Six years ago, a very special event in my life made me think more deeply about the topic of equal rights for women and men. This event was the birth of our first daughter.
Of course, I had already thought about this topic and discussed it with my wife and friends, but as I considered our daughter and her position in the world, the topic took on a whole new dimension. Many questions were on my mind, including: “Will our daughter be confronted with disadvantages? Is there hope that femininity will be regarded and evaluated from a different, more advantageous perspective in the future?” I devoted myself to the study of the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, in order to gain a better understanding of this topic. Here are some of the insights I got as I prayed about equal rights.
Starting with the creation story in the Bible, we read: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. . . . And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:27, 31). The perfection of man and woman is expressed in these passages; they are both created in God’s likeness. To me, it is this perfection that gives a clear indication of equality. Spiritual perfection does not allow any flaw or deficit, inferiority or inequality.
An apparent lack of equality is a man-made, erroneous concept, without divine authority.
Also, in his Sermon on the Mount, Christ Jesus counsels his disciples, which include each one of us, on the Golden Rule: “All things whatsoever ye would that [people] should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12). This further establishes the basis of equality. Jesus did not discriminate between the sexes, but he acknowledged the equality of women and men. We read, for example, of how he speaks with a Samaritan woman at a well, breaking the accepted social codes of the time. In following Jesus’ example and the Golden Rule he gave us, we can see others as God does.
In Science and Health, a book that unlocks the Scriptures, Mrs. Eddy describes God as Father-Mother. She writes: “Man and woman as coexistent and eternal with God forever reflect, in glorified quality, the infinite Father-Mother God” (p. 516). As children of our one Father-Mother God, women and men are on equal footing. An apparent lack of equality is a man-made, erroneous concept, without divine authority. It is wonderful to see that in divine law, equal rights naturally prevail.
At the end of the 19th century, most women in the United States and in many countries around the world did not have the right to vote, and they were excluded from many career opportunities and even from studying at most colleges and universities. These barriers made leading an independent life difficult for women. Mrs. Eddy writes about this in Science and Health: “Civil law establishes very unfair differences between the rights of the two sexes. Christian Science furnishes no precedent for such injustice, and civilization mitigates it in some measure” (p. 63). Despite adverse circumstances, she demonstrated the divine law and became an author, ran a publishing company, and founded a church, among other accomplishments.
Now, over one hundred years later, wonderful progress has been made concerning equal rights, and equality is being demonstrated more and more. In many parts of the world, the legal status of women has changed fundamentally, allowing women the right to vote and to study, for example. To me, this shows proof of God, divine Love, overcoming injustice and bringing truth to light.
There are indeed still gender inequities around the world that need to be addressed. To contribute to doing this, I’ve realized I can first acknowledge that women and men have equal rights now and not only in the future, because we are all created equal by God. I can demonstrate this more in my own life by appreciating and living female and male qualities equally. All of us, whether men or women, include qualities of strength and courage, and love and compassion, and this balance serves us well. Mrs. Eddy writes: “Union of the masculine and feminine qualities constitutes completeness. The masculine mind reaches a higher tone through certain elements of the feminine, while the feminine mind gains courage and strength through masculine qualities. These different elements conjoin naturally with each other, and their true harmony is in spiritual oneness” (Science and Health, p. 57). Spiritual perfection prevails in each of us as we accept the true completeness of the unity of masculine and feminine qualities.
It is reassuring and helpful to understand more clearly that, under divine law, equality can be practiced here and now; and for me, this is a support to my daughter’s future. I look forward to discovering more and more about this.
