Gender Equality: Theological and Ethical Issues

 

Gender equality

The debate on gender equality has today become a subject at the heart of Christian, ethical and democratic values and is gaining more and more audience and visibility throughout the world. First promoted by feminist theologians, it starts from a distorted conception of equality between the sexes and a desire to "liberate" the individual from any normative framework given by nature, tradition, revelation and God himself.[1] In general, this thought school seeks to advance and understand the equality of men and women morally, socially, functionally, ontologically, spiritually and in matters of leadership from a democratic perspective.[2] In other words, women are totally equal to men in their status before God, in society, and in their importance in family and church.

Also called gender theory or egalitarianism, the idea of ​​gender equality first appeared in the 1990s in the United States. The feminist reinterpretation of monotheistic traditions was the object of study of this movement. The notion of God as having a male sex, for example, was rejected in order to oppose male chauvinism and patriarcalism (God is not mentioned using male pronouns defended feminists).

This equalitarian movement emphasizes that women are fully equal to men in creation and redemption, as well as in the functions to be fulfilled within the family and the community. They were created to become full partners on an equal footing with men, which implies current submission and equal responsibilities at home. The man and the woman exercise the same authority over the children and neither member of the couple should seek to dominate over the other. Scripture indicates that women have received the same gifts as men and therefore have the privilege of being at the level of service and leadership.[3]

Somehow, proponents of this ideology reject any idea of a biological gender identity that is received or inscribed in our body and that determines us as male or female. They prefer to use the concept of gender: female gender or male gender. Because for them, gender would be the result of the cultural context in which we grew up and can therefore be modified at will. In other words, gender in any case would be linked to sex which is a determination inscribed in our nature.

One consequence of this theory is to explain heterosexuality as the consequence of a cultural climate that favors it. In no way would it be part of the nature of man and woman. It would not be a founding element of human relations but rather the consequence of a cultural formatting that we have been imposed from childhood. There would be no natural complementarity between man and woman, no natural inclination towards the other sex. Man thus falls into the pride of thinking that he owes nothing to anyone, that he does not depend on anything, and especially not on a natural law that would have preceded him. A priori, he refuses the sexual identity he has not chosen and wants to build his gender.

Ethically, presenting the doctrine of gender as scientific truth is an educational and ethical sham. It is true that any identity is built and that this construction has a cultural dimension. But still, we don't think this dimension is essential for gender identity. A person is his body. Gender must be constructed in accordance with living together and the cultural codes of the masculine and the feminine must be clearly differentiated.

Theological and ethical issues

Feminist theology is unable to make a world more equal and democratic, because the male and female inequality of its functional and divine essence. So wanting to build it at all costs would plunge us into the worst consequences that humanity would have ever known.

Already today, one of the biggest issues that we do in face is sexual differentiation. The bodily difference called sex is minimized. In other words, the followers of this ideology deny the bodily difference called sex. The individual wants to create and free himself. And all this can only lead to homosexuality, for sexual no differentiation is synonymous with homosexuality. This is why the phenomenon of homosexuality in society today is only growing, because marriage is no longer just a union between a man and a woman, but also between a man and a man. , a woman and a woman. This does not surprise us because these same so-called feminists are the first to defend same-sex marriage in our societies (Church + State).

We could also cite the PMA (Medically Assisted Procreation) which was reserved only for heterosexual couples legally married already extends to homosexual couples. Divorce has also become one of the most enduring scourges arising from the theory of gender equality. Out of 100 divorces today, 35 are due to egalitarianism.

Another dangerous issue in gender theory is that the vocation of women as mother and wife is seen as a social construct contrary to equality, as a "stereotype" to be deconstructed. The functional vocation of woman from creation to be a mother, that is to say to bear the child, and man to be a father is rejected. And it should be noted that today, this teaching is expanding rapidly in our various societies.

On the other hand, basing gender theory on the sex of God is theological nonsense. Because the idea of the motherhood or the femininity of God does not appear in the Bible. The name of God always appears in the masculine. So the fact of praying to God in the feminine or any other argument whatsoever could never be the basis of this ideology. In Hebrew as in Greek or English, the masculine God wins grammatically. In addition, the doctrine of the Trinity reveals to us God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. An idea of God the Mother is absent. Jesus also said, '' he who has seen me has seen the Father '' (Jn 14.9) and not the mother.

Gender equality and the roles of women in the Bible

Gender theory also draws on the roles of women in the Bible to advocate for gender equality. One of its major ongoing projects is the consecration of women to holy ministry in ecclesiastical circles. Thus, to see consecrated women Pastors, Church Elders, Bishops, Popes or Imams in the Assemblies of God is a justice towards them. But is this the will of God? In reality, this is not about machismo or discrimination, but a matter of biblical interpretation.

