Many feminists are in shock. The reason? A recent survey by the Center for Gender Equity. After decades of feminist preaching, American women still aren't buying a lot of the feminist rhetoric.
When it comes to pay equity, American women agree with feminists. Nearly all women think men and women should be treated the same in employment, bank loans, promotions, and education. But apart from that narrow area of agreement, there are sharp differences.
For example, two in three women say the Christian Coalition's agenda will improve their lives as women. Thirty-six percent of American women agree with the recent Southern Baptist Convention resolution that wives should "submit graciously" to the husband's leadership. The survey also found that 48 percent think society is better if men achieve in jobs and women work at home.
The survey also turned up some anomalies. While 75 percent of U.S. women say religion is important to them, they pick and choose the parts they live, creating what some have called a "shopping cart" faith. This affects their perspective on contemporary issues. They may oppose abortion and want divorce harder to obtain, but these conclusions are less influenced by church rules and pronouncements.
The survey also found that half of the women who defined themselves as Christian also said they were "born again" or evangelical. One commentator speculated that it wasn't so much that American women were becoming more conservative, but rather they were becoming more evangelical.
Most commentators believe that this recent survey is not merely a blip on the public opinion radar screen. They believe that it represents a significant shift from secular, feminist ideals toward religious and conservative views. Although the feminists seem discouraged, I feel encouraged.
I'm Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries, and that's my opinion.
© 1998 Probe Ministries International