“I am a feminist”.
This simple statement has a lot of connotations behind it. Some people may think that I hate men; others may think that I support abortion or the marches on T.V. That is what I used to think, at least partly. I listened to what the feminists on T.V. had to say, the people who supported the movement (and of course the social media buzz behind it), and I agreed with some of it - a lot of it, actually. But there were certain things that I could not get behind: things like abortion, birth control, dressing however you wanted, and so on. I wanted to be a feminist, but I also wanted to support Catholic teachings. Maybe you have been there: trying to reconcile being a feminist but also supporting Catholic teachings. The deep issue was not what side I was on. It was that I did not know what the Catholic Church actually thought about women.
I wanted to be a feminist, but I also wanted to support Catholic teachings.
Going into college I started hearing these terms like “feminine genius”. To me that sounded really good. I could get behind a term that told women they were geniuses, maybe smarter than men? I started looking more into Theology of the Body (TOB) and had friends explain and talk to me about what that meant. Theology of the Body told me that women needed men and men needed women. We are not meant to be at odds, but to work together for the greater good of humanity, not to mention the continuation of it. That is not even skimming the surface of TOB, but I was okay with not hating men (even though they can be annoying and dumb sometimes). My friend forced me to read Muleris Dignatatem by Saint Pope John Paul II. Even then I still did not understand what the Church thought of women.
We are not meant to be at odds, but to work together for the greater good of humanity, not to mention the continuation of it.
The summer after my freshman year of college I decided I was going to find what the Church actually thought about women. I worked in a library over break, and living in a college town over the summer, the library is dead. Easy enough to say I was reading a lot. I read a ton of Christian blogs, which is maybe not the best source of Catholic teaching, and I started reading the Bible more.
One day I was in the “dungeon” of the library by myself, sitting at a desk, I pulled out my Bible and started reading. I came to 1 Corinthians 11: 1 - 16 and was astounded. When I finished reading it(some sections several times), it was like someone flipped a light switch. All the things from Sarah Swafford talks, conversations on Theology of the Body, and talking about the Feminine Genius suddenly made sense. Women made sense. I couldn’t contain myself, I even acted like I was dropping a microphone because that is what God did through Saint Paul. He mic dropped on my life. I was standing up and trying to stop (quietly) freaking out. Imagine me walking around silent yelling “ OH MY GOSH! OHHH WHAT?!?!” along with various body movements and failing of arms. Let's just say I probably looked really weird if anyone was watching the camera tapes after!
When I finished reading it(some sections several times), it was like someone flipped a light switch. All the things from Sarah Swafford talks, conversations on Theology of the Body, and talking about the Feminine Genius suddenly made sense. Women made sense.
You see, in this chapter Saint Paul lays out the dignity of women. He says, “A man, on the other hand, should not cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man.”(1 Corinthians 11:7) This took me a bit to get, so let’s break it down. Men = glory of God. Women = glory of man. Therefore, Women = glory of man and the glory of God! What?! Out of mankind we, women, are the most glorious.
Then he says, “ For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; nor was man created for woman, but woman for men”(1 Corinthians 11:8-9). So much with this. First, men and women need each other. Even though men now come from us, without that first man, women would not exist. We would not be able to be alive. Second, women are God’s gift to men.
Even though men now come from us, without that first man, women would not exist.
Now, before we could get big heads, St. Paul goes on to say, “Women is not independent of man, or man of woman in the Lord. For just as woman came from man, so man is born of woman; but all things are from God” (1 Corinthians 11:11-12). Again, we are dependent on our brothers in Christ, and likewise they are dependent on us. We are not made to hate or be at odds with one another. Instead we are made to complement each other in our differences. We also must remember that everything - everything and everyone - comes from God our loving Father.
We are not made to hate or be at odds with one another. Instead we are made to complement each other in our differences.
True feminism is allowing yourself to be served and respected by men. It is encouraging them to be better and to raise them to a higher standard. It is recognizing your own value and worth and intense beauty because God made you the highest of creation and He wants you alive. It is to use that power not to deceit or manipulate or use, but to foster life, love and to show God to others. This is what being a feminist is.
True feminism is allowing yourself to be served and respected by men.
This is just a few verses, but I encourage you all to read the whole chapter of Corinthians 11. In fact, might as well read the whole book. Go ahead, girl, you got this. Romans is great, so is 1 John and John’s gospel. The whole Bible is great. I challenge you to look for the Truth because you will find it if you open your heart and mind and I promise you, it is within the Church.
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