© 2015 Olga López
© 2015 Urantia Association of Spain
Ever since humanity took its first steps on this blue planet, men and women have had to coexist to survive. This coexistence has never been easy: we are so different that mutual misunderstanding has built a wall of taboos, clichés, and preconceived ideas that have evolved over time. Some have disappeared, but others remain, either openly, conveniently “disguised” (or not), or so hidden in the subconscious that it’s truly difficult to realize they’re within us.
Improving the status of women means building a more just society, and that’s something that benefits us all. A civilization is measured (among many other indicators) by the progress made in gender equality. And not even in the most advanced civilization on our planet have we achieved true equality. In the most advanced civilizations, a certain equalization of roles is taking place, but the differences in nature, character, and reactions remain, just as they were at the beginning of time.
What do we do with this difference? Do we do what we’ve been doing for thousands of years: insist on establishing an inferior-superior dichotomy? Or do we establish complementarity and benefit from it? The first alternative has left a long trail of pain and suffering for women over the centuries and is posing a serious obstacle to the progress of civilization. The second alternative would not only end the suffering of half of the human race, but would allow all of humanity as a whole to advance and benefit from the contributions of both sexes.
The Urantia Book contains very illuminating teachings about the man-woman relationship and the feminine condition, which can be of great help in transcending the conflict between men and women. In this presentation, I invite you to take a journey through the feminine, both in the heavens above and on Earth below. This is important not only for women but also for men, so all are welcome!
That there are no women among the celestial beings, strictly speaking, does not imply that the heavens are devoid of female figures.
… in dealing with sex creatures it is our custom to speak of those beings of more direct descent from the Father and the Son as the sons of God, while referring to the children of the Spirit as the daughters of God. Angels are, therefore, commonly designated by feminine pronouns on the sex planets. UB 38:2.2
Just as the revelators begin their teaching with God and descend to man, let’s look at the female figures who serve as our role models and briefly review their relationships with their companions or associates.
Although He is called “Son” and not “Daughter,” the revelators tell us that there is something in the Second Person of the Godhead that is undeniably feminine. At least, in His way of loving:
… As love is comprehended on a sex planet, the love of God is more comparable to the love of a father, while the love of the Eternal Son is more like the affection of a mother… UB 6:3.5
In his relationship to the Universal Father, the Eternal Son is his equal in divinity, the Second Person of the Trinity. This, for me, is a demonstration that masculine and feminine are on an equal footing in the Paradise Trinity.
The Eternal Son possesses all the Father’s character of divinity and attributes of spirituality. The Son is the fullness of God’s absoluteness in personality and spirit… UB 6:2.5
Here is another important female figure in the government of creation: the Divine Minister, the faithful companion of the Creator Son in the creation and administration of his local universe.
WHEN a Creator Son is personalized by the Universal Father and the Eternal Son, then does the Infinite Spirit individualize a new and unique representation of himself to accompany this Creator Son to the realms of space, there to be his companion, first, in physical organization and, later, in creation and ministry to the creatures of the newly projected universe. UB 34:0.1
The Creative Spirit is very close to us mortals in many ways, through:
If there is one thing to highlight about all her attributes and functions, I would highlight the most feminine of them all: from her comes “the spark of life”:
In the later evolution of mortal creatures the Life Carrier Sons provide the physical body, fabricated out of the existing organized material of the realm, while the Universe Spirit contributes the “breath of life.” UB 34:2.5
The Creative Spirit, daughter of the Infinite Spirit, is the figure that complements the Creator Son:
While the Divine Minister passes through different phases of existence in the local universe (see Doc. 17, Section 6), an important event occurs when the Creator Son achieves full sovereignty of his universe:
On that occasion, before the assembled administrators of the universe, the triumphant Creator Son elevates the Universe Mother Spirit to cosovereignty and acknowledges the Spirit consort as his equal. UB 17:6.8
We could say that the Creator Son and the Divine Minister together constitute the ideal couple, and that their family is composed of all the creatures who populate their local universe. But this is not their final mission. Like us, new missions await them in the universes of outer space, missions in which they will also be and work together:
…we believe that the liaison between a sevenfold Master Son and a seventh-stage Creative Spirit may attain to absonite levels of service attended by the appearance of new things, meanings, and values on transcendental levels of ultimate universe significance. UB 21:6.3
Following the descending ladder that goes from the Deity to the creatures, we find other female figures with whom we have or will have a very close relationship: those called “Daughters of God” in the quote from document 38, whom we normally know by the generic term “angels.”
