We Go Together (Like Rama Lama Lama)

Man and woman were made "for each other" - not that God left them half-made and incomplete: he created them to be a communion of persons, in which each can be "helpmate" to the other, for they are equal as persons ("bone of my bones. . .") and complementary as masculine and feminine. In marriage God unites them in such a way that, by forming "one flesh", they can transmit human life: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth." By transmitting human life to their descendants, man and woman as spouses and parents cooperate in a unique way in the Creator's work. (CCC 372)

The key word in this Catechism reference is that man and woman are complimentary. The Catechism states in paragraph 370 that God is neither male or female. Considering that both sexes are "created in His image," I wonder if the true essence of God is not best seen when man and woman join together in marriage and become one flesh? Only at that point do we as created get to work with God to create.

Any intelligent life form, God-faring or not, can see that man and woman are designed to fit together. Without making this a class on sexuality, it should be obvious to anyone that our body design does not support the concept of same sex unions. The Church in its wisdom pointed out that the advent of birth control and abortion would spell the doom of modern society. Once you take away the procreative aspect of our sexuality, you lose appreciation for the sanctity of marriage. By putting our own selfish pleasures above all of God's creation we downplay the significance of God.

It is therefore critical, as people of faith, that we recognize the dignity of both male and female while also recognizing that we each have unique strengths that were designed to be used together in complimentary fashion. While it may be true that a woman is capable of fixing her own carburetor and a man is perfectly able to iron his own clothes, we should never downplay the fact that we are not asexual creatures. Only in recognizing the uniqueness of our sex can we hope to fulfill God's plan in our life.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband and he ate. (Genesis 3:6)

The last words of Peter Parker's uncle Ben before he dies make up the title of this entry. I don't think we need to be able to shoot webs from our wrists for that statement to apply to ourselves.


I can remember at one time believing (and making jokes about) the fact that woman was responsible for the fall of man! After all, she was the one that ate from the tree first, and then brought a piece to share with her husband who would have trusted her, as his wife, not to lead him into danger.

Only later did a wise person point out that had Adam been vigilant in his role as protector of his wife, perhaps the serpent might never have been able to tempt her. A tough pill to swallow for all of us husbands!

I also read a recent thread on Phatmass' forums questioning a hypothetical scenario in which the woman ate of the tree, but the man refused. Would we now be an all male society? Would God have taken another rib and perfected the woman? Would Eve have been kicked out of the garden without alimony thus making divorce acceptable in God's eyes?

Amidst these humorous responses, the idea was brought forth that if man and woman become one flesh in marriage, do they share in their sins? As mentioned above, Adam was at fault even before taking a bite of the fruit by not being a protector to his wife. If my wife sins because I as her husband was not their to help her in her holiness, am I also guilty for my lack of aid?

Feminists don't realize what they are giving up by trivializing the role of the man. Then again are we as men not responsible for giving them a reason to downplay our role in society? Perhaps if we were the providers and protectors that we were created to be, rather than the selfish, immature boys that we tend to be, women would not have the notion to downplay our necessity.

I think it's time men took Uncle Ben's last words as their personal mantra, and learn from the mistakes our forefathers made. Might I suggest all men consider becoming an e5 man, and put charity toward women in your lives higher on your priority list? Looking in the mirror, I realize this will require large quantities of discipline and prayer. Will you join me?