The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines feminism as "The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities." This definition does not address what feminism has become and that it is pushing equality without distinction and that men and women are interchangeable and are the same. But, men and women are not the same. They are different.

 For example, men and women have a different orientation in their relationship with God. In Paul C. Vitz's book, Faith of the Fatherless, he notes on pages 109 and 110 the different responses of men and women "after they have rejected God." For men, God seems to function as a principle of justice and order in the world. The function of God as a being with whom one has a relationship was secondary. With women, it was the reverse. Men will find a new absolute principle of justice and order in the world while women will look for substitute relationships in some new enthusiasm. These reactions of the genders as identified in Mr. Vitz's book seems to be fairly consistent.

 In Genesis, man was created first and then later woman was created and brought to man. Man was incomplete and woman was created to be a help meet (Genesis 2:18-24). Please note that in the marriage they become one flesh. As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 11:9, "Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man."

 The parts of the Bible that give modern men and women a problem are those that teach a wife's submission to her husband (Ephesians 5:22) and her role as a mother within the family (Titus 2:4,5; 1 Timothy 2:15). Additionally, the limitations of women's role in the church (1 Timothy 2:11-12) is found to be irksome and suggests a second class status for women. Please consider this thought: We as citizens are to be in submission to the President and Congress. Does this make us as citizens inferior to the President and Congress? The Bible's teaching on the different roles of men and women in no way implies a difference in their importance or value. Galatians 3:28 states, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." If we are in Christ, there is no difference between male and female even if we have different assigned roles and responsibilities.

 The roles and responsibilities designated by God do not impute inequality or inferiority within the gender of the individual. It is the way God designed things to work within the community. The differences were put there by God and the basic gender relations and roles were established at creation. These God-defined relations and roles can be reinforced or corrupted by culture. When those roles are perverted, the culture and civilization will deteriorate and collapse until they are reestablished.

 Charles Royal, Decatur AL