Battle of the Sexes

So I just finished reading Lysistrata and it was pretty good. It is basically a battle of wills between the men and women of Greece. The women are pissed that the men are warring with each other and Lysistrata leads the women in withholding sex from the men until they make peace.  

I heard about an experiment one time where they took mice and put them in a cage with two levers.  One lever would release food.  The other lever would create a sensation similar to an orgasm.  

The mice starved to death.  That being said, I'll let you guess how the play ends.

One of my favorite shows of all time is "Cheers". The cast of characters was fantastic.  I liked it with and without Diane (Shelly Long), but I thought Rebecca (Kirstie Alley... the Jenny Craig woman) got a little crazy towards the end of the series (which ran for 11 years... that makes it the 2nd longest running, non-animated, sitcom of all time... trivia: 1. What is the longest running, non-animated, sitcom of all time? answer at the end of the post... 2. What is the longest running, animated, sitcom? answer at the end of the post).  By far, though, my favorite was Norm.

I think the line that made me laugh the most was when the guys were sitting around talking about Sam's woman troubles and Norm says, "Women, can't live with them... pass the beer nuts." I don't even remember the next scene because I was laughing so hard.

One of the battle cries in Lysistrata is said by the Chorus of Men... their "motto" is: Misogyny Forever!" While it is meant by the author comedically, the line seems to still be lived out today in much of the world, and the church seems to have shaped itself to the world so much that it is no different. Women, in much of the church, are still denied certain positions simply based on what (or what isn't) is in their pants.  Some churches have moved beyond this, but I wonder if they all reached the correct conclusion for the correct reasons. A female Episcopalian Priest said, "I have more respect for some one who denies my ordination based on their strongly held beliefs about tradition and scripture than some one who supports my ordination out of some sense of human rights.  It has to be supported theologically or not at all." 

Obviously she (as do I) feels women's ordination is fully supported biblically, historically, and theologically (as well as simply logically), but I know that I have, at times, slipped into the "human rights" argument and almost a false messiah complex that I need to save women from this oppression.  The argument does not need me.  It is well supported without my help.  I am not the savior women have been waiting for... and neither is any other person (save for Jesus of course).  Our job is to support each other and strive to help each other fulfill God's call on our lives.  That support comes from biblical, historical, theological, and practical places.  It cannot come from feeling sorry for some one.  I confess I have done that in the past... and I apologize.

Answers: 1. The Danny Thomas Show aka Make Room For Daddy (351 episodes), 2. The Simpsons (ca. 420 episodes and still going!)