Ran across the following writings from a woman who felt that ‘liberation’ did not help her:
I’m convinced that the reason I’m still booking a table for one at the age of 63 instead of having settled with a significant other is because, like so many women of my generation, feminism has ruined my love life. Instead of empowering us, those ideals of the second-wave feminists made us believe marriage and domesticity were to be avoided like the plague and that men were competition rather than partners. I might have a successful career as a writer and broadcaster, but I have never had children or been married, and my longest relationship lasted eight years. I regret this; I had always imagined I would end up married with two wonderful children and living in a house in the countryside. I have paid a hefty price for my so-called liberation. I was 17, and a pupil at Godolphin and Latymer – one of Britain’s most academic institutions – when I was introduced to the Women’s Liberation movement.
Another thing I regret deeply is my tally of one-night stands when I was younger. I distinctly remember thinking it would be uncool to say no to the men I met at parties, or dated but I struggled to enjoy it. There was always a disconnect. This was abundantly clear the morning after. As I lay there waiting for a sign of affection, he would be singing the triumphant “had her” song in the shower. A quick cheerio and he was gone. While I pretended to enjoy it, I felt uncomfortable about sex so early on. I felt empty and used. My generation of women were encouraged to “have sex like a man” – in other words have casual sex – but it backfired. Fast forward to now, the idea that women are different from men and that casual sex can be harmful to us is gaining traction. …
Whilst I will never be a giggly man-pleaser, … I am struck by how easy and peaceful it feels to let my dates/boyfriends take the lead. It is not a case of dumbing down or morphing into a Stepford woman, but simply dialling down a bit of me, and letting them shine. FYI my diary’s wide open. Go on, I dare you. I regret belittling men. At 63, I’ve ended up alone 10/08/25
While many feminists point to a career as more important than a family, notice the following:
The Career Decision No One Talks About
A few years ago, I attended a star-studded women’s conference packed with high-powered speakers. Meg Whitman, former CEO of both eBay and Hewlett-Packard, took the stage and opened with a single, unexpected line: “The most important career decision you’ll make is who you marry.”
You could have heard a pin drop. Other speakers had credited hard work, tenacity, timing, and even luck. But as Whitman spoke, heads around the room started nodding as if she’d named something everyone knew but rarely acknowledged out loud. https://grownandflown.com/choosing-right-partner-important-career-decision/
Yes, deciding who to marry is very important and more important than any particular job.
But, of course, the most important decision anyone, male or female, can make is to follow God and have the right priorities. As Jesus taught:
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)
That is the true order, but most have other priorities.
In 1970, the Worldwide Church of God published the following in its booklet The New Feminism:
A WOMAN’S LIBERATION MOVEMENT. Here is a condensed factual report on an in-depth research into both sides of the question.
WAS MARRIAGE invented by men to subjugate women? Is not the very FAMILY-AND-HOME institution discriminatory against women? Should not men spend at least fifty percent of their time in the kitchen? …
They ask: “Have women ever had their rights? Isn’t it true there are no great psychological and biological differences between male and female humans? Have not women always been discriminated against in different ways? WHY should the “male-is-breadwinner and female-is-nestbuilder” tradition be continued?
This new “rights-demanding” crusade began gaining momentum with the 1960’s. Until then it was generally assumed the modern housewife had been freed by labor-saving devices from drudgery, released from Victorian morality, been given the world’s best education, had become a respected full partner with her husband. In short, it was assumed she had achieved full feminine fulfillment. …
Until recently, a woman who had problems thought they were peculiar to herself — to “her” marriage. Every other woman, she thought, was happy and satisfied.
After all, in thousands of advertisements, magazine articles, motion pictures the suburban wife was pictured as the happiest woman on earth. She was the envy of all living females. If a woman was not happy, the mass media counseled her to wait, to try something new, to buy, to marry the right person. Some day she would be the Happy Housewife as much as the ghetto child would be the President of the United States.
The American women believed this tale in the late 1940’s and the 1950’s. … But by the beginning of the 1960’s this nameless problem became partially identified. …
Some have united to form a vocal minority called the Women’s Liberation Movement.
