themanxxreview-blog

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Happy New Years, all my fellow Christ Fems. This isn't the post that I thought I would be writing to start off the New Year. To cut to the chase, the 'gentle hiatus' that I began in December will continue through most of this year as well. For many varied reasons, I need to take a step back from some of the pressures that I put on myself in order to better care for this little beating heart and throbbing skull of mine. I am confident that given time and care, The Manxx will be a thriving part of my daily again soon.

Thank you to all of you who believe in baby beginnings, snappy ideas, and wild hypotheses. Your community has been appreciated. Let's talk soon.

#christfem4lyfe #ovarybrovaries #jesus feminist #gender equality #free the nipple #all that jazzzz

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GIVING IT A REST (JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT)

Hey - The Manxx is going to be on a gentle hiatus for the month of December! It’s not you, it’s me! I’m hoping to be officially back in January to talk about Celibacy!

Stay gold til then, fellow Christ Fems. xx

#just a note

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The Topless Christian Feminist

There is a picture of me, nine years old, with my two younger sisters, all topless and flexing the little walnut muscles of our skinny arms, our faces beaming with glee. We were young, giddy, and ignorant of the fact that we only had a few more short years of feeling free and wildly alive in our bodies.

Feminism is exposing the supposedly “radical” as nothing more than the simple and mundane. Feminism exposes the reality that, in more ways than one, we view equality as radical rather than a basic human right.

Talking about the normalization of the female breast is one of these ideas that is presented as radical, when it is a very simple discrepancy between the freedom we give male bodies versus female bodies.

Topless Equality is not a new topic in feminism and society at large, the latest instalment of these ideas being the Free the Nipple movement.

The basic premise of Top Equality, and the Free the Nipple movement, is not that women should be topless all the time and in all situations. It is simply that in situations where it is deemed appropriate for men to be topless, so too should it be deemed appropriate for women to be topless.

The hopeful side-effects of this kind of revolution is that in exposing the average woman’s body, we normalize the female body in general, and we encourage the de-sexualization of the female body in all. This can foster normal, sometimes even healthy, comparison of female bodies. The hope would be that with the increased exposure of the average (varied, wild, unique) female body, this variety would become the accepted norm, instead of the one-size-fits-all femininity that is presented as the ideal in our media and society.

This is a movement that is powerful both theoretically as well as practically. It can only be healthy for women to think about their breasts, along with the rest of their body, and challenge the feelings they have long associated with their female form. Whether this inspires action or not, a greater awareness of why we feel the way we feel about our bodies is always revelatory.

I have come a long way from the girl who ran around the yard with no shirt on. When my body started changing, I became afraid of it. I would barely look at myself in the mirror. I absorbed the messages that my body was other, that it was something that I shouldn’t get too comfortable with.

It was only a couple years ago that I started to challenge these ideas in myself. I decided to go to bed topless for a whole week. Though a seemingly very small, private, and unimportant action, it changed my own perspective of my body. At first trained to see my bare breasts as objects of sexual desire, the first nights of my experiment felt like a risk of sorts. Within a matter of a few days, however, my breasts became normal, functional, and irrelevant to me. By the end of the week, I had the light-bulb thought that, “This must be what a boy feels like”. Of course, this type of experiment would not be magnanimous for all women. Some women are much farther along in the acceptance of their body as a functional and innocuous creation. For me, I would equate this as a foray into Topless Equality. In this simple act of sleeping topless, I began to disempower the ideas of my body as an object. In this week of gradual acceptance, I allowed myself ownership of my female body.

Topless Equality is important for Christians because we’ve gotten sidetracked again. We’ve convinced ourselves that women’s bodies are the answer to lust, misogyny, and other dehumanizing sins. The good body that God created is not the problem. Your bare breasts, whether perky or flat, large or small, symmetrical or asymmetrical, scarred or stretched, are not the problem.

I want to be Christian (all of the time). I want to be Feminist (all of the time). I want to be topless (some of the time). 

