Articles
Gender War
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Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; . . . Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her . . . . Let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Eph. 5:22-33)
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According to a recent poll reported in Forbes magazine, an astounding 82% of men are concerned about women making false claims of sexual harassment in the workplace. This fear is having an impact on interactions between men and women in their jobs, as "men who fear false allegations are naturally more likely to avoid one-on-one meetings, business lunches or dinners, and business trips with female employees. In other words, women could be excluded from the very events that could help their careers the most."
For the record, I have no problem with women working outside the home. But let's be honest: The push to get more women in the workplace alongside men as equals comes with a price. In the dog-eat-dog world of work, competition is the name of the game; so when we deliberately pit women against men in such an environment, we should not be surprised to see casualties.
A biological dichotomy that was designed to benefit both parties has been turned into a battleground in which men and women compete against each other, rather than cooperate harmoniously. The effects are spilling out into social relations at large: Men are avoiding marriage like the plague; women are complaining they can't find good men; the birthrate is plummeting, which portends social disaster down the road as the population ages.
Men and women need each other, but current trends are driving them further apart. This trajectory is not sustainable.
The solution is a return to a more traditional model of gender roles. Paul's description of the ideal relationship between a man and woman in marriage is a good starting place.
- We should acknowledge that men and women are different--and that's a beautiful thing. The push for gender "equality" was a sham from the start, with unintended devastating effects.
- The ideal arrangement is for a man and a woman to be married in a committed relationship for life. That union is best for the couple, for their kids, and for society.
- Sex should be confined to a monogamous marriage relationship between one man and one woman. No casual hook-ups, no adultery, no gay marriage, no pornographic lust. Sexual self-control is a key building block of civilization.
- For their part, men are ideally equipped to serve their families as the head of the home, and are responsible for protecting and providing for their wives and children.
- For their part, women are uniquely qualified to bear children and nurture their little ones into adulthood. Far from being a "burden," that task is an honor that should be celebrated.
As a society, we have abandoned the Biblical model of gender roles, and are paying a terrible price for our hubris. Only by returning to God's original plan can we find the happiness we desire.
--David
