In a recent class discussion, we toyed with the impact and purpose of religion in feminism, so I ask: Is it good or bad to have religion as a feminist? Is it possible?
I dare to say it is possible, and good. (and now, everyone gasps).
Yes, I believe it to be true. As was presented to us in class today, there lies a freeing aspect in religion when tied to feminism. A dual community - one in faith and one in the fight. To be strong and not only educated in, but passionate about one's faith structure, whatever it may be, creates a support structure outside of the self.
In writing we are taught to have and utilize secondary sources, in order to prove and argue our point. Well, in the struggle to gain full rights to write our own stories as women and human beings, why on earth would we not want to utilize any and every resource available to us - why not draw from sources that have existed for hundreds or thousands of years? Just as Bronte does through Jane in her novel, we are allowed (and encouraged) to free ourselves and save ourselves - ourselves. To say that we would be wise to use religion as a resource is not to say that we are then somehow dependent on men just because it is most often men who support religious structures. But rather, if we as women feel like the minority, why would we not then want encouragement and empathy from those like us in history? Three women have books in the Bible, out of 73 books total, all with courageous stories of confidence, defiance, and strength. These women are not lesser because there are less than them, they are all the greater for it! It is a sad state when a fight for the right of women to fulfill their vocation, a way of life to which one feels drawn is somehow separated from a belief because it's title bears the burden of a negative connotation, when in fact, it is rooted in bonding and reliance between humans - is that not the recipe for a united front?
So, then, the question becomes not is it good or bad, but why aren't we using it, as Bronte did? What are we afraid of?
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThe most salient line from your post is "title bears the burden of a negative connotation." I am not
sure if you are referring to religion or feminism here, but I think that is why it is such a powerful statement. We have discussed the ways in which many people are scared by the negative connotations of what it means to be a feminist. However, I think that in feminist circles some may be afraid to admit being religious due to the how they believe this will be percieved in the circle. I don't believe that religion and feminism have to be opposites. Hate and division is the result of miseducation or an absence of education at all. I admire that you stand up for what you believe in and I think your post shows a careful negotiation of the cognitive dissonance that these two realms can often produce when put together.