Shoring Up the Foundations

Regardless of our gender, we recognize that we have been created in the image of God - every life has value, and it's important that we possess that attitude. Genesis 1 says:
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

The life of every human being has value, and God has gifted each person with great potential to reflect His glory.  If we regard each person in that way, it will give us the motivation to protect life, we will truly be able to love others with the love of Christ, and follow the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves.  If we regard each person, male or female, as possessing value, it can enhance our desire to serve them and to humble ourselves before them.  Because we believe in Christ, He has given us the capacity for servanthood, and what a great message that communicates in our culture.

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In the body of Christ, we recognize that God does not show partiality or play favorites - we are all called by His name, regardless of gender, race, and background. Here are some words from Galatians 3:
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

There have been numerous reports of limitations of religious freedom among members of our Armed Forces, who are charged with defending our nation and upholding our Constitution.  Speaking of that Constitiution, our second President, John Adams, said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people."

According to the John Adams Center website,  

As Adams and the others saw it, there was a connection between religion, rightly understood, and the ideas of 1776. Adams had no qualms about signing the Declaration, or defending it on the floor of Congress because he agreed that we are “endowed by our Creator” with certain rights. Absent a Creator who was the Author of nature, and who made man in His image, Adams wondered, what could justify the proposition that all men are created equal?

So, isn't it odd that the U.S. Department of Defense released a training course that took the Constitution, the Declaration, and the Bible to task for contributing to "sexism"?  The Christian Examiner reports that:

Under "Historical Influences" that "allow sexism to continue," the DoD E-Learning course names the Bible as containing quotes that "can be misinterpreted as having a sexist influence when brought out of context and not fully understood"; cites the U.S. Constitution for originally including only "white men; slaves and women were not included until later in history"; and, highlights the Declaration of Independence for declaring in 1776 "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...."

What?  How?  The Christian Examiner story points out that in the course, developed by the Defense Equal Management Institute, no specific examples are given to document how these founding documents actually contributed to sexism in America, and there is no context for the excerpts that are provided, leaving the participant to accept on face value the negative statements about each as truths. And there is no mention is made about how these documents combat sexism through the principles they contain.

However, the article says that a military spokesperson told The Daily Caller that the content is provided to stimulate conversation about "how these historical documents have been included in discussions about the topic of sexism."

Some good news, according to the Examiner: A note on the DEOMI listing for Course 320 on Sexism, which is labeled as open to the public, states "This course is currently offline and under revision." Also, two other potentially controversial courses, on Racism and Prejudice & Discrimination, both also open to the public, likewise are not available at this time.

Family Research Council is encourage people to sign an online petition, encouraging the Secretary of Defense to get control of the DEOMI.  The petition states:

Although this particular curriculum was removed and placed "under revision," the continued hostility shown toward religion and our founding documents is inconsistent with the mission and mindset of our service members. Our armed forces are asking young men and women to put their lives on the line for our Constitution, yet teaches them through DEOMI to denigrate that same Constitution.

This is yet another example of faith being denigrated in an American institution.  And, while it shows a lack of understanding of Biblical principles and our founding documents, it is not a surprise in this revisional age in which we find ourselves.  Certainly, we have people in authority who do not recognize the role of faith in the foundation of America, and are attempting to strip the expression of faith from the fabric of our nation.  Unfortunately, if you strip out the faith element, the foundation will crumble, and I fear we are seeing that today.

This brings to mind three principles for us to ponder:

It is incorrect to think that that Bible somehow promotes a "sexist" view of gender roles and relationships.   Jesus was kind, compassion, and respectful toward women.  The Bible paints an accurate, uplifting picture of women in the marriage relationship.  And, there are defined roles for women in spiritual leadership which values their gifts and abilities.   As the DoD course says, Biblical references taken out of context can be misinterpreted, and that is true, but it seems that the course begins with a presumption of "sexism."   Have there been deficiencies in the way that women and minorities were regarded?  Yes, and I believe that the Constitutional system and the sense of morality upon which this nation was based were critical components in the correction of inequalities.

It is impossible to separate Biblical principles from the history of our nation.  I think this is key. If we deny the Judeo-Christian ideals that were part of our founding as a nation, if we buy in to the increasing secularization of our culture, that leads to people choosing for themselves what principles they want to follow and which ones to which they do not want to adhere.   If you leave behind the moral compass, a sense of morality rooted in the Scriptures, people will do what is right in their own minds.  The Constitution was connected to morality, the Declaration referred to the Creator, who granted rights, and the overriding authority was the Holy Scriptures.  Take out the authority, and the consequence is chaos.

It is imperative that we realize the seriousness of our situation and pray for our leaders in authority.  Can we still reclaim the Biblical foundation of our nation?  Are we too far gone?  I don't believe so, but there are some sobering indicators that we see.  But, there are still Christian ideals that are practiced in our land - many claim to be Christians, to believe in God, and to read the Bible.  So, there is hope because God's people, male and female, are still here.  Now, recognizing the critical nature of the problems we face, including a declining morality, we can follow the instruction of the Scriptures and pray for those in authority.  I would also say to pray for the release of God's Spirit to do His work through you and me and through the body of Christ, that the evidence of God's hand would be seen.