No Voice No Choice

I was so excited when my daughter accepted my invitation to accompany me to the first Annual Diocesan Women’s Conference in Harrisburg. One of the many workshops offered that we decided to attend together was a workshop titled “Radical feminism v/s Authentic feminism. I only wish more of our young people would have the opportunity to hear such eye-opening truths spoken about authentic feminism, authentic in that ALL women, like men, are created equal in the eyes of God, but that we are also different. These differences are what make us uniquely relevant according to God’s plan, and so perfectly complementary to one another.

I agree completely with the presenter, Mrs. Kathy Alton, in that the feminist movement began, as all good intentions do, to help and empower women, such as lobbying for a woman’s right to vote. Dare I say, to have a voice? Although many good things have been achieved for women over the years, it is also painfully apparent that the feminist movement took a wrong turn somewhere, and became something else entirely. Today the feminist movement is largely about how we have the right to do whatever we want regarding our bodies, be it contraception or abortion. These two “avenues” aiming at preventing or ending human life on demand, somehow empowers women? How can a woman ever feel empowered after taking another human life; especially that of her own child, regardless of the circumstances, or to voluntarily take a poisonous drug to prevent her God given ability to sustain life within the womb? Are we not created by God to be nurturers and protectors? Yet somehow, so many of us have been masterfully manipulated into accepting the unacceptable: The taking of human life.

The feminist movement gave us women a voice, but again, something went terribly wrong. Yes, we women found our voice, but amidst the shouting, the voice of the unborn within our womb has been silenced. The unborn child is completely in the dark, unaware of the potential dangers looming should he or she be unwanted. No Voice, No Choice. As a society, can we seriously condone a practice that allows for one voice to be heard at the expense of silencing another? Is this not in essence the grievance of women all along, that men lorded their power over the weaker sex, withholding our God-given rights, silencing our voices, not recognizing our true potential, preventing our growth, and now are we not doing the very same thing to the weaker, not fully developed little one within our womb?

The creator of the universe chose a woman, to carry in her womb, his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Could there be any greater honor bestowed upon the fairer sex?

One comment made by an attendee at this workshop I will never forget. She said, “I find it amazing that the catch phrase for the pro-choice movement is “My Body My Choice”, which is so like the very words spoken by Jesus at the last supper.” Only Jesus said, “My Body, GIVEN FOR YOU” (Luke 22:19 NAB). Are we not called to imitate Jesus? Are we not to offer our bodies as living sacrifice to our God (Romans 12:1-2 NAB)?

Have we forgotten that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit within us, given to us by God, that we are not our own, but have been purchased at a price, and that we are to glorify God in our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19 NAB)?

Authentic feminism is about recognizing our worth before God, and never succumbing to that which is beneath our dignity as women. We have become blind to the true beauty of womanhood. God has bestowed upon women a grace unequal in its abundance, and yet we fail to see how highly exalted we truly are, but instead we allow ourselves to be profaned and abused in the name of freedom of choice? As my kids would say: I am so done!