Christianity versus Feminism with a Focus on Gender Violence Against Women - Essay Example

Christianity Verses Feminism with a Focus on Gender Violence against Women Insert Insert Cause Insert Overview of the topic The conceptualization of gender against women has been problematic over the past four decades. The Christian and the feminists alike have challenged the real definition of gender violence. For many decades, the feminists have redefined gender violence especially on women as a social problem. Moreover, the feminists have on several occasions demanded that the public and the state respond to this matter in a more meaningful way1. I came to do a research paper on this topic out of passion to analyze the different aspects of feminism, Christianity and the gender violence cases mostly on women from the past and the present. I was determined to know the roles played by religion and the feminists as discussed in the essay. In this discussion, I will relate Christianity and feminism focusing on gender violence especially on women. In the discussion, I will introduce many concepts integrated in the gender violence; explore the traditional Christian and the feminist’s ways of their violence against women. I will also examine the three books discussed in the class throughout the term and integrate them in my work. Christianity and gender based violence on women Domestic abuse can simply be defined as the war waged in the family against immediate family members especially the spouses2. Domestic abuse employs wide range of tactics such as physical or psychological warfare to their victims. In the Christianity, this is combined to shifting of blame, prejudice and fallen theology making it an entangle issue which is difficult to resolve3. However, “with all the goodwill and readiness to counter the domestic violence problem among the Christian families, it is close to impossible until the female subordination doctrine which is centrally placed on the issue of gender violence and is also what perpetuates the issue is dealt with.”4 This discrimination, which is institutionalized, thrives on unreasonable fear and hatred for women. Furthermore, it perpetuates the abuse and prevents the Christians from responding to the victims compassionately using bible principles5. Ingersoll further observes that gender based violence forms one of the major violence afflicted to women in the society of today6. In the religion of Christianity, women abuse has become one of the major marital problems being attended by the priests and the counselors. The spousal abuse perpetrators mostly use biblical injunctions and religion to justify their actions. The essay has debunked the myth that it is only through religion that women can be safe from the many kinds of gender violence7. The studies reveal that ten out of sixty women in churches go through verbal and emotional abuse. Furthermore, two out of the possible three suffer physical abuse. Interestingly, the women who are more active in church experience the most physical abuse from their spouses8. The role of the churches or their practices do favors the gender violence perpetrators9. This portrays the negative picture of Christianity and the role it plays in the gender violence. Furthermore, most of the women being abused do not tell anyone within the church and eventually if they try to seek help, they do it from outside the church congregation10. Christianity through their churches is mostly accused of fueling domestic violence through their bible teachings of the value of redemption of suffering11. Furthermore, Ingersoll observes that in many women’s lives, Christianity is a primary force in shaping of the women’s acceptance of abuse12. The symbolic image of Christ on the cross as the world’s savior further communicates the message that it is only through suffering that redemption will come forth hence the common belief among women. In addition to that, some of the Christian men use the physical violence for the enforcement of the injunction of Pauline of the submission of a woman to her husband as stated in the bible in Ephesians 5:22. No wonder Joyce observed that it is true to say that the church has assisted in the cultivation of conducive conditions to the domestic violence provocation in the societies globally13. In summary, the suffering theology portrayed in the form of abuse by a spouse is a guise of submitting to a man. This is a common feature in many Christian homes. There is belief, which is common among many Christian women, that they are the savior of their husband’s spiritual and emotional wellbeing14. This mindset is one of the explanatory factors that make many Christian women fail or find it difficult to report an abuse in a relationship. Moreover, some of the teachings and injunctions of Christianity, which suggests that if a woman, totally submits to her husband then she shows a mark of godliness15. It is important to note that most of the women, who experience marital abuse from their spouses, are often torn between loyalty to their husbands and loyalty to God. In simple terms, they desire to honor their husbands as well as to please God thus creating confusion amongst them16. Feminism and gender violence According to White, the process of constructing an idea and articulating it is referred to as framing17. Framing is very important in understanding the shared situations, which people believe to be in need of change, and articulating other alternatives by recruitment of new people to a particular cause. Traditionally, in the societies of North America, violence