• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Most women are not feminists

Would you consider yourself a feminist?

  • Yes

    Votes: 10 52.6%
  • No

    Votes: 9 47.4%

  • Total voters
    19

Enoch07

It's all a sick freaking joke.
Premium Member
I don't agree, both because extremist and zealot are way too exaggerated terms for people like Anita (who I don't always agree with) or that young YouTube feminists are any more representative of feminism than than Fred Phelps is of
I don't agree, both because extremist and zealot are way too exaggerated terms for people like Anita (who I don't always agree with but would hardly use terms I reserve for people who blow people up) or that young YouTube feminists are any more representative of feminism than than Fred Phelps is of Christianity. Less so even because Westboro is actually a movement, is a household name, and stages large protests in the real world. And I would still chastize anyone for equivocating Westboro with Christianity or even Baptists, because they are a tiny overfocused on minority used to try and justify sweeping generalizatios.

That's true. But Christians and men have had to deal with the a-holes messing it up for the good ones for a long time now. Feminism/feminist get a taste of its own medicine as well now.
 

crossfire

LHP Mercuræn Feminist Heretic ☿
Premium Member
My definition of feminism: study the cultural customs and attitudes (assumed truths) that normal operate just below the surface of consciousness (which is why they are assumed, not really though about,) known sociologically as the nomos {but dubbed "The Patriarchy" by the feminist movement} and bring them into consciousness for critical examination, with an eye towards fixing engrained nomos that are not optimal to ones that are more optimal for the disadvantaged. Ideally, if done correctly, there will be no need to enforce these transformational changes with affirmative action legislation and the like, because basic human rights would be extended to all.
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member
Most humans are "feminists" in that most humans want to see women treated fairly and equitably by and within their society. Unfortunately, people's view of what is equitable and fair varies from culture to culture and person to person. So although most people are feminists, they may not agree on what that means in practical terms.
So you would say women like this are actually feminists they just don't realize it or acknowledge it:
waf2.jpg
tumblr_nm8u2kZRPj1syitgfo1_1280.jpg
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member
You might not want to base your worldview off some chick's Facebook page.
Just saying'
Tom
I do admire that chick... But I admire you as well... I learned from older and wiser people offering correction on RF... My mistakes are many, but I'm learning from them :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:

ADigitalArtist

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
That's true. But Christians and men have had to deal with the a-holes messing it up for the good ones for a long time now. Feminism/feminist get a taste of its own medicine as well now.
Two wrongs don't make a right. Third wave feminism being strawmanned isn't suddenly okay because some people strawmanned Christianity.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
So you would say women like this are actually feminists they just don't realize it or acknowledge it:
View attachment 19126 View attachment 19125
I think maybe when this girl grows up, she will better understand that feminism is a sub-category of egalitarianism. This girl is not an "anti-feminist", she's just confused about what it means to be a feminist, and what it means to be egalitarian: that feminism is egalitarianism as it relates to females.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
First-wave feminism - Wikipedia
Second-wave feminism - Wikipedia (I'll change my wording to say I am largely a 2nd wave feminist too!)
Third-wave feminism - Wikipedia (Is where I have some issues....)

The moral of the story is that virtually everyone alive is a "1st wave feminist". Not too many would argue against the much needed recognition of women in the period. Likewise, most people, though not all, would be okay with the majority of "2nd wave" feminism. In my view, it is with "3rd wave feminism" that feminism began to come off the rails. ...and that is coming from an angry white older conservative male... *sigh*
I had to look it up, and I don't see that the term, "third wave feminist" means anything in particular, but that action is still needed to secure and protect equity between men and women in our society. And that's just good old 'feminism', to me. No 'new waves' about it. As to lesbians and ethnic women being newly included in this 'new wave' of feminism, they have always been women, and therefor always included. So once again, no 'new wave' is needed.

What seems to be going on with the 'new wave' idea of feminism is that they are allowing the term "feminist" to be divided by the variations of prejudice that some women are facing, but not all. And think that's foolish, because the division only serves to weaken them, and to confuse the issue for everyone else.

In AA they have a saying: "Keep it simple, Stupid!". And I have learned over the years that it's bit of folksy wisdom that works when applied, a lot of the time. Not ALL the time. But a lot of the time.
 

ADigitalArtist

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
I had to look it up, and I don't see that the term, "third wave feminist" means anything in particular, but that action is still needed to secure and protect equity between men and women in our society. And that's just good old 'feminism', to me. No 'new waves' about it. As to lesbians and ethnic women being newly included in this 'new wave' of feminism, they have always been women, and therefor always included. So once again, no 'new wave' is needed.

