image

I am a woman. I live in America. I did not attend a women’s march over the weekend, but I know people who did. These marches made front page news all across America and sparked lively debates on social media. It’s obvious that women in this country have vastly different beliefs and convictions. I don’t presume to speak for all women in America. I speak only for myself. But at the same time, I know I’m not the only woman who feels this way. So with that in mind, I have some apologies to make.

To the women of China, I’m sorry that we here in America are fighting for the right to abort our children while you yearn for the freedom to have as many children as you wish.

Women of Saudi Arabia, I’m sorry we push for equal rights while ignoring the fact that you have none of the freedoms we take for granted. You are told how to dress, forbidden from driving, disallowed to pursue an education, and basically treated as property.

To women in underdeveloped countries, I’m sorry that we are pushing for free health care, including abortion on demand, while you struggle to feed your families and find clean water to drink and have limited or no access to good health care.

To those women who are trafficked and abused, I’m sorry that we have ignored your plight also. You are sold into drug and sex trafficking or are victims of domestic abuse. Your rights are the ones we need to be fighting for.

Men, I’m sorry that we have disrespected you while demanding you respect us. We continually mock you on TV shows, movies, and commercials, making you out to be the idiotic male who could never survive without the help of a woman. I’m sorry that we have insisted you support our reproductive rights unconditionally, including the right to terminate your own child without your consent. I apologize for the double standard we support, finding no irony in the fact that while a woman can abort your child without your knowledge, many doctors require you to have a signed consent from your female counterpart to undergo a vasectomy. Yet if you, as a male, dare protest any of this, you are labeled a sexist, and an intolerant one, at that. I’m sorry we’ve put you in that position.

To the children in America(*), I’m sorry we are setting a poor example for you. On Friday you saw the images of protesters throwing rocks, yelling obscenities, and screaming, while you are told not to throw temper tantrums. Then the following day, images of crude costumes and signs (some of which I would consider pornographic) were displayed as part of the Women’s Marches, coupled with colorful speeches from characters like Madonna who dropped the F bomb multiple times and claimed she’d thought about blowing up the White House.

To those who marched or supported the recent marches, I understand that all of you did so for your own reasons. I dare not place all you in one blanket category. Some of you marched in protest of President Trump’s former comments about women and his views on various topics. Some of you wholeheartedly agreed with Madonna’s statements, while others were uncomfortable with them. Some of you marched for LGBT rights. Perhaps some of you marching were doing so in support of abused and victimized women, hoping to give them a voice. Some of you consider yourselves feminists; others do not. There are some of you who are pushing not only for equality, but superiority over men. Some of you carried vulgar signs and dressed up in descriptive outfits depicting female body parts. I’m sorry if any of you think I’m judging you or that I don’t care to listen to your opinion. I’m sorry if you feel undervalued by society at large or by those in your life. You are worthy of love and respect, and not just because you’re a woman, but because you are a human being.

We may be separated by language and culture barriers in this world, by our beliefs, by our own stubbornness and sinful pride, but there is one thing that unites us all- we are all created by God, and that’s what gives us worth. It is never God’s will that we hurt or mistreat one another. Unfortunately, there will always be inequality in this sinful world, and we should each do what we can to work toward  basic human rights for all, especially those who cannot fight for themselves. But even amidst the chaos of this world, I know a critical truth- my most important freedom has already been won. Jesus has freed me from sin. You- yes, you– are so valuable that Jesus died for you. No matter what you’ve done in the past, no matter what your current situation, Jesus’ love and forgiveness are there for you. That’s the message of hope and healing I want to spread. And I make no apologies for that.

 

Photo is Women’s March on Washington by Mobilus in Mobili
(*) Author’s note- I changed the original wording in this paragraph to more accurately represent the events of the weekend. I did not mean to imply that the Women’s Marches were characterized by throwing rocks. As many of you have pointed out in the comments below, the marches were in large part peaceful.