Semantics or Seismic Shift?
By Genevieve S. Kineke

Many have asked whether Sarah Palin is a feminist. This highlights the lively debate among women of faith about whether the word “feminist” can still be a vehicle for the beautiful truths about authentic femininity. Before we decide, we must take note of the latest salvo launched in the battle to define feminism by its radical vanguard.

The National Organisation for Women (NOW) has revealed more of its true agenda since the success of Sarah Palin in the national arena. Their long-standing mission statement might have mistakenly been interpreted as supportive of her candidacy: “Our purpose is to take action to bring women into full participation in society—sharing equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities with men, while living free from discrimination.” Considering their vehement objection to this particular woman’s successful “participation in society,” a change was in order.

The result was a new mission statement, making their priorities clearer: “NOW works to end discrimination and harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society, secure abortion, birth control and reproductive rights for all women.” This new creation underscores the feminist view about reproductive “rights,” but more importantly, their view of men, whom they accuse of discriminating, impregnating and otherwise harassing women as a matter of course. Despite tremendous advances for women, they still see the whole world aligning itself against them.

Contrary to popular belief, feminists don’t hate motherhood—as long as it’s on their own terms. Sperm banks, in vitro fertilization and lesbian adoptions are touted as hip and brave choices, and cloning is the Promised Land on the horizon. Radical feminists reserve their true hatred for fatherhood, despite the abundance of men who love and support the women in their lives and collaborate for the good of their shared offspring.

Sarah Palin has forced their hand for two reasons: she allows her children to live and she collaborates with men. While neither is conducive to the NOW worldview, the first is an irritant, the second is the real outrage. As many Americans struggle to understand how feminists could possible not appreciate this example of hard work, courage, balance and brains, we are invited to look beyond the rhetoric to what really drives feminist rage.

Behind every raging feminist is a wounded heart that blames the patriarchy and holds all forms of male authority in contempt. The most important remaining goal of radical feminists is to destroy fatherhood by destroying the links inherent in traditional family life.

Interestingly, the greatest obstacle to their agenda are women of faith, who obstinately refuse to undermine authentic masculinity. These women create the essential bridge that grounds each generation in reality, by making fatherhood a positive dimension of their children’s lives and by submitting to legitimate male authority. Such strong, well-grounded women provide the essential bridge to fatherhood, which is of critical importance to children struggling to know reality.

Any environmentalist can explain the dynamic interactions among living creatures, and the family is the most important eco-system of all. Even the survivors of Lost know that we “live together or die alone.” The problem with feminists is their zero-sum game, in which “grrl power” must be achieved at the expense of boys and men—and babies.

Authentic femininity is a pole star pointing to the One who makes all life possible, primarily by loving and supporting masculinity in all its richness. We must defend motherhood—for the sake of fatherhood, which is the primary target in these turbulent times; and yet, attempting to retrieve the label of “feminism” for this integrated worldview is proving more difficult than ever.

Mrs. Kineke is the author of The Authentic Catholic Woman (Servant Books).