The Word of God declares: “Let the woman learn peacefully, in complete submission. I do not allow him to teach and rule over man, but I ask him to keep a peaceful attitude. "(1 Timothy 2: 11-12)

In the Church, God assigns different roles to men and women. These roles are a consequence of how mankind was created and how sin entered the world (1 Timothy 2: 13-14). Here, God, through the Apostle Paul, does not allow women to exercise spiritual office and / or authority over men. This excludes women from pastoral ministry, which clearly involves spiritual authority over men.

Certainly, in the Old Testament, some women held positions of spiritual responsibility. We can particularly cite Miriam, Debora and Hulda. Nevertheless, it should be noted that these women were chosen by God Himself directly for a particular service and that they were models of faith, courage and, of course, leadership. But this authority of women in the Old Testament is unrelated to the subject of pastoral authority in the Church. The New Testament Epistles present a new model of operation for the people of God, the Church, the body of Christ, with specific structures of authority, which do not apply to the nation of Israel or any other entity of the Old Testament.

Many women excel in the gifts of hospitality, compassion, teaching, and help since the Bible does not prohibit women from exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). The ministry of the local church largely depends on these women. They have the right to pray in public and to prophesy (1 Corinthians 11: 5): only, they cannot take authority over men. Women are just as called as men to minister to others, to manifest the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23) and to proclaim the gospel to the lost (Matthew 28: 18-20, Acts 1: 8, 1 Peter 3.15).

God has established that only men are to occupy positions of spiritual authority and teaching within the Church. It's not because men are necessarily better teachers, or women are inferior or less intelligent (which they are not). It's just the way God wants His Church to work. This in no way diminishes their importance in the Ministry, but rather directs them towards ministries more in accordance with God's plan for them and the gifts He has given them.

Of all the above, equality is no longer a positive value when it signifies uniformity, conformism, confusion, non-recognition of difference. Certainly, it is understandable that women react to men's violence, to their discrimination, to machismo, authoritarianism, patriarchy ... in short, to the domination of men which is, according to the Bible, a consequence of sin (Gen 3: 16). But is advocating gender equality the right solution? To these real problems faced by women, the world has brought a false view of women by asserting that they are identical to men.

Gender equality according to God

Obviously, we ardently defend "ontological equality in dignity and in law" which is an existential and constitutional principle enshrined in the Bible and in the declaration of the rights of man and of the citizen. Which means that ontologically, men and women are all equal before God. But by functional vocation, they are unequal. For example, the vocation of woman from creation was to be a wife, a mother and to bear the child. While the man is the husband and the father. This biological function remains unchangeable and unequal. A man cannot become a woman and a woman cannot choose to become a man. The commutativity is irreversible and invariable.

Attention, deconstructing gender theory or sex equality does not mean that there are inferiors and superiors, dominated and dominants, lords and subordinates! We have received, marked in our body, a different vocation. If the woman is ontologically equal to the man, she is not similar and identical to him. Refusing your biological sexual identity and wanting to build your own gender is also not freedom.

Bibliographies

Norman, Gully, R., Systematic Theology: Creation, Christ, Salvation. Andrews University Press. November 1, 2012.

Richard, M. Davidson. Flame of Yahweh: Sexuality in the Old Testament. Baker Academic, Div of Baker Publishing Group. June 2007.

Council of Europe https://rm.coe.int/090000168064f51b (Accessed August 25, 2020).

Church Partnership Program. Theology of Gender Equality: In God’s Image – Towards Full Humanity and Abundant Life https://www.anglicancommunion.org/media/251166/Theology-of-Gender-Equality-PNG-April-2016.pdf (Accessed August 28, 2020).

Alain Ledain. ‘‘Les Dangers de la Theorie du Genre’’, ‘‘Le Lien : Un Regard Chrétien sur le Monde Actuel’’ (Accessed July 23, 2020).

Paul Enns. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Moody 

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[1] Harrison, Victoria S., "Les femmes modernes, les religions traditionnelles axées sur Abraham et l'interprétation des textes sacrés" Théologie féministe ((Janvier 2007), 15 (2): 145–159.

[2] [2] Porterfield, Amanda, "Théologie féministe comme mouvement de revitalisation". Analyse sociologique (1987), 8(3): 234–244. doi:10.2307 / 3711520. JSTOR 3711520.

[3] Linda L. Belleville, ''Women in Ministry: An Egalitarian Perspective'' dans Two Views on Women Ministry, éd. rev., Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2005, p. 35.

Jacob Aguimesheo, Master student at Spicer Adventist University in Systematic Theology, India

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