Head Coverings and Such

Out of curiosity, I looked up the phrase"Today's Woman" on Google Images. I do NOT suggest doing this because the very first image that appeared was a woman who was missing a few choice pieces of raiment. After this disappointing incident, I did some research on suffrage, the women's liberation movement, etc. I found it interesting (for lack of a better term) that one year after the 19th amendment of the U.S. constitution was ratified, the American Birth Control League (now Planned Parenthood) was formed (by a woman). This really sparked my curiosity so again, I searched the Internet in pursuit of information detailing the differences between the "oppressed," "helpless" woman of the past and the "liberated","empowered" women of today. Little did I know that with every click of the mouse I would remove the facade of "feminism" to reveal the bars of the prison we have built around ourselves.

Nearly every search I conducted on women's rights led me to information about Roe v. Wade(1973) and abortion. I was shocked to find that so many people actually believe that abortion empowers women. We have created a society so individualistic and material-driven that people can only procreate when it is economically and/or socially convenient. It truly frightens me that young Christian girls are subject to this...well, crap. The issue of abortion really points us to the greater problem of sexual purity and young women.

I'm not sure that many young Christians are struggling with abortion specifically, but I know that ALL young Christians struggle with sexual purity. So many problems stem from this issue. One problem in particular that I find unbearably frustrating is the gross misrepresentation of women in the media. Even after "women's lib", we are subject to airbrushed, enhanced, overtly sexual images that are now our standards for "normal." The modern fashions are unabashedly immodest and insanely overpriced. Young (christian) girls and women are starving, plucking, dying, chemical peeling, lazer-ing, manicuring, surgically augmenting, make-over-ing and overspending our way to a life that is totally void of spiritual depth and truth.

Flowing from the image problem is our problem with sexual purity. Young girls simply don't understand that they can say no. They don't know that their importance does not lie in their ability to tempt men and make other women jealous. They don't know that true freedom comes from being recognized for holiness and intelligence.

I would love to point to media. It would be easy say that men, the glass ceiling, industry, etc. are to blame for our woes, but I won't because I know that is a lie. The problem with women is...women. We let ourselves believe the lies. We fought for the right to vote and speak and live, and then we used it to legally to murder babies and exploit ourselves. We talk about stereotypes and impossible expectations with painted lips and giggly voices. We compromise intelligence and strength for recognition and acceptance. We don't stand for mothers and holy single women. We don't praise girls for boldness and confidence. We let Disney tell girls how they should look and act. We call them "Princesses", not Ezers. We must realize and BELIEVE that our worth is found in Christ and that our image bears His image. We cannot allow ourselves to be defined by culture. We cannot allow young women to believe that what we see on television and in magazines is anything less that exploitation and objectification. We must encourage younger generations of women to learn and grow and strive and yearn for truth. We must help Christian men understand how a real woman looks, thinks, and acts. We must come to an understanding of what it means to submit to husbands and find freedom and power in our biblical role of woman. We must stop blaming society for the web we have spun.

Let's get out our Bibles and fix it ourselves.