Images of Christian Women: Historically women were depicted in theAmerican so...

Images of Christian Women: Historically women were depicted in theAmerican so...: Historically women were depicted in the American society as individuals that were docile, bound solely for the purpose of taking care of th...

Historically women were depicted in the American society as individuals that were docile, bound solely for the purpose of taking care of the home and raising children. They washed dishes, clothes, clean house, raise the kids, and those chores were seen as their responsibilities. The mass media latched on to these roles and elaborated on them, portraying that these made for happy homes and family life. But Ed Koch (1924 – 2013), an American lawyer, politician and political commentator thought differently when he noted that “stereotypes lose their power when the world is found to be more complex than the stereotype would suggest when we learn that individuals do not fit the group stereotype, then it begins to fall apart.” For years - although women were pigeonholed with domestic responsibilities, still they proved that they had diverse talents, most capable - just as, and more than men.

Because of these stereotypes many males grew up believing females were to be viewed as sexual objects. Even today in popular media there continues to be much focus on their beauty and sex appeal. Presently, it's more than being blonde and blue-eyed. Beautiful women can be seen in all ethnic groups and shades of complexions. Kat Graham (b. 1989), a Swiss-born American actress, model, singer and dancer observed that “there was a time when men thought it was sexy to have a house wife waiting for him to come home from work in her slippers, but in modern society, I think an independent woman is even more sexy.” Women are more independent today, for the most part they have broken through the glass ceilings of this world which have held them back from progressing in society. Although today's societies still lacks meritorious promotions and equal pay for equal work.

Faith-Filled Women

Faith-filled women are a special breed. Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ - Queen of the Universe is an ideal role model for Christian women. She witnessed the execution of her Son - Our Lord Jesus Christ. She bore the grief and pain of this brutality courageously and huddled together with Jesus' disciples as witnesses to our Lord's death, burial and resurrection. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 – 1962), an American politician, diplomat and the longest serving First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945 remarked that “a woman is like a tea bag – you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” This was really true about Jesus' Mother. Many Christian women continue to emulate her purity and devotion.

Regardless of how intelligent and spirit-filled women have been, they are some men who have always viewed them as beings to be manipulated. A few films and TV programs show women as flaky and unstable. In rare instances, some news clips show women reporters crying while reporting some tragic stories. A few male seasoned journalists will criticize them for becoming personally involved rather than detached and objective. But aren't such incidents about caring reporters who are empathizing with their victims?

Women as Creators in our World

Must women be stuck in a world that's predominantly shaped by men? Anaїs Nin (1903 – 1977), an established author born to Cuban parents in France living most of her life in the United States wrote, “How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than create it herself.” For Nin, a woman must shoulder those responsibilities and not solely rely on men. We've seen them do so in the religious life with such personalities like St. Joan of Arc, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Thérèse of Lisieux that have weaved spiritual webs for the faithful to emulate.

In the secular world there are some prominent women in the military, sports, arts, politics, medicine, engineering, science, technology and are executives in the corporate world. These outstanding women are visionaries, proven creators and image builders.