Contra CBMW: Different yet Equal

In order to create life, a man and a woman must come together in the same place, at the same time, and participate in the same activity, for there is only one way to create a baby (if we forget about the lab for a moment), and it requires the full participation of both a man and a woman; neither can be absent. What makes this necessary is the bodily difference between men and women; a difference that creates wholeness when brought together.

If a bodily difference makes it necessary for men and women to come together to create something new, why do we think that a difference in the realm of the mind mandates that men and women must remain in separate spheres? Why is it that in the realm of the mind, men and women must not come together to create something new, but remain separate?

Just as with the body, the difference in the realm of the mind found in men and women makes it necessary for them to come together, and think together. When they remain separate, they get only half of the story, and the rest remains unknown, which is perhaps why men and women so often have such a hard time understanding each other when they finally do come together.

Instead of being a source of inequality, the differences between men and women are the greatest reason for equality. Think for a moment of an intricate machine, and what would happen if you removed half of the parts; the machine wouldn't work. When half of humanity is excluded from decision making, humanity doesn't function as it was intended to. People become partial towards the decision makers at the expense of those who are ruled, and this creates injustice; injustice in turn creates resentment, and resentment creates bitterness.

If we want a just world in which both men and women fulfill their created purpose of being co-creators with God, and good stewards of the earth, we must ensure that women are included in decision making. Although it may be tempting for women to relinquish all responsibility and for men to accept more power than they should, it is not in the best interest of anyone, for just as we cannot create life without the full participation of men and women, neither can we create a just world without the full participation of both men and women. The first step towards a just world is the realization that although men and women are different, they are nevertheless equal.