What seems to be going on with the 'new wave' idea of feminism is that they are allowing the term "feminist" to be divided by the variations of prejudice that some women are facing, but not all. And think that's foolish, because the division only serves to weaken them, and to confuse the issue for everyone else.

In AA they have a saying: "Keep it simple, Stupid!". And I have learned over the years that it's bit of folksy wisdom that works when applied, a lot of the time. Not ALL the time. But a lot of the time.
I believe the waves are useful delineation of philosophies feminist movement leaders had through time. Because there were a huge amount of differences in what different people thought 'feminist' meant throughout time. First wave feminists had a lot of prejudice against black women, and black women didn't feel like the educated, affluent and primarily white bored housewives who wanted to work represented their struggles as 'we have to work to keep our families alive, we're treated horribly, and we'd love to have the option to be a bored housewife.' Meanwhile third wave feminists often see second wave philosophies as prudish, trying to get women to cover up and only display ones brain. It also had little care for lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people.
It'd be nice if we could just keep it simple, but when talking about the history of an evolving movement, there's a lot of detail that I don't think should be lost because it sometimes gets complicated.

Edit: Also as a point of information as an aside, people keep thinking that, compared to third wave feminism, first and second wave were less 'extreme' and that is emphatically not the case. Some first wave feminists were essentially anarchists who were even involved in bombing.
Jane Alpert - Wikipedia
 

PureX

Veteran Member
I believe the waves are useful delineation of philosophies feminist movement leaders had through time. Because there were a huge amount of differences in what different people thought 'feminist' meant throughout time. First wave feminists had a lot of prejudice against black women, and black women didn't feel like the educated, affluent and primarily white bored housewives who wanted to work represented their struggles as 'we have to work to keep our families alive, we're treated horribly, and we'd love to have the option to be a bored housewife.' Meanwhile third wave feminists often see second wave philosophies as prudish, trying to get women to cover up and only display ones brain. It also had little care for lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people.
It'd be nice if we could just keep it simple, but when talking about the history of an evolving movement, there's a lot of detail that I don't think should be lost because it sometimes gets complicated.
It's all "feminism", to me. And I think women should have understood this all long. Though I know that as women are also humans, this is unrealistic. To the degree that they allow themselves to be divided by their own prejudice and neglect, they are weakened, I think. And anyway, it's all about fighting inequality: race, gender, sexual preference, religion, social mores, etc.,. That's the primary objective.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
The thing that kind of freaks me out about feminism is whenever some woman says they are anti feminist or egalitarian or is highly critical of feminism or even unsure that they identify as feminist, feminists seem to hit back with things like "you don't know what feminism is." Or "you're actually a feminist you don't know it." Or "well that's just cause you don't know any better." Or something to that affect. It's so......cult like. Almost as if a woman is not allowed to even take issue with feminism or feminist theory or even just an aspect of the movement. I mean it's so dismissive and kind of creepy.

I, for one, am highly suspicious of any movement that even indirectly punishes criticism. I expect that from religions and even then I prefer to be flippant about them.

But as for identifying as a feminist? I suppose so. I'm not a real big fan of labels though.
 

Enoch07

It's all a sick freaking joke.
Premium Member
Two wrongs don't make a right. Third wave feminism being strawmanned isn't suddenly okay because some people strawmanned Christianity.

Your right, but it is what it is. I'm not making excuses or justifying it mind you. Just saying thats the way the world works currently.
 

ADigitalArtist

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Your right, but it is what it is. I'm not making excuses or justifying it mind you. Just saying thats the way the world works currently.
Okay, even if I accepted thats how the world works (beyond accepting that people do it, and then get on saying it shouldn't be done and why), I'm not talking to the world. I'm talking to you. Do you recognize that the criticism against 3rd wave that we have been discussing is based on generalization and hyperbole? Or are you going to continue to say things like 'Feminism is bad/negative because of people like Sarkeesian' knowing that's not right and not justified?

Because I have legitimate criticisms of various feminist movements, including stuff in the first and second wave that people should know about because it's interesting history, and because feminism is way cooler and more complex than 'first wave good, second wave good, third wave bad.'
 
