Are the differences between man and woman merely a social construct or are they something more deeply woven into the fabric of creation? Does each gender possess certain attributes, skills, proclivities and tastes that are intrinsically tied to gender? Law enforcement in one major city, in practice at least, demonstrates the truth of the God-ordained differences between men and women.

Policemen in Bangkok are now subject to a disciplinary measure requiring them to wear a pink Hello Kitty armband for various misdemeanor infractions.

“Simple warnings no longer work,” said Pongpat Chayaphan, acting chief of the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok, who instituted the new humiliation this week.

“This new twist is expected to make them feel guilt and shame and prevent them from repeating the offense, no matter how minor,” he said. “Kitty is a cute icon for young girls. It’s not something macho police officers want covering their biceps.”

Gender distinctions are part of the created order, and as such have been imprinted on the hearts of men and women. These distinctions involve certain responsibilities and roles, which in turn help to define masculinity and femininity. The fall has introduced distortions and confusion in this area, but there is still a God-given inclination for men (in this case) to resist being categorized as effeminate even if they are not necessarily doing so on any biblical grounds.

Photo of a police officer in Bangkok showing a pink Hello Kitty armband from Yasushi Ukigaya/Kyodo News, via Associated Press

Scott Jasckik recently reported at Inside Higher Ed that the momentum for gender neutrality seems to be increasing on campuses around the country.  One indication is the addition of gender-neutral bathrooms (see related CBMW blog post) Another indication is that this fall 30 colleges and universities “have created options for gender-neutral housing, in which the norm for roommates is not presumed to be someone of the same sex.” 

University of Pennsylvania adopted this policy in 2005, and the Daily Pennsylvanian reported that “Proponents of gender-neutral housing see the policy partly as a way to address the fact that gay students may feel more comfortable living with students of the opposite gender and that trans-gender students may feel uncomfortable with the system usually used to assign students housing.”

Such arrangements don't mean there aren't rules.  For example, in Connecticut College dorms, as in most nationwide, students are warned against underage drinking and taught honor codes that emphasize respect.

"I don't see why you have to separate the two sexes. [Co-ed] is great," says Rick Gabriele, a first-year student at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. "You get used to being around the opposite sex. I walk into the bathroom, and there'll be a girl brushing her teeth, and then I'll jump in the shower." But he adds that dating a girl on his floor would be "odd."

The Word of God is timeless and true.  Unless we are anchored to eternal truth, we will inevitably drift with the culture into foolishness.  While equal in value and dignity, men and women are distinct in roles and functions.  I would argue that this distinction should be maintained in dorm rooms and bathrooms.  More than “odd,” gender-neutral dorm rooms oppose in many ways God’s good design for men and women.

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau Monday shows that college enrollment in the United States is up due in large part to an upsurge in the enrollment of female students. Male students, on the other hand, are not faring so well. According to a USA Today report, “the numbers confirm years of enrollment data showing that women have not only closed the college enrollment gap — they have far surpassed men on campuses. For every four men enrolled in graduate school in 2006, there were nearly six women.

A leading Maryland psychologist partially attributes the downturn in the number of men in college to the notion that, “Doing well in school and caring about your grades has come to be seen as unmasculine.”

It is a positive development that many women are taking advantage of their God-given gifts to pursue advanced levels of education. On the other hand, it is disturbing that so few young men are seeing the need to equip themselves to be more able breadwinners for their families. As CBMW has long asserted, men are called to lead, protect and provide for their families; education, under the Lordship of Christ, can aid in all three areas.

The Maryland psychologist is correct in his assertion that books and brains are often stigmatized as geeky and “sissified.” Let us dispense with the false notion that books and masculinity are not compatible and encourage our boys to love God with all their hearts and minds.

Without a male "legal guardian", women in Saudi Arabia presently cannot work, travel, see a doctor, or even drive a car.  For this reason, I applaud the courage of Saudi writer and human rights activist Wajeha al-Huwaider and 220 other brave souls who are petitioning King Abdullah to extend the right to drive to women. 

Women and men both were created in the image of God and are equal in value and dignity.  This governmental ban of female drivers creates an unbiblical distinction between the roles of men and women.  Our prayer should be for God to move the heart of the king (Proverbs 21:1) to grant the freedom to drive so all men and women can enjoy the common grace of travel.  Pursuing further opportunities for education and in the workplace are of little value to women without access to independent transportation.

Photo by AP Photo/Omar al-Abdullah

With the Sept. 5 death of D. James Kennedy, complementarians have lost a stalwart supporter and friend.

The longtime pastor and author died last week from ongoing complications that stemmed from a heart attack he suffered on Dec. 28. Kennedy was a longtime member of the board of reference for The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW).

CBMW Executive Director David Kotter pointed out that one of Kennedy’s most obvious commitments to biblical gender roles in the home and church was in his founding of Knox Theological Seminary, an institution that is officially and unabashedly complementarian.

"CBMW is saddened to lose another board of reference member, Dr. James Kennedy, but rejoice that he now enjoys the presence of the Savior whom he dearly loved," Kotter said.

"Kennedy was unswerving in his commitment to biblical orthodoxy and unflinching in his clear teaching on gender roles in the home and in the church. His legacy will endure in many lives touched by his ministry. This legacy also included the strong affirmation of complementarianism espoused at Knox Theological Seminary, which Kennedy founded in 1989 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida."

Knox Seminary is a division of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, a congregation that Kennedy founded in 1960 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. In both its teaching and its hiring practices, Knox is committed to the traditional biblical view of gender roles.

CBMW interviewed R. Fowler White of Knox Theological seminary on the school’s views on gender.

Kennedy is the third member of CBMW’s board of reference to die this year. Harold O.J. Brown died on July 9 and Jerry Falwell died on May 15.