Gender Survey Follow-up

Is it more socially acceptable for women or men to display characteristics of the opposite gender?

Let's face it. There are just some things men are allowed to do and women aren't. The idea floating around out there is that men should act manly or goofy while women should act feminine or the same way they always have. Everyone knows they should try to conform, usually by clinging to the stereotypes that have developed. But in certain capacities, displaying some characteristics of the opposite gender is fine, and in some, it's social suicide. So which situations are which?

Men and women agree that there are certain gender lines that are slowly eroding and situations were it's perfectly fine to act like only the opposite gender would fifty years ago. Four out of 5 of those surveyed believe it's not inappropriate for a woman to have a job in which she is a boss over men. Over 90% said it was appropriate for women to pursue careers in traditionally male fields. The majority of those surveyed believed neither gender should obsess to pursue physical perfection, with the understanding that hygiene is a separate issue. Four out of five thought it was fine for a father to stay at home to care for his children while his wife works. Three out of four said it's okay for men to wear pink. Two thirds, however, believed that homosexuality is not socially acceptable. Clearly, this is where most people draw the line.

The men were split on only two issues. Only one more man believed it would be acceptable to have a female president than believed it would be unacceptable. Also, only one more man believed that not all women should concern themselves with "girl things" than thought all women should.

Yet there were issues on which men and women flat-out disagreed. Two thirds of women thought there should be more opportunities for women to participate in male-dominated sports while four-fifths of the men disagreed. Surprisingly, sixty percent of the men said all men should concern themselves with "guy things" while, of course, 80% of women thought not all men should. And as far as sewing and cooking go, four out of five women said all men should know how while three fifth of the men said they shouldn't all know how. (I had to chuckle when I read that. I thought, "They'll be up a creek when they rip one of their favorite shirts or tear something to shreds that they just don't have the money to replace." Besides which, I doubt they thought it through completely. Grilling and barbecuing count as cooking.)

Please answer the following questions and submit them. I need this for my English project, so please send this to as many people as you can.

Is it more socially acceptible for women or men to display characteristics of the opposite gender?

Your gender:
Male
Female

Your age:
15 or younger
16-20
21-35
36-50
51 or older

Is it appropriate for a woman to have a job in which she is a boss over men?
Yes
No

Is it appropriate for women to enter traditionally male fields, such as science or technology?
Yes
No

Would it ever be acceptible to have a female president?
Yes
No

Should there be more opportunities for women to participate in male-dominated sports such as baseball and football?
Yes
No

Should it be socially acceptible for women to not actively pursue physical perfection?
Yes
No

Should all women concern themselves with "girl things" (make-up, clothes, obsessive cleanliness, shopping, boyfriends, etc)?
Yes
No

Is homosexuality acceptible?
Yes
No

Do you enjoy the company of sensitive men?
Yes
No

Should all men concern themselves with "guy things" (hunting, sports, video games, burping contests, etc)?
Yes
No

Is it acceptible for a father to stay at home to care for his children while his wife works?
Yes
No

Should men obsess to keep themselves in top physical condition?
Yes
No

Is it acceptible for men to wear pink?
Yes
No

Should all men know how to sew and cook?
Yes
No



Thank you very much for taking this survey. If the submit button does not work on your computer, please leave your answers in a comment.

We know God plays many roles in our lives. We go to church and know that He's our king and our master, our father, our high priest, etc, etc, but how often do we actually think about the definitions of these words and how they relate God to us?

If you have anything to add, please do.

King	commander of troops legislator, executive, judge majestic, noble collector of taxes responsible for his subjects' mass well-being	Ephians 6:11-12 "You Are My King" Audio Adrenaline Psalm 8:1 Luke 20:23-25
God	object of worship center of life	< >
Master	"so poor that I sold myself into slavery" duty and committment to serve him do as He commands to deserve punishment don't ask questions of responsible for care of servants, even in menial matters	Romans 6:16-18
Creator	source of life creative master of physics and all natural laws	Genesis 1:25 "God of Wonders"
Savior	rescuer "life-debt"	Romans 3:21-26
Sustainer	constant provider	Exodus 16:4
Healer	comforting physician for the soul Great Physician able to cure/heal anything	Matthew 17:14-21 John 11:1-45
Friend	intimate share secrets appreciate his company help each other support each other agape & phileo	John 15:15 John 21:15-17
Father	agape provides the best he can for his children wants his children to excel wants his children to learn wants his children to be happy/contented wants his children to love, especially each other	Matthew 21:28-32 "Big House" Audio Adrenaline
Brother	intimate/close/familiar/less distant than parent protective of siblings friend	Mark 3:35
Spirit	noncorporeal mind/minset of an entity (God) able to inhabit humans & demonstrate its own traits	John 14:16-17 Galatians 5:22-26
Alpha	start of life/giver of life catalyst (for missions, for words that need to be spoken)	Revelation 1:8
Omega	end of life one who ends things
Messiah	Him on whom they waited revolutionary
Immanuel	God with us missionary/ambassador from heaven	Matthew 1:20-23
High Priest	our representative to the most holy being head/president/overseer of all activities in the church body	Hebrews 2:16-17

