An Advantage Possessed by Christian Women

The Bible calls men to respect and protect their mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and other women. The relationship between the believing husband and wife is especially precious to God, as it represents Christ’s own self-sacrificial love for the church. A Christian woman who is married to a Christian man, living in a Christian nation and surrounded by Christian friends and family members, is indeed privileged and blessed.

But there is one particular advantage that Christian women possess, according to a new report from the Catholic aid agency Progressio. The report claims that women of faith have the potential to curb religious extremism and to reduce the role of religion in conflict.

‘Women of faith can offer a moderating voice that has the potential to curb extremism,’ claims the report. ‘Women of faith tend to represent religion’s “human” face and to maintain a distance from its power politics. From this position, they have great potential to enhance the contribution of religion to peace, and to mitigate its role in violent conflict.’

The report was compiled from first-hand accounts from more than twenty women of faith, including Christians from several denominations. It argues that faith in God makes women uniquely equipped for peace-building work.

One woman who took part in the report said, ‘To be active in our faith means that we are able to use our Gospel values as a mirror in which to view conditions in society, and to struggle to bring about change.’

According to the report, faith not only helps women to see injustice, but it also motivates them to work for change: ‘Challenging injustice and working for a better world are seen by many as the very essence of what it means to be a woman of faith.’

Furthermore, the report stated that working for peace and justice was regarded by many women as one of the best ways to put faith into action and to demonstrate their love for God: ‘[Faith] has a sacred quality and is a way of giving expression to their love of God.’

‘Whether religious or lay, women of faith tend not to distinguish between their work, their faith and their worship,’ the report states. ‘Each flows into and sustains the other. Faith, life and activism are inseparable.’

Those Christian women who believe that their ministry is confined only to their homes, may therefore like to think again.

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