Have you ever been in a group of Christian women and noticed that they all look alike, sound alike, and maybe even think alike? Have you felt like you were the odd one out in the gathering, even though you may have been dressed conservatively yourself? A friend and I had this experience once in a very marked way when we went to an event sponsored by women in a "Biblical Patriarchy" "Family Inclusive" type church group. We were wearing dresses/skirts. We were dressed very conservatively by most standards and neither of us were "styled" heavily in any way. Neither of us have really short hair, nor was our hair really long at the time. But, I felt like we were almost weirdos among them. It was an odd feeling to me at the time. The only other women there who didn't fit in were some unsaved relatives of someone. They had super short hair, heavy make-up, pants, bright orange hair, etc. It seemed strange to be among the outsiders in this group.
What was this about? I had questions and thoughts.
Of course, I'd seen similar things before. The Mennonites, Branhamites (followers of William Marion Branham), Gothardites, various Pentacostals and Church of God, and others exhibit similar behaviors. It's hard not to notice their weirdness sometimes, even when you want to not notice and to be compassionate or kind.
But, what does it mean? What does it potentially show about the group's view of women?
