Arlene

I have been thinking about difference and maybe much of this has been said.   but here goes anyway…

First… a woman is human and shares human characteristics with a man.  I hear no discussion about what men and women share as human beings.  How are we alike?

Second while a woman is different and being female is a part of my identity, it is not all of my identity.  I am a mother,  but also a teacher, athelete, scandinavian, passionate Christian.  Being female is part but not all of who I am and it does not define everything about me.

Third, the difference argument is often used to justify strict roles.  Much like a similar difference argument was used to justify slavery.
It comes from the same foul source.

Fourth, I do not see scripture dividing the attributes of the Trinity when he created the man and woman.  We are made in God’s image.  That image involves ruling and tending, building community, the ability to reason, etc.  Both men and women share this image of God according to Genesis 1:26

Fifth, if we used the same argument for men (because women can bear children, that is their role and life call) that is used on women it would go like this:  Because men can father children, their role should be to father children… Because they were to till the soil, they may only farm… no computer training, no mechanics, no business degrees, men must only farm and father children.   They use a limiting hermeneutic on women and a broad one for men.