Monday, April 24, 2006

Single-sex schools in Indiana?

When I read an article in the Indianapolis Star last week about "sex-segregated" schools in Indiana, I could not help but think of this editorial by Nathanael Blake. One quote jumps out as especially relevant:

Liberals hate sex. No, not that— the other kind. While they support sexual acts in all possible permutations, the male/female distinction drives them round the bend. For the worst sufferers, the mere sight of those little bathroom door stick figures can induce apoplexy or delusions of sex as a social construct and gender as a continuum.

Kim Gandy of the National Organization for Women told the Indianapolis Star that "brain and sensory data distinguishing girls and boys" was "rubbish".

It is unfortunate that NOW feels it necessary to deny and rebel against the very real and Divinely created differences in men and women in order to promote women's rights. It is not necessary to erase distinctions between men and women in order to ensure equality under the law for both sexes.

I disagree with the contention that single-sex schools are somehow discriminatory. The reason behind separating boys and girls is to ensure that both get the best education possible and that schools can focus instruction to the biological differences between the sexes. It does not mean that either sex will get an inferior level of instruction in math, English, science history or social studies. The goal is to make sure both boys and girls get the best education possible.

But modern man hates distinctions. Men want everything to be fair and equitable in a perfect politically correct, socialist society. But nature and nature's God does not abide by man's definition of "fairness". I may think that it just is not fair that LeBron James is 6'8" with speed, strength, endurance and explosive leaping ability far surpassing the physical gifts of this 5'10" blogger with no athletic talent whatsoever. Whether or not I think the distribution of physical gifts is fair, the reality is that even if I trained my body to the peak of my natural talent, I will never play in the National Basketball Association.

God created the human race as males and females. (See Genesis 1:27 and 5:1-2) No matter how much we may rebel against that reality, it is still there. (Joseph Bayly had a very good post on that matter.) Someone born a man is not and can never be a woman, and someone born a woman is not and can never be a man.

As much as many want to paint Bible-believing Christians as misogynistic troglodytes, none of this means women are to be abused or made into second class citizens. Proverbs 31:10-29 paints a glowing picture of a God-fearing woman. Recognizing men and women (and boys and girls) as different and making distinctions between them is not hate. Denying Biblical manhood and womanhood and encouraging men and women to live in a way that opposes their very nature is hate.

Back to the issue of single-sex schools. I am not advocating transforming the government school system to only have single-sex schools. I think there is much to be said about the benefits of having boys and girls learn together, but it cannot be denied that in some circumstances single-sex schools can provide a superior education to coed schools. What I disagree with is the idea that the only difference between men and women is the physical distinctions between the sexes. That not only defies Divine wisdom, it defies common sense.