[Editor’s Note: This is a post from the original (LAF) site that I meant to bring over to the new one but forgot. After a couple of reader requests, I managed to locate the original file. This is excellent material and illustrates why robust biblical womanhood negates any “need” for feminism. Women are already “empowered” thanks to God’s high calling for them and the full scope … Continue reading “The Woman’s Place”
We’ve had several readers leave comments lately complaining that they don’t immediately see their comments posted to an article or wondering why they are being “ignored.” I just wanted to post a quick reality check so readers can understand how LAF works, especially when it comes to comments and conversation. Continue reading “A Comment on Comments”
Well, after a year of scratching our heads over the errors in the Archives, we’ve finally been able to nail them down with the software developer, who tweaked the code to get things working again. That means you now have access to over 2500 older LAF articles and can use the search box to find exactly what you’re looking for in there. Thanks for your … Continue reading The Archives are working again!
We really love the things Brett McKay has done over at The Art of Manliness. We’ve linked to several pieces he and his associates have written since AoM started. But today’s post absolutely takes the cake. It is so good that we’re cross-posting it here in three categories, including the Theme Articles section. Why? Because in one place, Brett McKay has gathered together the history, the philosophy, and the practicum for what we believe, promote, and seek to practice here on LAF.
We’ve been accused of wanting to force women back to a 1950s model household: husband as absent breadwinner; wife as glorified housekeeper. We’ve sought from the beginning to dispel that myth, yet it lingers. Still others insist we are trying to return to what we perceive as the “golden age” of the Victorian Era, and that idea persists despite our clearly stating that simply isn’t the case. We have no interest in glorifying stereotypes of womanhood, manhood, or the family. Our goal is to hold up a model of full-orbed family life, where the parents are equally involved in the training and preparation of children, wives are invested in the work of their husbands, husbands promote and facilitate family home business ventures, and where children are a real, vital part of the household economy. It is very difficult to get these ideas across through the medium of the Internet in dozens of posts–let alone one–but Brett McKay has done the job amply. Below is an introductory sample, but please click the link at the end to read the entire piece. It is well worth your time.
“We’re a generation of men raised by women. I’m wondering if another woman is really the answer we need.”
This comment, made by the Tyler Durden character in the movie Fight Club, is one of the most memorable lines of that film and has oft been repeated and discussed. It’s sticking power is surely due to the way it resonated with many men–how it so succinctly summed up their life’s experience. Products of divorced parents, single mothers, or fathers who spent more time at work than at home, these men lacked a vital example of manhood growing up. Oftentimes, not only was their dad not around, male mentors in other areas of their life were few and far between as well…. Continue reading ““A Generation of Men Raised by Women””
The recent naming of Nancy Pelosi as the “most powerful woman in American history” has sparked national discussion on both the history of women in America and the nature of woman’s power. As Speaker of the House, Mrs. Pelosi holds the highest civic position any American woman has held to date, and her hand in putting through the recent Health Care Bill will have huge historic implications. Though we don’t see it as a great advance for women to finally be oppressed by one of our own, this is undeniably a kind of power.
But behind this recent tribute to Mrs. Pelosi is this presupposition: “Women find their power in holding the positions of men – the traditional women’s role has no power. The power traditional women exercised in the past doesn’t count.”
Americans are ready to believe this because they long ago adopted a feminist view of history. Continue reading “The Truth About Women That Feminists Don’t Want You to Know”
This overhaul has been a long time coming, and we are so excited to introduce not only a brand new look but a totally new platform–one that will make it easier to keep LAF current. We are delighted to have on board a bevy of regular authors, most of whom have written off and on for us for many years. As time goes by, we’ll add more authors. LAF’s strength has always been in its diversity of writers–ladies (and gents!) from all over the world with different backgrounds and perspectives, and we hope to see that expand over time.
The new format means LAF is easier than ever to navigate. Simply use the drop-down menu at left to see all the articles in a given category. Looking for something more specific? Click a keyword tag. Trying to find something by a particular author or title? Use the search box! Article summaries appear on this main page. To read an entire piece, click Continue reading “Welcome to “LAF 2.0!” (Help spread the word and earn a free download!)”
There are a plethora of neo-Victorian ladies’ societies, tea groups, discussion forums, and more both on the internet and off. Many of them are doing wonderful work to expose the glaringly ugly results of a century of egalitarianism. Many of them espouse excellent virtues of the past, including the lost arts of homemaking, sewing, cooking, feminine dress and more. But while all these things are praiseworthy, we must seek to go further if we hope to pass on a vision of womanhood that does more than decorate the snorting pig of equality with ribbons, rings and bows. We must not lack discretion; rather we must seek to understand Who defines womanhood and how that definition can be applied to our lives on a daily basis–not just at occasional tea parties or costume balls.
As a woman, I do not understand how you can form a website based on such a disgraceful idea. Everyone is obviously entitled to their own opinion, but your opinion lacks intelligence and is solely based on ignorance. Feminism is not about shunning the idea of being a housewife, etc. In fact it has nothing to do with that. It is simply a choice. For whoever wrote the article I was reading, how can you say that feminists basically look down on women who are housewives? I have never in my research, schooling, etc. heard such a ridiculous comment and criticism of feminism. I suggest that your website educate itself more on what feminism is all about before you contain ignorant articles on your website.
The quote above comes from one of many “Scorching Rhetoric” notes we’ve received here at LAF. One complaint we often hear is that we know nothing about feminism and that what we claim feminism stands for (or has stood for in the past) is not true. As will be obvious to anyone who takes the time to carefully read this site (particularly our Theme Articles), we do not seek to lump all those who call themselves feminists into the same category. Even feminists disagree about what feminism means (see “What Is Feminism?”). You can no more stereotype feminists than you can stereotype all women. Just as there is no consensus within the Church about what constitutes a homemaker (sadly enough), there is no consensus within the feminist movement about what constitutes a true feminist. This can make it extremely difficult to nail down just what feminism is about and where the movement desires to take women and society in the future. But we can learn about the various objectives it has promoted and claimed as its own down through the decades.
What is womanhood? What does it mean to be feminine? Is there an unchanging standard for the woman’s role in the world? These questions puzzle us more in our modern culture than perhaps ever before. We run to the bookstores every time a “groundbreaking” new book or study comes out, hoping that we’ll find enlightenment at last. We vacillate wildly between enjoying chivalry to taking offense at it. One group of women finds it thoroughly delightful to have a man open the car door for them, while another feels insulted by such behavior. Our culture tells us that it is a “waste” of talents and brains to stay home and raise children, but something deep in our souls tells us it is meaningful, beautiful, and intellectually challenging. And the countless millions of successful mothers who have gone before us cry out from history’s pages. Our foremothers in centuries past did not seem to have quite the same identity crisis that we do today — or at least not to the same degree. Our supposed “liberation” in the 21st century doesn’t seem to have freed us; rather, it seems to have bound us into a straight jacket of tormented doubts about what we are doing as women. Is there an answer?
“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” ~ Proverbs 14:1
Pinning feminism down to a single definition is extremely difficult, if not impossible. There are almost as many definitions for feminism today as there are feminists, since many of the men and women involved in feminist issues disagree philosophically, theologically, and over the application of their beliefs. Continue reading “What Is Feminism?”
Beautiful Womanhood 