These New Feminists have an ultimate goal. They want to change every aspect of what they consider a male-dominated society. “Only then,” reason the New Feminists, “can women have true equality and find real happiness.” …
Perhaps the most influential partner of the New Feminists has been the mass media. With the press publicizing their activities, millions of women have come to read of the desires and concepts of the New Feminists. Dormant feelings of frustration within great numbers of women are being aroused. Millions of women who are unhappy may be influenced to make decisions which will gravely affect them, their families and the nation. …
What most people do not realize is that the Women’s Liberation Movement is NOT new. Even in its modern form it goes back into the late 1700’s.
But for all practical purposes the present furor over women’s rights began in 1963. In that year psychologist Betty Friedan published her book, The Feminine Mystique. This best seller was a bombshell. After several years of painstaking research and in-depth interviews, she catalogued fact after fact, case after case, proving that the average wife was dreadfully unhappy. …
The proposed solution to the “Housewife Problem” seemed confusing. Women were being told, “Go OUTSIDE the home to find fulfillment and happiness. Build a career. Don’t be ‘just a housewife.’ ”
Their opponents said, “No, the woman’s place is in the home. And since that’s where most women are — they MUST be happy!”
Of course, a large number of wives were already spending a substantial proportion of their day working outside the home. …
Seeing this problem, many began to advocate solutions which could only lead to the destruction of home and family. After all, the New Feminists were telling women to rush OUTSIDE THE HOME to find fulfillment in life. …
A woman, then, is a HUMAN BEING in every sense that a man is. She MUST develop her mind; she must develop moral character; she should come to learn what her purpose in life is.
She has the same human needs of warmth, companionship, encouragement, fulfillment. She is under the leadership of her husband in marriage much as other men might be under the leadership of an employer. Nevertheless, as a man employee, a woman is a separate human being with her OWN identity.
The wife, of course, for the functioning of the family UNIT — of which she is a very important member — follows the lead of her husband. In that sense, they are as the Bible says “one flesh.” She must respect her husband’s leadership, and also be able and willing to offer suggestions, take on proper responsibilities, be intelligent and forceful to handle problems.
It is the immature woman — the one who was brainwashed into marrying for security or romantic fantasy — who will become a PROBLEM to herself and family.
But a woman who sees her purpose in life and becomes mature as a person will be a better wife, mother and homemaker — and enjoy it! She will find her life rich and rewarding-full and happy-and complete!
But are “liberated liberal women” happy?
According to the following, the answer is “No!”:
Why So Blue: Liberal Women are Less Happy, More Lonely. But Why?
Young liberal women are especially prone nowadays to reporting poor mental health. This was the discovery that Zach Goldberg made almost five years ago pouring over Pew data in the spring of 2020. Further research in 2022 found that depression had surged among liberal high school girls in the last decade-and-a-half, and much more so for them than other high schoolers, especially conservatives.
Is this ideological gap in the mental health of liberal and conservative women still present?
Yes, new evidence from 2024 American Family Survey indicates it is. Young liberal women are markedly less satisfied with life than their conservative peers. Specifically, we found that 37% of conservative women reported being “completely satisfied” with life, whereas only 12% of liberal women did. Young conservative women are three times as likely to report being very satisfied with life compared to young liberal women. Moreover, liberal women are two to three times more likely to report they are “not satisfied” with their lives, compared to conservative women. And consistent with previous research, the effect of ideology on young women’s happiness held up to controls for age, education, race, and income. …
Our results from the American Family Survey are striking. Conservative women ages 18-40 are married at rates that are 20 percentage points than liberal women in the same age group. And whereas over half of conservative women in this age group attend church weekly, only 12% of their liberal peers do. 02/13/25 https://ifstudies.org/blog/why-so-blue-liberal-women-are-less-happy-more-lonely-but-why
Brad Wilcox, a sociology professor at the University of Virginia and fellow at the Institute for Family Studies who analyzed the survey’s data, said he believes there are a couple of reasons why conservative young women are more likely to be happier than their liberal counterparts.
“We’ve seen in the research that conservative women tend to be more likely to embrace a sense of agency and to have the sense that they are not, in any way, the victim of larger structural realities or forces,” he told Fox News Digital. “They’re also less likely to catastrophize about public events and concerns,” and “more likely to think of themselves as captains of their own fate,” Wilcox added. …
The survey also notes that conservative women are more likely to accept biological and social differences between males and females. The ideal was thought to be common sense for thousands of years but has come under fire from feminists in the past decade as a “social construct of the patriarchy”. The deconstruction of societal norms has been so pervasive, governments across the western world have tried to encode intersectional feminist taboos into law and punish people who remain skeptical.
