“Biology is apology.” Biology is our apologetic–our rationale and our foundation–for charting a path through the slough of sexual despondency. You know the saying, “All I ever needed to know I learned in kindergarten”? Well, in a similar manner, almost all we need to know about being male and female we learn from our biology. The modern trend is to bend biology to whatever conceptions the mind has about what it means to be male and female.
This is wrong: God has determined who we are when we are conceived and then born male or female. One significant step to clearing away confusion and creation a starting point for restoration is found in the primacy of biology. Our biology tells us two things.
#1: Biology tells us our sex—whether we are male or female. Our biology tells us whether we are male or female: hormone level, genitalia, reproductive organs, chromosomes and muscle mass. This is an obvious point, to be sure. “What is a man?” or “What is a woman?” in one sense is answered by a biologist (though it is not needed, strictly speaking).
A biologist would have to report that there are measurable differences between men and women—some of which cannot be altered by hormone blockers or gender reassignment surgery.
[By the way, Matt Walsh at the website, “The Daily Wire,” has written an article and is producing a program called, “What is a woman?”; it is from there that I pulled these pieces of data.]
- .5% of women are over 6 feet tall; 20% of men are
- All men have the XY and all women have the XX chromosomes in every cell
- Women have 20% less muscle mass
- 40% less upper body strength
- 33% less lower body strength
- Smaller fast twitch muscle fibers
- Smaller heart, lungs, shorter legs
- More estrogen than men but far less testosterone (men have a 1000x more)
- Lower capacity to make oxygen when they are exerting themselves.
In rare cases some image bearers are born with ambiguous genitalia; “intersex” is what they are called. This physical abnormality is medical and very rare (less than 1 in 5000). This condition is clearly a result of the Fall’s impact.
No one gets to redefine his biology—rather we only accept it or reject it.
#2: Biology gives us our roles. As I mentioned above, biology tells us almost all we need to know about how to live as male and female. Gary Yagel, in his book, “Anchoring Your Child to God’s Truth In a Gender Confused Culture,” writes this (24):
God’s idea of womanhood is expressed in the physical body He has designed for her. God’s idea of masculinity is revealed in the carton masculinity is delivered in—his male body.
When we suspend historic debates about the roles of men and women and we step back and look at our bodies, we can be greatly helped. Our roles in this world are fruits of our biology—God has made man’s body in such a way that he can do what God created him to do. What was that? Genesis 2:15:
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
“Work” or cultivate; “keep” or guard. These are the categories of work Adam was made to do. Indeed, when we look at Genesis 3:17-19 we find what was cursed due to Adam’s disobedience was his work.
Likewise, God makes a woman’s body in such a way that she can do what God created her to do. What was that? Genesis 1:28:
…Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.
Physiologically, this is obvious. There is much more biblical data to assimilate but we can’t ignore God made woman for a specific function captured in this verse. Again, how do we know? Genesis 3:16. What is cursed there? Family building.
I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you.
There is more to say about men’s and women’s created roles, but we cannot rightly understand more until we have accepted the foundational data from Genesis.
Bent World 