Narrow views of God, gender

It’s sad to think of a God who would pigeonhole us, whether it’s in education or child-rearing, automobile repair or decision-making in the boardroom, leading a sports team or a religious organization.  

Think about it, would an all-loving creator assign us to separate spheres of usefulness and then add this caveat: those of you in that sphere should stay there?  You don’t quite have the intellectual capacity, or the moral courage, or the spiritual acuity—in other words, you’re not quite good enough—to accomplish what’s expected from those I’ve put in that other sphere. They’re expected to reach heights that I’ve not equipped you to reach.  Have a nice day.

A narrow view of manhood and womanhood is likely the culprit, and that probably originated in a narrow view of God.  

And that gets us to religion’s role.  In part it should be to stir us to end separatism.  It should end this notion of God up there, us down here, and some of us even further down the pecking order.  

Religion, which advocates for an all-loving God and for sons and daughters made in the likeness of an impartial divine love, should be in the business of elevating and unifying the race, opening all doors of opportunity to everyone.  Not merely because it’s a civic duty, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Russ Gerber