One side effect of the rise of feminist authority that liberals apparently did not expect is the decline in relative happiness of women. The issue was fist noticed around 2009 when a study out of the University of Pennsylvania stunned the mainstream media – Despite decades of greater access to the jobs market, institutional influence and life options since the 1970s, young women have become increasingly less happy compared to their counterparts of past generations. Though the study avoids addressing the problem of feminism directly, it does suggest that modern constructs may play a major role in creating anxiety for women. 02/15/25 https://www.zerohedge.com/political/liberal-women-are-lonely-and-unhappy-according-latest-polls
Consider also that teens of conservative parents also tend to be in a better mental state than those with liberal parents:
Teens more likely to be mentally healthy if they have conservative parents, study says
December 9, 2023
A new study reveals what would be a big ho-hum for conservatives, but might be revelatory for others: that teens with conservative parents are likely to be more health mentally.
My colleagues and I at Gallup launched a study this summer to understand the causes. We surveyed 6,643 parents, including 2,956 who live with an adolescent, and we surveyed an additional 1,580 of those adolescents. We asked about mental health, visits to doctors, parenting practices, family relationships, activities, personality traits, attitudes toward marriage, and other topics, including excessive social media use, as discussed in prior work. I present the results in a new Institute for Family Studies and Gallup research brief.
The findings are clear. The most important factor in the mental health of adolescent children is the quality of the relationship with their caregivers. This, in turn, is strongly related to parenting practices—with the best results coming from warm, responsive, and rule-bound, disciplined parenting. The data also reveal the characteristics of parents who engage in best-practices and enjoy the highest quality relationships.
Further, the report specified, “Conservative and very conservative parents are the most likely to adopt the parenting practices associated with adolescent mental health.” …
It documented that there’s “no variation” in different economic situations, either.
“The results may be shocking to many highly educated Americans who were taught to believe that socioeconomic status dictates everything good in life. Income doesn’t buy better parenting, and more highly educated parents do not score better, either. Parenting style and relationship quality also do not meaningfully vary by race and ethnicity within our U.S. sample,” the report said.
It noted, pointedly, that there are “some parental characteristics” that do have an impact. https://www.wnd.com/2023/12/teens-likely-mentally-health-conservative-parents-study-says/
Well, this is not a surprise as “conservative” parents are more likely to accept aspects of the Bible or at least biblical morality than more “liberal” parents.
“Liberal” parents would be more supportive of more aspects of the LGBTQ+ agenda than conservative ones.
Consider, further, that Jesus said:
10 I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b).
The Apostle John wrote:
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)
Misery is not what God wants to have.
As far as women’s rights go, here are some excerpts from my article Women and the New Testament Church:
Faithful Women Throughout History
The Book of Hebrews gives various examples of faith.
Notice something about Abraham’s wife Sarah:
11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude — innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. (Hebrews 11:11-12)
Although the Hebrew scriptures state that Sarah was beautiful (Genesis 12:11), notice the New Testament does not commend her for her genetics, but her faith.
And there were others:
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. (Hebrews 11:23)
It was both Moses mother and father that had that faith.
And:
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. 32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented — 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. (Hebrews 11:30-40)
Both men and women had faith and were heirs to the promises. Equally.
Notice also that Paul taught:
16 The Spirit itself bears witness conjointly with our own spirit, testifying that we are the children of God. 17 Now if we are children, we are also heirs—truly, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer together with Him, so that we may also be glorified together with Him. (Romans 8:16-17, AFV)
Notice also that Paul taught:
I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:2-3).
So although he did not allow them to preach, Paul considered that women labored with him in the gospel and had their names listed in the Book of Life.
Women’s Duties, Responsibilities, and Rights
Furthermore, various duties and responsibilities were encouraged for, and rights provided for, women in the New Testament Church. Including being a proper Christian example.
Paul wrote:
1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things — 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. (Titus 2:1-5).
Women who are discreet and chaste do not attempt to dress like prostitutes or immoral women. Women are to obey their husbands according to this, and that is not popular among many moderns. Christian women also should be able to be teachers of good things (without being preachers from the pulpit).
According to various passages in other parts of the New Testament, Christian women realized that they could and should support the church.
Notice something that the Apostle Peter wrote to men and women:
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. (1 Peter 3:15-16).
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 1 Peter 3:15-16, KJV).