In the local universe, angels are creations of the Divine Minister, who transmits her feminine character to them. They do, however, have a dual character. For example, the book speaks of positive and negative seraphim UB 38:4.3. They can work alone under certain conditions, but “on most missions two angels are needed to perform the task” (ibid.). Furthermore, they not only work together, but they also share residence: they live in pairs. UB 38:4.2
It should be remembered that not only the angels of the local universe have this feminine character: other angelic orders, created by the Infinite Spirit, also bear this same “seal”: the seconaphim, tertiaphim, and omniaphim, who work in the superuniverses; and the supernaphim, who carry out their activity in the Paradise-Havona system.
Regarding how this order of angelic beings works, it is interesting to note that they also work in pairs:
When they are in power reception on the Father’s direct ministry, supernaphim must voluntarily associate in pairs to be able to function. Seconaphim are likewise limited and in addition must work in pairs in order to synchronize with the circuits of the Eternal Son. Seraphim can work singly as discrete and localized personalities, but they are able to encircuit only when polarized as liaison pairs. When such spirit beings are associated as pairs, the one is spoken of as complemental to the other… UB 26:1.16
On the local system capitals reside large numbers of Material Sons and Daughters, “the highest type of sexually reproducing beings found on the educational spheres of the evolving universes.” UB 45:5.3. They are, like ourselves, male and female. In their case, the Creative Spirit has no role in their creation.
They truly are a model for us humans. Not only because they are attempting to govern themselves and are making significant strides in this regard UB 45:5.6, but also because they serve as our direct sponsors and mentors when we achieve citizenship on Jerusem. UB 45:6.2
In this regard, I am particularly interested in highlighting that the Material Sons work together as equals, both on the system headquarters world and in the worlds of time and space.
These Material Sons (the Adams) and Material Daughters (the Eves) are equal to each other, differing only in reproductive nature and in certain chemical endowments. They are equal but differential, male and female—hence complemental—and are designed to serve on almost all assignments in pairs. UB 51:1.3
The Material Sons and Daughters always serve together. It is the essence of their service at all times and in all places never to be separated. They are designed to work in pairs; seldom do they function alone. UB 74:0.1
It is also important to note that when they arrived on Urantia, they selected both men and women “to assume their responsibilities in the new administration of world affairs” UB 74:3.5. The revelators tell us more about this in the same paragraph:
This group included both women and men, and it was the first time such a thing had happened on Earth since the time of Dalamatia. It was an astonishing innovation to see Eve, a woman, share with a man the honors and responsibilities of worldly affairs.
And further on, we have this enlightening paragraph:
Adam endeavored to teach the races sex equality. The way Eve worked by the side of her husband made a profound impression upon all dwellers in the Garden. Adam definitely taught them that the woman, equally with the man, contributes those life factors which unite to form a new being. Theretofore, mankind had presumed that all procreation resided in the “loins of the father.” They had looked upon the mother as being merely a provision for nurturing the unborn and nursing the newborn. UB 74:7.22
Eve was an extremely powerful figure in later human history. As we know, she inspired many subsequent cults of the Great Mother, a cult that “lasted down to the time of Christ, and was later incorporated into early Christian religion in the form of the glorification and worship of Mary, the earth mother of Jesus.” UB 80:7.7. It is also true that she was one of the figures used as a symbol that “woman had brought evil upon man.” UB 84:4.4
Among the important women in a planetary government, we could not forget the women who make up the staff of a Planetary Prince. On our planet, this staff was called “the Caligastia Hundred,” and all were ascending citizens of Jerusem. None were from Urantia, and they were 50 men and 50 women who were given physical bodies containing the life plasm of the finest descendants of Andon and Fonta. UB 66:2.6
In the book, we are told that “the members of the Prince’s staff lived in pairs like fathers and mothers” UB 66:7.5, although they had no children of their own (although that changed after the rebellion). Regarding the education provided at Dalamatia, the headquarters of the Planetary Prince, I would emphasize the following:
… The pupils were taught by both men and women and by the two acting conjointly. One half of this group instruction was by sexes; the other half was coeducational… UB 66:7.6
That is, both at the Prince’s headquarters and in the later Eden, family life and gender equality were encouraged among those who were to serve as role models for humanity.
