New Semi-Complementarians or Old Feminists?

Here is an article my Mom wrote for LAF that you may find interesting regarding Mrs. Palin and her supporters.

New Semi-Complementarians or Old Feminists?

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Feminism Gave Woman the Right to Vote

First off, we must ask: is giving woman the right to vote a good thing? I see that it has led to woman holding office, and politicians pleading the side of emotions more than common sense. But, just because I don't like what I see doesn't make it unbiblical. Scriptures do not speak directly about voting but they do speak about authority and decision making.

But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

1Ti 2:12 -15

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Gen 2:18

In the above scriptures we see that the man is the authority for two reasons: one, God created him first, and two, the woman was deceived. If Paul went back to the beginning you can not say that this teaching was cultural. God has set up the line of authority from the beginning, even before the fall. So when it comes to voting, if the head of the family (the husband, father, brother, nephew) is to make the decisions in the family, shouldn't he also make the decisions in the government that affect all of the family? And if women are more easily deceived should they be trying to choose from among a bunch of politicians that very tempted to lie to get into office? From my own experience, and it is common knowledge, that women act more emotionally and men more intellectually. That is not to say women are completely emotion driven or men completely mind driven; it is just woman tend more to emotion and men more to mind. In the God given roles this works perfectly, the woman acts as caregiver and helper, and the man as breadwinner and leader. But when we reverse these roles we get very mushy minded men and emotion driven politics.

Also we should understand that voting is not a right, it is a privilege given to those that pay into it. Before women entered the work force they did not pay taxes. In the beginning of our nation only land owners payed taxes therefore they had the privilege to vote whether they were male, or female. If the government is directing the tax money then should not those who pay taxes vote for who will direct it?

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?

Matthew 20:15

In the Old Testament we see that government and decisions were run by men, able men.

Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

Exodus 18:21

Many times the government was led by the patriarchy, the older men that were the heads of families and tribes.(Exodus 3:18, 17:5 Numbers 11:16 2Samuel 5:3 and others, just do a word search on the word "elders" to see what role they played.)

In Scriptures it is clear that the man is the head of the family, therefore he is held responsible before God for decisions and leading, we as woman can rest in that thought. Voting is an awesome responsibility that weighs much on the one that bears it. Let the men sort through all the politicians and lies and let us joyfully submit to our own heads as it is fit in the Lord.

The Heart of Feminism

I have noticed on other blogs that the mention of feminism in the negative usually brings up many questions and objections by some of our sisters in the Lord. I would like to address some of the objection by addressing what I believe to be the heart of feminism.

A good definition of the heart of feminism is: the breaking down of Biblical roles and order in the church, family, and civil government. Now there are many motives for doing this, some rooted in goodwill perhaps, others in sin and control. But whatever your motive is in being a feminist if it does the above, as I have defined, it is unChrist-like and antibiblical.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Christ, as being one with the Father, has given us His word through the Holy Scriptures, and it is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the [woman] of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Timothy 3:16,17, italics added). Therefore as we, who are bought with the precious blood of Christ, seek by His Spirit to bring into"captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:5) we must use the Bible as our rule of life, guiding us in all we do and say– including how we run the home, the church , and our civil government.

Now it is clear in scriptures that a Biblical marriage means that the man is to be the loving head even as Christ is the head of the church, and the woman is to submit and obey him in love even as the Church is to Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33, I Timothy 2:11-13, Titus 2:4-5, and others). Feminism says that men and woman are the same in their roles and the woman can be the head with the man, that the man can follow his wife and help her in her goals and purposes. But this denies the Scriptures and mars the beautiful picture that marriage is suppose to portray of Christ and His Church. What folly it would be to think of Christ submitting to the Church or following her goals and visions. Or to think of Christ and the Church each seeking their own goals and only meeting for communion together. Yet this is the way so many marriages, even Christian marriages, are run. I am not saying that the Bible says that the man is perfect or even less evil than the woman and that is why he portrays Christ, Adam and Eve both fell in Eden by their individual sin, but the Bible calls us as imperfect human beings to picture the perfect picture of Christ and the Church. And it is only by leaning on His Spirit and keeping His commandments that we can attempt to do that.

I urge you to search the Scriptures to find the proper way to run a home; don’t listen to what our culture is saying or what the flesh desires. Make the Bible your only rule of life.

I hope to later put to rest the objections of what good feminism has brought. If you have any objections to the way I have interpreted these scriptures I would like to hear your interpretation, according to scripture, concerning the roles of men and woman.