In this current political climate feminist is a word that is used by women to let the world know that they stand up for the rights of women and seek equalization with men. Unfortunately, not all feminists are interested in fighting for the rights of ALL WOMEN. They have some how made a mental, sometimes unconscious list in their mind of which women are worthy and which one’s aren’t.

The most selective feminists have deemed women who are poor, of colour, not formally educated, hold a criminal record, are “too religious” or whatever qualifier they have decided is worthless, to not be females worth fighting for. Unapologetically, they exclude the women who have made it onto their list of undesirables.

I’ve read articles where Christians have labeled Jesus a feminist. I think that’s a slippery slope and it’s best to avoid attaching political labels to Jesus. It is no different than saying Jesus is a Democrat, Republican, environmentalist or a union supporter.  I’ve even listened to people who claim that Jesus was a vegetarian, and yes, this is even though we read of Jesus fishing and eating with his disciples.

Based on scriptures in the bible, I have no doubt that Jesus cared about the environment; the earth is God’s creation. And we know that Jesus cared about the poor, the widows, children, and women based on his teachings. The issue is not the values, but the labels. Jesus never labeled himself. Yes, he was a Jew born into the Pharisee tradition, and he came from a town that was part of his identity; but other than that, he didn’t give himself labels, especially political ones.

We as Christians can have labels, we can either assign them to our self, or whether we like it or not, one will be assigned to us by society, government, employers, and strangers on the internet. Your first identity is as a Christian, a follower of Christ, a child of God, and on this foundation is where the other identities grow from. No person has a single identity, we wear many hats and have multiple roles in our lifetime.

The values associated with feminists, Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, NDP, environmentalists, etc. have changed over time and will continue to be fluid; therefore, it is never a good idea to associate Jesus with a political label. When you say that Jesus is a ________ (fill in the blank) you assume that Jesus agrees with everything a group or organization does. The truth is we don’t know if he would. Jesus never gave easy answers or explanations; even bible scholars, philosophers, and theologians have different interpretations of his parables, actions, and purpose.

Go ahead and be a feminist, a member of a political party, and an advocate. Keep your choices rooted in the values and commandments that God has called us to live; but please don’t assume that Jesus would be a card carrying member or financial donor of any group or organization. God has given you strength, wisdom, a conscience, and skills to fight the good fight and seek justice rooted in mercy, grace, and repentance; this is what you need. Associate Jesus with values, attributes, and things that fall into alignment with the will of God instead of a political label.

As my friend used to say, ‘Labels are for jars’.