Biblical Masculinity and Femininity

[Matariki]

Here are two articles offering the biblical perspective of each;
Masculinity and Femininity.

• What are your opinions on biblical gender roles and what importance do they have in your life?

• Have you ever found that your nature has conflicted with either biblical gender role?

• What are your views on secular gender roles as opposed to biblical?

• What is your stance on gender roles?

E.g. Complementarianism, Egalitarianism, Feminism, Masculism etc.

 

[EyesOfKohl]

Curious question, what are your views on this and what is your intention?

 

[dayhiker]

I personally don't think the Bible defines roles to a great extent. Ya, most of the Bible women were property of their father or husband, but there isn't a command that they be considered property. Its just the culture the Bible was written in. So I picked mixed.

As for the man being head and the woman being submissive. Again if the man owns the woman that's what one would expect. Yet even then I suspect they each had their roles as any two people in a relationship have and so each knew what the other was expected to do. So each submitted to their role. Men were clearly expected by their society to be dominate.

 

[Matariki]

• What are your opinions on biblical gender roles and what importance do they have in your life?

I personally find biblical gender roles to be an example of idealization.
I don't doubt that they are important, but I find them to be positions that have been abused over the years.

Though I agree that most females and males have different distinguishable roles, the bible appears to make little accommodation for the ones that are living on the fringe e.g. the feminine male and the masculine female, I'm talking about the 'tom boy' and the 'sissy boy'.

I ask myself, because these two 'fail' to abide by the given gender roles, are they considered to be living in sin or has God given them these attributes to later on serve a different purpose and glorify him?

• Have you ever found that your nature has conflicted with either biblical gender role?

Yes, because I'm what you would call a masculine female. I find it hard to convince myself that men and women are equal and yet have different privileges and rights as according to their gender. So I can't take the biblical gender roles literally. They are more subjective to me rather than objective. I'm not in a place in my life where I could willingly submit to a male authority (aka husband) and potentially put myself in a position where I could be abused or degraded. I'm not saying all men are like this, but I have personal issues with trust.

• What are your views on secular gender roles as opposed to biblical?

I find secular gender roles to be a perversion compared to biblical gender roles to the the point where there is no gender role, but an image and a style that an individual has to uphold depending on the generation.

• What is your stance on gender roles?

I am an equalist (egalitarianism). Men and women in my eyes are equal, and should be privileged to the same rights. However, men and women need to be acknowledged for their differences and roles, but at the same time not be discredited for their individuality, uniqueness and attributes.

For an example; Women should be able to go to work, but mothers would be better to stay at home with their children e.g. homeschooling (taking a vital part in their development). Fathers should be able to stay home and look after their kids, but should also be obliging to their responsibilities by working and earning an income; either from home or out in the world.

This was very much how I was raised.

Men and women should be allowed to enjoy participating in the same activities while honoring God.

 

[Blank123]

complementarian here, that probably would be easily confused with an egalitarian considering the stereotypes and misunderstandings that abound.. I believe strongly in the husband's role as spiritual leader of the household, but i don't believe that gives him license to rule with an iron fist or that he cannot be taught or held accountable by his wife. women aren't doormats or property.

 

[Tamara224]

I couldn't vote in the poll, it's kind of a loaded question. I don't believe that there are any universal "gender roles" in Scripture. Gender roles are cultural constructs and vary from culture to culture and time to time. There isn't any one set of gender roles recorded in Scripture. Scripture spans a great deal of time and several cultures and indicates differences in gender roles between times and places.

• What are your opinions on biblical gender roles and what importance do they have in your life?

My opinion is that the so-called "Biblical gender roles" are nothing more than taking aspects of the worldly culture around us and slapping a "Biblical" label on it and reselling it.

• Have you ever found that your nature has conflicted with either biblical gender role?

Absolutely and repeatedly. According to complementarians I'm supposed to be passive, submissive and a follower. By personality and talents I'm active and take the lead quite naturally. Not to mention that I'm 33 years old, single and childless. My "role" is supposed to be wife and mother.

