A Double Standard

The news really breaks my heart at times.

The recent story out of Pakistan is one example. Apparently, a 17-year-old Pakistani girl who had been forced to marry a 45-year-old when she was only nine was reportedly killed by her parents.

The news article rightly called it “murder.” This murder has intensified despair among human rights workers in Pakistan over a recent spate of “honor killings,” in which two women and three teenage school girls were buried alive in Baluchistan Province because they wanted to marry the men of their choice. Imagine, wanting to have the right to marry whomever you wanted.

Saira Nusrat Bibi was successfully fighting a legal battle to have her marriage annulled. As she left court in the Punjabi city of Sahiwal, she was surrounded by a group of men reportedly sent by her parents, and shot in front of police. Did the police just stand and watch?

The Baluchistan case was made even worse by an attempt by a member of the country’s national parliament, Senator Israr Ullah Zehri, to defend them.”

I hope that breaks your heart as well. Unfortunately, we live in a world where women and girls are often treated as second class citizens, at best. In some cultures, animals have more rights than women. How wrong is that!

I know, in our country, things seem better, at least on the surface. But, dig deep, if you dare.

Young girls being sold into prostitution by their parents in our own country. Women entering into the world of adult films and adult entertainment. Women working the same job as men, yet making less than the man makes for the same work. Women being held to a double standard when it comes to work and raising their children. Women often handling the majority of responsibilities in their local church, yet being made to feel guilty because “women shouldn’t lead in the church.”

I don’t talk much about politics on this blog—there are plenty of other blogs and Web sites dedicated to that, if you want to participate in those discussions. But, let me say this word about Gov. Sarah Palin. I find it quite ironic that one of the knocks against her by the media and her opponents is that she can’t possibly balance her career in government and her family. What? Has that same argument been said about Sen. Obama, the father of two small girls? If it has, I haven’t seen it! What a double standard.

Women are gifted by God, just as men are gifted by God. While I am still growing in what I believe the Bible teaches about women in ministry, I fully believe that I have little right to question what God does or who God calls. I am no where close to being God or being perfect like Him. So, how dare me question what He does or how He acts.

This election has already proven to be interesting. I’ll really be watching to see how many more double standards will surface before the first Tuesday in November. I have little doubt that it will be many, many more! And, I'll be watching to see where the double standards come from.

Tell me what you think.