Editor,

MOKOFISI misleads the public by claiming that "Christian belief praises men to rule over women," and unfairly critiques Tongan government, Tongan culture, and Tongan churches for being male-dominated, as if Tonga is the only one on the planet with male dominated such and such. Nowhere in the Bible supports the above claim about Christianity. Making such claim without any further qualifications distorts biblical teachings about the status of women in society.

Perhaps Mokofisi uses Ephesians 5 which says "that wives should submit to their husbands as to the Lord." But it also says that "husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her." When husbands love sacrificially and lead Christ-likely, wives submit voluntarily. That creates family unity - the cradle of a decent democratic society. Unfortunately, progressive liberals presuppose that equality of men and women means sameness, and talking of different roles is discriminatory. Contrastingly, the bible asserts that equality does not mean sameness. For example, orthodox Christianity teaches that the three persons of the Trinity are equal in deity, but different in their roles. It's the same thing with family. All family members are equal, but have different roles. Progressives further presuppose that different in role directly relates to personal self-worth, and submission equals relegation. The bible teaches that submission does not reduce one's self-worth. As the Son submits to the Father, while being equal in deity, so does the bible encourages wives to submit to their husbands in Christ, while husbands are commanded to be ferociously madly in love with their wives. In the sanctity of marriage commitment and in the act of marriage, they become one flesh. So, an abusive husband hurts himself morally, emotionally, and spiritually. In fact, he becomes less human and more like brutes.

It would be better if Mokofisi shows us just one culture or a government of male-female equal representation, because evidences reveal that male domination is common to human societies and institutions. Statistics show there are only twelve female among 490 males CEO among the Fortune 500 corporations in the U.S. Of the one hundred U. S Senators, only seventeen are women. Sociologist Gregg Johnson wrote that, "Of the two hundred and fifty cultures studied, anthropologists claim that male dominates in almost all."

These data confirms us that male domination is common to human experience since the beginning of time. A male dominated culture and a male dominated government is part of our world's undeniable cultural and political reality. However, it does not logically follow that a male dominated culture or government gives birth to abuse of children and women. Abuse is primarily a symptom of man's dethronement of God - a lack of reverence to God and to the weaker member of society. Perhaps, it is a generational emotional ill-consequence of men's improper childhood upbringing.

Abusing of children women among members of Christian churches is a consequence either of misapplication or lack of application of biblical teachings. Meanwhile, abuse can be a logical out working of atheism as practiced in Communist countries if we accept atheism to be the foundation for public morality and social ethics. With that, we can't put up a caricature of Christianity and claim it to be Christianity's failure. Our problem is multi-faceted and we should refrain from providing simplistic solutions such as blaming male domination. Individual, cultural, political, and social responsibilities are all involved. Therefore, we should tackle the problem at every front. Instead of business as usual, churches should do some theological soul search about their influence on Tongan society, and double check their theologies' socio-cultural and political implications.

Here, I agree with Mokofisi that churches (not Christianity) can be partly held accountable for the nation's decadent social spirit. Perhaps they should create specialized ministries such as Child-Rearing Ministry focusing on teaching parents on how to raise children who are emotionally, physically, and mentally healthy; Men's & Women's Ministries focusing on what is means to manly men and feminine women; Family Ministries should specialize on how to build healthy relationships between husbands and wives. The government, on the other hand, should make public policies that will enhance and protect public morality which is an indispensable element of healthy democracy. And, individuals should consider connecting to Christ as their point of reference for personal ethics and interpersonal relationship development.

Respectfully,
Senituli Penitani

Nomuka

seni15266 [at] yahoo [dot] com [dot] au ( seni15266 [at] yahoo [dot] com [dot] au)