• What are your views on secular gender roles as opposed to biblical?

They're the same thing. I'm opposed to any ideology that does not allow for individuals to be unique individuals or attempts to force people to conform to a certain mold based on race, sex, national origin, age, socioeconomic status, etc.

• What is your stance on gender roles?

E.g. Complementarianism, Egalitarianism, Feminism, Masculism etc.

I'm egalitarian which means I don't believe in gender roles or gender essentialism.

 

[crishmael]

• What are your opinions on biblical gender roles and what importance do they have in your life?

The Bible was written in the crux of several patriarchal cultures so it reflects their cultural bias. And like many things the cultural influences on the Bible approved of (such as slavery) I don't believe Jesus came to enforce 1st century CE norms so I ignore them.

• Have you ever found that your nature has conflicted with either biblical gender role?

Nature has several meanings and I don't know which one is meant.

• What are your views on secular gender roles as opposed to biblical?

Each culture has its own gender expectations because gender is a concept defined by its culture. Some cultures attach divine significance to theirs and some do not. Some are patriarchal and would agree in spirit with the cultural background of the Biblical authors and compilers.

• What is your stance on gender roles?

They are cultural constructs and are seldom static. I find them interesting to study and examine their underlying assumptions.

 

[Nilloc]

The articles linked in the OP are just a bunch of proof-texting; there's nothing of substance there.

 

[Sieben]

Yes :')

 

[Blank123]

i'm actually kinda surprised anyone voted no on the poll since people on both sides of the debate say they follow the Bible

 

[Tamara224]

i'm actually kinda surprised anyone voted no on the poll since people on both sides of the debate say they follow the Bible

Yes, but only one side of the debate believes there is such a thing as "Biblical gender roles."

The poll options are difficult because the poll question is loaded. It presumes the complementarian position (that the Bible describes and prescribes gender roles) and then asks us to state whether we agree with the Bible. If we vote "no" the implication is that we 1) think the Bible says one thing and 2) disagree with that thing.

I 'agree' with the Bible. I just don't think the Bible either describes or prescribes "gender roles".

Or, put another way: I don't disagree with the Bible. I disagree with some people's interpretation and application of the Bible.

I would have voted 'no' in the poll, but for these reasons I refrained from voting at all.

 

[Blank123]

well to be fair the poll didn't ask if we believed in Biblical gender roles - it asked if we believe in the Biblical perspective on gender roles. and the OP did declare herself to be egalitarian so i don't think she was pushing a complementarian perspective.

but its probably all a moot point.

 

[SnowyMacie]

• What are your opinions on biblical gender roles and what importance do they have in your life?

I answered mixed because I think a lot of the gender role issues talked about in the Bible were culturally defined. Even though the Bible never says "women are property" at that time, women were still considered property. I think that men and women are equal, and when it says "wives submit to your husbands" I think what he's getting at give him everything; you're whole heart, erc.. I heard it once said at my parents church about this; (background info - preacher's wife is a marriage consular). He said that she said she never heard a man say "I'll love my wife when she deserves it", but countless times she's heard "I'll respect my husband when he deserves it." What I'm saying is that, husbands want respect just like wives do, and that is what I think can be taken from that passage.

• Have you ever found that your nature has conflicted with either biblical gender role?

Not really.

• What are your views on secular gender roles as opposed to biblical?

I think society's gender roles stricter. On that site, you can clearly see most the page is about society's views on gender roles. I like what is says under V. on the masculinity article. Basically, we must discern society's gender roles from God's, and I think of times we confuse the two. I know of instances and people who have said that a sin or something to that effect (about gender roles), and I thought "the Bible doesn't actually say that."

• What is your stance on gender roles?

E.g. Complementarianism, Egalitarianism, Feminism, Masculism etc.

That men and women are both equal, and each have their own strengths and weaknesses that enable the human race to survive and continue. I don't think there's a strict "this is what a woman/man should be and do". Gender roles, to me, should be defined as more a "general idea" than a list of guidelines and rules.


p.s. I think God realizes that not every single man and woman is going act "masculine" or "feminine", and that's why there's not as many passages on it in scripture. I think it just all comes to down to each individual's personality.

