Men and Women are equal

Mimosa.

Years ago, when I was still just a boy or a young teenager living in Italy, it was customary to give Mimosa (see picture above) to women as a token of appreciation. Mind you, it might still be, though new customs have arisen with time.

The ultra-progressive/feminist/liberal agenda has now taken over the minds of many worldwide, Italy included. All the men adhering (often mindlessly) to such worldviews today are quick to jump off their seats to make sure everybody knows they are “pro-women” and “pro equality”, though I doubt many of them would be able to articulate what that actually means. Thus, “we will not be humiliating women by adhering to this old-fashioned feast”, they say.

Equal yet different

To many, the simple concept that women and men may be equal in worth and rights whilst being different in roles, functions, peculiar abilities, looks, etc. is completely alien and unconceivable. Talk about brainwashing.

Men and women are both fully-fledged specimens of mankind, the living soul that was created in God’s image. In that, they’re fully equal. They have the same value, the same worth, the same image of God impressed on them, thus equally capable and responsible to show forth that image, especially if they are born-again believers. They both have intelligence, emotions, ability to love, to show mercy, to practice grace, to work justice and walk in righteousness, to be creative, to be logical, to dance, to run, to run a business or to study whatever, etc. They — and only they — can do these and many other things, because only they are made in God’s image.

The final conclusive argument for equality between men and women was at the Cross: Jesus Christ died for all mankind, because

… God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

Men and women are equal, full stop.

Yet, that does not mean they are equal according to the liberal understanding of the concept, which is frankly boring, thanks to its insistence in removing all the peculiar differences of each; and it is also offensive, in that it removes the unique value that those peculiarities add to each man and woman.

The differences

Whilst men and women share many characteristics, they have maybe as many differences. Men are on average stronger then women (hence why allowing things such as this is preposterous at the very least). Women have been gifted with the ability to incubate a new human life and then bring it to this world (and that is a huge privilege, no matter how painful). Our emotional make up is different, our way (and not the ability) of reasoning through things is different (and these factors are complementary by design). Both men and women cannot have a proper intercourse without each other. Both are uniquely gifted in their role as a parent, so that children require both a mother and a father, not just for being conceived, but to be brought up at the their best (under optimal circumstances, that is). And I could go on forever.

The image of God matters

God made mankind in such a way that they bear God’s image both by themselves and when they become one (Genesis 2:24). The Hebrew word for one in this context is, interestingly, echad; it’s the same word for one that we find in the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4) or, in Hebrew, “Shema Yisrael, Yahweh Eloheinu Yahweh Echad”. The word Eloheinu (God) is actually plural in Hebrew (so, literally it’s “gods”) but it’s used as if singular, and this Eloheinu is said to be echad (one). The Hebrew word is actually very specific and indicates a composite unity, like a cluster of grapes is one cluster, but still composed of many grapes. The same way, God is a composite unity (Trinity) of three fully divine persons.

What’s all this got to do with men and women?

Just like the three persons of the Trinity are fully divine by themselves, yet God is a Trinity and thus divine in His composite unity, so man and woman are fully humans and bearers of God’s image by themselves, but they are also so in their composite unity of marriage.

Just like the three persons of the Trinity have their own specific offices within the Godhead, so man and woman are wired to cover different roles, yet they are both fully and equally humans, bearers of the divine image.

The differences are by design, and they are beautiful, enriching, wise, clever, and artistic; any attempt to flatten them out in the name of a distorted concept of equality should be vehemently opposed.