But how is coexistence between the sexes experienced here below? How has femininity been considered in our humanity? Let’s now explore how duality has been experienced on our planet.
We have two types of human beings: male and female, man and woman. We are not the only types of beings who have been created in two distinct variants. We mentioned before that, for example, seraphic pairs also manifest dual and complementary characteristics. And these characteristics have been divided into two variants to foster the creation of new, higher values: to add, not to subtract.
The differences of nature, reaction, viewpoint, and thinking between men and women, far from occasioning concern, should be regarded as highly beneficial to mankind, both individually and collectively. Many orders of universe creatures are created in dual phases of personality manifestation. Among mortals, Material Sons, and midsoniters, this difference is described as male and female; among seraphim, cherubim, and Morontia Companions, it has been denominated positive or aggressive and negative or retiring. Such dual associations greatly multiply versatility and overcome inherent limitations, even as do certain triune associations in the Paradise-Havona system… UB 84:6.5
Our sexual identity always seems to take precedence over the category of being human; it’s part of us, part of our DNA. What do the stereotypes say about this? That men are active, aggressive. They have a greater capacity for calm thinking when faced with a problem. They don’t tend to verbalize their feelings because they find it difficult and uncomfortable. They don’t express their emotions openly. They have greater physical strength; they are taller and more robust.
As for women, the stereotypes turn the adjectives used for men on their heads. They are passive and non-aggressive, preferring to solve problems through means other than violence. They allow their reason to be invaded by their feelings; they have a hard time calmly analyzing a situation. They love to talk about their feelings (in fact, they talk much more than men) and give free rein to their emotions. They are physically weaker and shorter in stature and weight than men of the same age. And the most defining characteristic: they are responsible for bringing new life into the world.
Much has been said and written about whether a woman is born or made. It’s true that there is a part of a woman that is made (or made by others, if we’re referring to the constraints and restrictions she endures throughout her life in her family, her social environment, etc.), but it’s also true that we are born women and, for that reason alone, we have qualities and characteristics that are different from those of men.
In primitive societies, men were the ones who brought home animal protein, and women were responsible for providing fruits and vegetables for the family diet. In those ancient times, hunting was an aggressive activity in which good physical fitness and mental agility were vital (even more so considering that only spears and stones were available to kill animals), while agriculture has always been, by definition, a peaceful endeavor, in which the land must be “nurtured” for it to bear fruit. Furthermore, agricultural work “tied” those who practiced it to a place, which was the family home; the fiefdom of women. This was the case at the dawn of humanity, and some say that natural selection has perpetuated these traits to this day.
On the other hand, most primitive societies carried out male initiation rites, which aimed to distinguish the male identity as separate and opposed to the female. For men, it was essential to shed their dependence on women (primarily on their mothers) in order to reach adulthood. The boy is separated from his mother in particular, and from the women of the tribe in general, to join the men’s club, in a further enactment of the estrangement of both sexes.
“Woman has always been treated more or less as property, right up to and in the twentieth century after Christ. She has not yet gained world-wide freedom from seclusion under man’s control. Even among advanced peoples, man’s attempt to protect woman has always been a tacit assertion of superiority.” UB 84:4.10
Throughout the ages, there have been heroines, astute and intelligent women who have tried to overcome the obstacles placed in their path simply because they were women. Sometimes at a high price, such as entering a convent in order to access culture. In this way, they were deprived of developing other important aspects of life, such as life as a couple and motherhood. Centuries ago, a woman’s dignity depended not on herself, but on being granted it by a man; she was dependent to that extent.
