There is a commercial on TV with a pleasant enough looking woman saying, “It’s time to get real about what goes on in the bathroom.” No, my dear, it isn’t. It is never that time.
I have noticed an upfrontness with women concerning their “women issues.” PMS is the frequent subject of jokes. Menopause is mentioned to me more often than I care to hear.
More than likely I am setting myself up for attacks as being a prude or something, but I really would be just fine if I went the rest of my life without hearing women talk about their PMS or menopause. There are three women in my house, I understand the issue just fine.
I don’t just say this as an opinion, I would like to make a biblical point, one I’ve never heard made before, but in all honesty, someone has to do it.
If you read the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, you will come across laws about PMS. A woman is unclean while going through it and isn’t supposed to touch stuff. There are things she is to do (sacrifice and washing) to return to ceremonial cleanliness.
Now I would like to point out that I do not believe women are bound to these sacrifices and washings any longer. Christ’s death on the cross has made a huge difference as far as our priest, temple, sacrifice and cleanliness go.
What I would like to point out is that PMS is one of those things on this planet Christ died for. Anytime there is a sacrifice for something, it is pointing to redemption in Christ needed because of that thing.
Just as we now take a light view of sin, our sexual desires, alcohol or other unredeemed common things, I think PMS/menopause flippancy is the same manifestation of the general crude nature of our society.
When Christian women sink to the level of joking about their PMS or menopause to another man, especially a man they aren’t related to, dignity has been chucked.
I do not in any way mean to demean women or the particular physical struggles of womanhood. It is a result of the pains of the curse Eve received and it is yet another manifestation of the results of sin Christ died to redeem. Men have their own issues they need to shut up about–farting, for instance.
As a Christian man, I beg you Christian women to please, please, please, restore biblical femininity and dignity in this area.
Pet Peeve Month Recap:
Christians who are Always Peeved about Something
Pastors and Sex
Christians and Alcohol
Holy Spiritless Christianity
Keep Your Seeking God Statements to Yourself
Basing Your Salvation on Being Like Others
PMS and the Gospel
Ranking Sin
Sin
Paul, Grace and Law
Blaming Church for Kids Wandering Away
“The Call” to Ministry
Coexisting
Christian Parents
Christian Success
Creationism
I’m Spending time with God so I won’t be blogging, Facebooking, etc
Oh, I Don’t Watch TV
If God be for Me, Who Can be Against Me?!!!
Not Agreeing with Everything a Theologian Says
Christian Compliments After Arguments
The Man Upstairs
The Inoffensive Gospel
It’s A Mystery!
Bashing Men
When was the Last Time you Heard a Sermon on That?
Happy Christians
AIM’s Pet Peeve Month
Interesting things to think about. Something related (which is where I thought you were going) is the tendency we as women have to blame bad attitudes/behavior on PMS. I definitely believe there are legitimate emotional side effects, but those are not an excuse to treat people badly (i.e. sin against others). I grew up in a home where there were 4 girls, no boys, and our mom made it clear to us that PMS was never an excuse to act badly. I believe more Christian women should realize this than do.
I avoided the “this is how you handle PMS” stuff due to the fact that I am a man and I’m quite sure any woman who heard me say they should knock off the bad emotions would probably not take it from me anyway! So, I was waiting for a woman to make the point for me. Thanks!
Probably smart on your part. :) Glad I could help ya out, bro.