Freedom, Oppression, and Equality

By: Lilyofthevalley2014

For the most part, we in America do not have a correct view on freedom, oppression, and equality. I would put myself in part of that bunch. I don’t know what it means to have my freedom stripped away or be oppressed by a tyrannical dictator. But I have been in the boxing ring with equality. Fighting hand to hand with it. I was confused why every punch I threw did nothing to my opponent and every blow I got to the face was a wake up call: “What am I doing here.” “Why do I want to be equal with my opponent?” Every hard blow nudged me to the edge of the mat. The wood floor was calling out my name to step off and be done. When I finally crawled weakly out of the ring I realized that I was being oppressed and my freedom was being taken from me. Who was doing this? Who was oppressing me? Could you believe that it was culture? The Media? People in my church? My family?

We have this idea that freedom only means you are trapped, unable to get loose. No freedom or rights to do what you want to do. And oppression is when someone is telling you and forcing you to do something you don’t like. When I was younger, I shook my fist at God and demanded an explanation on why He made me a girl. Boys get to have all the fun. Boys get the cool toys. Boys get to do this and do that. I gave no value to women and their role. I was a male chauvinist. I valued men’s role more than woman’s. Why? It’s not like I was taught this concept so explicitly from my parents. Nothing I learned about men’s and women’s role was overt or so profound to me. I downplayed women’s role because of the silent undercurrent of the information that I was processing.  I believed the lies. The lies that I would be ‘oppressed’ if I stayed at home. The lies that being a mother and caring for children would take my ‘freedom’ away. I wanted to be independent. I wanted to be selfish and have my dreams come true. When the Lord started opening my eyes to what He had for me as a woman my whole entire world came crashing down. TKO-Technical Knock-Out. I was down for the count and I did not get up. I stayed down and I crawled off the mat…never to step into that arena again.

Viewing women as a failure for ‘simply’ taking care of children and their husbands is a lie straight from the devil. How many women today are looked down upon for being homemakers? “Why don’t you actually help your husband and get a job?” (Paul Washer’s wife was told this–Sidebar: If you have never heard this man preach you are missing out! http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/ ) Where does our true source of freedom come from? There will always be oppression and the fight for equality, but there is one freedom–only one freedom that no one can take from you. Freedom in Christ.

There are still some those who cry out, like I did, “That’s not fair! It’s my Christian Liberty to do what I want to do. If it is not explicitly in the Bible then its Christian Liberty.” When Christ transforms our lives and our eyes are opened to pride, arrogance, selfishness, and not fulfilling the responsibilities He has placed on our shoulders, we will quickly see how far we have to go. And without Christ, we cannot get to the end. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13” Let me know if I took that verse out of context…it is taken out of context so many times.

Those blows that I got were not metaphorical. I even bragged out the bruised eyes and bruised shins. I placed myself in man’s arena and strived for ‘equality.’ I could never match up to a man. Blood, sweat, nor tears could get me there. I am a woman. I was not made a man. Did God make a mistake? Of course not. What creation can tell the creator He messed up? Women thinking they can be men (Not physically, but in essence with man’s responsibility and purpose) is a distortion of God’s intended purpose. Freedom is a privilege, not a right. Let’s start trying to focus on not being self entitled and having the world revolve around us…you…me.

Although I know that I have wasted most of my life so far, trying to become one that I simply will never even come close to, I am wrestling through how to view my life right now. Even though I have found my liberation in Christ first and a true woman second, I still have my past I have to live with. Is God sovereign? Of course. Is it His will that I sin? Of course not. Did God place me where He wanted me? Of course. Is where He placed me where He wanted me to be? Of course not. Do you see the struggle? I despise my life. I grew up training how to be a man. I have either sold, thrown away, or given all my past away almost. All the awards, accolades, pictures, things….garbage. It is all rubbish. I don’t have much left. I know where God wants me to be. I know that it was His will to create me a woman so there I have my destination. I have my map (the Bible). I have my guide (Jesus). It only goes up from here!  ^“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:14. God is good. I praise Him for saving my spiritual and physical life–for I am a distortion.

