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Feminist To be or Not to be? · The Living Freed Podcast

0:19
Merry almost Christmas, everyone. And thank you
0:23
so much for tuning in to the Living Freed podcast.
0:27
We are on episode 27, which I say this every
0:31
time. It's just so crazy that I've had enough
0:34
to say for 27 episodes. And by me, it's definitely
0:38
not me. I just get nagged by the Holy Spirit
0:40
to talk about something and it happens. And even
0:43
though, believe it or not, this doesn't get easier.
0:47
Like setting up these episodes, deciding what
0:50
I'm going to talk about, doing the research,
0:51
and then plugging in a mic and talking into it,
0:54
it does not get easier. I wish I could say it
0:58
did and I sure wish it did get easier, but I'm
1:01
still equally uncomfortable every single time
1:04
I pop into this thing. So fun. I wish y 'all
1:09
could see like I have to like hype myself up
1:11
before even pressing the record button because
1:13
it's uncomfy. That's all. It's just super uncomfy
1:16
to like go out there and tell y 'all what I've
1:18
been up to or what I'm thinking or what's on
1:20
my mind and the criticisms that come with it
1:22
or even worse, believe it or not, the praise
1:25
that comes with it. is not for me whatsoever.
1:30
But anyways, let's talk about what I have been
1:34
up to and what is going on. And then, of course,
1:37
the what's in and what's out. Okay. First off,
1:41
Stranger Things. Okay. Stranger Things is so
1:45
good this season. I've actually started to re
1:48
-binge it because I'm addicted. I feel like I
1:53
say that every week. There's something I'm addicted
1:54
to. I'm always like, I'm actually addicted to
1:56
this now. But no, for real, we watched the latest
1:59
season, me and my roommate. She finally got into
2:01
it, I think. She's going to hear this and then
2:04
text me whether or not she's into it. I know.
2:06
She's going to be like, no, no, I do like it.
2:08
Yeah. But then I had to restart from the beginning.
2:10
And all the things that I definitely missed in
2:13
the beginning are the dots are now connecting.
2:15
That's all I'm going to say. The dots are now
2:18
connecting. Yeah, we are on season two and we've
2:23
got a ways to go. But then, you know, volume
2:25
two of Stranger Things drops on the 22nd, which
2:29
is going to be here before we know it. And then
2:33
we have good old Christmas Eve. And then I heard
2:36
that volume three of Stranger Things is going
2:38
to be in the movie theaters, which I really hope
2:40
it's not because I don't want to pay to go to
2:42
the movies. And I definitely don't want spoilers
2:44
on TikTok. But I fear it's going to happen and
2:47
I'm going to have to go to the movies to see
2:49
this. Okay. Anyways, on to the next thing is
2:53
girl time. I am loving my girl time with my friends.
2:57
I saw Rachel last week. I saw Lauren and Lily
3:01
this week. Our Bible study girls, just loving,
3:05
loving, loving girl time. One second, I have
3:08
to cough. Okay. And then I feel like it's echoing
3:14
in here. I have a new mic. So if this is bothering
3:17
y 'all, someone let me know, please. And I can
3:19
go back to the old mic. Okay. Quirk Christmas
3:21
party was Saturday night. I won at every single
3:25
racing game. Yeah. And I did pat myself on the
3:28
back. The first game was on the street bikes
3:30
and I crushed four little boys. Crushed them.
3:34
They were really upset. And one of them was like,
3:36
she only beat me by like a second and a half.
3:38
A second and a half, bro. is serious in a race.
3:41
So yeah, bring it down a notch. Sorry that you're
3:44
a loser. I'm a winner. And then we got free drinks
3:46
and the food. Dave and Buster's, I was surprised
3:50
by the quality of the food. I've eaten there
3:52
before when you're in like just a regular bar
3:54
side and it's, on a scale of one to 10, it's
3:57
like a four or five. But when you're going for
4:00
a party of some kind, it kind of slaps. Like
4:04
I really enjoyed it. Not mad about it at all.
4:07
And I did not keep my tickets, though, from anything.
4:09
Gave them to my boss and told her to take them
4:11
or give them to her kids or whatever. Anyways,
4:14
we're at Kristen's party. It was so much fun.
4:18
Okay, what is in? I don't know about y 'all.
4:22
This cold weather is getting to me big time.
