Alaska Governor and former Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her husband Todd Palin have a non-traditional relationship. As Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin has been reported to refer to her husband as “the first dude.”

Todd Palin does many of the family domestic chores like caring for the children, cooking, cleaning, and other household responsibilities that are traditionally perceived to be for women. The unconventional male -female role reversal seems to work very well for the Palins.

Sarah and Todd Palin’s relationship leaves you with the question, “Are Men and Women Equal?

One of the best relationship analogies can be found in the animal kingdom. Lions are big cats that live in family groups called “a pride.” The primary male lion in the pride is called a “king” because he is generally the largest and the fiercest lion in the pride.

An adult male lion can be clearly distinguished from a female lion not only because male lions are generally larger but also because of the thick hair on the back of the neck called a mane. Although both male and female lions hunt for prey the female lion and the male lion are not equal because the male lion has the greater responsibility of protecting the pride.
 
Do you believe that men should have the responsibility of protecting women like male lions protect female lions?  If an intruder breaks into a home while a husband and wife are sleeping what is the husband expected to do? How would the wife feel if her husband screamed, began crying and ran into the closet hiding?

Some people would consider the husband in this scenario a coward because in our society men are expected to be protectors and women are expected to be protected. But if men and women are equal why shouldn’t the woman in this scenario have the responsibility of confronting the intruder instead of the man? After a divorce where there are children the custodial parent is generally entitled to child support.

Although women are required to pay child support just like men on the occasion when women fail to pay child support they generally do not receive the same degree of negative scrutiny or media attention. There are exceptions to the rule but between unmarried men and women under most circumstances the man is expected to pay for dates in the initial stages of the relationship.

If men and women are equal why is it generally accepted that the man is expected to be the protector and provider? Many women have proven themselves to be equal in traditional male career fields such as corporate, military, political, and public safety; however how many men want a woman with a moustache and how many women want a man with a soprano voice?

In our society men and women have had traditional responsibilities that are specific to their gender. The man is supposed to be the provider and protector and the woman is supposed to be the caretaker of the children and nurturer. The question still remains are men and women equal? The essence of a thing is its core, its spirit, or its true nature.

Function is the activity of a thing, or the purpose for which it was created. In essence, male and female lions are equal, but God ordained different roles for them in function. Physically it is the male lion’s responsibility to protect the pride. Functionally male and female lions are not equal because the male lion has what is considered to be a greater responsibility. Likewise, men and women are in essence equal in the eyes of God. Men are not innately superior or in some way better than women.

However, biblically specifically within the marital relationship men and women have different roles. Men have more responsibility because God holds men more accountable since He gave the husband the function of being the head. A husband is not relieved of his responsibility as head just because his wife has a greater career position or she makes more money than he does.

Career position and money are secular, but biblical responsibility in marriage is spiritual. When married people choose to follow God the spiritual should trump the secular every time. Husbands and wives need to pray that God will give them the wisdom to have a successful relationship.

		As the CEO of Embrace Relationships Seminars, Elder Dane Cunnigham is the author of “Take a Look Within” and “Risky Relationships” - books that deal with self development and relationships from God’s point of view. For more information about Elder Cunnigham and Embrace Relationship Seminars, log onto www.eldercunningham.com *Elder Cunningham is a 2009 StreamingFaith.com Guest Columnist.

© Elder Dane T. Cunningham all rights reserved.