Last edited:

ADigitalArtist

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
The thing that kind of freaks me out about feminism is whenever some woman says they are anti feminist or egalitarian or is highly critical of feminism or even unsure that they identify as feminist, feminists seem to hit back with things like "you don't know what feminism is." Or "you're actually a feminist you don't know it." Or "well that's just cause you don't know any better." Or something to that affect. It's so......cult like. Almost as if a woman is not allowed to even take issue with feminism or feminist theory or even just an aspect of the movement. I mean it's so dismissive and kind of creepy.

I, for one, am highly suspicious of any movement that even indirectly punishes criticism. I expect that from religions and even then I prefer to be flippant about them.

But as for identifying as a feminist? I suppose so. I'm not a real big fan of labels though.
*wave* Hi, I'm a self-described third wave feminist who actually reads feminist literature, attends gender studies lectures, and occasionally volunteers with women's crisis centers.
I do not label people feminist if they don't want to be labeled it, or tell them they must be feminist and not know it. I think thats skeezy and there's more to feminism as a set of movements than a one sentence slogan.
And to me it's just like the rest of culture. I call myself a gamer but I wouldn't call anyone who plays games a gamer, unless they wanted to be
 

Epic Beard Man

Bearded Philosopher
The way my ideas of feminism work is that it's not just in defense of women. It's in defense of the feminine, something considered by too many people to be a negative, weak thing. And this, what I refer to as Patriarchy, puts women at a significant disadvantage but it also damages men, too.
For example, I think a some degree of homophobia against men stems from an unhealthy view of women. Gay men are seen as 'too feminine' or 'doing things that women should be doing' or 'weak and emotional, like women.'

I am surprised you overlooked my initial post but anyway, I have a big problem with the following:

The Violence Stops Here

We of course had fliers at my university especially the fanatical young first year female students who take one women's studies course and yet they champion feminism.

That campaign of "don't be that guy" is damaging as it does what feminists complain: placing stereotypical labels based on gender. Regardless of the statistics, men also face sexual harassment and sexual assault. I believe where feminism fails is there is no middle ground in its message.

Sure we need to address the issues concerning rape and sexual assault against women but I think people forget how one word within a message can change the state of affairs of a campaign. There are a lot of materialistic women on this planet. So, what if I made fliers for the sake of information of "don't be that girl that dates for money." Feminists would be upset because they would feel the placement of a negative label based on gender.
 

ADigitalArtist

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
I am surprised you overlooked my initial post but anyway, I have a big problem with the following:

The Violence Stops Here

We of course had fliers at my university especially the fanatical young first year female students who take one women's studies course and yet they champion feminism.

That campaign of "don't be that guy" is damaging as it does what feminists complain: placing stereotypical labels based on gender. Regardless of the statistics, men also face sexual harassment and sexual assault. I believe where feminism fails is there is no middle ground in its message.

Sure we need to address the issues concerning rape and sexual assault against women but I think people forget how one word within a message can change the state of affairs of a campaign. There are a lot of materialistic women on this planet. So, what if I made fliers for the sake of information of "don't be that girl that dates for money." Feminists would be upset because they would feel the placement of a negative label based on gender.
What does this have to do with my post though?
I should expand, unlike the gendered stereotype that women are materialist, sexual assault statistics isn't. Women are by orders of magnitude more likely to be sexually assaulted by men, even if you were to compare anonymous statistics of those who feel like they can't report due to ridicule.
With that said, is it more complicated than 'just men'? Hell yes. Is that site abrasive and alienating? Yep, I don't support it and I would do it differently. Do I think expectation on masculinity at least contributes to the prevalence of what some call rape culture? Also, yes. And flyers like those won't help much addressing it.
 
Last edited:

Enoch07

It's all a sick freaking joke.
Premium Member
Okay, even if I accepted thats how the world works (beyond accepting that people do it, and then get on saying it shouldn't be done and why), I'm not talking to the world. I'm talking to you. Do you recognize that the criticism against 3rd wave that we have been discussing is based on generalization and hyperbole? Or are you going to continue to say things like 'Feminism is bad/negative because of people like Sarkeesian' knowing that's not right and not justified?'

It's not in my experience. Maybe your just the first level headed one I have come across. /shrug
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
It's not in my experience. Maybe your just the first level headed one I have come across. /shrug
Reasonable feminists abound...there are even several on RF.
(Just kidding about "several"!)
But the biggest enemies of feminism are indeed the feminists who are lightning rods because of
their hostility towards those they imagine to be enemies, & their obsession with divisive jargon.
Tis bad form to alienate those would otherwise be allies.
 
Top