Cheryl Schatz

Paula,

You brought out an excellent point when you said:

Many like yourself define equality between the sexes as androgyny, but I strongly disagree with that idea. Equality does not mean two people are identical. Are two twin boys or girls indistinguishable unless one bosses the other?

I think that hierarchists are afraid that equality will bring androgyny but it doesn’t mean this at all.  True complementarity means allowing the complement to operate in their gift in a way that is different than yours so it enhances and adds to the full picture.  It doesn’t mean that only one can teach.  It means that both can teach in their individual ways so that the church is built up.  Complementarity is not one gender teaching (men) while the women are sitting on the bleachers going “rah, rah, go get ’em”.  Complementarity is all of us working together with our gifts and providing a full balance.