Is Feminism Good for the Church and Society?

My friend and fellow minister of Christ, Les Sheridan, posted this a week or so ago. I think the message is so worthy of sharing that I asked his permission to do so. It is a bit long, but because it deals with the question: "Is Feminism Good for the Church and for Society" I hope you will take the time to read it. ------ Today, thanks in large part to feminists, women are everywhere in the workplace.  They are in politics, corporations, doctors, scientist, astronauts and combat marines.  The church is another institution where women have made great strides.  Today, in the ELCA, the presiding bishop is a woman, as well as many regional bishops.  Woman pastors are more visible today than ever before.  As women entered the church and took on more leadership roles, many brought with them attitudes and creeds of feminism.  Some feminist in the church demonstrated hostility against a patriarchal system that historically relegated women as secondary citizens.  With this animus against a male dominated church, they began to change the culture and language of the church as they rose in leadership roles. Changing the culture and language of the church is called “Vertical Inclusive Language.”  It is a language that equally reflects both male and female aspects of God.  It is now an active part of several large protestant denominations.  In the Lutheran Church it is very visible.  Citing just one of many churches, a congregational newsletter was mailed to its members.  It was written by the church’s female senior pastor.  The title of the letter is “Our Mother, Who Art in Heaven.”  “Perhaps you’ve noticed the change in some of the prayer language in worship.  Some have pointed out “typos” in the liturgy where the Lord’s Prayer now says, “Our God” instead of “Our Father,” and the name ‘Father’ just kind of vanished from the Apostle’s Creed.  Did you notice?”  Elsewhere in the letter, she informs the members that they now have new hymnals that have, where possible, removed all references to masculinity and replaced it by gender neutral pronounces.  This is a trend in churches today.  The motivation behind this change is to make the church more female-friendly.  After years of being marginalized by a patriarchal system, feminists now have the clout and power to change things so that the church is more inclusive. Is the move to be more inclusive for women a good move or is it a change with unintended consequences?  Does this change in language really help women?  Some say it does more harm to women than it does good.  Once such person is Dennis Prager, a Jew who has written commentaries on the Pentateuch.  In his 560-page work on the Book of Genesis, he writes that feminization of the church is actually harmful to women. On page 10 of his commentary, he writes: 1)  The Hebrew Bible’s primary concern is a good world. 2)  A good world can be achieved only by making good people. 3) The primary perpetrators of evil (of a violent nature) are males. Prager asserts that the bible’s primary concern of a good world can be interpreted as God’s desire to have all believe and obey his commands.  If all people (primarily males) become faithful and good people, then violent crime will diminish. 

Prager continues his commentary by saying, “When males are young, they need to feel accountable to a male authority figure.  Without a father or some other male rule-giver, young men are likely to do great harm.  If there is no male authority figure to give a growing boy rules, it becomes very difficult to control his wilder impulses.”  For example, 99% of all mass school shooting were committed by males.  Almost all rapes of women are by men.  Most domestic violence is committed by men.  Most murders are committed by men.  Robberies are largely committed by men.  All wars are started by men.  Women bear the brunt of male aggression and violence.   Here is a major reason why: In 2008, then U.S. Senator Barack Obama told an audience, ‘Children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools, and twenty times more likely to end up in prison.’ A few days later, a psychiatrist from Harvard Medical School confirmed Obama’s statics.  He said a male figure in the home makes a huge difference in the behavior of children, especially males.  Sadly, many families are without a father-figure in the house, especially in black families.  Don Lemon, a black anchor for CNN aired a shocking report stating that 77% of all African Americans are born out of wedlock.  That means 77% of African Americans grow up without a father to role-model behavior.  That means 77% of African Americans will not have a father figure to discipline them.  That means they will not have someone to tell them how a man is to act.  That means that they will not have someone to demonstrate how women are to be treated.  While the rate of children born out of wedlock is high for African Americans, other races are well represented with children born out of wedlock. Prager writes that when a father is absent in the home, a father can be found in one other place.  He states, “a moral authoritative Father in Heaven can serve as an effective substitute.”  His concluding sentence reads, “Any discomfort one feels with a masculine depiction of God is not comparable to the pain one will feel if boys are not civilized into good men.”  This heavenly father can only be found in one place and that is the church.  For that reason, changing the language of the church and erasing all masculine words will have the opposite effect of what feminist are seeking.  Men, especially those seeking guidance from a father figure, will be lost to the world.  Men seeking a masculine figure, but finding a feminine figure in church, will not find what they need.  God instituted paternalism for a reason.  If the church keeps its masculine identity and it saves one school child from being shot, it is worth the discomfort.  If the church keeps its identification with the Father and it prevents one wife from being beaten, it is worth the discomfort.  If the church keeps its maleness in the liturgy, and it prevents one woman from being raped, it is worth the discomfort. It is my hope and desire that the church can come together and appreciate both women and men and their gifts they have to offer, as well as the gifts of our Father in Heaven.  Women have a unique set of gifts as well as men.  The church should respect and elevate women as it has been doing for years while at the same time realize that the church needs to guide and teach fatherless men to be good followers of Christ in a manner that touches their soul.  My hope and prayer are for young boys without a father to find a loving father in church, one that teaches them how to be good citizens and followers of Christ, and one that teaches them how to respect and honor women.  My hope is that the church will teach young boys that violence is not the answer.  My hope is, as Dennis Prager wrote, that the church makes all people good so the world becomes good. Amen.