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Psychological Effects on Women in Military

This is an article that was sent in by one of my readers who wishes to remain anonymous.

This was done because of a previous article I wrote about this subject on oppression.

I remember from my earliest memories my wonderful mother curling my
hair and picking out these princess-like dresses for me to wear for
school….I would have rather been outside playing with my brother and
cousin in military fatigues with my face painted green, black, and
brown. I shook my fist at being girly and feminine. My childhood dream
was to join the military. I loved the environment (or my imagination
of that environment).

I ended up joining the military. Taking an oath to protect and obey
orders. I began my year long training by going to basic training. I
was given uniforms….oh wait, the man behind me got the same ones.
There were three different articles of clothing in the main uniform
that were different. I wore sports bras–the men did not. I wore
granny panties–the men wore briefs. I wore women’s running shoes–the
men wore theirs. Besides my haircut and buttocks, you couldn’t tell
which gender I was. I wore the same uniform, exercised the same way,
and was treated the same as the men in the unit. I did this for months
while in training. No civilian clothes. No differentiation besides
menstrual cycles and different sleeping quarters. I couldn’t stand it.
I couldn’t wait until I could put dress on….to feel beautiful….to
not look and expected to act like a man.

The day came where I could leave the fort and go into town and buy
civilian clothes. I headed straight to the dress section. I bought a
beautiful outfit and had one of my friends fix my hair (because I
didn’t know how to do anything besides a pony tail, bun, or leaving it
down). I got earrings and a necklace and even put some perfume on. I
look in the mirror—A sigh of relief– I feel like a woman again. I
never knew the importance of how we dress, look, and act. I am a woman
and need to dress, look, and act like one. Men are men and need to
dress, look, and act like one. You don’t think it matters?

If you don’t think it matters please respond with your experiences relating to the consequences of women being masculine and/or men being feminine.

Oppression in the Police Force/Military

Women have been oppressed for a very long time. I was in the military, active duty for 5 years. Towards the end of my career I got to witness first hand a woman come forth and explain the problem that she was facing, when a commanding general came to check on his troops.

Women Feel Oppressed in Military

First I need to explain that this woman was a huge success. First of all, she was a bomb technician, that is, Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD). Highly prestigious job and very few women make it. Secondly, she was incredibly successful at her unit. She had the highest PT score, and she beat all the men at the soldier of the quarter board. I’m pretty sure it was that, might have been the soldier of the month. Anyways she was incredibly intelligent and everyone acknowledge that she was a great bomb technician. She seemed to enjoy competing with the men, showing them that she was just as strong and competent as them.

So what could be wrong? No one was holding her back, she seemed to be happy and having a successful career. But when the general asked everyone if they had any complaints, things to improve upon, it all came spilling out.
She told the general that she did not feel like a woman; that she could not be a woman in that work environment. She implied that her femininity was oppressed; womanhood was being oppressed by the masculine uniform that she had on. By the masculine job that she performed. She couldn’t be the real her.

Needless to say, that ticked everyone off. If you don’t feel like a woman, don’t feel like a beautiful and delicate flower when you are wearing man’s clothes doing a man’s job with a bunch of men all day…maybe that should be a huge indicator you shouldn’t be cross dressing. We should realize that women’s beautiful and feminine nature are being oppressed and destroyed. When we stick them in the wrong environment, and expect them to be men, we are damaging their psyche!

This is an outrage against women, this is hatred and misogyny. The military oppresses women, it does not allow them to be the women that God created them to be, beautiful and delicate. Women have to be strong and masculine, to survive in the Army.

When will the hatred of women end?

Allowing women in the military is an oppressive, unnatural and an ungodly thing. We need to get our beautiful girls out of the armed services and leave the men to do the fighting.