against women was always perceived as a private affair between the couples or just act which is random and committed by a stranger18. Moreover, on the sexual violence, certain violence acts such as rape was considered as a passion. When we look at this particular gender violence on women in this angle, then the gender violence was not examined as a social problem but rather otherwise because it was thought to be private and rare19. Furthermore, she observed that these perceptions placed all the blames on the person who has been victimized which in this case was mostly women. According to Paludi, the feminists approach, after an occurrence of such an act of violence on the women, is through questions. The questions, which would pop up next, were why was she late at night? What was she wearing? Did she know that the place is always dangerous?20 These kinds of feminists’ questions further portray the woman on the receiving end despite being violated. Similarly, feminism continues to manifest in the gender violence especially on women in different ways. When a woman has been violated, the violence is framed as being intimate problem between the couple21. Over many decades, the feminists have struggled to offer alternative definitions and conceptions of gender violence especially against women. This has seen women being enlightened through women empowerment forums and instead of internalizing anxiety and guilt after being violated, they tend to encourage each other and talk of openly about rape as a male dominance matter22. The introduction of the term wife battering advocated mostly by women out powered the feminists mindsets and dominance on using of the term private matter between a man and a wife in the cases of domestic violence23. Therefore, in the professional field, abuse and wife battering has been recognized as a way to smash the mindset of feminists who continues to violate women24. However, the feminists has over a long period of time sought many means to remove and transfer the blame on the victims of the gender violence and locate it a patriarchal symptom in the society which is oppressive25.In their bid, they try to identify the violence acted on the women as an outcome of the inequalities in gender. Furthermore, Puladi observes that the feminists resisted the normalization of this crime against women and converged to demand social change26. To be specific, the insistences of the feminists on the importance of gender analysis application when discussing of gender violence against women. For example, some groups of feminists quote the term domestic violence or spousal abuse as harmful to the feminine because of their neutrality27. What the general public will gain From the essay, I have brought out many ideas and factors that contribute to gender violence and their remedies. The public generally will benefit so much from the essay in many ways. First, they will get to understand how the daily teachings of Christianity especially in our churches play a significant role in gender violence instead of controlling it. Similarly, the public will get to understand some of the perceptions the feminists coin to avert the big issue of gender violence inflicted on women and ways in which it has been changed and also ways it can be changed. My thought Although the husbands are considered God’s representative at home, and therefore the wife should obey him at all times, respect should be mutual and common understanding should prevail in a marriage or a relationship between and a wife. However, on scrutiny of the bible, the spousal abuse, which is prevalent in many Christian families, does not portray the God’s will. This is because God created woman and man to be companions and always complement each other. Moreover, the teachings of Christianity are that all human beings were created in the image and likeness of God who loved us. We honor God by loving others as we love ourselves and not continuously abusing our partners. Moreover, the issue of gender should not be termed solely as the violence against women. Gender should be bisexual in the sense that it serves both genders. In addition, the issue of the Christians teachings and fueling of gender violence especially on women should be addressed by the church as a whole. Women should be given an enabling atmosphere to vent out their problems in their relationships. This will create harmony in many marriages and reduce the instances of gender violence, which is rampant in the Christian families. Similarly, the feminist’s contribution to female violence needs a lot of sociological research to find out the best mechanisms of counteracting the problem which has continued to rise in our societies. It is also important that the feminists to change their perceptions for the betterment of the affairs of women. Furthermore, women should be empowered by the community, non-governmental organizations and their own support groups and networks to enhance gender education. Bibliography Ingersoll, Julie. Evangelical Christian women war stories in the gender battles. New York: New York University Press, 2003. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10078484. Joyce, Kathryn. Quiverfull: inside the Christian patriarchy movement. Boston: Beacon Press, 2009. Paludi, Michele Antoinette. Feminism and womens rights worldwide. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger, 2010. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=539656. White, Mel. 1994. Stranger at the gate: to be gay and Christian in America. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Read More