My point here isn't to discuss this particular issue (Palin's claim) at length because the internet is already polluted enough with a full spectrum of related thoughts (seriously...just google "sarah palin feminist") but suffice it to say that I consider myself a pro-life feminist. (Interestingly, not a single one of the callers that DID make it on the air actually put themselves in this category. Disappointing, since the existence of such a person was really the debatable issue.) What I DO want to address is the issue of perceived conflict where there actually is none.
The reason Mrs. Palin's comment garnered so much controversy is because most people view these two topics (feminism and the pro-life movement) as inherently oppositional. I beg to differ. Both movements are, essentially, issues of the value of life. Of giving voice to a population that has historically gone unheard. Of advocacy. And I'd also challenge the belief that these issues are, at their core, political issues. Rather, for Christians, they are primarily biblical. I dare say, Jesus was a pro-life feminist...and teaches us to be the same. He teaches us to love one another. And care for the poor. And the widowed. And the orphans. And the "aliens in foreign lands". And...everyone. Curiously, these are the words Jesus used. Not political words. Not religious words. Not agenda words. Just real, practical, action words about love and compassion and advocacy. So in that context - the one that focuses on Christ's teaching - things like "feminist" and "pro-life" are two branches of the same tree.
When I was in high school, at that age when most people really start toying with independent thought, the fact that many of my beliefs on human rights and equality didn't line up with my conservative republican upbringing was a source of constant internal conflict and confusion for me. My Christianity and my "flaming liberal" stance (as my family so deemed it - though true flaming liberals probably wouldn't claim me) seemed to constantly butt heads. I would listen to Ani DiFranco sing about social justice (granted, she sang about a few things that were slightly more controversial, as well) and then read in the gospels where Jesus spoke about social justice, and then go to youth group where we didn't talk much about social justice. More often, we talked about making sure we were listening to good, clean, Christian music (Ani definitely didn't fit into that category). The more I encountered this incongruity, the more confused I became (I liked to use the term "tortured soul" back then...it sounded deep and mysterious...but I digress) until finally I decided that it wasn't my job to reconcile the two parties (or Miss DiFranco and Baptists, for that matter) and that I'd be better off spending my time figuring out who this guy Jesus was, how he lived, and try my best to follow suit.
And in the person of Jesus Christ is where I found the reconciliation I had been looking for in the first place. In Him I find the voice of justice...for unborn children and their mothers alike. I find a redeeming love that puts us all on level ground - regardless of our gender or ethnicity or political standings. I find a love that constrains me to love all within my reach and to put into action Christ's teaching on these topics. (This is stated beautifully and concisely by the fine folks at Imago Dei: "Compelled by love to live out and proclaim the gospel of Jesus, the church conspires to engage culture with hope on all fronts, to advocate for the defenseless, to seek justice for the downtrodden, to lift up the downcast, to embody the fearless love of the risen Christ.")
With Jesus as the epicenter of my ever-evolving world view, these issues (abortion, social justice, feminism, etc.) are a little easier to sort out than when building an ideology on an pre-fab belief system, or subscribing to an off-the-shelf party or denomination where all the pieces don't necessarily fit together. Be warned, however, that if you do this (strive to be Biblical ahead of sliding comfortably into a socially-approved sect) you will often find yourself awkwardly straddling the waves, with your feet in multiple boats. Lucky for us, it's not about the boats.
So...in closing, we no longer need to debate whether it is possible to be pro-life and a feminist. Now we can move on to bigger issues...like "Can you really be a Christian and listen to NPR?"
A Few Related Scriptures (because you shouldn't take my word for it...seriously...):
- Micah 6:8
- Luke 10:30-37
- Jeremiah 22:3
- Romans 12:15-18
- Jeremiah 1:5
- Psalm 139
- Luke 1:44
- Exodus 21:22-25
