The problem I mentioned before -- "patriarchy" -- is actually problem of sin. However, even that is hard to pick out of patriarchy. That is, the notion of patriarchy is that it is a system of male-led authority which is, by definition, bad. It is oppression. It is evil. No one should be in that position. Really? Is that where we are? Has our decades old "Question authority" become "Deny all authority"? Yes, yes it has.
The problem of patriarchy is the problem of authority. Oh, we don't put it that way. What we say is the problem is oppression of women by men. (No one seems to be concerned about the oppression of men by women where it occurs.) The problem of patriarchy is male supremacy. (That feminism seeks female supremacy is not an issue.) Most of us recognize that not all men are rapists or sexual abusers (although very, very few seem to think that women might be rapists or sexual abusers) (and "all men are ..." is almost always wrong). The problem is a male domination -- male-controlled, male-centered value and authority. Under this hierarchy is rape and sexual abuse, domestic violence, devaluation of women, unequal pay, all that.
The message women are sending to men these days is "We don't need you anymore." It is wrong for men to want to defend women. The "damsel in distress" idea is evil, immoral, outdated. But the problem isn't women. And the problem isn't men. The problem is authority. In our mindset today we love "freedom," by which we mean "Do whatever I want to do." It might be sexual freedom -- perform whatever acts with whoever I want. It might be the right to "follow your dream," to "be what you want to be." It might be the right to do nothing at all. But the child's rebel yell, "You're not the boss of me!" is our adult yell, too. Not the people around you or even God. "I will be like the Most High." The most basic element of sin. Even Christians do this. We nod our heads to the sovereignty of God and then assure the world that He has sovereignly surrendered His sovereignty to Man's free will and still hold that he's sovereign. We submit to Him ... if it suits us.
We're mistaken on a couple of key points here. First, we think we are the best decider of our own direction and fate. Obvious foolishness given God's Omniscience, love, and goodness. Then we think that submitting is diminishing. If we submit, we're "less" somehow. This one is understandable because sometimes it's true. But not always, and we miss that fact. Jesus was in submission to the Father, but that didn't make Him "less"; it made Him obedient and useful and, ultimately, wildly successful. And that was the Son of God. How much more should we submit, first to God and then to those whom God has set over us?
Rejection of authority for human beings begins with rejection of God's authority simply because we are sinners at heart. Hostility to God is natural (Rom 8:7). It's Satan's job to convince us that we need to be our own authority because any recognition of authority over us could very easily lead to a recognition of God's authority. So we set up alternatives pushing toward anarchy when anarchy is patently nonsense. We question authority as if it's a virtue to do so and complain when authority is present, never realizing that authority is necessary and can be highly beneficial. Especially when it's God.
8 comments:
Gen 3: 16 God said to the woman:I will intensify your labor pains;you will bear children in anguish.Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you.
this difficulty goes back to the fall. it seems that it is part of the Curse, that is to say woman will always be envious of the Husbands position of authority. and in addition they will be under the authority of Sinful men. so we got that going...
What I find funny is this constant stream of dissenters -- about this or other biblical issues -- who declare boldly, "You are so arrogant! You need to be more humble ... like me!" Apparently they're not hearing themselves.
what woman are and what they do, from a healthy perspective, is truly wonderful...
they represent all that is beautiful, loving, and caring. we men are instrumental in destroying the character of women for our own vain egos. women seem to have a better moral compass than men. i just wish they would stop trying to be better, because they are already wonderfully made.
"Seem to have a better moral compass than men"? I know a lot of remarkable and wonderful women, most of whom I admire because of what God has done in their lives, but I know a large number of women -- maybe not as large but much louder -- that have no moral compass, think that men are the cause of all things evil on the planet, and demand loudly and by means of legislation that they be allowed to murder babies on a whim. In fact, the number of women who agree with murdering babies as a matter of "women's choice" is a large number of women, and that doesn't indicate a "better moral compass." It demonstrates a sin nature.
yea.. my bad. hey since i am notably more humble than you, maybe you can back off and let me immerse myself in the flood waters of my dubious delusions... i hate it when your right. just when i thought it was safe to say something nice about woman, boom.... splash.. cold water reality check. Come to think of it.. where are all the woman on this board. i dont recall ever hearing from the feminine quarter. come on Girls your not going to let him get away with this are you ? where is Margo when i need her?
"dubious delusions" -- I like that. I think that the reason that so many think that "people are basically good" is that we like to think that. As illustrated in your depiction of women ... who are certainly as lovely and admirable as can be, but also as sinful as men are. I would do well to remember that.
I could be wrong, but I don’t see how one could possibly directly connect morality and gender. Women may be prone to different types of sin, but not necessarily less sin.
I’ve touched on this elsewhere, but all of the traits that are now though of as toxic, are the traits that (if Darwin is your thing) are responsible for the human race surviving the evolutionary battles. Or just helped protect society from all manner of things.
But, as we often see, it all revolves around who or what you accept as your authority. A man, under God’s authority, will use those “toxic” traits for the good of others and the furtherance of God’s kingdom. Under other authority, they’ll use those traits to beat women in sports.
No, of course you can't correlate gender to sin. Although right now there are some loud elements of society that connects gender and race to "evil." As everyone these days knows, men are evil by definition and especially the white ones. (All doubt is removed if they're wearing a MAGA hat.)
Post a Comment