 

[Tamara224]

well to be fair the poll didn't ask if we believed in Biblical gender roles - it asked if we believe in the Biblical perspective on gender roles.

That's essentially the same thing. If I don't believe there is such a thing as a "Biblical perspective on gender roles," then I can't accurately answer that question with either a yes or a no.

The question presumes that there is such a thing as a "Biblical perspective on gender roles" and, more than that, it assumes there is only one "Biblical perspective" on it.

Let's say you have two people who both say that they think the Bible has a perspective on gender roles and each person affirms their personal agreement with that Biblical perspective. You might think from that that the two people are in agreement. Until person A says "the Biblical perspective on gender roles is that men are in charge and women follow" and person B says "hold on now, the Biblical perspective on gender roles is that in Christ there is no male and female." Clearly, the two people have very different ideas of what the "Biblical perspective on gender roles" actually is. Neither would tell you that they are in disagreement with the Bible.

And your surprise at seeing someone answer 'no' to the question is proof that the question is poorly worded. IMHO. You spotted the flaw which is that if we all believe and follow the Bible, then no one is going to say "no" when asked if they agree with the Biblical perspective on something.

and the OP did declare herself to be egalitarian so i don't think she was pushing a complementarian perspective.

I don't think she was pushing a complementarian perspective. I think she just didn't craft her poll question very well.

but its probably all a moot point.

On internet discussion forums, the only moot points are the ones we don't want to talk about anymore.

 

[Miles]

• What are your opinions on biblical gender roles and what importance do they have in your life?

I tend to focus on other things. Gender roles are largely cultural. Depending on what part of the Bible is emphasized, or in some cases taken out of context, they can vary considerably.

• Have you ever found that your nature has conflicted with either biblical gender role?

Ever is a strong word, but generally no. Some churches go to extremes in the name of gender correctness, and that doesn't seem particularly relevant to me. Christianity should be about our relationship with God, not a competition to see who seems more stereotypically masculine or whatever.

• What are your views on secular gender roles as opposed to biblical?

Beyond the husband being admonished to love his wife like Christ loves the church etc, I think they're more similar than not. Gender roles are a secular phenomenon, apparently rooted in culture and convenience, occurring long before and after Biblical times.

• What is your stance on gender roles?

E.g. Complementarianism, Egalitarianism, Feminism, Masculism etc.

Complementarianism, I suppose... although I'm not familiar with this particular ism. What I care most about is compatibility. The concept of two people complimenting each other sounds ideal to me. That said, I consider men and women to be equal in terms of worth, intelligence, deserving of human rights etc.

 

[SeekJusticeLoveMercy]

Complementarianism sounds about right to me. I think in many ways the Biblical gender roles were ahead of their time.

 

[Nilloc]

I think in many ways the Biblical gender roles were ahead of their time.

Why do you think that?

 

[Paulie079]

I'm complementarian. Scripture says quite a bit about gender roles and they are more than just a social/cultural construct.

 

[Marycita]

Blind post - I won't read the articles til I get a chance to read up on the guy who wrote them and such first...so I can't answer the question based on that. But the question itself made me giggle...because all Christians should agree with Biblical gender roles. If we don't, there's a problem...

But, I'll have to come back and read this thread and the articles and then see if what is in them actually are the biblical gender roles...

anywhoooo... mostly this post is just to subscribe as well

 

[SeekJusticeLoveMercy]

Why do you think that?

Up until only last century women were treated as unequal to men. They were still basically considered property for all intensive properties. When I look at scripture, such as Proverbs 31 and the woman described there, I see that women were considered equal to men, not inferior. The woman in Proverbs 31 is described as selling things (working), buying property with her own money, and is praised by her husband rather than bossed around and forced to stay at home doing nothing. In my opinion, the gender roles described in the Bible were far ahead of their time. Only relatively recently was it considered acceptable for women to work or have her own money. A hundred years ago women were still considered to basically be the property of their husbands.