What About the Women?

First of all, let me express my thanks to those who responded to my previous blog entry. Although it was primarily aimed at the men, I am pleasantly surprised to see the women responding positively to it.

Well, I believe God wants me to post something about the women, seeing as it is the month of mothers.

Instead of writing a standalone post however, allow me to reproduce here my answer to an atheist friend of mine who asked in his blog "Why would any woman want to be a Christian?"

It is a legitimate question, deserving much thought. Both Christians and non-Christians alike should carefully take the time to go over what they believe the role of women should be in our society.

The following is what I think the Bible wants us to believe:

"Well Bruce, suffice to say, you've raised some very interesting points here to say the least. The last time we talked about women's rights, I almost got kicked out of your blog. So I'm going to tread here really carefully.

Bruce, I can understand how people can see the Bible as anti-feminist/woman. You've pointed out some classical problem verses that seem to relegate women to a position of subservience to men.

My take on this is that it is not the Bible itself that is anti-feminine, but the culture prevalent at that time. As I've mentioned in another post, NOBODY took women's and children's rights seriously until only about the latter half of the 18th century. And I think its rather unfair to put the blame solely on Scripture for that being the case.

Let's face it: men and women were born with different attributes. Those attributes are meant for certain functions unique to our gender. Man was not born to bear children, much the same way tha a woman was not meant to carry semen and the biological means with which to impregnate another woman.

Current studies are also showing that it is not only our biology that is different, but our psychology as well. Men are naturally more aggressive and foward looking, well suited to their historical role as leaders and protectors. Women on the other hand, are generally more patient and present oriented, making them great managers and nurturers. Do any of these psychological attributes make one superior to the other? I don't think so. Rather, these attributes make it clear that we have specific roles to play that the other cannot.

Furthermore, these differences are not meant to be competitive, but COMPLEMENTARY. The most obvious example is of course reproduction. Biological reproduction, unaided by science, cannot occur between two persons of the same sex.

Men and women may not be equal in attributes, but they are both ESSENTIAL beings that cannot live without the other. They are meant to become and act as one unit.

The Bible recognizes this, as early as the Book of Genesis:

"So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them." - (Genesis 1:27, NLT)

Neither man, nor woman alone represent the perfection of God. BOTH of them together make for the image of perfection.

One last point I'd like to make is that I think that many of us underestimate the high value that the Bible places on women.

Women are much, MUCH more powerful than many of us think. They are so powerful in fact, that they can literally start and end wars.

We men like to act like we have power over women. But the truth of the matter is that it is the women who have the power over US.

Do you want to know what happens when this power is misused? Why, just look at how women are used to manipulate men into becoming mindless consumers.

There is not a day that goes by that I am not bombarded with sexually charged images of women enticing me to buy into a product or service. The illusion being that if I buy into the product, I am somehow getting intimate with the woman advertising it, and also confirming my manhood in the process.

A woman, who uses her sexuality to seduce and manipulate in exchange for profit is nothing more than a prostitute. I believe that a woman is made for more nobler purposes than that, much the same way that we men are made for more nobler purposes than to become willing lackeys in an abusive system that seeks to expoit women for profit.

Men are known to do crazy things for a woman. The Bible takes note of such occasions. The most famous of all being the story of Samson and Delilah. Samson, with all of his vaunted physical strength, is reduced to a subservient lackey who threw away his God-ordained power and responsibility to protect his people in exchange for Delilah's favors.

Remember Helen of Troy? How many Greeks died because of the "Face that launched a thousand ships"?

And last, but definitely not the least (at least for me as a Christian), we are told that Satan himself used Eve to tempt Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, which led to the downfall of humanity.
Oh, women are powerful all right. They are so powerful, they can cause the rise and fall of empires, make or break homes, ensure the success and cause the breakdown of generations of families. They literally have the power over life and death.

That is why I believe the Bible takes great pains to remind BOTH men and women of the dangers of their powers being misused. Women are NOT meant to be prostitutes. Men are NOT meant to be lackeys to prostitution. They are meant to behave in accordance with the purpose for which they were made: as partners working in tandem for the promotion and protection of LIFE. They were NOT meant to be used as tools for the destruction of life.

"The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." - (John 10:10 NLT)

So my message to the women is this:
Blessed are you daughters of Eve.

Blessed are you if you are treated as the least in this world, for in God's kingdom, it is the least who are the greatest.

Blessed are you for your meekness, for it is you who will inherit the Earth.

Blessed are you for refusing to have your bodies used as tools for destruction, for you will be called Mothers of all who live.

Blessed are you when you persevere in raising your family, for your children will grow up to crush the Serpent under their heels.

And finally, blessed are you, for it is through you that the Savior was born so that salvation might come to those who seek it.

Mabuhay ang mga kababaihan!"

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..."(Ephesians 5:25 NIV)