“Man’s brutal treatment of woman constitutes one of the darkest chapters of human history.” UB 69:7.5
The domination of women by men has had a purely physical basis: in primitive times, when there was no industrial support, physical strength prevailed, and in this respect, women were no match for men. The argument of strength trumps any other.
“Primitive man never hesitated to enslave his fellows. Woman was the first slave, a family slave. Pastoral man enslaved woman as his inferior sex partner. This sort of sex slavery grew directly out of man’s decreased dependence upon woman.” UB 69:8.1
Furthermore, more demands have always been placed on women in sexual matters, primarily due to their status as the ones who bring children into the world. In a society where it matters who a child belongs to, it is essential to ensure that they are legitimate offspring of the father (it is obvious that motherhood is self-evident).
“Women have always been subject to more restrictive taboos than men. The early mores granted the same degree of sex liberty to unmarried women as to men, but it has always been required of wives that they be faithful to their husbands. Primitive marriage did not much curtail man’s sex liberties, but it did render further sex license taboo to the wife.” UB 82:2.5
It’s extremely interesting to consider Jesus’ attitude toward women. First, those within his own family, and second, women in general.
Regarding his family, it is worth noting that Jesus provided his sisters with the same education as his brothers. And, since society didn’t allow for it, he took it upon himself to provide it:
“Ordinarily the girls of Jewish families received little education, but Jesus maintained (and his mother agreed) that girls should go to school the same as boys, and since the synagogue school would not receive them, there was nothing to do but conduct a home school especially for them.” UB 127:1.5
His relationship with his mother, on the other hand, was exemplary. If there were problems in his dealings with his mother, it was due to Mary’s insistence on viewing her son as the Jewish Messiah, liberator of Israel. This misinterpretation of his mission on Earth caused Jesus much suffering and disappointment. Mary was quite a character!
There is an episode from the life of Jesus of Nazareth (which, unfortunately, the Gospels don’t mention) that I think is appropriate to mention here. Upon returning from a trip to Rome, prior to his period of public preaching, he witnessed an incident in which a man was mistreating his wife. This incident is a clear example of the exceptional way in which Jesus handled an unjust situation (an assault) to turn it around and transform it into reconciliation. But it also gives us indications about what a man-woman relationship should be and the role each person plays in that partnership. I include here Jesus’ final words to the man, who was finally moved by Jesus’ words and radically changed his attitude:
“My brother, always remember that a man has no legitimate authority over a woman unless the woman has willingly and voluntarily given him that authority. Your wife has pledged to go through life with you, to assist you in its struggles, and to assume the greater part of the burden of bearing and raising your children; in return for this special service, it is only fair that she receive from you that special protection which a man can give to a woman as a companion who must carry, bear, and nourish children. The loving consideration and care which a man is willing to bestow upon his wife and children indicates the extent to which such a man has attained the higher levels of spiritual and creative consciousness. Do you not know that men and women are partners with God in that they cooperate to create beings who grow to possess the potential of immortal souls? (…) It is Godlike to share your life and everything connected with it on equal terms with the mate and mother who shares with you so fully that divine experience of reproducing yourselves in the lives of your children.” UB 133:2.1-3
Jesus of Nazareth preached that men and women were equal in the eyes of God. Given the socioeconomic conditions of the time in which he lived, this was a revolutionary statement.
“Before the teachings of Jesus, (…) women had little or no spiritual standing in the creeds of the older religions. Afterward, (…) in the brotherhood of the kingdom woman stood before God on an equality with man (…) No longer can man presume to monopolize the ministry of religious service. The Pharisee might go on thanking God that he was “not born a woman, a leper, or a gentile,” but among the followers of Jesus woman has been forever set free from all religious discriminations based on sex…” UB 194:3.14.