4:25
So what is in is cozy days because I'm loving
4:30
being on the couch with my blanket and a hot
4:34
cocoa. Or, you know, one of my coffees that I
4:36
make every single day that I'm trying to cut
4:38
the actual real addiction to. And a movie. I
4:42
need to get back into reading, but lately it's
4:44
been movies. And before my roommate got into
4:47
Stranger Things, it was Stranger Things. I was
4:48
hooked on that. So, by myself. So, that's what
4:51
I've been doing. I also, shameless plug, I've
4:55
been re -watching Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
4:58
I have. It's embarrassing, I know. But, what's
5:02
a girl gonna do? Also in... She's back, y 'all.
5:06
I'm back. I am back with my 6 a .m. wake up calls
5:10
for the gym. Sure am. I went like three times
5:14
this week and I'm going to keep going. Not every
5:17
single day, but like for most of the days, yeah,
5:19
6 a .m. I need to get up even earlier because
5:22
I found out I've been working out my glutes wrong.
5:24
It's going to take some change and adjustments,
5:27
but it's going to happen. So I need to start
5:30
getting up earlier to make everything else fit
5:32
in my morning. The problem is then it's like
5:35
I'm awake forever because I go to work at 9,
5:38
I come home at 7, then I got to eat dinner, then
5:41
I'm easily up till 9 .30, 10 o 'clock, and then
5:43
back up at, it's going to have to be like 5 a
5:46
.m., 5 .30. How other people, normal people like
5:49
nurses and everybody does it, I don't know. And
5:51
I don't need to know. I only need to know about
5:54
myself in this situation. Okay. Anyway, so yeah,
5:57
6 a .m. is back in. What is out? All right, here
6:02
comes the judgment. I've been debating whether
6:05
or not talking about this, but let me tell y
6:08
'all something. I have learned time and time
6:12
again why the Bible says do not get drunk. I've
6:16
learned. Always we know sin, like God tells us
6:20
not to sin because it's protecting us from ourselves
6:22
or the consequences and all that. And let me
6:24
tell you, I've learned the consequences. My poor
6:27
mom, if she's hearing this, she's probably like,
6:29
what are the consequences she's learned now?
6:31
I got so like unintentionally. Usually I'm really,
6:36
really good about being only tipsy at most and
6:39
going home like two or three drinks. Then I'm
6:42
sobering up. I'm drinking water, blah, blah,
6:43
blah, blah, blah. That's the spiel I gave to
6:46
everybody else. Blackout Wednesday. The Wednesday
6:48
before Thanksgiving put me on my butt. Put me
6:51
on my butt, y 'all. I am so mortified and embarrassed.
6:54
So much so that I'm pretty sure I gave away a
6:58
secret that I've been holding onto for a long
7:00
time. But for anyone who's been blackout drunk,
7:03
you know what this means. You get like those
7:04
war flashbacks where you're having flashes of
7:07
like moments. Not full sentences, not full like,
7:11
it's like memories. Just flashes of short memories
7:13
where you're like, how does that make sense?
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Did I say that? Did I do that? I'm mortified.
7:19
And that is me. I'm having my war flashback moments.
7:23
And I'm pretty sure I gave away a secret I've
7:25
been holding on to. And graciously, the person
7:27
I think I told it to hasn't brought it up and
7:30
hasn't said anything. And I'm really, really,
7:32
really, really, really glad because I'm going
7:35
to move on with my life and pretend like it never
7:36
happened. I truly am. So on that note, you know
7:42
who you are. If I did say anything to you. let
7:45
me have some grace and continue to move on like
7:46
I didn't say anything. But yeah, we're done.
7:48
Like that is my it's confession. I got blackout
7:51
drunk. Shouldn't have done it. There was consequences.
7:54
Were they the worst consequences in the world?