Yes, women should be able to answer doctrinal and religious questions to those that ask. They should share information to those that want it, but to be careful not to push it or try to function as evangelists. This can be a delicate distinction, but biblically this seems to be a required one.
Jesus taught that Christians should let their lights shine:
14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 4:14-16)
Lights shine with making little, if any, sounds.
Notice also the following:
3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. 6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. 7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man. 9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. 10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. 12 For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God. (1 Corinthians 11:3-12)
The above is partially why a woman should have long hair and a man shorter hair. But notice that is also teaches and interdependence of men and women. Some seem to forget that.
All people, men and women, need to properly discern their roles and limitations–but that tends to take time (cf. Hebrews 5:14).
Paul has this to say to women who are married to unbelievers:
13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? (1 Corinthians 7:13-16).
Hence, there is a suggestion of evangelical involvement for women in both of these passages.
But the following from the old Radio Church of God may be helpful for women married to men who are not part of the Church of God:
If your husband doesn’t understand the truth, you must not try to convert him by constantly repeating your belief and by insisting that he listen to the broadcast or read the literature. That will only drive him further away from the truth. Rather, you should wait until he questions you concerning a certain truth. Then you should be prepared to give a convincing Biblical explanation.
Peter further instructs Christian women: “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands” (I Pet. 3:3-5).
Certainly, controversies will come up in families if they disagree on religion. In such a case, the wife must obey God rather than her husband. For example, if the husband wishes his wife to break the Sabbath Day by doing the family shopping on Saturday, or by attending a football game or movie with him, she should refuse to do so. However, she should explain in a very kind way that the Sabbath is the day God commanded us to keep holy. She should, in such a case, obey God rather than man. Yet, she should always be submissive in attitude toward her husband and obey her husband when his authority does not conflict with the higher authority or law of God.
Remember, the wife should be in subjection to her husband even though he may not be converted. Though he may never be converted in this life (I Cor. 7:12-16), yet if she obeys him and respects him as the Bible commands, he will in turn love and respect her. As a result, he may be won over by her good example. He may be inspired to want to obey the truth when he sees the life she is living (I Pet. 3:1). (How should a Christian woman obey her unconverted husband? LETTER ANSWERING DEPARTMENT Letter Number: 929. Radio Church of God, 1960)
Remember in case of a moral conflict:
29 We ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29)
While above was a specific reference to improper religious-governmental decrees, and the Bible says to obey those who have the rule over you (Hebrews 13:17; Romans 13:1-6), you do not violate God’s instructions to do so. The same concept applies to children obeying their parents and wives their husbands.
Notice also the following:
1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. (Romans 13:1-6)
You are to be obedient to the government, even when you do not agree–whether male or female–and not just because you like to. Very few like paying taxes, but we are told to obey and do so anyway. So, wives are to obey their husbands even if they do not like their pronouncements.
Women do have some unique admonitions. Notice something that Jesus taught men:
27 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone looking upon a woman in order to lust after her already has committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. For it is better for you that one of your members should perish and not that your whole body should be cast into Gehenna. (Matthew 5:27-29, Berean Literal Bible)
Notice also the following from the Book of Proverbs:
23 For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 To keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress.
25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her allure you with her eyelids. (Proverbs 6:23-25)Since men are not to lust after women, women should not try to provoke such lust. Women, like men, are to love their neighbor as their selves (James 2:8)–and public seductive appearance is not love. Seductresses are condemned in scripture (Proverbs 2:16-22; 7:21-27; 23:27-28), as seemingly are enticers (cf. Job 31:9; Proverbs 1:10; 7:21-27).
Furthermore, notice what the Apostle Peter warned against:
14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. (2 Peter 2:14)
The above applies to women as well as men. No one should try to entice others to sin. Christian women should set a proper example in dress and conduct.
While some have oddly claimed that Christian women can wear as little as they like in public, that goes against the idea of love, propriety, and modesty, as well as the following that the Apostle Paul wrote:
8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. (1 Timothy 2:8-10)
The term “propriety” refers to rules of polite, not provocative, public behavior. Woman are to be dressed in modest apparel. They are not supposed to dress like seductresses.
Paul also wrote that “young women: are “to be discreet, chaste … that the word of God may not be blasphemed” (Titus 2:4-5)–hence not displaying immodesty.
