unfounded opinions which can be wrong and which incite hatred, divide the church and cause me to fall into the sin of gossip and slander (Luke 3:14). Only God is always right (Deuteronomy 32:4).
ii. Feminism, and whatever versions of it, are not biblical. So do not embrace it like God’s Word.
iii. Pray for wisdom before I voice an opinion about a fellow Christian.
iv. Explore all possibilities behind anyone who I think have done wrong.
v. Check if, my opinion is supported by real evidence, or hearsay.
vi. The best way to check, is simply to ask, and hear from your fellow Christian whom you suspect is in sin. If you do not even listen, your judgement is just one-sided, incomplete and untrue.
vii. If I have to correct a fellow Christian, speak with him in private or ask someone suitable (who will not gossip) to speak to him.
There is no need to tell the whole world about it. Telling more people about it is just gossiping.
viii. If I’m unsure if the Christian in concern is really falling into sin, I must make it known to the godly mentor(s).
ix. Instead of "must be", replace this strong and conflict-inducing phrase.
To voice an opinion, take these for examples: “I think our brother may be falling into sin”, “My brother-in-christ might be wrong” or “It is possible my brother-in-Christ has backslided. Could you please check on him to ensure he’s fine?”
x. It is better not to say anything if it doesn’t benefit anyone in growth (1 Corinthians 10:23).
If godly wives are not careful, they can suddenly become experts at creating conflicts out of nothing, simply because we are constantly influenced by a culture of conflict in TV dramas and real-life dramas.
We can’t afford to think like media theorists, we can’t think our personality and character are strong enough to withstand any media influences. Devoting all our spare time to TV dramas and real-life dramas is akin to signing a marriage with the vine of conflict. We need the Word of God and our Lord, the only real vine of life.
Subconsciously, the Christian Feminist may have coined a new version of John 15:5 “TV dramas, real-life dramas and gossips are the vine, I am the branch...”. No wonder they indulge in TV, real-life dramas and gossips all the time and forget to meditate on the Bible and spend time with the Lord in prayer.
They forgot Romans 12:2 and its command for us not to follow the world, but be renewed in our minds.
While watching television dramas is not a sin, neglecting quality time meditating the Scripture, and replacing devotional time for a devotion to the latest drama serial, is a big mistake. It is leaving Jesus, the vine of life, and indulging ourselves in the vine of conflict, conflict and conflict.
Return to the True Vine of Life
When we often consciously and subconsciously echo what is in the dramas and our real-life dramas at work, conflict becomes our daily staple. Our daily bread, the Bible, is cast aside in favour of TV dramas and the gossiping, stereotyping and prejudice we exhibit at work.
And when that happens, we receive a daily education in creating cornflakes out of conflicts, while the healthy bread of wisdom, discernment is left to rot and grow mouldy. And so the weeds of conflicts are planted while the seeds of spiritual growth are left to wither.
Godly wives know what it means to be attached to the only true vine, our Lord Jesus Christ, for them to grow. The only way for the weeds of feminism to die, is for the seeds of truth to grow in the hearts of Christians. We cannot neglect our daily devotion that nurtures the seeds of truth into seedlings of righteousness in our hearts.
In today’s world, feminism has the power to turn any church upside down. We do not know what else can influence us to rebel against God’s Will. But we know we can be prepared, by constantly growing in Christ, and letting our minds be transformed, and our hearts to beat like Christ’s.
We know our spiritual state will decline the more we live in our world. Return to John 15:5. It says
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
On our own, we cannot deal with gossip, slander and everything else that represents feminism. While we enjoy all the potluck, fun games, steamboat dinners and healthy fellowship programmes, all the goodwill established by them are easily blown away by feminism.
With constant meditation on God’s word, the godly wife would be able to self-correct her actions and choose a path of righteousness. She meditates on the Scriptures, more than the television dramas or the feminist statements. And she can discern between right and wrong.
Pop culture may claim “God is a woman”, but the true Christian knows women are not divine. Pop songs may imagine “If God is one of us”, yet the godly wife knows she is not on the same level as God. She recognizes there is only one God, whose will is above all of us. God doesn’t bow to us. We bow to God.
She knows for the body of Christ to truly bear fruits, she would have to walk away from the Feminist’s wisdom. She would seek God’s wisdom daily, for it is on a different path from the Feminist:
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.(James 3:15-18)
Conclusion:
The ways of the modern feminist may be very appealing, with lush greenery, diamond-studded lamp posts, wide and speedy lanes to success, benefits and privileges, but Jesus has called the godly wife to walk the narrow path.
Feminism is appealing with its promises of higher status, privileges that the men can’t get. But Christian females have to consider the consequences of choosing a feminist lifestyle – gossips, slanders, the prejudice, the stereotypes and “The Blame Game”. These are not consistent with godly living. Feminism ultimately usurp the highest role that only God can lay claim to. Godly wives were not called to salvation by his grace and then allowed to live their lives as however she wants.
With these differences between feminism and our godly living, godly wives can have no qualms about rejecting feminism.
The godly wife knows her Christian life is about God-given wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and salvation, and glorifying God in all she does (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). The godly wife is therefore to walk a path of God’s form of righteousness, not the feminist’s self-righteous road.
There is no room for a secret compartment of malicious tales in a designer bag, not even a speck of cyanine in the branded lipstick that adores your lips.
There is no room for uncontrolled tongues and lips, gossip and slander and the hunger for absolute female authority over men and our Lord; not even a storeroom.
Forget feminism, follow God!
Updated: 5:13pm January 23, 2012
Updated: 5:13pm January 23, 2012
Bibliography
Edward de Bono, How to Have A Beautiful Mind (Vermilion London, 2004), p. 19
Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Lies Women Believe (Moody Press Chicago, 2001), p. 195
Dale A. Robbins, What’s Wrong with Gossip? (http://www.victorious.org/gossip.htm)
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