So Much More, p. 75-93 – Part 5: A&E and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Mistake

“A&E” refers to Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin, authors of So Much More. I chose the abbreviation to save space and time.

At the end of the last post, I promised I would analyze the things A&E said about hardwired gender differences and the image of God. So let’s jump right in, shall we?

A real woman is a woman who recognizes that she has been exquisitely and perfectly created by a loving God for a unique purpose. Out of genuine gratitude, awe, and a desire to please her Maker, a real woman joyfully embraces her femininity and submits every aspect of her identity – the attitudes and affections of her heart and mind, her appearance, her manners, her speech, her ambitions, and her beliefs – to God’s original and unique design for her as a woman. A real woman understands that God designed femininity because masculinity was not enough in itself to represent God’s image and glory. The differences between men and women glorify God, and downplaying these differences downplays God’s glory. A real woman wants to bring glory to God by being a woman.

I know I’ve brought this up before, but I just can’t help myself.

So Much More, p. 75-93 – Part 4: The Botkin Collective

“A&E” refers to Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin, authors of So Much More. I chose the abbreviation to save space and time.

I have concluded, after reading chapter 7, that A&E have what can only be deemed an excessive focus on the group at the expense of the individual. To some extent I already knew this, but in this chapter the full ramifications of their view are made all too clear.

So Much More, p. 15-22 – Part 2: Goin’ to the Chapel

Gloria Steinem, founding editor of Ms. Magazine and one of the mothers of the feminist movement, stated, “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.”

Even many women who have rejected more extreme feminism feel this way.
Even independent women who acknowledge men’s usefulness and who plan to
get married or be somehow involved with men “someday” are held captive to
the idea that men are optional and can be put off until later. Many women feel
they are too busy doing their important work to involve any male input and in-
volvement in their lives. To these women, men are just a distraction.

But God created men to be more than just optional lifestyle accessories. He cre-
ated women to be dependent on them, in a good way.

If you’re like me, you read the above and immediately asked, “Wait, are they saying all women are required to get married?”

Jennie B. and the Pilot (TBB)

The “TBB” in the name of this post means that it is part of The Big Box series. If you’re new to Scarlet Letters, read the introductory post to see what the Big Box is all about.

It’s been a while since we got to meet a new speaker in the Big Box, but today we’re going to break that streak with Jennie Chancey, co-author of Passionate Housewives Desperate for God (she is, as you probably guessed, the “Jennie B.” in the title of today’s post). The pilot is her father, Jeff Ethell (you can read about him here), and a good percentage of the lecture was about their relationship. However, I’m here not to review Jennie Chancey’s childhood, but the patriarchal doctrines she used her family story and personal history to promote. And boy oh boy are there some doozies this week.

Strength and Dignity for Daughters, Part 2: Emotional Purity and Other Sundries (TBB)

The “TBB” in the name of this post means that it is part of The Big Box series. If you’re new to Scarlet Letters, read the introductory post to see what The Big Box is all about.

I might as well begin this post with a confession. Every time I have to read, listen to, or write about the Botkin sisters, sooner or later I always end up listening to and singing this song (any hardcore ballad nerds in my audience will recognize it as Child #10):

The reason I end up at Two Sisters whenever I write about the Botkins should be obvious by now: irony. The sisters in the ballad could not be more unlike Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin if they tried. First, I’m sure Elizabeth would never be caught dead accepting a gay gold ring and a beaver hat from a suitor without her father’s permission (in fact, perhaps Two Sisters is really about the perils of unsupervised courtship 😀 ). Second, Anna and Elizabeth would certainly never get into such hysterics over a boy. They are, after all, important purveyors of the idea of “emotional purity,” which I touched on before in my response to S. M. Davis’ lecture Seven Bible Truths Violated by Christian Dating.