Three times the Book of Proverbs declares that a seductress is an “immoral woman” (Proverbs 2:16, 5:20, 7:5). Notice something from second chapter of the Book of Proverbs:
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; … (Proverbs 2:6)
16 To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words, 17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God. 18 For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead; (Proverbs 2:16-18)
The wisdom God gives is to help both men and women! No Christian woman would want God to label her as an immoral woman. Do not forget your covenant with God! So, dress and act properly.
While women can have a sense of fashion and style in their clothing, sheer clothing, overly tight clothing, revealing clothing, and seductively intended clothing (or lack thereof) is not appropriate. The Apostle Paul also wrote:
23 … our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need (1 Corinthians 12:23-24)
And be careful as modern Western society has tried to suggest that some of a women’s “unpresentable parts” are to be publicly presented–which is wrong.
Even if many you know are dressing wrongly, that is nor an excuse for you to do so. The Bible warns:
2 You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; (Exodus 23:2)
Women dressing modestly also makes it easier for men to follow the instructions that Jesus gave as well as something the Apostle Paul gave them about treating women:
27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)
1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger as sisters, with all purity (1 Timothy 5:1-2).
That said, if you are interested in getting married, a potential husband does not need to see you dressing seductively in public to be attracted. So, other than wanting to fit in with an evil crowd, there is no reason a woman should dress like an immoral woman in public.
Notice also:
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them (Colossians 3:19).
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. (Ephesians 5:25-29).
Note that women are to be loved by their husbands, and never hated by them. And unmarried older women are to be honored (that is how one treats one as their mother) and younger women are to be respected in purity. Women (like men) also are not biblically-required to get married (1 Corinthians 7:34). These are specific rights of women in the New Testament Church.
In addition, there are rights in the Old Testament.
The Bible also makes it clear that women do have specific rights and responsibilities in the sexual arena.
One is the right, essentially an obligatory statute, not to have sex if they are not married:
If any man takes a wife, and goes in to her, and detests her, and charges her with shameful conduct, and brings a bad name on her, and says, ‘I took this woman, and when I came to her I found she was not a virgin,’ “then the father and mother of the young woman shall take and bring out the evidence of the young woman’s virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. And the young woman’s father shall say to the elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man as wife, and he detests her; now he has charged her with shameful conduct, saying, “I found your daughter was not a virgin,” and yet these are the evidences of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. Then the elders of that city shall take that man and punish him; and they shall fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought a bad name on a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife; he cannot divorce her all his day (Deuteronomy 22:13-19).
The above also gives women a right to not having her reputation improperly tarnished.
A woman also has the right to not be raped:
“But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. But you shall do nothing to the young woman; there is in the young woman no sin deserving of death, for just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter (Deuteronomy 22:25-26).
Another right is that women, like men, have the right to marry or the right not to marry. Notice:
But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion (1 Corinthians 7:8-9).
Notice also:
58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go”… 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her (Genesis 24:58,67).
6 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. (Numbers 27:6-8)
6 This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whom they think best, but they may marry only within the family of their father’s tribe.’ 7 So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. (Numbers 36:6-7)
5 “When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken. (Deuteronomy 24:5)
So, women do have the right to decide who (male of course) to marry, they have certain property rights, and when they are married, their husbands have the obligation to try to bring them happiness (at least for the first year–there is no limitation on that in the Bible).
Partially, because of Deuteronomy 24:5, I turned down a job that would have required out-of-area business travel in 1981–the year my wife Joyce and I got married. I also taught this passage to our sons (cf. Deuteronomy 6:6-7), and the only one who has gotten married followed it as well. While he sometimes had a couple of trips during his first year of marriage, he took his wife with him on those trips. …
Now, getting back to Deuteronomy 24:5, notice also that the Bible says that the husband is to attempt to bring happiness to his wife that first year. Not that the husband should stop after the first year, but by striving to bring happiness to his wife, the husband should develop good habits that will help insure a successful marriage.
The New Testament shows that married persons, either male or female are expected to not deprive their spouses of sex:
Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control (1 Corinthians 7:3-5).
Also, notice something from the New Testament:
39 A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:39)
So, women do have the right to decide who to marry. But are only to marry other real Christians.
The Bible indicates that fathers can prevent their daughters from marrying in certain circumstances (cf. Exodus 22:17) and likely also, should the father choose, if they have not reached age 20. The Bible indicates that twenty is the age for a certain level of adulthood (Exodus 30:14), and adult women can then decide which male, if any, to marry (see also Making Your Marriage Work).
