For the nearly the last 6,000 years, there has been a gross misbalance in humanity, and it has everything to do with the role and co-existence of men and women on this planet. The devil has infested the human race with the love of preeminence. He knows first hand that it worked to get him thrown from heaven, and he uses this weapon against us frequently, familiar with its result.

First of all, let me insert this simple Scripture in your mind so that what follows will make so much more sense. Proverbs 11:1 "A false balance is abomination to the Lord; but a just weight is His delight." Sounds just like Jesus...a fair judgement and objective view of things is His way of doing things. An equal share given for all.

As with anything else in the world today, this all began in the Garden of Eden. As soon as Eve's name was involved in the sin that spun humanity into a void far from God, she has been labeled and degraded, along with the billions of women who have graced this planet since. Of course, Adam stood very near his wife that day as she plucked the fruit...together they ate...and Adam not preventing it to happen was as evil as her first bite. How can the woman be blamed for the original sin? There are men who believe that Eve was the main cause of the fall and that women are predisposed to temptation.

So, to establish the equality of the two, let's return again to the place at all began. When God created Adam and Eve, He said they were made in His own image...both of them. God blessed THEM and gave THEM dominion and told THEM to be fruitful and multiply. When God talks to Adam and Eve and the Scripture uses the word "you", in all cases the Hebrew translation is plural. He gave both of them equal rights to live prosperously in His creation. Neither of them were flawed. She was not created inferior. She did not BECOME inferior for being involved equally in the original sin.

Men are not more intelligent than women. Eve was deceived by a very clever serpent. God gave the commandment not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil long before Eve was even created. She never heard the command directly from God. The devil, in his approach to deception posed his attack as a question, "Did God say you couldn't eat of the Tree...?" Technically, to her, no. But she knew. Adam surely told her. However, the devil is sly and quick. He deceived Eve into partaking of that fruit. Because of this, however, men have, though the love of preeminence and pride, lowered the woman on the scale of things and made her less than man.

As Christians, we look many times to the men of old who wrote and taught in the early churches, and we trust them, we re-teach their philosphies, and we embrace their theology. Did you know that Luther and St. Augustine taught that Eve fell into sin because she "lacked in her moral nature"? Luther influenced all Protestants and Augustine influenced all Catholics...it is no wonder the church and world today are confused in respect to men and women equality. One commentary states, "The devil tempted Eve, not Adam, because she, although both possessed the gift of integrity, could fall more easily than man, for she was precending from the more abundant grace that Adam doubtlessly was given." Adam had more grace? You can find some high praise of Adam in the commentaries. "She was more easily led astray and weaker in resistance." (I.F.S. c.1952). Does the Bible say that?

The world has come along way in the last century, but we still have so far yet to go. Mohammedan countries treat women in despicable ways. They cover them up completely blaming them for the lusts of men. In Jewish culture, the women were never allowed to touch the Torah for they were considered unclean. It was rare for a woman to be educated in the early days, and in this country, women were not permitted to enroll in college until the 20th century! Men and boys alone could study the Torah. A synagogue could not be established until 10 men were present. There could be 100 women, but without men it was not permitted. Socrates, in 500 BC, said, "In all, woman is rather weaker than man. Being born a woman is a divine punishment since a woman is halfway between a man and an animal." This man's philosophies still have influence today. "Is there anything at all practiced among mankind in which in all these respects the male sex is not far better than the female?" The Bible does not teach this. Xenaphon, a disciple of Socrates said at that time, "...the ideal Athenian woman was one who might see as little as possible, hear as little as possible, and ask as little as possible." Thomas Aquinas, who has been quoted regularly in biblical studies, stated, "The woman is defective and misbegotten. Male seed implanted in a woman will produce a man unless it is defective." It is sad that in some circles, although perhaps not this glaringly obvious, men still view women as less than a man, not allowing them to speak in church, conduct a ministry, pray with people, hold a position of leadership, or be trusted with matters of importance.

Let me explain quickly that I am in no way in favor of the popular women's liberation movements that are trying to correct this problem to excess - to the point of reversing the roles of men and women and in doing so, are taking on a love of preeminence all their own. Neither men nor women should be superior. All should be equal.

Instead of this one stop at the shop becoming too long, I have split this study into two sites. The second one, if you want more along these lines, is after this listing on the Gourmet Page.

The love of preeminence, or any doctrine that has any race, color, gender, or group of people distinguished by doctrine, creed, position, or concept that is considered better than anyone else, is completely opposed to how God originally designed this world and its inhabitants. The proof is in the beginning when He set it all in motion. The devil has trampled down those things which God designed and ruined the perfect balance and "just weight" in which He delights.