femininity and feminism

Feminism is a word that conjures up strong feelings for nearly everyone.  For some it is feelings of disgust, for others it is feelings of empowerment.  I, personally, do not care for all of the negative connotations around the word feminism.  I do, however, agree with some of the concepts of individual feminism.  According to wikipedia, ifeminist tend to be anti-government and very pro-choice.  I fall into neither of these categories.  There are some things that I feel are a choice for each individual person. The choice of life, however,  is one that I believe belongs to God alone.  I know, that right there pretty much disqualifies me in many peoples minds.  This post is not, however, about my feelings on abortion and women's reproductive rights. It is about accepting femininity as a God given gift.

The following is a definition from Urban Dictionary of what an individual feminist is:

An ifeminist is a REAL feminist that does NOT:
1. Turn to the government for help (unlike radical feminists)
2. Become a butch lesbian vegan hippie communist prude that hates men, and chastises one for being a heterosexual woman that likes men, looks pretty, and eats meat (unlike radical feminists)
3. Believe women are weak, helpless victims of patriarchy, and men are strong, powerful oppressors (unlike radical feminists)
4. Believe a "Big Bad Patriarchy" exists to systematically oppress women (unlike radical feminiss)
5. Turn horrible HUMAN problems like (for example) terrorism, war, rape and domestic violence into gender "women good, men bad" issues (unlike radical feminists)
6. Be intolerant of dissent from one's own political beliefs (umlike radical feminists)
7. By into fascist political correctness (unlike radical feminists)
8. Blindly agree with NOW, the Democratic Party, the Feminist Majority, Ms. Magazine, or any other PC leftist group or person on EVERY f***ing issue without any knowledge on the issue in question (unlike radical feminists)
9. Believe guns, porn, etc. are inherently evil patriarchal tools of oppression (unlike radical feminiss)
10. Advocate hypocritical equality by preaching "tolerance" and then discuss how evil whites, heterosexuals, and/or men are (unlike radical feminists)
11. View well-thinking masculists as evil regressive enemies, not allies (unlike radical feminists)
12. Call capitalism oppressive patriarchal inequality and fascist communist and/or matriarchal societies peaceful and equal (unlike radical feminists) 

Some of these things are really good things.  In some of these definitions I could easily be labeled a feminist.  I do not believe that men are evil or that all problems stem from them.  I do not believe women are weak.  I do not believe that every institution on the planet is set out to suppress and demean women.  I don't believe that guns are evil (also another subject that I could write an entire blog about).  

And yet, I still hesitate to call myself a feminist.  I am an advocate of femininity not of an organized movement.  This is what I believe about women (and life in general):

• God designed us to work together with men, not to be above them or below them.  Eve was made from Adam's rib, not his head or feet.  
• Women bring exquisite beauty to this world.
• Mainstream, Hollywood, publicized beauty is not realistic and not real beauty.
• Beauty doesn't come from a waist size, boob size, butt size, flawless blemish free skin, full lips, long eyelashes, perfect makeup or fabulous hair.
• Beauty was born in each of us and we were each created in the image of God. (Gen 1:27  So God created mankind in his own image,  in the image of God he created them;  male and female he created them.)
• Women are strong, very, very strong.
• Men are not the evil enemies.  There are bad men in the world, but not all men are bad or desire to hurt or oppress women.
• Dysfunction in this world is not because of gender differences but rather because of sin.  We all sin.  Sin is what causes dysfunction.
• Women reflect God in a way that men cannot.  *please do not hear me saying that men do not reflect God's image, they most certainly DO!  But God created the genders to reflect Him differently.
• Government, guns and men are not evil!
• Women are not better than men.

I have been trying to think of a word to describe myself other than feminist that still calls to mind the amazingness that is a woman.  I have a phrase rather than a word.

I am an advocate of femininity.