Here, for example, is Jesus’ attitude toward divorce as it was practiced among the Jews of that time:
Jesus (…) never approved a divorce practice that gave men any advantage over women; the Master supported only those teachings that granted women equality with men. UB 167:5.4
Since men and women had equal right to enter the kingdom, he organized a body of instructors dedicated to preaching the good news among women.
“The most astonishing and the most revolutionary feature of Michael’s mission on earth was his attitude toward women. In a day and generation when a man was not supposed to salute even his own wife in a public place, Jesus dared to take women along as teachers of the gospel in connection with his third tour of Galilee. And he had the consummate courage to do this in the face of the rabbinic teaching which declared that it was “better that the words of the law should be burned than delivered to women.”” UB 149:2.8
Jesus created a group of female disciples, and this marked a significant break with the Jewish customs of the time, which were tremendously unfair to women.
It was most astounding in that day, when women were not even allowed on the main floor of the synagogue (being confined to the women’s gallery), to behold them being recognized as authorized teachers of the new gospel of the kingdom. The charge which Jesus gave these ten women as he set them apart for gospel teaching and ministry was the emancipation proclamation which set free all women and for all time; no more was man to look upon woman as his spiritual inferior. This was a decided shock to even the twelve apostles. Notwithstanding they had many times heard the Master say that “in the kingdom of heaven there is neither rich nor poor, free nor bond, male nor female, all are equally the sons and daughters of God,” they were literally stunned when he proposed formally to commission these ten women as religious teachers and even to permit their traveling about with them. The whole country was stirred up by this proceeding, the enemies of Jesus making great capital out of this move, but everywhere the women believers in the good news stood stanchly behind their chosen sisters and voiced no uncertain approval of this tardy acknowledgment of woman’s place in religious work. UB 150:1.3
It’s a shame that, despite Jesus preaching that men and women had equal rights, his followers have forgotten and even distorted those ideas.
“In one generation Jesus lifted women out of the disrespectful oblivion and the slavish drudgery of the ages. And it is the one shameful thing about the religion that presumed to take Jesus’ name that it lacked the moral courage to follow this noble example in its subsequent attitude toward women.” UB 149:2.9
“Woman’s status in Palestine was much improved by Jesus’ teaching; and so it would have been throughout the world if his followers had not departed so far from that which he painstakingly taught them.” UB 167:6.4
A clear example is Paul of Tarsus, the true ideologue of Christianity, who clearly despised women. Among other things, this is what The Urantia Book says about this:
And this liberation of women, giving them due recognition, was practiced by the apostles immediately after the Master’s departure, albeit they fell back to the olden customs in subsequent generations. Throughout the early days of the Christian church women teachers and ministers were called deaconesses and were accorded general recognition. But Paul, despite the fact that he conceded all this in theory, never really incorporated it into his own attitude and personally found it difficult to carry out in practice. UB 150:1.3
“It was only natural that the cult of renunciation and humiliation should give attention to sexual gratifications (…) But this cult led Paul to look down upon women. And the pity of it all is that his personal opinions have long influenced the teachings of a great world religion. If the advice of the tentmaker-teacher were to be literally and universally obeyed, then would the human race come to a sudden and inglorious end. Furthermore, the involvement of a religion with the ancient continence cult leads directly to a war against marriage and the home, society’s veritable foundation and the basic institution of human progress. And it is not to be wondered at that all such beliefs fostered the formation of celibate priesthoods in the many religions of various peoples.” UB 89:3.6
Thus, Christianity missed the opportunity to improve the situation of women, who over the centuries failed to shake off the stigma of sin that Eve, the first woman, had imposed on them through original sin. And although in the early days of Christianity there were deaconesses who officiated at religious services, they were marginalized and relegated to monasticism. A situation that, of course, is far removed from the original teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
Truly, the world (and, of course, women) needs to know what Jesus’ attitude toward women was. An attitude that is in perfect harmony with the way the dual celestial beings interact, which we have reviewed previously.
At this point, I think it’s quite clear what the best way for men and women to relate to each other for mutual benefit should be. The heavenly beings who minister to us (some of them very close to us) give us the model of conduct and functioning that should govern relationships between the two sexes.
