I came across an article today, written by a Father on why he is not planning on sending his (currently 5 year old) daughter to college. It was...interesting to say the least!
2 Reasons Why My Daughter Will Not Go To College
Go read it. I'll wait.
No, seriously. Read it.
Have you finished yet? Good. Let's talk.
While I honestly believe he is trying to do what he thinks is best for his daughter, I question the ideology which would deny a higher education to women.
He starts off with typical princess talk, calling his daughter his little princess. Which is all fine and well. Until we come to his premise for writing this post. He mentions that one day he will be "forced" to give his daughter away, and goes on to say that until her marriage, he and his wife have a responsibility to teach their daughter to be a "good wife and mother"
Excuse my rant, but among the list of things parents ARE to teach their children, teaching daughters to be wives and mothers isn't delineated as the ultimate goal of parenting!! Please show me a verse which says that the most important thing a father can teach his daughter is how to be a good wife and mother. It's not THE most important thing.
Next he moves onto feminism.
"To be honest, I have a deep concern for her because of the feministic culture we live in. Let's face it. Feminism has so influenced American culture that it has infiltrated the Christian culture just as much in more subtle ways. The average Christian woman is not trained from the home, nor encouraged, to find a husband as an alternative to going to college and starting a career. This is sad and unbiblical"
Hold. Flipping. Up. While no one will deny that feminism has had some negative effects, you can't just blame feminism for all the evils of the world. (Or wait, no, it's Marxism which is responsible for all the evils of the world.. but that's a rant for another day). Teaching your daughter to think and form ideas and yes even a worldview independent of you is NOT bad parenting. It is parenting done RIGHT! After all, who wants little clones running around? Oh, and since when was finding a husband the end-all-be-all of Christian womanhood? Last time I checked, following, honoring, and serving GOD was!
He goes on to talk about how women are the helpers of men and supposed to stay at home and never be independent of men, stating:
"Is it wrong to expect women to keep in step with the cultural, not Biblical, mandate"
In case he didn't know...he's advocating a cultural mandate, not a Biblical one. Cause, the CULTURAL mandate of Bible times demanded women to stay at home. Greek women had no freedom outside of the home whatsoever, and Jewish women could be divorced by their husbands for speaking to another man. Just because something was practiced in Bible times does NOT make it the Biblical mandate for all Christians. Polygamy, child marriage, prostitution, stoning, and having concubines were all practiced in the Bible, yet that doesn't mean God specifically order them. Or even approves for that matter.
"A woman was created to fill the role of a helper and a companion specifically to a husband"
Mhmm..and that word for helper, every other time it is used in Scripture, is referring to God, FYI. Helper does not mean that woman is a slave to man's every whim. It means she comes alongside him, encourages him, and supports him the way God "helps" those who trust in Him.
"Young Christian women are indeed pursuing the same things as unbelieving women - independence from a man. Eve acted outside the authority and protection of Adam, and, well, you know where that led to"
Oh. No. You. Did. Not. First off, where in the Bible are we taught that independence is sinful? If it was wrong to be independent then what's the use of freedom? Why did God create us individuals and not clones? To be independent of GOD is indeed against the Word of God. But all men are not the authority for all women. Secondly, which version of the Bible are YOU reading, cause nowhere in mine does it say that Eve went outside of Adam's authority in eating the fruit. In fact, the verse says "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat" (Genesis 3:6 emphasis mine). Did I miss a Genesis 3:5b which says "And Adam told Eve not to eat the fruit, but she despised his authority and ate it anyways"?? I don't think so!
"My daughter won't go to college...If I can't afford it"
I'm all for debt free if possible. But, the solution to that is NOT to limit your daughter's education. Its' to teach her well, let her get a job so she can help fund her college, and encourage her to apply for scholarships!
"The question then leads to this: What is she supposed to do if she doesn't go to college until she finds a husband?"
...Wait around at home perfecting her makeup and housewifery skills while waiting for Prince Charming to show up, of course!
"What if she never marries? What if she wants to be single?"
Well then clearly she is not living in accordance with the imaginary Biblical mandate that every woman must marry or she is sinning. Duh, people!
"Until the feminist movement, women employed their gifts, talents, and God-given abilities to benefit the home while being under the care, protection, and tutelage of her parents"
Do you have evidence to support that this is Biblically mandated, and not just another cultural thing? Oh, and once again, blame feminism, right?
He wraps up by saying that
"The job of being a wife and mother is a high calling, and I would argue that it is the most important job under the sun...The Bible reveals that it is God's will for women to get married, raise Godly children, and keep the house"
Well then. I guess Amy Carmichael, Mary Slessor, Mary (Lazarus' Sister), Charlotte Moon, Gladys Aylward, Maude Cary,Betsy Stockton, Florence Nightingale, and others weren't acting in accordance with God's will?
I'll leave you to ponder that
<3 Tirzah
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