It seems that the American woman has been called every name in the book over the past several weeks. It also seems that much of the recent American political debate is focused on womens issues. However, at the same time, there has been a lot of verbal rhetoric and disparaging remarks made about women, from conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh and liberal television personality Bill Maher (to name the most notorious personalities of recent days). We are rightly appalled as we hear the toxic language used when describing women in our society.
There has been an ongoing battle in this country about the role of women. Our media inundates us with images of women that should make most people blush. Our commecials, our television programs, our magazines, our music, and our news media outlets create an image of today’s woman that is often demeaning and belittling. We criticize female executives. We caricature female politicians. We devalue the stay-at-home mother. Our daughters are told that their role in this world must either be as a opinionless prude or as a radically outspoken loose woman. Our little girls are presented with indecent clothing options in retail stores that make them look and feel like there are at the mercy of men.
As a Christian man (who has a wife, a sister, a mother, a daughter, a mother-in-law, a sister-in-law, and many female friends), I am alarmed by the objectification of women in our society. When a radio host, a television pundit, or a musicican calls a woman a four- or five-letter ephithet, he is allowing for my wife, my daughter, or my mother to be called the same name. There used to be boundaries of decency which humorists or artists did not cross. Not so anymore, and it is at the expense of our women. Now please do not misunderstand me. I am not suggesting that those persons should be prohibited their constitutional right of free speech. The American government and judicial system have firmly established a right to free speech. However, as a consumer of the media, I can make a choice to take to task those people who say and do things that are clearly wrong. I can call for an end to their vitriolic words. On this issue they are wrong. Do female politicians like Nancy Pelosi, Sarah Palin, and Hillary Clinton open themselves up to more scrutiny because of their public roles? Certainly. But, do they deserve derogatory name-calling because of their public roles? Certainly not. We must be wary of those that would say it is acceptable to subject these women to toxic words, because soon, it will be acceptable to call any woman a derogatory name.
What can we do? We can stand up and object to the continued use of this type of language. Yes, stop listening, stop buying, stop watching. Let those people who promote such language know how much we dislike the choices they are making. We can counteract the negative influence with a positive influence. Make a pledge to treat and speak of women with respect.
Looking at the issue from a biblical perspective, I would argue that the language and objectification of women in our culture is contrary to God’s design. From the beginning, God created man and woman in His image. In the garden, God tested Adam in order for Adam to recognize his need for a soulmate. As Adam watched the animals pass by him in pairs, he realized that there was not a suitable helper for him, at which point God created Eve. She was not created as an afterthought. And she was not created as a lesser person. She was created to be the soulmate and companion of Adam. In fact, you could say that in Eve, Adam found the one who “completed” him. She was his complement. In another Old Testament text, the noble wife of Proverbs 31 is an entrepreneur, a philanthropist, a teacher, a mother, and one who is wise.
In the New Testament, we see many indications that women are to be treated with respect and honor. Jesus was a friend to Mary and Martha and was supported during his ministry by many women. Jesus also heals many women (including Peter’s mother-in-law) and speaks to many women with compassion (including the woman at the well who was in an adulteress relationship). Paul writes that gender is not a deciding factor in who may receive the salvation and favor of God. Paul also writes that men and women are to be subject to each other (Ephesians 5:21), that the husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25) and that he is not to be harsh with her (Colossians 3:19). Peter tells men to be considerate and respectful of their wives (1 Peter 3:7) since they are the weaker partner. Some misunderstand what Peter is saying when he calls a woman the weaker partner. His language and imagery is beautiful. He is not saying that the woman is weak and less than a man, but that she is precious. His imagery suggests that she is the prized possession of the house that deserves the place of greatest respect and honor. We might say that Peter says the woman is the finest china that we place in our curio cabinets and take out for the most special of occasions. She is not common. She is not our everyday dinnerware, she is the most special thing in the household. God tells us clearly to honor the women in our lives.
There is no denying that the genders are different. Men have more physical strength but women have a stronger threshold for pain. Men are more driven by performance and work, but women are more driven by relationship and connection. As a result, men’s brains physiologically operate in ways different from women’s brains. Scientific research has shown more interconnectedness in a woman’s brain than in a man’s brain, resulting in women being more intuitive and aware of danger and dishonesty. This is how we are designed by God. However, our society has shamefully disparaged the differences in women and inappropriately demeaned the value and worth of women with disparaging remarks and course jesting. Let’s rise above this inappropriateness.
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