7:56
To you? No. To me? Yes. Yeah, it was bad. And
8:01
I was hungover the next day, which is a whole
8:02
other consequence. So what is out? Getting drunk
8:06
because it's a sin. Obviously, duh. So okay,
8:10
let's just breeze on past that. I do want to
8:13
talk about something for just a moment with y
8:16
'all, I need you to do me the biggest favor in
8:19
the world, the biggest favor, and hit that subscribe
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button and leave me a review. Now, the reason
8:28
why is because the more reviews I have and the
8:31
more subscribers I have, the more this podcast
8:34
will get out to other people. Otherwise, I stay
8:37
in this shadow zone where basically it's just
8:40
you and me, bestie. That's it. You and me, no
8:42
one else. And that would be kind of great. I'm
8:45
not going to lie. But I have to ask. So if you
8:51
haven't, if you would please, from the bottom
8:54
of your heart, whether this is on podcasts from
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Apple or Spotify or whatever your streaming service
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is, hit that subscribe button. If you don't have
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time to leave me a review, that's fine. But if
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you do or want to say something nice or something
9:09
mean, if you want to say anything, drop it. just
9:12
drop that review. Give me five stars, preferably.
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If you want to give me one star, don't do that.
9:18
But if you'd be willing to, it would be so helpful
9:22
and so amazing of you and would honestly, you'd
9:26
get all the things from the bottom of my heart.
9:28
Okay, let's dive into this week's episode now
9:32
that I've rambled on for only Lord knows how
9:35
long. A question that has been asked is if the
9:44
modern day feminist has substituted equal rights
9:47
for a career. Let's talk about it. The year was
9:52
1848 on a hot July day in the state of New York
9:56
when a convention was organized by two women
9:59
that the Declaration of Sentiments was signed.
10:02
Now, you might be wondering where I'm going with
10:05
this and why even talk about it because Aren't
10:09
good Christian women supposed to be submissive
10:11
to their husbands and their father or whatever?
10:14
Well, stick around for a history lesson and you
10:16
might just get your answer. Or, to be honest,
10:20
you might not. Today, we are clearly going to
10:23
talk about feminism. Where it started, what its
10:26
goal was, where it is today, and if the Word
10:29
of God has anything to say about it. All the
10:32
pros and all the cons. And the movement of 1848,
10:36
the feminist movement, that is, their goal was
10:39
equal rights, women wanted to stop being treated
10:42
as second -class citizens, to be seen with intelligence,
10:46
dignity, and for what was modern -day America,
10:49
they wanted the right to vote. They had drawn
10:51
influence and tactical insight from the women
10:54
who participated in the French Revolution, the
10:57
abolitionist movement, and the temperance movement.
11:00
The heart of the feminist movement can be seen
11:03
to go as far back as Jane Austen, or believe
11:07
it or not, even ancient Greece. We really only
11:10
saw it take full shape though in the 19th century.
11:14
There are what we call four waves of the feminist
11:17
movement. We have kind of already covered wave
11:20
one, that being wanted to be seen for our intelligence,
11:24
dignity, and as a basic human, with the same
11:27
potential as the male counterparts. The goal
11:30
was just to open up opportunities for women that
11:34
we wouldn't have otherwise. Wave two took place
11:37
in 1960. This is when the fight for equal pay
11:41
began, along with anti -war and sexual reproductive
11:45
rights. This era became the women's liberation
11:49
and gained political strength as well. Wave three
11:53
hit in the 90s, my favorite fashion era at the
11:56
moment. And its main focus was to bring to light
11:59
workplace harassment and the fact that there
12:03
was a lack of women in powerful positions. This
12:06
wave supported women in their sexuality and as
12:09
individuals. They made the argument that it should
12:12
be women who decide how they show up in the world,
12:15
whether that's more feminine and trad wife, conservative,
12:17
or the complete opposite. They just wanted to
12:21
be seen as subjects and not objects. Now, It's
12:25
unsure when wave 4 hits, but we are clearly in
12:29
it in the year 2025. It still follows closely
12:32
to the waves 2 and 3, and it still grapples with
12:35
how to be more inclusive for race, gender, and
12:39
class. But overall, its goal is said to be to
12:43
hold powerful men accountable. If that's true
12:45
or not, or whether we're seeing that in today's
12:47
society, I can't necessarily say, but I do have
12:50
my opinions on it. Let's talk about the things
12:54
women couldn't do until this movement took place.
