This is What an Anti-Feminist Looks Like: (Part 2)

“Women's liberation is just a lot of foolishness. It's men who are discriminated against. They can't bear children. And no one is likely to do anything about that.” -Golda Meir

So, my first post on this subject (ages and ages ago,) seemed to cause quite a stir, more than most of my readers realize, since due to the content of many of the comments, I could not publish them. Then I posted that 'Ending the thread' comment, and boy even MORE comments came in and continue to come in; But one comment in particular, which I will quote and refer to in this post, struck my fancy so to speak. Read on and enjoy, or not. :)

Why is feminism so ‘catching’?

When thinking about how many of my friends and acquaintances over my short lifetime have been what I would call ‘anti-feminists’ (which means more than not being feminist, I might add,) I realized that I really knew very few- which is truly heartbreaking! For all those girls/young women/women will pass the ‘unconcerned’ or ‘confused’ stance to their daughters, and their daughters will pass it to their daughters, and so on. ‘Catching’? In these cases it’s genetically transmitted (so to speak) – No one is such an example of what we are supposed to be as our mothers. Believe me, mothers are doing their daughters no favors by teaching them (by example if not by words) to be ‘independent’, ‘autonomous’ and ‘liberated’.

The Scriptures say:

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:10

I will not misquote God’s word, but let’s just say, “The love of supremacy and feminine liberation, is a fibrous, grisly strand in the root of a whole lotta misery and unhappiness” --- (Pardon my adjectives, just couldn’t help myself.)

Such thoughts in Christian women will inevitably and invariably cause them to “ere from the faith” and will cause them to ‘pierce themselves through with many sorrows” - Oy vey! There are so many things I want to approach on this subject! But I shall leave Joan of Arc, Jezebel and the others for another post...since I don't think I have a thick enough piece of yarn to tie it in with this post.

Oh, and on another note: I've been told I am not qualified to expound on this subject- lemme see... what are some of the qualifications? Umm... I'm female (did anyone else notice that?)... I'm human, and I live in this fallen world. I think that pretty much sums up my qualifications.

Now for the comment I wish to address:

[This comment is in reference to my previous 'anti-feminist' post]

Julie Shulman said:

  "What a misinterpretation of feminism. Feminists absolutely believe in family, and in valuing women’s work--childcare, domestic responsibilities. We see that the work that has traditionally been done by women SHOULD be valued as much as the work that is traditionally done by men. We’re equal, but certainly different. Of course, we also value that what a women does with her life should be her choice--so, if she wants to build a career as a doctor or case worker, she should be able to--as she is 100% capable of doing so. And if she wants to build her life around having and raising children--a very important and difficult job itself--she should have that choice available to her as well. And, if she wants to be able to do both, that too is possible. Options, choice, equality and freedom for women is what feminism is about."

Well, Ma'am, inconsistencies are most prevalent throughout your comment- why tell me I'm SO wrong, when you purport to letting women have their own choice, and obviously, their own opinion? You see, that is yet another of the problems of feminism- all the bravado sounds great, open minded and all that, when talked about in justification of what you want to defend, but it just doesn't seem to cut for the other guy, (or woman in this case, :)) You can have your opinion, but I can't, because you think I'm wrong; really, I love the logic.

On another note, I think that when you get all your fellow feminists in a huddle and go over the game plan again, you should make sure you all agree to the same principles- especially if you're going to lump all your fellow feminists together in such statements as "Feminists" this and "We" that-- Now I'll tell you truthfully- I could coexist with feminists with much more peace (at least a strained cease-fire, though I could never agree,) if they all shared and held to your opinions on the subject of how feminists look at femininity and the role of the woman, sadly as it is, they leave comments instead, telling me how wrong I am, and that my opinions 'misinterpret' feminism.
Thus I am forced to 'make war', and fight to show others how wrong the feminist doctrines are, and that feminism and those that call themselves feminists (willfully or inadvertently) spit in the face of God's will.

Enough said- I think I've addressed most of the issues in this comment, but there is one more that I would like to mention:
We do indeed have a choice- If women did not have a choice, we'd all be automatons- and we would not be able to choose to belong to our Heavenly Father- we could not choose between salvation and damnation- but God did not want that to be; He wanted us to choose to love Him, to choose to serve Him- But you can't serve Him by doing your own will. Love just doesn't work that way. Doing His will and abiding by the pattern He created doesn't make women stupid, ignorant, without an informed opinion (I own up to having one, :P) or pathetic specimens of humanity- (I think most of us can manage that all on our own.)

