The de-humanization of misogyny!

Sociologist Rodney Stark says of the early church, “Finally, what Christianity gave to its converts was nothing less than their humanity. In this sense virtue was its own reward.” Stark is suggesting the early Church focused on re-humanization people who had been de-humanized.

A basic tenet of Christian theology is that humans are created in the image of God. My belief is that being human means to be an image-bearer, but through the fall our image has been marred by sin. This means we need to be washed truly to be human once more. The early church faced many struggles, but their goal was to restore humanity to everyone. This meant running back into plague infested cities while everyone else was leaving. This meant recognizing woman as humans and worthy of respect, in a society that was resistant to that. Anything that devalues humanity is de-humanizing. Minimizing the humanness of women is de-humanizing. Throughout the history of the church there has been tension as the church attempted to recognize the humanness of women. Sometimes it failed and sometimes it has succeeded. Through these failures we have learned a great deal. Unfortunately there are still lesson to be learned. There are many stereotypes that have not been overcome. One such stereotype is that a woman is only valid because of her service to a man. What this suggests is that she belongs in the kitchen looking after her man’s every need. This treated women as second-class citizen and did not celebrate women as women. What this does is actually de-humanizes both the woman and the man. The master has as fractured of a relationship as the servant. Treating women as an object de-humanizes you and her. Furthermore, making jokes and comments that perpetuate that stereotype, even if you do not practise it, continues the cycle of de-humanization. There are many women still in these types of oppressive situations. To make light of the stereotype is to make light of these women’s reality. As Christians, we are called to come alongside the oppressed. We are required to seek justice for them and bring about restoration. We are called to re-humanize them and their oppressors. Both men and women are valuable in their identity as image bearers. To suggest that “women do not think right” because they do not think like men is to de-humanize both. To follow that comment up with vulgar and disgusting jokes that make women no more than a domestic slaves, minimize their concerns with body image, and turn men into obnoxious pigs is to insult both women and men and de-humanizes them. This is no laughing matter. What makes this worse is when they are done in a church under the banner of a sermon. This is appalling. It is commonly suggested that one’s jokes have a layer of truth underneath the surface. We must be careful about what we joke. Paul makes this clear in Eph. 5:1-4 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ³ But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴ Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”

Therefore de-humanizing misogyny has no place in the church, even if it is under the guise of joking. Instead we must seek to restore the many fractured relationships by celebrating women and men for their unique identity as image-bearers.