I don’t have a problem with men and women being different. I studied medicine (I’m a physician by background) and not only are we anatomically different, nearly every system in our body is different in some way. The X and Y chromosomes make an impact. We obviously have different endocrine systems (hormones), but other systems differ too. For example, our skeletons are different. Our musculature is different. Our brains are different (men’s brains are larger, but women’s have more connections between right and left hemispheres.) When I studied diseases, I had to learn the differing rates at which diseases occur in men and women. Study any text book on pathology and you cannot get away from the differences.
It’s not hard to believe that the chemical and physiological differences impact how we think and process things.
Are there differences between men and women?
Yes.
I have no problem with those differences.
What I do have a problem with is when those differences are used to create a gender-based hierarchy, or when they’re used to limit women, preventing them from doing and being everything God has commanded them. Or when they produce stereotypes that people are expected to conform to, or when they are used to demean women.
What I long to see is for the body of Christ to welcome those differences, creating a synergy from our different strengths.
What do you think?
12 replies on “We are different”
Absolutely!!! As a woman, I don’t want to have to pretend to be a man to get respect. Each individual is unique and amazing, combining traits from their gender, their genetics and their upbringing. Stereotypes and hierarchy are damaging to both men and women in the family of God.
Amen!
Yes there is no doubt our god desined us different for functions of life and as for spiritual functions he uses us as his instruments for spiritual functions..but the sorce of the spiritual life comes from him..it has nothing to do with male superiority over female..if god uses a female to teach me his spiritual realities I’m fine with that.
Thank you for this encouragement, Kenneth!
Agreed. As a Mom and MD myself, I think we need to be constantly reminded of this for ourselves and our “appraisal” of other women. Thank you for being a strong female role model for those of us following- we need that encouragement!
🙂
The problem I have is when people take the stereotypes and say they’re what all men and women respectively should be like. This is, of course, where gender roles come from. I disagree with gender roles because not all men and women are made the same. It seems to me that roles should be based more on strength and gifting rather than gender.
Absolutely!
Thank you for not denying or downplaying the differences! God made us different for good reasons, and we should work to understand and benefit from those. How can we expect to fulfil what God has for us if we ignore how He made us?
In particular, men need to be more open to what women’s design means for the body of Christ. When one part is limited, the whole body is limited.
Felicity, these differences between men and women were always there; it is a divine design issue. The same designer gave different roles to those same image bearers. Each role equally important to Him. No need to reject those roles, they were design to facilitate harmonious functioning of relationship between each other and the creator. Part of God’s nature is ORDER, we see it in every thing He has made; and one way to manitain ORDER is for ALL of His creation (including, sun,moon, stars, other planets etc…) is to function within their roles.
No role is demeaning to Him, if a particular role is demeaning to women, it means that women have a faulty perspective about their roles. ALL roles are equally precious in His sight. But do most christian women beleive that…
Conflict arises when Roles collide….
I agree that no role is demeaning to God, but to say that a woman cannot take on a certain role, even if she is eminently qualified for that role, purely because of her gender, is not something I believe God would say. It’s why we see women in both Old and New Testaments and throughout history being used by Him in marvelous ways.
Thank you so much for your reply….
Blessings.