Do we demonize women(especially in sermons)?  Up until recently, I never thought we did.  And I’m not saying that we do, intentionally or unintentionally.  But I can’t help but wonder if we do.  I’ve never been a woman, so I can’t truly understand how women hear  and interpret sermons, classes, etc.  I believe that those speaking do not intentionally demonize women, but I could certainly understand if women viewed it differently at times.

The Book of Proverbs is written by Solomon and directed to his son.  As a result, he is looking at life from the standpoint of warning a young man.  Make no mistake about it, there are lessons for all in Proverbs . . . men and women . . . young and old.  However, since the book is specifically addressed to a young man(i.e. son), some of the warnings are to avoid the wicked woman, whether she is the adulteress or folly or anything else.  You might be thinking that “wisdom is also personified as a woman,” not to mention the fact that the mere use of the feminine personification of different attributes is all derived from the fact that the book is directed specifically toward a young man . . . emphasis on man.  It is true that if you are a woman, the book is basically readable by inverting the genders.  For example, a young woman reading Proverbs could read wisdom, folly, the adulteress, etc. as men.  And I think this is the correct way to view it, but when the warnings are given, is enough attention paid to this fact?  When the topics are discussed, does the speaker use exclusively, or almost exclusively, male references to the subject and female references to all the bad things that are being warned against in Proverbs?

When the adulteress woman of Proverbs 7 is discussed, and it is an apt warning for any age, how often is it discussed from the flip side(i.e. a man trying to lure a young woman into sin)?  I suspect that more often than not, lip-service is paid in the beginning of the discussion of Proverbs that the warning given to the young man would also apply to young woman.  But is that the end of it?  And I understand that the text is addressed to a young man.  And I have no intention of adding to or taking away from the text, but it is clear that warnings against sexual sin are there for both young men and young women, as well as old men and old women.  It should probably be added that for likely all of human history, the group that most needs to be warned about the dangers of sexual sin is young men.  However, in warning young men so vigorously, and we should, are we demonizing women generally?

Does a woman, especially a younger woman, hear that message and feel attacked or under the microscope . . . or presumed to be guilty of an offense she has never committed?  If so, I think we are failing.  Not that we are intentionally failing, but are we failing and not even realizing it.  Are we causing women, and especially younger women, to think less of themselves?  If so, then we ARE failing.  Our responsibility as a congregation and my(and your) responsibility as an individual is to encourage and build up my brothers and sisters(I Thess. 5:11).  We cannot encourage and build others up when we are making them uncomfortable or causing them to feel guilty about a sin they didn’t even commit! 

I’m not suggesting lessening any condemnation of any actual sin.  I’m not suggesting reigning in any warnings against sin or temptation.  Those are both absolute necessities, and they should always be preached against.  However, is there a way to preach against sin and temptation, while at the same time reminding people that not every woman is an adulteress?  And in an entire congregation, you might not have even ONE adulteress(hopefully).  That doesn’t mean that we do not need to preach and teach against adultery, as we need to engage in preventative preaching/teaching as well as reactive preaching/teaching.  People should not be made to feel guilty of sins they have not committed; there is plenty of guilt for the sins they have committed to go around.

Publicly addressing a divergent group of individuals is always difficult; it’s the equivalent of walking a tightrope.  There are entire groups to consider(i.e. men and women, young and old, employed and unemployed, married and single, rich and poor, mature and infants, etc.), as well as specific individuals.  People could have toes you never even knew you could step on.  And we cannot give in to the paralysis that comes from the fear of possibly offending someone.  Thus, the earlier tightrope reference.

In Matt. 18:6, Jesus warned that it would be better to have a millstone tied around one’s neck and to be thrown into the sea(drowned) than to cause one of these little ones(a reference to a disciple of Jesus) to stumble(i.e. sin).  If we demonize women, intentionally or unintentionally, do we push them away from ourselves?  Do we make them love God’s word less?  Do we push them away from the Lord?  I know I don’t ever want to have that effect on anyone, and if you are a child of God, I know you don’t want that, either.