---

I'm glad the Pope likes women. Really, I am.

"I thank you, dear women, because by your sensitivity, generosity and strength, you enrich the world's understanding and help to make human relationships more honest and authentic," the Pope said.

I think it's nice to get some credit from the church for something other than being solely responsible for Original Sin, and being devious people who need to be controlled by their husbands. But, you know, it just doesn't fill my heart with joy to know that the Pope believes "Perhaps more than in other periods of history, our time is in need of that genius which belongs to women, and which can ensure sensitivity for human beings in every circumstance."

I know this is nit-picky and I should just let this go, but it really bugs me that the Pope seems to think that women possess a quality that men don't. I might joke around that women are inherently better at just about everything except arm wrestling, but the truth is that I really do think that women and men are made the same way [minus the obvious physical differences]. I don't think our brains work differently or that we're naturally better at some things.

I had this converation with Mea and her little man a few weeks ago when they were over. Mea cries during tender commercials and her little man said something about it being a "girl thing." I argued that babies are the all the same -- they all cry. Male babies aren't less likely to cry -- they haven't been taught that it's not OK to cry and act sensitive yet.

I'm a firm believer in "nature over nurture" with respect to many aspects of who we are -- whether you're gay or straight or somewhere in between, whether you're better at math or english, etc. But when it comes to what are stereotypical differences between men and women, I really believe it's the "nurture" that makes us different.

Mea can cry during commercials because she was brought up to believe that it's just something girls do. We're all conditioned from birth to behave a certain way, to think a certain way, and to adopt a pattern of "girlness" or "boyness."

Sometimes "nurture" can overtake the "nature," and vice-versa. I mean, I might have been socialized to play with dolls and wear pink dresses and let my man think for me, but I have enough sense and exposure to other things to let my "nature" come through.

I really don't know where I'm going with this. There is no point. I guess I just wish the Pope would keep his stereotypes to himself.

Posted by Nicole at June 06, 2003 10:22 AM | TrackBack