I'm now working on a chapter about feminist influence on sexuality for my book. This is where the influence of the less-defined third wave of feminism (1990s to present) is really found. The female raunch culture of Girls Gone Wild, Sex & the City, Victoria's Secret, and young women who dress for the office like they would for their honeymoon is a direct result of the ideology of third-wave feminism. And it makes for a difficult task to accurately, but discreetly, describe this movement and its effects.
That's why I was actually pleased to read an article that ran in last week's Wall Street Journal, titled "Sex Education." The opening paragraphs are highly discouraging as the author describes the current state of hooking up on college campuses. But then she writes about a class she taught at Boston University that was received surprisingly well by her students:
When last semester I taught Wendy Shalit's "A Return to Modesty," in a class at Boston University called "Spirituality & Sexuality in American Youth Culture," I assumed that my mostly left-leaning students would reject her arguments about the terrible effects that the hook-up culture has on young women and the positive effects of traditional religion and morality on young women's well-being. Instead, my students ate up her critique and were fascinated by her descriptions of modesty as a virtue, especially within the context of faith. One student said that she felt empowered to stop tolerating vulgar remarks about sex made by peers in her presence.
The class was equally attracted to some evangelical dating manuals, like "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris and "Real Sex" by Lauren Winner, that I asked them to read. They seemed shocked that somewhere in America there are entire communities of people their age who really do "save themselves" until marriage, who engage in old-fashioned dating with flowers and dinner and maybe a kiss goodnight. They reacted as if these authors describe a wonderful fantasy land. "It would be easier just to have sex with someone than ask them out on a real date," one student said, half-seriously.
I am so grateful I get to live in this "fantasy land"--but my heart breaks for the women who feel they have no other choice except to participate (physically or emotionally) in the denigration of God's good gift of sex. When I meet young women like this, I am eager to introduce them to the young men I know who will be true gentlemen, honoring them and extending kindness and courtesy to them. More importantly, I am eager to introduce them to the Savior who has rescued us from just punishment for our sins and who has redeemed our relationships.
Here's an idea: If you know of a twenty-something (single or not) who needs to be introduced to the community of believers their age--and ultimately to Jesus Christ--please consider sponsoring them to attend the New Attitude conference this Memorial Day.
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