“We do not consider a planet to have emerged from barbarism while one sex seeks to tyrannize the other” UB 49:4.4
Unfortunately, women in much of the world are still subjected to the tyranny imposed by traditions and religions.
All down through the ages the taboos have operated to keep woman strictly in her own field. Man has most selfishly chosen the more agreeable work, leaving the routine drudgery to woman. Man has always been ashamed to do woman’s work, but woman has never shown any reluctance to doing man’s work. But strange to record, both men and women have always worked together in building and furnishing the home. UB 69:3.3
But what should man’s attitude be toward this? Should he perpetuate inequality with a greater or lesser degree of complicity, or should he fight it as any injustice should be fought? How would we act if we directly benefited from an unjust situation? This might be called the “favorite child” situation. The favorite child of a family sees that he has privileges that other children do not. At best, he experiences this situation with bittersweetness. On the one hand, he enjoys the advantages he enjoys, but on the other, he is pained to see that his siblings do not enjoy the same preferential treatment. And what can he do about this? Will he rebel against his parents, or will he simply let everything remain as it is and, at most, protest from time to time?
Ultimately, while recognizing that it’s every woman’s job to earn the respect and consideration of men, it’s also true that men must stop hiding behind their role as “favorite sons” to do nothing. If a situation is unfair, we must do everything possible to try to change it, even if that means losing certain benefits. Can you really be happy knowing that your happiness depends on others suffering?
But it’s also true that we can’t blame men (all men) for discrimination. Not all of them are in favor of perpetuating age-old inequality. As “favorite sons,” they were born into more advantageous circumstances, and it’s not always easy to recognize injustice from that perspective.
On the other hand, it’s very convenient to have someone to blame for our ills, but it’s also true that self-pity is very harmful because it keeps us anchored in blame and prevents us from moving forward. We must keep in mind that men and women are both victims and executioners of our respective conditions. Not blaming anyone and focusing on fighting for what we consider right is a sign of personal progress.
…both men and women have always worked together to build and furnish the home. UB 69:3.3
The family is vitally important in changing women’s attitudes, as it is there that we as human beings learn the values that will guide us in our adult lives. Children learn what they see at home. If parents respect each other, future adults will respect their partners. If fathers and mothers share in household chores, their children will do the same when the time comes to have their own home. There is no more powerful learning experience for children than living every day with the living example of their parents.
There are behaviors that aren’t easy to change. And I’m not just referring to men, to the “favorite children,” but also to women who have been raised to take care of the house and children alone. At some point, that dynamic has to break! Otherwise, nothing will change.
Every successful human institution embraces antagonisms of personal interest which have been adjusted to practical working harmony, and homemaking is no exception. Marriage, the basis of home building, is the highest manifestation of that antagonistic co-operation which so often characterizes the contacts of nature and society. The conflict is inevitable. UB 84:6.2
It would truly be desirable to cultivate friendship between men and women more frequently. Unfortunately, there are societies in which socialization between the sexes is very restricted, if not practically nonexistent. And fostering the possibility of friendship is an excellent way to try to understand each other.
The differences of nature, reaction, viewpoint, and thinking between men and women, far from occasioning concern, should be regarded as highly beneficial to mankind, both individually and collectively. UB 84:6.5
And if we can’t fully understand each other, what we can do is try and, above all, respect each other.
Male and female are, practically regarded, two distinct varieties of the same species living in close and intimate association. Their viewpoints and entire life reactions are essentially different; they are wholly incapable of full and real comprehension of each other. Complete understanding between the sexes is not attainable. UB 84:6.3
The point is that men and women are two different types of human beings who, together, can create something greater than the mere sum of their components.
A man and a woman, co-operating, even aside from family and offspring, are vastly superior in most ways to either two men or two women. This pairing of the sexes enhanced survival and was the very beginning of human society. UB 84:1.9
Difference never impoverishes. If it’s used to cooperate, not compete, it will always generate something better and greater. Even in nature, sexual reproduction produces much greater diversity and is qualitatively better than other types of reproduction.
