"Male and Female He created them...."

GENDER ISSUES

Gender distinctions seems to be such a thing of the past... . We may not have realized it, but Gender distinctions and any sort of traditional roles for males and females have been dispensed with some years ago. The days of the male being the primary "breadwinner" and the Mother being the "homemaker" are not the norm now (most of you undoubtedly know this, since you either were raised by working Mom's, are a working Mom or are being raised currently by a working Mom.) Both parents are the breadwinners, and both parents the homemakers. Females in this country are more educated than males. In many scenarios, it is the female who is bringing home the bread so to speak, while the male stays at home. The economic structure of our country has come closer and closer to placing no inherent value on one's gender and their ability to get the job done.

Frankly, we have to acknowledge that many of these changes in the broader society have real benefit. Women should have been given equal rights in the workplace, the polling booth and any other area of life. It's good that women canmake a living out in the workplace and don't have to just be dependent upon a man. We just can't help but take things too far in one direction or the other though.

With this background, it was natural that the culture might stop seeing the importance of gender at all. What difference does it make whether one is born so called "female" or so called "male?" Just a few years ago, advances in sociological studies seemed to show that most everything about us came from how we were raised. The theory went, "Raise a girl with trucks, she'll like trucks; raise a boy with dolls, he'll like dolls." Their gender has nothing to do with what they may or may not be interested in (Anyone who actually has children knows this sort of thinking only could be held by someone working in a lab, rather than living with actual children, but now even Science backs up what human beings have always known: Men and Women are different.) What's the result?

Lady Gaga.

I'm assuming most of you have not heard much about Lady Gaga. She's a pop singer who has become increasingly a symbol of modern gender confusion. She is a woman, who dresses like, and presents herself as, a male transvestite. A while back rumors floated all over that indeed she may really be a man! And she didn't confirm or deny for quite some time, playing with the whole thing, because that's part of her/his appeal. She now has come completely "out of the closet" declaring herself to be, guess what? Bi-Sexual. I know, shocking.

Let's just take a step back and ask ourselves "What does the Bible say about Gender differences?" We'll start with one verse today:

Genesis 1:27- "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

What does the text say? At creation, God made a "distinction" between male and female. Why did He create female? "Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Man would not be good on his own. And apparently man would not be good with just another man or a buddy around... he needed someone distinct from him, and yet like him. The same holds true for the woman: She needed someone like her, but distinct from her.

Male and Female with all their innate differences (and yes there are many) were created to compliment one another. How does this happen? Tomorrow we'll take a look at that by discussing how each gender can cultivate the characteristics he or she is called to have from God's word.