Broken Relationships

  "Religion in all its forms [is designed to] continue the oppression of women" by "invoking the words and deeds of the exclusive male deity." These angry words are from a book called "Lesbian Nation", written by feminist Jill Johnston, and her views are typical of how feminists view Christianity. Why do so many feminists reject the masculine God of the Bible? According to a Christian psychologist, it may be because their earthly fathers rejected THEM. In his new book, titled "Faith of the Fatherless," Paul Vitz argues that a person's rejection of God is linked directly to a defective relationship involving his or her earthly father. By defective, Vitz means the father has died, abused his child, or abandoned him. But Vitz says that men and women behave very differently AFTER they have rejected God. For men, Vitz writes, "God seems to function primarily as a principle of justice and order in the world." He functions "only secondarily as a person with whom one has a relationship." Vitz says this explains why atheistic men search for substitute gods through principles like reason, science, socialism, or existentialism. But for women, it's their relationship with God that is primary. When women reject God, they attempt to replace Him with other relationships. As Vitz puts it, "It is not the idea of a god per se that they reject," but rather, "the god of a particular relationship." As a result, they take up a new enthusiasm—like feminism—which offers "important new relationships to take the place of God the Father." These women tend to put a strong emphasis on "sisterhood," and many of them embrace lesbianism. In addition, Vitz notes, "feminism is well known for its redefinition of God as female: the Goddess, or God the mother." The backgrounds of modern feminists gives credence to Vitz's theory. For example, Jill Johnston was born illegitimate; her father never tried to contact her. Her obsession with her father is woven throughout her writings. Atheist and feminist Kate Millett, author of the book "Sexual Politics," grew up in a devout Catholic home. She adored her father, a handsome, charming man. But when Millett was 13, her father abandoned his family and ran off with a 19-year-old girl. His daughters were devastated. Millett later told her sister that she would never allow another man to become important to her. Although she did marry, Millett ultimately traded in her husband for lesbian relationships. And she rejected Christianity in favor of neopagan witchcraft. According to her sister, Millett has lived her life "filled with rage." Paul Vitz's book provides insight into why intense atheists of both sexes are so angry at God. It's because they've been deeply wounded by fathers who rejected, denied, hated, abused, or abandoned them. This is why men must model God's love for their daughters, and why Christian men must lovingly minister to fatherless children within their congregations. They must take these children under their wings and teach them what it means to be loved by an earthly father figure. That masculine love will go far in pointing them toward an eternal relationship with their heavenly Father.

01/11/00