The fact is that men need moral women. Perhaps one of the greatest tragedies of the feminist movement was the pre-occupation of many feminists to make women more like men. To a large degree, the feminists abandoned the stay-at-home mother and those who desired the traditional family experience. Women were not only told to leave the home and go into the workplace to claim their rightful positions, but they were also encouraged to abandon many of their innate qualities and values.
Feminists viewed a woman’s nurturing characteristics, for example, as useless baggage that harmed them. Instead of promoting family and children, the emphasis shifted to wants and desires of the woman regardless of its impact upon the family. Men and husbands were viewed with contempt and children were seen as a hinderment to self-fulfillment.
Interestingly, the feminist movement abandoned and held in contempt the most admirable qualities of women. It viewed the achievements of men as the ultimate prize while turning against the unique and remarkable characteristics of its own species.
Even more remarkable, the feminist position concluded that female characteristics were inferior to those of men. While women have historically been nurturers, caregivers, teachers and the foundation of home life, morality and virtue, feminists interpreted such traditional roles and characteristics as a form of repression.
More here: http://www.meridianmagazine.com/articles/040422women.html
What is a woman's role? A place for women of all social, ethnic and religious backgrounds to express their view regarding women's roles in relationships, families and society.
Sherri thank you for including me in this discussion, I have thoroughly enjoyed everyone's thoughts regarding this matter.
ReplyDeleteAs a Substitute teacher in The slum area of Tucson AZ I made many observations. One of the schools where I taught was a charter school but really an 'alternative' school where the students were expelled from their city school ditrict for one reason or another. Many of the teen girls were pregnant.
What I noticed about the majority if not all the girls was how crass their behaviour was---every bit as bad as the boys in every way! It was as if these 'kids' were not capable of uttering a single sentence without swearing every other word!
The girls would openly discuss graphic sexual details with each other alng with the boys---they had no inhibitions whatsoever!
What I observed was that because these 'liberated' girls were acting in the same lewd manner as the boys--that's how they were treated...as 'one of the boys'. There was absolutely no shivelry, no change in behaviour whatsoever as I have been used to in the past when a girl suddenly enters the locker room--so to speak. I saw the girls get pushed around, you name it! Total disrespect!
And that's when the epiphamy came to me. They were not treated as ladies but as an an equal counterpart and that if you don't exude feminine nurturing characteristics (not to say that women need to always act like Polyanna's) you may not be treated like one. Which I believe may very well be a factor in some cases of domestic abuse---am I going out on a limb here?
Women aren't meant to be like men and vice versa. No, lewd behaviour shouldn't be tolerated from men either. But a womans 'natural' persona is to be meek and of divine nature, compassionate, and warm.
Chivalry may be on a downward spiral but I believe we (in general) have sadly provoked it.
~Erika
i wasn't even 'following' the blog I started, so I am so excited to visit it, and realize that the conversation has taken off... invite your friends and try to invite others who may not think the same; it doesn't help to preach to the choir... and a variety of perspectives may shed light from all angles for all of us.
ReplyDeleteRegarding this topic of masculine/feminine behavior...
I think it comes from a faulty system that provides no gender role models for kids; absent fathers, working mothers...
Sex is no longer viewed in society as sacred. It is about immediate physical pleasure wherever it is available; not recognized as a transcendent, spiritual act of communion... a mingling of spirits... an act of creation -- two artists and G-d.
I had an absent father, a working mother and a an uncle who took advantage of my longing to be treated as a grownup, heard and paid attention to. He gave me cocktails and cigarettes and took advantage of me at age 14. He was 35. I ran away from home and lived with him (and his wife and her daughter). I had a room of my own and a waterbed. When i was no longer a novelty he kicked me out and I gratefully was 'adopted' by a friend at my new school and her parents and lived with them until I graduated high school.
it is by the grace of G-d and the protection of a million angels, that i didn't wind up a prostitute, crack head on the street. I went on to college, got my degree and have led a productive life.
However, because of my non-existant family structure, I was vulnerable to be prey for my uncle, who used me for his sexual pleasure.
Believe me after that, I had no sexual inhibitions myself. I didn't value sex. I didn't value my body. It was nothing sacred.
They say one out of THREE girls is sexually abused. SO just multiply it out.
This is a major crisis that if the roots of the decline of our family structure and society in general are not identified and widely accepted, there will be no hope.
Families need a mother who nurtures. A father who provides. Children need to be protected. Sex needs to be valued as holy, divine and not just for passing ephemeral pleasure.
When children get an opportunity to once again observe gender roles as they were meant to be -- and who knows if this will be in our lifetime -- girls will be ladies, and men will be gentleman.
G-d bless...
mhope
Reading your story first I felt sadness. It's so true that it seems there is just NO WAY for so many to find these truths when growing up in a world so harsh. Then hope comes as I think "well, Miriam did it." It might have taken a whole lot of pain and struggle, but here she is sharing these same truths I have held dear all my life. And I realize also what a gift my parents gave and continue to give me. As they remain faithful to each other and to their beliefs. Not for the kids sake, we are all up and gone. Because they know it's right.
ReplyDeleteThis also leads me to see once again how amazing you are friend. To go through so much and come to where you are today. Blessings to you. I love you and am so happy for you.
Hi Everyone. I'm a 56 year old guy that witnessed the birth of modern feminism. The Gloria Steinhams and the Billy Jean Kings of that era. I was kinda confused by it all as I was subliminally taught that man was "master". The TV shows of the time tried their best to keep women subjugated, but as more and more womens marches were held the more TV changed. BUT,,,and I say this without trying to antagonize anyone,,the women's movement began to get twisted into something other than it's initial goal,,EQUALITY!!! When man hating lesbians infiltrated the women's movement, that's where you started to lose your credibility as a movement. And guys reacted. More and more divorces. More and more domestic abuse. And generally a downhill slide from the things that make women and men truely bond to each other. Google this ladies if you want to see just how far down the man hater faction within Women's Lib are going to take you. The search term is SlutWalk. It came from an incident in Toronto awhile back. These womyn's precepts disgust me and they should disgust you also. So I finish by saying this is my take on the history of Women's Lib. Yes,,good things have been acheived! But at what cost? Maybe I shouldn't include this guy's view, but take it or leave it at your peril.
ReplyDeleteantimisandry.com http://antimisandry.com/feminist-misandry/feminazis-screeching-over-blog-boycott-american-women-36485.html#ixzz2MXSh4V8w