The Last Stand of Patriarchy

The following is my response to the article "Dude, You’ve Got Problems" by Judith Warner.

Awareness is the best defense and the first step to change. Labels and name calling, historically, have been about creating some kind of power in one's powerless life. Domination. Control. Fear.

With the spread and domination of religions that continue to suppress women and give all the power to a single male god, the dominating fearful father figure, it is not a wonder that 'manhood' is so important.

Tribal societies lived in total equality worshiping a goddess. From an unknown research paper on linguistics: "The Saharan language was so dominant within the Goddess religion, its tribal organization and in its worldwide coverage that around 2,000 BCE the decision was made to destroy it, the oral tradition and its tribal system by any means possible. This order was repeated much later in Genesis 11:7 "Let us confuse their language so they may no longer understand each other's speech".

That was the big riff between Peter and Mary Magdalene. Mary wanted to follow what Jesus truly taught and what the true Nazarenes stood for which was an egalitarian society. Peter, on the other hand, believed that women should be seen and not heard and took the male dominated route. You can read about this in the Gospel of Mary Magdalene.

American indigenous tribes called people that were androgynous Two Spirited People, whether or not they sexually preferred someone of the same gender because some did and some didn't. They believed that the Two Spirited Person received a gift from the Creator, which was the privilege to house both male and female spirits in their bodies. They were seen as being closer to the Creator and to be better capable of channeling the messages from the spirit world. They were blessed and revered.

As the male dominated religions took hold in America and Native Americans became in control of the US government and their way of life destroyed, they too came to punish their homosexual members. There has since been a change. The Two Spirits are changing perceptions.

The Kuna Yala indigenous people of Panama still believe that people of their tribe that are born homosexual are blessed. The Maori of New Zealand are a matriarchal society. These folks don't seem to have any problems with name calling and labeling.

We are living in a time of disorder, commotion and dismay. Governments, financial institutions and capitalism are failing. Mother Nature is in an upheaval. Humans' souls are shredded, confused, misled and misguided. Humans are completely out of touch with what our true meaning is. Even the sacred words of Jesus are used out of context to manipulate and control. This is all reflected in our children who are ever so sensitive to these disruptions.

I believe that this is the last ditch effort…this utter chaos…to keep control, to keep the fight alive, but the tides are changing. As we reach out and through compassion allow our feminine natures to cultivate, change is inevitable. We see it in our literature, art, music. We see it with the increase of gardens…the return to the dirt. Some people may claim that growing their own food is a survival mechanism to save money, but in truth, the power of the soil brings the return to nature. The collective consciousness grows as someone new awakens.

Remember the panic and fear that Jesus stirred in people just for speaking the truth? People hold on to what can be totally sucky simply for the fear of change.

Read this interview of Mac Ruka of the Maori by Jim Yellow Horse Man of the Cherokee in 1997.