Episode:Marriage and Family—The Ideals (Part 2)

From Symmetry of Soul


Pastoral living tended to create a new system of mores, the patriarchal type of family life. Under the herder and early agricultural mores, the basis of family unity was the unquestioned and arbitrary authority of the father. But although man was woman’s superior on the battlefield and in the hunt, at home woman has usually outgeneraled even the most primitive of men.

Listen to the broadcast

Keywords: Urantia, Marriage, Family, Women, Mores

Note: Brad joined later in the episode.

Summary by Kermit

Review from last week

In the absence of a more formal review, the SoS team recapped some of the highlights of our study of the last broadcast.

Consistent throughout these historical series is the recurring issue of mankind’s longstanding inability to distinguish between morals and mores, as well as our confusion in understanding the differences between instinctual behaviors and usages born of our complex and long-established mores. The revelators are presenting this material to enable us to appreciate the evolutionary process as the Father’s way, and help us to understand the origins (often ancient) of current usages connected with our topic. This is a continual challenge for students of the revelation, to cultivate the ability to step out of our “in the moment” subjective awareness, and develop a genuine objective consciousness. That is, to find the truth that flows through these temporal facts. For us to do so is to begin to change our relation to the cosmos.

We also reflected upon the instinctual nature of the mother-family which is of origin primarily in adjutant #1. The mother-family is natural and biologic, in contrast to the more complex elements of the father-family, which are social, economic, and political, in other words derivatives of the mores.

It is the divine differential pattern of place and direction for the female and male respectively established by our local universe creator parents, the Creative Mother Spirit, and Creator Son, that conditions these female-male potentials and transcends the influence of the adjutant mind spirits. The place-direction differential brings into play potentials not present in same sex pairs.

Finally, we entertained a comment on the origin of the words more and mores. They originated in the first decade of the twentieth century to denote folkways and practices originally thought to be morals, but recognized as a precursor urge to morality.

84:3. The Family Under Father Dominance

Maternal instinct led women into marriage, but man’s superior strength along with the mores virtually compelled her to remain in wedlock. Note the strong challenge by the revelators to our modern day idealism, reminding us that all society passes through the stage of autocratic authority of a patriarchal order. And this process obtains on all evolutionary worlds, not just ours!

The evolutionary process naturally proceeds from place to direction. Note the Material Son and Daughter (both originating in the Creator Son—direction) arrive following the attainment of the evolutionary potentials of the Sangiks (of origin in the Creative Mother—place). Today’s misguided efforts to attain equality of the sexes can not obscure these patterns of our design. Can we face these facts of our differential nature, and adjust them to the ideals of equality, and find new ways for men and women to work in a complemental fashion in a cosmic system?

The “scant courtesy” paid women in the Old Testament betrays the influence of the mores of the herdsmen. Note the opening words of the 23rd Psalm, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

The revelators go on to show that man’s low opinion of women during past ages stemmed as much from woman herself as from man. Her lack of social recognition derived from her inability to function in an emergency. Maternity and mother love were distinct disadvantages in the struggle for existence and tribal defense. Further, woman’s exaltation of the warrior, simultaneously reduced her esteem and made her more dependent.

Among the more advanced races the physical differentials of size and strength are more pronounced, leading woman to be more tactful and expert at trading on her sex charms for advantage. Woman became more alert and conservative though slightly less profound. This is explained by the place-direction difference with woman’s impact more localized and man’s influence more widespread. Man’s superiority on the battlefield did not necessarily apply to the home front where woman has usually outgeneraled even the most primitive of men.

Women have always been the burden bearers while men chose the easier path. Such inequality has existed throughout the entire history of the human race. As we reflect on the long ages of inequality endured by women it is helpful to see the deeper meanings and greater potentials in this disparity and appreciate the truth “flowing through” these facts of olden times.

Woman’s first steps toward liberation came when man consented to till the soil. Ironically, it was a great step forward when male captives were enslaved as agriculturists instead of being killed. Thus, did slavery become indispensable to the progress of civilization in that it played a direct role in freeing women for homemaking and child culture.

With a decrease in primitive warfare, the disparity between the division of labor based on sex was lessened. Woman’s prestige and social standing increased with the advent of agriculture until man himself turned to agriculture. Here again we see the place-direction differential of the sexes play out. Man had learned the value of organization in hunting and war. These techniques were introduced into industry and later, when taking over much of woman’s work, improved on her loose methods of labor. For the sake of contemporary domestic tranquility, modern man should reflect on the relevance of this differential when seeking to improve on woman’s labor methods about the home.

84:4. Woman’s Status in Early Society

Woman’s status in any age is a fair criterion of the evolutionary progress of marriage, which in turn is a reasonably accurate gauge registering the advances of human civilization.

Paradoxically, even while held by man in abject slavery, woman has been able to exercise dominant power over man, leveraging his stronger sex urge by the use of her sex charms. Woman’s role as a friend, sweetheart, lover, and partner to man are recent developments. During early times she was a piece of property, a servant or slave. Later she became an economic partner, plaything and bearer of children. Yet throughout this entire history, proper and satisfactory sex relations have involved the choice and cooperation of woman. Intelligent women have thus been able to exercise considerable influence over their immediate personal standing regardless of their collective social position.

The sexes have had great difficulty in understanding each other. Much of man’s ignorant mistrust and fearful fascination of woman stems from the biological differences involving reproduction, chief among them being childbirth itself and menstruation. The revelators provide a several examples of olden notions, foolish by today’s standards which illustrate this point. Yet, we see how even these, when seen in an evolutionary context resulted in benefits to woman as well as man. An example of this is the fearful and superstitious regard of man for the menstruating female. Woman’s enforced quarantine during her monthly cycle allowed regular and periodic respite from her drudgery, in turn, preventing men’s over-sex indulgence, indirectly reducing overpopulation and enhancing self control.

Our author concludes this section pointedly explaining that primitive women did not feel sorry for themselves as their more recently liberated sisters are wont to do.