Humanity as a whole would take a giant leap forward if equality were a reality throughout the world. Equality would manifest itself as cooperation between people of different sexes, without oppression of one another or ruthless competition between them.
The sexes have had great difficulty in understanding each other. Man found it hard to understand woman, regarding her with a strange mixture of ignorant mistrust and fearful fascination, if not with suspicion and contempt. Many tribal and racial traditions relegate trouble to Eve, Pandora, or some other representative of womankind. These narratives were always distorted so as to make it appear that the woman brought evil upon man; and all this indicates the onetime universal distrust of woman. UB 84:4.4
This difference has, since time immemorial, erected a wall of misunderstanding between men and women. If we want to tear down that wall, we must try to understand each other better. And that means building bridges between us, cooperating, and trying to understand our respective ways of reasoning and acting.
Women seem to have more intuition than men, but they also appear to be somewhat less logical. Woman, however, has always been the moral standard-bearer and the spiritual leader of mankind. The hand that rocks the cradle still fraternizes with destiny. UB 84:6.4
In this process of discovering each other, we all win. Discovering different points of view and trying to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes is always enriching. Otherwise, we remain in the comfort of familiar territory, in a uniformity that doesn’t allow us to grow.
Men have long regarded women as peculiar, even abnormal. They have even believed that women did not have souls; therefore were they denied names. UB 84:4.5
Women have always been a mystery to men. To them, we’re illogical, emotional, and unpredictable. In contrast, to us, men seem easier to read. But are they really that way? Perhaps, without realizing it, we’re falling prey to prejudice, just as men do toward us.
Men and women need each other. The sooner we make this statement our own, the sooner the long-awaited equality will become a reality worldwide.
It can’t be overstated how important education is for developing people. And I’m not just referring to knowledge, but also to values.
Discrimination against one group of human beings at the expense of another is nothing more than a manifestation of a lack of true brotherly love. When you believe another person is inferior to you, you are no longer considering them your equal and, therefore, you are “objectifying” them; you are denying them the rights you believe you deserve. The same is true for men and women.
Education is essential for ensuring that, from a young age, human beings learn to respect each other and value differences as something that enriches and complements, not as something that impoverishes and separates. And, of course, I’m not just referring to education in schools: the home is a fundamental school, especially when it comes to values. No one is as influential on children as their parents, who serve as living examples that they will later emulate.
The education received at home and in school is essential for establishing true equality. And it is vitally important, not only for the good of women but for all humanity, to win men over to this cause.
It’s a shame that, while monotheistic religions remain so influential today, they haven’t been sufficiently concerned with combating the injustice of gender discrimination. Not only that, but they’ve actually widened the gap between men and women even further.
In the Occident woman has had a difficult climb under the Pauline doctrines which became attached to Christianity, although Christianity did advance the mores by imposing more stringent sex obligations upon man. Woman’s estate is little short of hopeless under the peculiar degradation which attaches to her in Mohammedanism, and she fares even worse under the teachings of several other Oriental religions. UB 84:5.6
In my opinion, we women can expect little help from institutionalized religions. Religion as a personal experience, the religion of Jesus, is the only one that can transform us and, by extension, the society in which we live. This religion has two very important corollaries that must be applied to our daily lives if we are consistent with what we claim to profess:
Therefore, we, as readers committed to the fifth epochal revelation, must put our personal religion into practice so that our planet can emerge from the barbarism in which it finds itself, which leads men and women to continue to view each other as antagonistic. The transition to a new era depends on ending this discrimination once and for all.
To conclude my presentation, I would like to share with you this reflection from the chief of the seraphim stationed on Urantia, who was in charge of revealing Document 84. In my opinion, every woman should respond to the double question/exhortation that the chief of the seraphim asks us:
…woman has finally won recognition, dignity, independence, equality, and education; but will she prove worthy of all this new and unprecedented accomplishment? Will modern woman respond to this great achievement of social liberation with idleness, indifference, barrenness, and infidelity? Today, in the twentieth century, woman is undergoing the crucial test of her long world existence! UB 84:5.10
Thank you very much for your attention.
Olga López
May 31, 2015