Disclaimer: This is not an attack on Christian women who do not identify as feminists. You live your life, this is a judgement free zone.
A couple of months ago, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and came across one of those cliche pictures of a woman with a book on her lap and some sort of caption about how excited she is to start this book. However, the book showcased was titled The Feminist Mistake and the caption-from a Christian spoken word poet that I had started to look up to- was stating that to be a Christian and a feminist was somehow founded on a position of pride and the desire to rule over a man, more specifically your husband. As a general rule, I let things that I do not agree with in my faith slide off of my back. I understand that a lot of issues that come up regarding gender, orientation or place come with an uphill battle for change. But this picture and the debate that sparked in the comments really stuck with me. I made a point to study the Word and base this list on Biblical facts and not just what I assumed and I have come to understand that it is a right and joyful thing to not only be a Christian but a feminist.
1.Jesus was a feminist
This is best seen in the narrative of Mary Magdalene. Jesus met Mary when she was possessed by seven demons and He healed her. From that day on she followed Him to every city, including the one Jesus would take His last breath in. In the book of Matthew we see the story unfold. When Jesus died, she went with His mother to His tomb, planning to prepare His body for burial. Mary Magdalene was the first to see that the stone rolled away, the first to hear the Lord speak her name and the first to hear the instruction "Go and tell the other I'm alive". Mary Magdalene's journey did not stop there, after Christ ascended to heaven, she continued to talk about her best friend and the things that He had done.
If that is not enough, in the book of John we experience Jesus saving a woman's life. She had committed adultery, been caught and was about to be stoned to death. Jesus walked into the middle of this said that famous "he who is with sign" verse that everyone loves and saved her life. He could have walked by that incident. He could have said "well, that's what she gets for breaking the law and trying to rule over her husband" and left it at that. But He did not, He stepped in (kind of like bystander awareness but I'll leave that alone)
If you ever wondered about Christ's compassion towards women, this is it. A lot of the Christian women that I have met who were open about their feminism admitted that it was a part of being more like Christ. Not yelling at men, but bringing light to the society we live in. Not trying to rule over men, but to feel as if they had a place as women.
So this is it. The ONE reason I am a Christian and feminist.