16 December 2006

Selfishness. We've all been taught that it's bad to be selfish. From childhood, we've been told how important it is to share, and at church, we learn to put others first. But I have to admit that part of my faith journey has been driven by selfishness, by my asking, "What's in it for me?" Because we have a very personal and loving God, though, I think this is a valid question. The answer amazed me so much, I considered my faith before I knew it to be almost nothing.

"What's in it for me?" Obviously, part of the answer is that we have all our sins forgiven. This is so big, it's almost all you hear about. It's big, for sure, but it's not something we have much perspective on. We can't often see exactly how our sins divide us from God, so it's hard to appreciate forgiveness beyond the peace of mind it can give, especially when we still have to deal with the consequences. Since this is what people hear about most, it's hard for them to know that it's a great thing to do to committ themselves to God.

A very evident difference that falls into the category of "What's in it for me" is the opportunity to have a personal relationship with God. It's truly amazing. Becuase He has forgiven our sins, ew are free to talk to Him; we can ask Him for things we hope to have or see happen; and most amazing of all, we have His Spirit living inside of us. When Christ died on the cross, an earthquake shook the city of Jerusalem and tore down the barrier between the Most Holy place, where only the High Priest could enter once a year, and the Holy place, where the priests regularly went. A short while later, God fulfilled the symbolism of that event by sending His Holy Spirit to rest on the disciples. The Spirit, the mind and attitudes of the most powerful entity in and outside of the entire universe, who is ultimately love, goodness, kindness, peace, patience, joy, and benevolence, has taken as His temples each and every person who loves Him. No matter where you go or what you do, if you're a few thousand miles away in a foreign country with all their witchcraft and voodoo bent against you for evil purposes, you have inside of you, ready to arm you with the armor and weaponry of His attributes, the greatest power the world has ever seen, ready to protect you because He loves you and has made you one of His children. That is what's in it for me.

On a more and less selfish notion, there is one more thing in it for me. When God's Spirit in me bears fruit, when I read His Word, take it to heart, and act out is commands, I change for the better. When I do as He tells me, I do good things for others, and I grow to be a better person, just as He wants. Out of selfishness, I must want what He wants, because He wants the best for me and those around me. Now, the best may not be easy, right, or glamorous, but it will develop in me an attitude that bears the fruit of the Spirit, an attitude that I can be privately proud of enough to perpetuate its effects in and around me.

Martin Luther King, Jur., had a dream that one day African Americans and caucasion Americans would all just be Americans, that there would be no deep distinction as there was in his time. He would be proud of us now. But I have a dream, too, and like Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, it can be summarized by a line from the Lord's Prayer: "Thy kingdom come." I don't know what heaven will be like, but by God's graciousness, I have understood glimpses of what our world would be like if everyone honestly followed Him to the limits of their capabilities. It's beautiful. People get along rather than fighting, bickering, or harboring harsh thoughts toward each other. They share each other's burdons and build each other up emotionally. They're more concerned for people and less worried about circumstances. They speak freely about God because He is a part of their lives. To the credit of the human race, I tihnk we're closer than we were in Jesus' day, which would show that His coming really did make a difference. Outside the church, I don't think there were non-profit organizations devoted to helping others in far away places. With our globalization, we're generally much more accepting of foreigners than the Pharisees were, though we've still a few races we see as "Gentiles". On the whole, we're doing better, but we've still got a long way to go. All I know is I want to be there when God's kingdom comes.

So "what's in it for me?" A lot. We get God's forgiveness, His Spirit, the opportunity to develop a relationship with Him, His will done in our lives, the devotion to become better people, and through His grace, a free pass into His kingdom when it comes, all from choosing to honestsly follow Him. Isn't God amazing?

1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

"Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

"But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a theif. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

Let us all remember Miss Ilene and everything she taught us. Just as we will live with God, we will see her again without the pain and frustration she's known the past few years. Praise God that He allowed us to know her.