Perhaps the most important right that women have is that if they obey God and keep His commandments, they, like men, gain the right to the tree of life:
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)
Elsewhere, Jesus taught:
7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7)
Having the right to the tree of life is truly one of the best, if not best, right for anyone to have.
Abortion is Not a Biblical Right
The Bible tells both men and women which way to choose when they are faced with choices:
See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you…
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live (Deuteronomy 30:15-16,19).
Those who wish to live according to the Bible will choose life so that they and their children (their descendants) will live.
The Bible condemns those that shed innocent blood, as that is something that God hates:
19 So you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD (Deuteronomy 21:9).
37 They even sacrificed their sons
And their daughters to demons,
38 And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with blood. (Psalm 106:37-38)16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren (Proverbs 6:16-19).
7 Their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; Wasting and destruction are in their paths. 8 The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace (Isaiah 59:7-8).
3 Thus says the LORD: “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place (Jeremiah 22:3).
17 “Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, For shedding innocent blood, And practicing oppression and violence” (Jeremiah 22:17).
Babies are innocent. Killing them is the shedding of innocent blood. Innocent blood pollutes the land. Furthermore, consider that God’s word records that a leader filled his land “with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon” (2 Kings 24:4). Because of that, God had the King of Babylon and others to destroy (2 Kings 24:1-4). The Bible tells of a coming end time daughter of Babylon, and its leader will destroy the USA according to Bible prophecy (Daniel 11:39; see also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).
Notice the following:
172 My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness (Psalm 119:172).
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34).
Killing babies through abortion is not righteous. It is a reproach to nations that allow and encourage it.
Those that consent to abortions are often proud, are normally lying to themselves that they are not doing violence to a human being, and often have abortions because of their own lusts and covetousness. Adding the sin of abortion to their other sins is simply not the answer.
They also place themselves in the same category as Judas Iscariot, for he admitted that when he betrayed Jesus Christ, he (Judas) betrayed “innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4). Jesus was betrayed by someone He considered to be a friend–no baby should be betrayed by the mother that is supposed to love them.
Women are struck emotionally for the rest of their lives (please also Abortion Proponents Lied to Public as some women’s sorrows about having abortions is mentioned) when they consent to an abortion (the Bible even warns of curses for killing the innocent, Deuteronomy 27:25). That is not a choice they ever should make.
The Bible warns about “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). Surely abortion is not a doctrine of good angels.
Many abortions occur because of greed or sexual sins.
While not all abortions occur because of sexual sins such as fornication, adultery, and prostitution, many do. Abortion is not a solution for all sins. Adding sin to sin is not the solution.
Women do not have to marry. But if they do marry, they do not have the right to kill babies.
For more on abortion, check out the following article: Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose. …
The New Testament reveals that women had more freedom and influence within the Christian church than they apparently did in the Jewish religion in the first and second centuries.
Women in the New Testament church were apparently more respected than many women in other settings at that time.
These New Testament women were intended to set an example of faith and faithfulness, for future women, as well as men, who profess Christ.
The New Testament reveals that women had both rights and responsibilities, rights and responsibilities that they still should have to this day. …
While there are some differences in the roles that God has for males and females now, that is not the case after the resurrection. Women have the same potential as men.
And since Jesus said many of the last shall be first and the first last (Matthew 19:30), males may be surprised after the resurrection to see a lot people who were born female ruling.
Related to destiny, we have a free book, online at ccog.org titled: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You?
Because of the help of women in different continents, the Continuing Church of God is better able to fulfill its part of Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20.
Women have had, and will have, important roles in the Church of God. Those women who are truly faithful have their names written in the Book of Life–and that is probably the most important right anyone can have.
The feminist movement cannot promise or deliver what God can.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Women and the New Testament Church What roles did women play in the ministry of Jesus and the apostles? Did Jesus and the Apostle Paul violate Jewish traditions regarding their dealings with women? Do women have any biblical limitations on their role in the Church? Were there female prophets? Do women have any special responsibilities in terms of how they dress? What does the New Testament really teach about women? Here are links to two related sermons: Women’s Roles in the Church and New Testament Women. Here is a sermon in the Spanish language: Las mujeres y la Iglesia de Antiguo Testamento: https://youtu.be/BQ0oQTlIcXg
Biblical Keys to Happiness This is an article for those interested in biblical teachings about being happy. A related sermon is available and is titled: 14 Biblical Keys to Happiness.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection. A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?