If tomorrow women became empowered enough to go topless as much as their liberated brothers, we would still need feminism. Of course, it is not the fact that women are not topless that makes them unequal, it is the mindset behind it. If women were all topless tomorrow, it would not eradicate misogyny and objectification. It would not eliminate rape and assault. The hope is that as women own their right for body equality, that the mindset will change as well. The hope is that the female body will be normalized. The hope is that we will be quicker to be scandalized by inequality then by the female nipple. The hope is that eventually equality will no longer be a radical notion.

- NAT

#original #modest november #last post #of the month #free the nipple #top equality #feminism #feminist theology #body acceptance #body love #body positivity #jesus feminist #the manxx review

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Most people who run these sorts of blogs and websites have a statement of beliefs (that or they're some brand of Orthodox or Catholic, which I do not believe you are) --- Where is yours?

Hey! Thanks for reaching out. The Manxx is non-denominational - so we embrace all “brands.” If you’re interested in topics involving Christianity (of all kinds), and feminism (of many varieties), then I hope The Manxx is a welcome place for you. Personally, I’m from an evangelical background, so I will speak from what I know from that; but we welcome different opinions and perspectives. We may not always all agree here, but I don’t think that will stop us from having meaningful interactions and conversation. 

Cheers - Nat

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[L]ive your life in community, with transparency, and ultimately, for the glory of God in all things, including your sexuality.

Rachel Elizabeth Asproth, Two Sex Talks

http://www.cbeinternational.org/blogs/two-sex-talks-purity-culture-secular-culture-and-new-rhetoric

#quote #article share #modest november #purity culture #the manxx review

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Shifting the responsibility to women simply enables men to think and act like sexual predators, rather than demand that they do the hard work of being transformed by the renewing of their minds (Rom. 12:2).

Luke Harms, On Modesty and Male Privilege

http://www.cbeinternational.org/resources/modesty-and-male-privilege

#modest november #quote #modesty #male privilege #lust #article share

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Modesty 'tends to place the origin of sin in the female body'

Marissa Cwik, http://www.cbeinternational.org/resources/modesty

#quote #article share #marissa cwik #modesty #modest november #the manxx review

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“EXCUSE ME, SIR, YOUR LUST IS SHOWING”

It's another week in Modest November, and we are focusing on men's interaction with women and their modesty. We want to talk about ideas like "Modest is Hottest," and how we have turned modesty into another means of objectifying the female body. We want to talk about the conundrum of making sure we are modest "to shield men's gaze", while also making sure we remain attractive enough to "keep their attention."

This week will be all about sharing thoughts and perspectives from men and women on this issue. As always, share, like, comment, and get in on the conversation. Your voice is valuable here.

#original #modest november #lust #modesty #men and women #christian feminism #jesus feminist #feminist theology #the manxx review

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THE SELF-AWARE FEMINIST PLAYLIST

It’s about time for another feminist playlist! This time we’re all about those ladies (and token man) who tell us how it really is. We give you **THE SELF-AWARE FEMINIST PLAYLIST**. Happy jamming!:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWxK9rogwikwLzGTbn5hkYJVrwWF__54Z

#playlist #sound #the self aware #feminist playlist #listen #indie #the manxx review

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COMPLIMENTS THAT AREN’T ABOUT PHYSICAL APPEARANCE 1) You’re empowering. 2) I like your voice. 3) You’re strong. 4) I think your ideas/beliefs matter. 5) I’m so happy you exist. 6) More people should be listening to what you have to say. 7) You’re a very warm hearted person. 8) It’s nice seeing such kindness. 9) You’re very down to earth. 10) You have a beautiful soul. 11) You inspire me to become a better person. 12) Our conversations bring me a lot of joy. 13) It’s good to see someone care so much. 14) You’re so understanding. 15) You matter a lot to me. 16) You’re important even if you don’t think so. 17) You’re intelligent. 18) Your passion is contagious. 19) Your confidence is refreshing. 20) You restore my faith in humanity. 21) You’re great at being creative. 22) You’re so talented at ____. 23) I don’t get tired of you the way I get tired of other people. 24) You have great taste in ___. 25) I’m happy I stayed alive long enough to meet you. 26) I wish more people were like you. 27) You’re so good at loving people.

