The Greatest Challenge in Modern Times
What Does Our Creator Think A Woman Is?
Photo by Dingzeyu Li on Unsplash
When Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson was asked the question, “What is a woman?” the female US circuit judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit court gave a thought-provoking response, “I’m not a biologist.” Her reply would indicate that to determine the sex of a human being one requires an advanced degree in the science of biology. Science, the irrefutable hallmark of our civilization in 2022 is the standard by which all mysteries are explained. Follow the science is the banner for answering difficult questions about diseases, environment, the universe, living and non-living things which of course includes - gender. But does current gender theory follow the science or has it become its own science? It is not my place to resolve this question any more than Ketanji Brown Jackson felt qualified to determine what is a woman.
For several reasons I feel compelled to weigh in on this question. First of all, my name, Donna, in Italian means woman. Therefore, what am I? I am one of 7.753 billion people on this earth but my physical - biological - sex is one of 3,904,727,342 determined on a global census to be considered a woman. Imagine the logistical nightmare of determining the current number of women on this earth if we factor gender identity into the statistics. This essay is not intended by any means to answer this difficult question, nor am I in any position to judge those who feel they were assigned a biological body that does not conform to their gender identity. My goal is simply to reflect on the question What does our Creator think a woman is? After all, it was our Creator who formed a man and a woman. Whether one adheres to Biblical Creation descriptions or one prefers the science of evolution there are certain facts that are indisputable.
- A newborn human child may suck at the breast of a biological male but it will never receive the nourishment it needs to survive. This is true for any member of the mammal species. Survival of the fittest requires that the newborn suck at the breast of a biological female. It was not necessary to acquire a degree in biology to make this observation.
- Similarly, having been raised in a family with a father, grandfather, uncles, brothers, male cousins, a husband, a son, and scores of male friends, I have never seen anything come out of a male body that anywhere near resembles a human child. The male lacks certain delicate organs that propagate human life. A female, whether you believe in the Creator or you strictly adhere to evolutionism, is the unique individual that can conceive, nourish, and bring forth a child - either male or female. It is not a cloning process but an exclusively designed process that advances the species.
- A male may look like a female and a female may look like a male, but their uniquely designed utilitarian attributes are a biological blueprint for a function, not necessarily a lifestyle. A lifestyle is chosen, which by extension may involve gender transition. The gender transition automatically affirms male and female distinctions. A non-binary lifestyle affirms neither male, nor female, but it does not negate the biological attributes.
This discussion thus far has focused on the biological facets of the original question What does the Creator think a woman is? If one is asked what is a woman and they refer back to the science of biology but cannot derive an answer from this discipline, then logically speaking, the answer must lie within a different field of study or classification system. Etymologically, woman means an adult human female.
What does the Creator think a woman is? Genesis 1: 27 states: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Further, in Genesis 2:23 we read, Then the man said, "This one at last Is bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called Woman, For from man was she taken." Here, we first hear the word woman. She was taken from out of her husband, a man - the first and last time anything came out of a man that is a human being. Whether by creation or evolution, a human male could not reproduce the species on his own. A partner capable of procreating new life was formed.
From the very beginning God considered a woman to be needed, vital, necessary, desired, essential, required.
NEEDED: The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18)
VITAL: From the word, vita meaning life, the woman is life-giving. “Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.”
NECESSARY: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
DESIRED: “One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful ,and David sent someone to find out about her.” 2 Samuel 11:2-3.
ESSENTIAL: “She senses the worth of her work.” Proverbs 31:18
REQUIRED: “A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds.” Proverbs 31:10
“She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor.” Proverbs 31: 20
God did not create anything on this earth without a specific purpose. God deemed a woman to have her own specific purpose in life. In the eyes of God, a woman is a beautiful creation. She is strong and can withstand excruciating pain to bring forth life. Her capacity to love is great as is her Creator’s. A woman shares many attributes with a man, yet she is many things a man is not by virtue of her biological makeup. A woman is so special to God’s own heart that He blessed her with many gifts, each gift unique to His purpose for her individual life. Thus a woman need not try to be more like a man in order to succeed. She has everything within her to accomplish God’s will for her. Eve may have erred in the Garden of Eden by choosing to ignore God’s plan but God, our loving Father and Creator, upheld the dignity of a woman to bring forth the mother of His only begotten Son - a task that could not be accomplished by a human man alone.
A woman is ultimately not defined by the culture, civilization, or era in which she lives though those outside forces may have attempted to put her into a specific box throughout humanity. Just as He has with a man, God formed a woman in His own image and likeness. A woman is the hands of God. Her soul proclaims His greatness. A woman is God’s blessed creation upon whom He has showered His greatest gifts. It is time for women to understand who they are in the eyes of the eternal God, not in the eyes of an ever changing world with its inconstant ideologies. A woman is more than just a characterization of the society in which she lives - she has a soul, uniquely created to carry out God’s purpose as only a woman can.
About the Author
Donna Kendall is a Catholic wife, mother and grandmother. She has taught in Catholic schools and written for Catholic publications. She is a member of the Third Order Franciscans, Our Lady of the Rosary Fraternity. She enjoys traveling to Italy to visit family and making side-trip pilgrimages along the way.
