Our Shared Shelf discussion

I know this is a bit out of date, but I thought about it a lot while reading "My Life on the Road" and never had time to mention it, but it is a universal feminism question so I think it's appropriate.

Can you be a feminist if you disagree with only one or two points that are "innately" feminist? For example, if a woman is all for equal rights, equal pay, gender equality, etc., but is a Christian and does not agree with abortion, can she still be a feminist?

I'm bringing this up because especially during "My Life on the Road" there were many, many things I agreed with Gloria Steinem on but there were definitely points where I did not share the same view as her. I'm not saying every feminist has to agree on every single issue, but what about the big issues like abortion?

I am curious what people have to say.

I think it's impractical for feminists to expect to agree unanimously on all issues. Besides, who's to say which issues are "innately" feminist?

The most important thing, in my opinion, is to be open to new ideas, to feel comfortable having your ideals challenged, and to accept that people will feel differently about various things. Supporting another woman's choices and beliefs (assuming they are not hurting others in some way), even when they do not align with your own, is inherently feminist, perhaps especially feminist.

With regards to abortion and other contentious topics, I hold the opinion that as long as one is not attempting to impose one's personal beliefs about it on another person, then it does not conflict with identification as a feminist.

Some people think that in order to achieve anything, feminists need to be defined by a specific set of beliefs, but I find that rather absurd. There is no monolithic feminist experience, so this would be impossible. We can work together despite out differences, and I think embracing those differences is how we can achieve the most!

Feminism is very interpretive and just about every feminist had their own way of expressing it. There are many issues that feminists have their own opinion on and adjustments are always made to fit the individual. There is no strict set of laws of being a feminist others than to be a determined person who puts some effort into empowering women. It's completely fine to have some disagreements as long as we never lose sight of the goal in mind.

I can only speak for myself, but I do wonder how people think they are at liberty to decide on what should or should not happen in the lives of others. I know many Christians who have no problem with abortion, and while some would never have one herself, she is perfectly fine with letting other women decide what works for them. Only God (I'm agnostic) gets to judge on decisions made by humans, and due to this fact, I'm not entirely sure why religious humans decide for other humans how those should live life. Don't religious people have enough on their own plate to sort, instead of keeping track of the doings of their neighbour? Nobody is without fault, or sin as you would put it, after all. In other words, why not be open to let others decide on their own behalf? Problem solved!