Why I Am Not a Feminist
Oh, feminism. Commonly defined as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes,” feminism has become a buzzword. Despite the seemingly uncontroversial stance (of course men and women should be treated equally!), the term is often equivocal and used in conjunction with abortion, contraception, and other matters opposed to Christianity. This mixed bag raises the question: can Catholics identify as feminists? I, for one, answer no.
The invention of the term is credited to the philosopher Charles Fourier in 1837, though it was not widely adopted until the fight for women’s suffrage. This first wave of feminism fought for women’s ability to avail themselves of the same opportunities as men. However, in the century since the 19th Amendment, feminism has taken a turn: rather than promoting the advancement of womanhood, second-, third-, and fourth-wave feminism have undermined anything uniquely feminine. Second-wave feminism was born in a vow to destroy the family, and its instigators set out to cast off the patriarchy (whatever that is) and promote contraception, abortion, and homosexuality. The third and fourth waves are logical byproducts of the second, characterized by a radical individualism and the denial of any gender distinction whatsoever. Even a cursory investigation reveals feminism’s extraordinary success: divorce rates are through the roof, a majority of women are on birth control, and the term “pro-life feminist” is essentially an oxymoron.
What an implicit misogyny! Every part of the universally feminine vocation of motherhood has been combated, down to biology itself. As a woman, I wonder why a movement that self-reportedly fights for women is trying to undervalue, negate, and destroy the one thing women can do that men cannot. Feminists ironically assert a masculine superiority by trying to become just like men, and so trade the feminine birthright for a bowl of lentils. Of course, womanhood has been under attack since God put enmity between the serpent and the woman. But why in the world have women allied themselves with the enemy?
Women’s liberation did not occur when Emmeline Pankhurst smashed shop windows, when Elizabeth Stanton donned a pair of pants, or when Susan B. Anthony cast her ballot. It did not occur when suffrage was granted, when the Pill was invented, when women burned their bras in protest, or when the Equal Pay Act became law. Women’s liberation happened when an angel was sent from God to a young woman of Nazareth and asked her to become the mother of His Son. It happened when Christ offered Himself as the redeeming sacrifice and rose from the dead, both events witnessed and proclaimed by women. The Church has followed the example of her Head, who included women in His ministry despite all cultural opposition, in advancing the only true freedom, a freedom rooted in the glorious truth of being created a woman.
I am not a feminist. I see no reason to define myself as such. I am a Catholic, and I do not need another name for the belief that men and women are equal.