Dream TED talk comments. (via expresswithsilence)

#modest november #mysterious beauty #appropriate compliments #let's do this #christian feminism #jesus feminist #modesty #the manxx review

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#ChristFem Resource: Her.meneutics

‪#‎ChristFem‬ Recommends, for this cozy Wednesday afternoon, Her.meneutics, a blog of varied female voices through the Christianity Today website. As they say, "There's a different conversation happening about what an evangelical woman is and what she wants and thinks. We hope you'll join in."

See more at the link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/

#christ fem #recommends #wcw #christianity today #her.meneutics #themanxxreview

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#modesty #mysterious beauty

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Mysterious Beauties

“Mystique means keeping sacred things sacred. When a woman carelessly exposes her body, her heart, and her most intimate secrets to anyone and everyone she meets, she strips herself of all mystery, intrigue, and fascination.” - Leslie Ludy, The Lost Art of True Beauty

“We don’t ache over being geniuses or fabulous hockey players. Women ache over the issue of beauty - they ache to be beautiful, to believe they are beautiful, and they worry over keeping it if ever they can find it.” - Stasi Eldredge, Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul

---

Modesty: upholding the mystery of the female body and the female person. They tell us we are Mysterious Beauties. We reflect the mystery of God. We are the image of God when we are mysterious. Be quiet. Be covered. Don’t let them find you and know you. Guard your body, guard your mouth, guard your heart.

Mystery: “anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown,” (dictionary.com).

Why do we want women to remain a mystery? If I am a mystery, if I am defined mystery, then I cannot be known. What is the point of trying to understand something that cannot be understood? My deepest desire since I was very young has been to be known and understood. I seek connection, I seek communion. Is this thirst not to be quenched because I am woman, because I am mystery? Will I remain unexplained and unknown? Is keeping my humanity a secret pleasing to God?

Beauty: “the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind,” (dictionary.com)

Is the unknown really what is so beautiful about us? If I tell you why or how I feel something, if I tell you all the tragic, the bitter, the precious, the surprising ways I came to be myself, will I be less beautiful to you? Is my beauty in the things I do not say? Is my beauty in the skin I do not show? Is my beauty in the thoughts that stay inside my head?

How can I bring you intense pleasure or deep satisfaction without you knowing the qualities that make me human? How can you find me beautiful without knowing me?

I am beautiful - but only to the ones who ask why. I am mysterious - but only to the ones who never ask. We women are not riddles. We women are not labyrinthic tombs. We were made with voices to speak. We were made with thoughts that challenge. We were made with bodies of varied shape and abounding worthiness. We will not take the platitude of Mysterious Beauty in exchange for our humanity. We will no longer be the secret keepers of our value and worth.

#original #mysterious beauties #modest november #definition #christian feminism #jesus feminist #modesty #captivating #the lost art of true beauty #response #christ fem #the manxx review

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We are made in the image of God and we are women.

Nish Weiseth

#nish weiseth #quote #modest november #body image #body acceptance #we are women #the image of God #the manxx review

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#ChristFem Resource: The Flawless Project

It's another ‪#‎ChristFem‬ recommendation day! Today we want to turn your attention to The Flawless Project. They describe themselves as Act II of the "Purity Culture Rehab Project."

As with everything we share, we want you to use your own discernment while piecing together your individual Christian Feminism. That being said, if we're sharing it, it means something spoke to us. Take a gander. Happy Wednesday. ‪#‎wcw‬ ‪#‎christfemrecommends‬

http://theflawlessproject.org/blog/

#christ fem recommends #the flawless project #modest november #wcw

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“Women are not called to modesty because our bodies corrupt holiness. Our bodies are holy and good.” - from Modesty: And Why Blame-Shaming isn’t Godly

#original #love the skin you were given #modesty #modest november #body love #body acceptance #the manxx review

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#modesty