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.