It's time we stood up and were counted!! Name which party you stand with, before someone else does.

There you have the post. Take the graphics but please comment to let me know you have. Thanks much.

Lovingly,

And The Winner Is...

Yesterday was the end of my 'Hundredth Post Giveaway'!! AND today is the day that the Winner is to be announced!!
With so many entries, from my closest friends as well as strangers, I wanted so many people to win this for different reasons, but sadly all of you could not win in a properly 'democratic' contest ;) (So to speak.) But, it is with great excitement,  that I announce the winner of my first-ever giveaway!!!

Miss Bailey!!!!

Congratulations Bayleaf!! I'm so happy for you! I will be e-mailing you about this, and mailing off the giveaway very soon!

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On a slightly different note, I will try to have giveaways rather frequently here on Tinker Girl's Blog, and hope that I dig up some interesting prizes in future- at least as popular as these were.

Everyone should check out a wonderful review of my book, Redemption: Throne Redeemed, written by my good friend Spencer, HERE. I was so pleased when I read it, ('pleased' doesn't quite describe my exuberance upon my reading it, but, oh well, :P) and very much grateful to him for having done so! Anyway, head over there and check it out... comment there if you will as well! :D I'd love to hear if his spectacular review made any of you more anxious to read what I have been incessantly talking about here since last year, when I first finished it. ;)

Also, keep your eye out for a post from this quarter that will once again stir the 'feminist' pot--- I'm brewing up a new addition to the subject, "This is What an Anti-feminist Looks Like:" due to some recent comments that I couldn't/wouldn't ever post, and one that was quite- ahh- enlightening? Well, illuminating at the very least. :) Anywhooo...

Now I leave you, and don't forget to congratulate the winner!!! :D

Lovingly,

After much thought... (Part 3: College- Is it for me?)

This post is not intended to advise others in any choices they may make, nor is it directed at any one of my friends who may have shared their thoughts or feelings with me- Yes, there were a few of you out there. ;) The post is in fact intended to perhaps serve as an encouragement to others, and give me a place to rant my head off about my issues, and how I feel, whether it be confused, convinced, or something in-between.

College- to me, the word that was once nothing more than a faint, distant shadow, is now a looming and irritating noun. To truly understand my situation and feelings, you'd have to know a bit more about my life- the things that mean a lot to me, and the history behind most of it.

To begin with, I will say that I am torn, constantly, and that while I may know the right path to take, I still, in my mind, toy with the idea of the other path that isn't the 'right' path. Why? I don't know- unless it is my inability to keep my mind from straying to what 'could be'.

My story on this subject begins back a few years now. I graduated high-school when I was fifteen, ahead of most of those my age, and had exceptional grades in all subjects. I do not relate this story in order to boast (My close friends know that, I'm sure,) but only in order to explain my situation. I know that a scholarship would have easily been obtained, had I pursued it, but I was very much interested in my writing at that time, and I did not think much about college.

My Grandmother had been a public school teacher, and had never really approved of my parent's home-schooling my brothers and myself- she had always made it clear what she hoped for my college education, even when I was a small girl. She and I had a relationship unlike any other- I was her beloved little girl, her namesake, her princess, kitten, etc. I loved to please her, and while in my younger years, with my great dislike of study, I struggled to please her as much as I should have liked, and we locked horns on more than one occasion in various subjects, (we both shared a case of stubbornness) I know that I did please her, just by being myself. That was always her final rule: Be yourself.

I am sure that my stubborn nature had something to do with my decision to put off talking about and deciding about college- But when my grandmother died, I felt a great burden to do what I had inadvertently decided against. I don't know why, and I will not attempt to psychoanalyze myself- but I know that my feelings changed.

I've always had a great love of history, handed down from the years of stories and talks with my Grandmother, who as a teacher had studied, and traveled extensively- I love Egypt, and studied everything I could in school about various countries histories... I thought it would be wonderful (an idea mostly given by my Grandmother, and very likely encouraged by too much Indiana Jones, and The Mummy,) to be an Archaeologist and Historian. Of course, you can't be an Archaeologist and Historian with out a Ph.D right?