12:58
1. We couldn't vote. The 19th Amendment, which
13:01
gave us the right to vote, wasn't acknowledged
13:04
until 1920. 2. Go to medical or law school. Until
13:09
the end of the 1880s, and they were still only
13:12
allowed to attend women -only medical and law
13:15
schools. It wasn't until the 1970s that discrimination
13:18
was banned for med school. Birth control wasn't
13:21
even permitted until the 1960s. Three, women
13:25
were not allowed to divorce their partner at
13:27
all, and in some states were only allowed to
13:29
divorce if you had proof of abuse. Number four,
13:33
wear pants. Yes, I will come back to this. Number
13:38
five, join the military. Number six, married
13:42
women were legally dead in the eyes of law. Number
13:46
seven, married women couldn't own land. It didn't
13:49
matter how it was given to them before marriage
13:52
or by their father. If they were married, it
13:54
belonged to their husband. And that is also part
13:57
of why we couldn't vote. Number eight, serve
14:01
on a jury. Number nine, married women couldn't
14:04
have their own passport. They had to share it
14:06
with their husband. And ten, most jobs rarely
14:10
hired women. And if they did, they paid a fraction
14:13
of what they would pay men. Okay. Since these
14:16
laws have changed, let's talk about the pros.
14:19
Being able to vote has given us political representation
14:22
and has enhanced our education and economic opportunities.
14:28
Next, I want you to think about the impact women
14:31
have had for other women in the medical field
14:34
and how it's affected our health care. Okay,
14:38
did you know right now over 55 % of female homicide
14:41
victims were killed by an intimate partner? that
14:44
is either past or present. And 68 % of those
14:48
crimes had taken place in their home. Imagine
14:51
what that number looked like 100 years ago. And
14:54
that number probably went unreported. Back to
14:58
the pants subject. Y 'all ever wear a dress or
15:00
a skirt in the cold? Because yeah, enough said.
15:04
I could keep going, but I'm sure you could also
15:07
see the positive impact from each of these things
15:10
on your own and how they've changed. Now for
15:13
the cons. We actually have to work now. Not just
15:17
in the house, but in the workforce too. I mean,
15:20
the curse that God gave Adam and Eve was for
15:22
Adam to toil the ground and women to have birthing
15:25
pains, and now we're out here doing both. Okay,
15:28
after the second wave, we started to see the
15:31
denigrating of family life begin. We also have
15:35
the lack of difference between men and women,
15:38
and sex work is portrayed as empowering. Ugh,
15:43
I don't really love those. But I do want to propose
15:47
a few questions to you. Before the first and
15:50
second wave, what do you think widows who didn't
15:53
have children did when their husbands passed
15:55
away, who were too old to work? What if their
15:58
husband was a gambler or just liked to spend
16:00
money? What if he didn't make enough to set her
16:03
up financially for success after he passed away?
16:07
What if the local church was doing what our local
16:09
churches are doing today and not taking care
16:11
of the widow? What about a single mom whose husband
16:15
passed away or walked away from the family? What
16:18
do you think they did before certain demands
16:20
were made for us to be treated equally with men
16:22
in the workforce? What about the women who are
16:24
blessed by God with a mind for science but got
16:27
passed over because of her gender? Just something
16:30
for you to think about. I don't know about you,
16:33
but growing up in church in the Southern Christian
16:35
culture, I've been taught to be anti -feminist,
16:38
that they are man -haters. and Jesus haters,
16:41
that they don't value life, don't respect their
16:44
bodies, and want to be worshipped. But is that
16:47
true, or are those the things they actually align
16:49
with? Maybe, maybe not. Just like there are different
16:53
religions and denominations, there are also different
16:56
segments of the feminist movement. Let's talk
16:59
about them, just for educational purposes. First,
17:02
liberal feminism, also known as modern -day feminism,
17:06
is a Stanford quality. focused on legal rights
17:10
and opportunities, and wants to dismantle derogatory
17:14
practices in our society structured, aiming for
17:17
fairness through policies rather than revolution.
17:21
Postmodern feminism is a branch thought that
17:24
critics universal truths about women and gender,
17:27
that tries to deconstruct traditional ideas about
17:30
identity and power. Next is radical feminism.
17:33
It's the movement and theory that identifies
17:35
men as a patriarchy that is the root cause for
17:38
women's oppression. Okay, then we have Marxist
17:42
and socialist feminism. They're basically the
17:45
same thing. Their thought are interconnected
17:48
theories that quote -unquote analyze how capitalism
17:51
and patriarchy work together to oppress women.
17:57
There is separatist feminism. It's a branch that
18:01
advocates for women to create separate spaces
18:03
and institutions from men to achieve liberation.
