Jesus, where do I begin?
Over the week, I've seen a trending article that talked about the Christian faith and how God "did not intend for women to be equals." As a Christian, specifically Roman Catholic, I would like to start off this article by saying how that idea is flat out wrong. And since the author of that article said, "To feminists and those that are not, you are allowed to believe whatever you wish but have evidence to back it up," I, a feminist, will be backing up my claim with biblical evidence.
Men and women are both created in the image of God.
In the very beginning of the Bible, it speaks about the creation of everything. When God first made man and women, Adam and Eve, the Bible says, "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27) To believe that one of God's creations is inferior to the other suggests that they do not share the same deep values that God gave us. Of course, this doesn't make sense since both men and women stem from the same pure image of God. Both individuals hold the same truth, grace, and love, regardless of gender.
Men and women need each other equally.
There's a passage in the Bible that specifically talks about both, men and women, need each other equally. It says, "1 Nevertheless, in the Lord, woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God." (1 Corinthians 11:11–12) This quote illustrates men and women like two halves of a circle: Without one piece, the other piece will never be complete. The concept of a man and woman coming together as equals is strongly illustrated in the holy book since marriage is a vocation in the Church. Marriage is not a contract where the woman must serve her husband. It's a special bond between two people that potentially blossom into a healthy family, raising children to practice the faith.
The true meaning of Proverbs 31.
That Odyssey article uses Proverbs 31 as evidence to support the claim that women are unequal to men. However, the interpretation in that piece falsely represents the meaning of it. The intention of Proverbs 31 is to highlight the characteristics that women have, which include love, good work ethic, grace, intelligence, and respect her herself and others. The role of a wife is equally as hard as the role of a husband, and readers will see that equal distribution of labor in Proverbs 31.
Being a good Christian (or person in general) means believing in equality.
As someone who was enrolled in Sunday school for her entire childhood, became a catechist, and currently practices the faith, I believe that giving men and women the same amount of respect is important. Especially in today's society, it's crucial to push for equal opportunities for both men and women. So, if you are a woman, know that your purpose in life wasn't meant to be inferior to men. Men and women should coexist without one being superior to the other.
Feminism: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.
Being a feminist does not imply that "men are the worst" or "women are better than men." It simply means that you believe in the concept of equal treatment between men and women. And trust me, God would want you to treat others the way you want to be treated.