I'd love to be able to have the experience of being my own person, looking after myself, and doing my own thing- I love to be the center of attention, and I love to make new friends- I am able to be a social butterfly and a total reject by turns... depending on my mood. College sounded both fun, and looked to be a means of my achieving one of my many goals! But I can't truly reconcile myself to that. It would be fun, interesting, wonderful to pursue my interests, and quench my thirst for that kind of learning. But would it be right? I thought long and hard. It didn't help. So I began to pray... and I'm still praying.

To be truthful, I have never thought of college as something girls should do, I was rather convinced that it was almost sinful- how things change when it's yourself. Yes, it's true, I can be a hypocrite. I don't like being a hypocrite, so I am attempting to reckon with myself and decide once and for all what is right. I wonder though if I am letting my 'feelings' rule over what I 'know' is right.

I want to see the world, travel, and know everything there is to know about everything- I also want a Godly marriage, and a whole army of children. For a long time I questioned which one I would allow myself, then I questioned if I could have both, - I wondered why God would make me choose, and why He would give me such gifts if He didn't wish me to use them! But while discussing this with one of my many advisers, I read these verses:

Ecclesiastes 12:11-14 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

We are to give our wills over to God. It makes sense doesn't it? I had never thought of it that way before, but when I read these verses, it changed the way I looked at my wishes, and what I was trying to 'do' for God. He called us to serve Him, and do His will. Not serve him by doing our will. If it is His will that you get a college education, then that is between you and Him, and He will open the door for you to gain that education.

I know however, through much prayer, that it is not His will for me to attend college to gain a degree in order to be a real Archaeologist. I am a rebel though, to most conventions- I feel that you can gain an education through self-teaching, more than though a conventional school. That's what our home-schooling parents believed, isn't it? Does that standard change for following further with a 'college' quality education? Those are perhaps questions that will encourage others who are struggling with the same questions that I am struggling with.

Knowing that God's will, isn't my will doesn't make me happy- I am not hopping with jubilant exuberance. It's not pleasant to know that what I want for myself, isn't best. I still want it. I still wish I could do what I like. Sometimes I even wish I didn't have the Holy Spirit to tell me when I'm wrong... then I could do as I please and make myself happy. Then the Holy Spirit pricks me, and I realize once again, the fact that we, as mortals, so often forget. This world, is not 'forever'- What we do here, we do for our Creator, we should not seek to please our flesh, even if it is through study and knowledge, and seemingly good things. MY whole duty is to fear God, and keep his commandments. It's simple to me, while not always a joy- It's my job to make it a joy. It's not fun to have your pride and will broken by God... but that is what has happened to me.

I do know that God's will for me IS best... His love for me outshines all other affection. He is my most beloved friend, my comforter, and my Lord. He will never harm me, and He will never turn his face from me. Someone said something like this once, (I am paraphrasing here) "If you wonder why God is walking away from you, look to your own path, because it's not up to God to walk with us, but for us to walk with God."
I always imagined that the man who looked to his own path, and found that it wound away from God's, looked to God, and found Him beckoning to him to turn, and catch up. God's love is unending, and He is supposed to be our best friend, and our master- what is amazing to me, is that He can be both.

I got off on a lovely tangent there, but I will continue on the first subject:

Obviously I have made my decisions clear at this point. It does not change how I love my friends who don't choose the same. I will love all of my friends equally much, no matter what choices they make... even if at some point  in some situations I feel they may have been mistakes.

I feel that my calling is to use my God-given talents as He sees fit. I will write, I will draw, I will study some, and enjoy it immensely- I will read His word, and seek His face in all things. I will wait for my 'Issac' and believe me, I will be watering every camel I see... :P

While I may joke about it, I believe that preparing for marriage, and raising children is a never ending education! You don't need a college degree to be a wife and mother, but you do need a close relationship with your Creator. That is what I must turn myself to- to seek Him in all things. To give my will to God, and take His will as my motto, and follow Him in all things.

I'm not sure if this will serve as any help to anyone else- It wasn't really intended to- other than to be an encouragement to others who are feeling alone in their struggles with this choice. I am not an ideal example of anything, other than being a complete hypocrite, double talker, and of a very changeable mind, but I pray that I will become more what God wants me to be, no matter the cost to my own wishes.

With much prayer, and equally much love,