I was fascinated by a programme on ITV on Monday evening, Violent Women.
Apparently the number of women arrested for violent crimes has doubled in the past 5 years, and scenes involving violent women are becoming commonplace in cities. Often women's violence is fueled by alcohol.
It was noted that some of the role models for women are not setting a great example, and the programme showed clips of Naomi Campbell and Bjork both in violent mood.
What do we make of it? I am not for one moment condoning women's violence. But I wonder if there is something positive in women emerging from being seen as the 'naturally nicer sex'.
You see, I've always thought that women are fallen, so capable of sin, which might include violence. When our society sees men as 'naturally' violent (or more prone to violence) that does damage too. Men are sometimes seen as not able to help it. That's not how it is in my theology either. It does men no favours.
If women are seen as 'naturally nicer', that makes nonesense of sin, and contributes to the difficulty people have in seeing women as anything other than caring, nurturing and 'nice'.
Why can't we get real? Men and women can be violent. We are all human - and fallen. The real question is what we do about it as a society.
The really depressing thing for me is not violent women, but that society is doing its best to marginalise Christianity, when the transformation Jesus Christ can make really is the only answer, the only person who might transform violent women - and men.
It was noted that some of the role models for women are not setting a great example, and the programme showed clips of Naomi Campbell and Bjork both in violent mood.
What do we make of it? I am not for one moment condoning women's violence. But I wonder if there is something positive in women emerging from being seen as the 'naturally nicer sex'.
You see, I've always thought that women are fallen, so capable of sin, which might include violence. When our society sees men as 'naturally' violent (or more prone to violence) that does damage too. Men are sometimes seen as not able to help it. That's not how it is in my theology either. It does men no favours.
If women are seen as 'naturally nicer', that makes nonesense of sin, and contributes to the difficulty people have in seeing women as anything other than caring, nurturing and 'nice'.
Why can't we get real? Men and women can be violent. We are all human - and fallen. The real question is what we do about it as a society.
The really depressing thing for me is not violent women, but that society is doing its best to marginalise Christianity, when the transformation Jesus Christ can make really is the only answer, the only person who might transform violent women - and men.
1 comment:
This is very interesting in the light of what I discovered today about 'the cost to orthodoxy of women being in oversight'. Allegedly there is a theory now that women will contribute to the liberalisation of the church because they are nurturing and soft and can not bear to marginalise people like homosexuals for instance and this explains what has happened in America! I'd not come across this theory before!
Rachel at Re vis.e re form
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