18:08
And then we have cultural feminism that celebrates
18:11
feminine traits that often go unnoticed or devalued
18:15
by the patriarchy, arguing for their value in
18:18
feminine -centric spaces rather than mimicking
18:21
male roles to achieve equality. So, after hearing
18:26
All of these, can we see where we got the extreme
18:29
thought from about feminism? I mean, some of
18:32
them are extreme and definitely have an agenda
18:34
against men, but overall, the main value they
18:38
seem to be fighting for or focused on is equal
18:41
value. What's wrong with wanting to be valued?
18:43
Absolutely nothing. God created us equally. He
18:47
created us for different roles, but equally all
18:49
the same. Just like your foot and your hand are
18:53
different, I'm sure you value having them both,
18:55
or at least I do. When God gave Adam a helper,
18:59
it wasn't that Eve was second in command or less
19:02
use than Adam. The word helper is translated
19:05
for the same concept as the word helper is for
19:08
the Holy Spirit. And from my understanding of
19:12
the Trinity, they are all of equal value and
19:14
importance, but they each serve their own purpose.
19:17
God has women in the Bible take important leading
19:20
roles to get things done. He uses the natural
19:24
abilities he gave us to set things into play.
19:26
He didn't say she could only clean the kitchen
19:30
and make clothes or only serve her husband. He
19:34
set them up as queens, judges, safe spies, and
19:38
to be the mother of the savior of our world.
19:41
I don't know about you, but to me, that shows
19:44
that God sees our strength, compassion, our critical
19:47
thinking skills, and our ability to advocate
19:50
for others. So, can you be a Christian and a
19:53
feminist? I would say yes, but I think if only
19:57
you go back to the basics of feminism that ties
20:01
back to how God values women and his acknowledgement
20:04
of our capabilities, strength, and intelligence.
20:08
Because, well, he made us this way, and it was
20:11
his intentional design for man and woman. I guess
20:16
to decide if you're a feminist or not, You should
20:19
see what you believe God believes about you as
20:21
a woman and who he created us to be. Not less
20:25
than man, but his equal. Not more important than
20:28
man, but his helper. Not to be seen or used as
20:32
an object or competed with by men because, well,
20:35
that's exhausting. Not worth less than man or
20:39
appreciated less, but of equal value and importance.
20:43
Hot take. But I think it's the enemy that has
20:46
skewered the idea that women are less than men,
20:49
that we are not comparable, and that we are purposely
20:52
held at a lesser value and overly sexualized.
20:56
I think what started off with good intentions,
20:59
feminism, has also been turned into an extreme
21:02
and villainized, just like Christians are villainized
21:05
in today's culture. Because just like Christians
21:07
have extremists that give us a bad name, so does
21:11
feminism. Let's pray. Dear Jesus, thank you for
21:17
your heart for women. Thank you for the way that
21:19
you see us and the skills that you've given us,
21:22
the brain that you've given us, the intelligence
21:25
that you have filled us with, the heart you've
21:27
given us for those around us, that we are compassionate
21:30
and kind, but we are strong enough to give birth,
21:33
that we work hard, that we have an intelligence
21:37
that only you could design, that we are here
21:40
to help and lead and guide others. That we are
21:43
not an object, but a subject to you. A purpose
21:47
that you have given us. I pray that whoever is
21:51
listening to this sees the heart that you have
21:53
for them. That you didn't make them less than
21:56
a man, less than their father, less than their
21:58
brother, less than their boyfriend, less than
22:00
their husband. But that you value them on such
22:05
a deep level and you've set them up to be of
22:08
equal love, equal strength, and of equal use.
22:12
and that it's not what the world is telling them
22:14
who they are, but it's you and your word that
22:17
tells them who they are. And in Jesus' name,
22:19
amen. That is all I have for you today. Thank
22:32
you so much for listening to the Living Free
22:34
Podcast. Please get connected with me on either
22:37
Instagram at HannahLizD or email me at livingfreepod
22:41
at gmail .com. And again, if you are loving the
22:45
podcast, please, please, please subscribe and
22:50
leave me a review. And if you have feedback or
22:53
a subject you'd like me to cover, go ahead and
22:55
email me or DM me on Instagram. Again, thank
22:58
you so much for listening. I hope you feel encouraged
23:01
and lighter today. Merry Christmas, y 'all. Also,
23:05
P .S., there will be no episode dropping on Christmas
23:07
Day, but we'll be picking up again right after.
23:11
All right. Bye, y 'all. Thank you.