Sarah Palin and 'Neanderthals'

Once it again it becomes painfully clear that Feminism has become entrenched in the ranks of conservatives. Sarah Palin has made it clear that she believes working outside the home is a more noble task than staying home and rearing Godly offspring, passing on the faith to the next generation and encouraging them to do so with their children.

"It kind of seems, Geraldine, that some things haven't changed," Palin said. "There are still the Neanderthals out there who pick on the petty, little, superficial, meaningless things – like looks, like whether you can or can't work outside of the home if you have small children – all those type of things where I would so hope that at some point those Neanderthals will evolve into something a bit more with it, a bit more modern, and a bit more understanding that, yeah, women can accomplish much."
--Palin blasts 'Neanderthals,' defends Democrat woman

Mrs. Palin implies here that working in the home, rearing Godly children, is less of an accomplishment than say, running for office, being a brain surgeon... and perhaps even working at a fast food restaurant. It disappoints me that it is necessary to resort to name calling, appealing to modern culture and stigmatizing rather than addressing issues with reason and reference to the scriptures.

Are women forbidden to work outside the home?
No, a quick look at Proverbs 31 clearly indicates that this is not necessarily the case.

However, this does not give a blanket affirmation that working outside the home is the best option. One must examine the roles of men and women as presented in God's Word, if we are to function as intended. We should be looking for what is normative in God's eyes, not the exceptions which we than seek to be the new normative.

Gen 2:20-22 ESV
(20) The man gave names
to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field.
But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.
(21) So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man,
and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
(22) And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man
he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

In this narrative it is clear that God has created with clear intention. There is an order, and woman was separated from man, for man, to help him accomplish God's intended purpose through them. Just as man's purpose is to fulfill God's will, the woman is to assist the man in fulfilling what God has given him to do.

This is also not an isolated, misinterpretation. Consider Jesus words:

Mat 19:3-6 ESV
(3) And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking,
"Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?"
(4) He answered,
"Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,
(5) and said,
'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?
(6) So they are no longer two but one flesh.
What therefore God has joined together,
let not man separate."

While this passage speaks to divorce, Jesus makes the foundation of his statement the historical reality of the Genesis account.

The issue at hand is "Will we recognize, accept and obey God's Word as given to us, or not?"

I've been the 'Mr. Mom' for 8-10 years of our marriage; homeschooling, child rearing and keeping house. I know first hand the joys, struggles and most importantly the value of raising Godly children. I also recognize how much against my nature it was to fulfill that role, and that I only did it out of the necessity of love for my God, my wife and my children. Even now we are dealing with the aftermath of this situation.

1Co 6:12 ESV
(12) "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful.
"All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.

These words of Paul speak to how one eats, specifically to how a believer should eat, yet clearly have application to a broader range of topics related to the example of how a believer behaves. The bottom line for the believer is to be obedient to God's design, purpose and HIS Word.

Respectfully, Mrs. Palin, your accessment of raising children and assisting your man to achieve God's purposes is highly inaccurate, as there is no higher calling for a woman.
--
BE