An amazing post from Adoro te Devote on Fundamental Differences:
That's just the introduction, you have to read the post to get the rest.
Several years ago, (many, in fact....too many...) just after my graduation from college while I was still a young, naive and gung-ho-feminist-gonna-be-cop with an attitude, I had the undeserved grace to work with a couple of guys who weren't afraid to be men.
I didn't realize at the time that they spoke a very solid, theological truth to me; after all, what an unlikely source! As I came to learn, though, they served to prove that God designed men and women very differently from each other, and to recognize those differences is not demeaning; rather, it glorifies God and sanctifies us all with the dignity God intended us to have.
That's just the introduction, you have to read the post to get the rest.
This is an issue that has frustrated me for some time. Every so often there is a report or study that highlights the difference in pay between men and women. I read a great SMH article on this (and bookmarked it but the page has since gone) where it explained WHY men and women have a pay gap. We know of course that a woman can be just as intelligent as a man, but is academic achievement the only factor in career progression? Of course not, and nor should it be. The matter is very complex, which is why I am frustrated by silly articles that merely equate salary levels with graduation results. I don't wan't to go into all those complexities right now but what I took from the blog post you linked to is this: "God designed men and women very differently from each other, and to recognize those differences is not demeaning;". And even if you don't believe in God the fact remains the same; It is not wrong, it is not bad, it is not lesser, to be different. I believe that societal/cultural aspects play a big part of this and if women can contribute more than they previously did then this is indeed a good thing. A great thing in fact. But some physical and natural differences exist that we cannot deny. They are not to the detriment of either gender, they just are. We need recognise this, respect it and then work with it. We are not equal in all aspects but indeed equal as individual beings, acknowledging who we are, each bringing strengths and weaknesses to the table. Why not optimise this fact for the benefit of all, rather than complain and whinge that some cause does not measure up to an unrelated effect?
ReplyDeleteGood points, Sean.
ReplyDeleteThere's not only complaining and whinging, though, there's killing (abortion) in order to try to be the same.