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His Name Is
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Dealing with Feelings
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Get Real
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Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

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Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2006

Grace Church of Burlington May 14, 2006 “There are enough men in the world already; most of them are too much alike; one gets weary of the sameness among them; and I do not think that the world would be the better or the more cheerful if the women became men, too.”                                                 According to a recent U.S. Census report, 54% of mothers with advanced degrees do not work full time. Additionally, Census bureau statistics reveal that over the past 10 years there has been a 15% increase in the number of stay-at-home moms. These figures reflect a trend that more and more women are choosing to focus on their families instead of their careers. But this exodus of women from the workplace has feminists up in arms. Linda R. Hirshman, who recently retired as professor at Brandeis University, has written a book and numerous columns assailing the trend of women choosing home over office. In one recent article titled “Homeward Bound” that appeared in The American Prospect magazine, she pulled no punches when she indicated that educated women who choose to stay home and care for their children are deluded or ignorant – and perhaps both.             According to Hirshman, the women who eschew career for family do not realize that they cannot “flourish” by just being a mom. Motherhood, in her feminist worldview, is simply not fulfilling or challenging enough on its own. She says, “The family – with its repetitious, socially invisible, physical tasks – is a necessary part of life. But it allows fewer opportunities for full human flourishing than public spheres like the market or the government.”             I’m going to assume that Hirshman is a woman who chooses her words carefully. So just what does the word flourishing mean and why is it elusive for women who choose to be domestic engineers? Among the definitions the American Heritage Dictionary offers for flourish are the following: “to grow well or luxuriantly; thrive; to do or fare well; prosper; to be in a period of highest productivity, excellence, or influence.” I took this rather personally as my wife happens to be one of the women that Hirshman believes is deluded because Jane has chosen to focus on our family. Adding to her delusion, I suppose, is the fact Jane also embraced the task of home education. From my perspective, Jane is an intelligent and growing individual. She manages a full range of activities that are necessary for our home to thrive. She is also involved in the process of producing three excellent well-rounded citizens, not to mention committed believers. How’s that for influence? But somehow Hirshman just can’t seem to grasp that “flourishing” is in the eye of the beholder. On the fact that many women are choosing the home over the workplace, Hirshman wrote, “To paraphrase, as Mark Twain said, “A man who chooses not to read is just as ignorant as a man who cannot." The only way I can interpret the aforementioned is that women who make the choice to focus on their families are simply ignorant. Again, the American Heritage Dictionary is instructive. For the word ignorant it lists the following definitions: “Lacking education or knowledge. Showing or arising from a lack of education or knowledge. Unaware or uninformed.”             When our children were in their formative years, Jane made the decision to leave the workplace and stay at home. Jane is very intelligent (marrying me was a weak point but other than that...) and works very hard at the task of domestic engineer. She also runs a home based business out of our home. To be candid, the easy choice would have been for her to return to work after our children were born. Working at home is just that – work – with very little recognition or reward from the world.             Hirshman proves what I have long believed: Feminists, like Hirshman, are anti-child. Her advice to women who want children: “Have a baby. Just don’t have two.” According to Hirshman, more than one child is simply not worth the effort. Hirshman no doubt would applaud a woman’s choice to have an abortion. But not only does she ridicule those who have more than one child, she denigrates those women who choose to work at home. While I am sure Hirshman believes she is some open-minded liberal, her views reveal a feminist philosophy that is very narrow, anti-choice and anti-child.             While the Bible does not endorse or prohibit a mother from working outside the home (Proverbs 31), as Christians we need to examine our worldview and make sure that our motives and philosophy line up with Scripture. A lost world wants to squeeze us into its mold. God wants us to be transformed. Our view of parenting and family is indicative of which worldview we hold.