Women, Take Your Place

After He "planted a garden toward the east, in Eden" (Genesis 2:8) and created a man to live there, the LORD God said it was not good for him to be alone (Genesis 2:18). He then formed a woman from one of the man's ribs, creating a "helper suitable for him" (Genesis 2:18), one who would help the man fulfill God's commands to care for His garden and to procreate. Nowhere is it stated or implied that the woman was to be the man's subordinate. Yet, what has happened since then? In the world and in the Church, rather than being honored as equal to men in God's eyes and in His plans, why have women become oppressed, ill-treated, and subjugated to men? Why do church leaders relegate women to bake sales and children's church and deny them the right to operate in the God-given anointing of a five-fold ministry? When Jesus appeared on earth in the first century, He indicated a needed breaking away from conformity to human traditions in favor of obedience to the commandments of God. "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men" (Mark 7: 6-8). Applying these words in the twenty-first century, in its interactions with women, is the Church following human traditions or obeying God's commandments?