I never thought about it, but the King James translation of Genesis 1:26 says, “Let us make MAN in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
Every Bible-reading male in the English speaking world must love this declaration of his God-given authority.
However, the Hebrew word for man is ʹâdâm, which means “human being, an individual [of the species], a person.” A more accurate translation of Genesis 1:26 is found in NLT. “Let us make HUMAN BEINGS in our image, to be like us.” Let MEN AND WOMEN have dominion over fish and fowl, etc.
The King James translation communicates a subtle English language bias that all of us are familiar with. And honestly, it seldom bothers me. I certainly don’t want to rage about it or blame it for all the challenges women face. I don’t want to suggest that Genesis 1:26 cancels that prickly New Testament word, submission. However, I realized something fairly significant today.
The Creator of the universe cares about translations, word choices, and biases. He is concerned about secular ideas that have seeped into Christian societies. He values women; they bear the stamp of His image, same as men. And He is an advocate for women who have been undervalued and suppressed.
A certain disdain of women has crept into religious thought, and it is of greater concern to the Creator than I realized.
Of course, God wants women who have been mistreated by overbearing, self-righteous men to forgive. But …
For the benefit of those who have been disrespected and suppressed, He desires to set the record straight. Pagan men often dominate women, relegating them to subservient social roles. Unrighteous men rule with an iron fist. However, the Creator of the universe did not instruct human societies to operate this way. Lord God exalts women, and He is never pleased with those who demean or belittle them.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Movie reviews
Becoming Jane (2007)
For those who like Pride and Prejudice, an emergency substitute
At first, I thought the movie was uninspired--a pale repetition of Pride and Prejudice. And it never sizzled, but it grew on me. In fact, the weather outside being frightful, I watched it a second time. Anne Hathaway never convinced me that she was Jane Austen, but James McAvoy as Tom Lefroy was enjoyable, and I liked James Cromwell and Julie Walters as Austen's parents. I wonder if the biographical elements are accurate. Here's hoping that Jane and Cassandra Austen ran into fewer moral and social impasses than this movie suggests.
Stroszek (1977)
Stroszek and ambivalence
Director Werner Herzog acknowledges ambivalence toward America, and in Stoszek, his ambivalence is obvious. Herzog films Plainfield, WI, and he focuses on railroad tracks, truck stops, junk yards, unpaved parking lots, treeless fields, and poorly kept mobile homes. Depressing! No wonder the main characters, German immigrants, become disillusioned with "get rich quick" America. No getting rich in Plainfield. And Cherokee, North Carolina, fares no better. Its cheesiest tourist traps dominate the last few minutes of the film. But Herzog features Bruno S., son of a German prostitute. Bruno's mother did not want him, so he was institutionalized when he was three years old. He spent years in asylums and survived with obvious quirks. In Stroszek, he more or less plays himself. His reactions to Stroszek's colorful characters, including locals, criminals, a prostitute, and a few feathered friends, are the highlights of the film.
Shall We Dance? (1995)
Pleasant surprise
Hard working, straight laced Japanese businessman, brought up in a culture that rewards conformity and frowns on ballroom dance, takes an unexpected step. He falls in love with dancing, but since it is stigmatized in his society, he keeps his passion to himself. His wife suspects an affair, so she hires a private detective, and he is drawn into ballroom dancing, too. Meantime, the businessman's colleague, bumbling accountant by day, becomes a rumba king at night. My expectations were fairly low, so I was pleasantly surprised by this subtle, graceful movie, which has complex characters and enjoyable plot. No wonder Shall We Dance won awards. It turned my evening into a sparkling success; it gets five stars from me.
For those who like Pride and Prejudice, an emergency substitute
At first, I thought the movie was uninspired--a pale repetition of Pride and Prejudice. And it never sizzled, but it grew on me. In fact, the weather outside being frightful, I watched it a second time. Anne Hathaway never convinced me that she was Jane Austen, but James McAvoy as Tom Lefroy was enjoyable, and I liked James Cromwell and Julie Walters as Austen's parents. I wonder if the biographical elements are accurate. Here's hoping that Jane and Cassandra Austen ran into fewer moral and social impasses than this movie suggests.
Stroszek (1977)
Stroszek and ambivalence
Director Werner Herzog acknowledges ambivalence toward America, and in Stoszek, his ambivalence is obvious. Herzog films Plainfield, WI, and he focuses on railroad tracks, truck stops, junk yards, unpaved parking lots, treeless fields, and poorly kept mobile homes. Depressing! No wonder the main characters, German immigrants, become disillusioned with "get rich quick" America. No getting rich in Plainfield. And Cherokee, North Carolina, fares no better. Its cheesiest tourist traps dominate the last few minutes of the film. But Herzog features Bruno S., son of a German prostitute. Bruno's mother did not want him, so he was institutionalized when he was three years old. He spent years in asylums and survived with obvious quirks. In Stroszek, he more or less plays himself. His reactions to Stroszek's colorful characters, including locals, criminals, a prostitute, and a few feathered friends, are the highlights of the film.
Shall We Dance? (1995)
Pleasant surprise
Hard working, straight laced Japanese businessman, brought up in a culture that rewards conformity and frowns on ballroom dance, takes an unexpected step. He falls in love with dancing, but since it is stigmatized in his society, he keeps his passion to himself. His wife suspects an affair, so she hires a private detective, and he is drawn into ballroom dancing, too. Meantime, the businessman's colleague, bumbling accountant by day, becomes a rumba king at night. My expectations were fairly low, so I was pleasantly surprised by this subtle, graceful movie, which has complex characters and enjoyable plot. No wonder Shall We Dance won awards. It turned my evening into a sparkling success; it gets five stars from me.
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