Mars and Venus
One of my friends wrote a blog entry a while ago about the symbols which represent the concepts of “male” and “female,” and how these symbols are derived from Roman mythology (the male symbol references the god Mars, and the female symbol references the goddess Venus). This was not exactly news to me, so I sort of glossed over it.
But it just hit me this morning that Mars is the god of WAR!! Not cool.
Why do females get to be symbolized by the goddess of love and beauty while us males are symbolized by a god whose life is characterized by little more than mindless (and sometimes violent) displays of power??
This is stupid and unfair. Hence, I am issuing a decree that these symbols will no longer be used.
Posted: March 28th, 2008 under Thoughts.
Comments
Comment from Jed
Time 2008/03/28 at 11:25 pm
How dare you challenge my decree, Bethany! This is an outrage! The penalty is that I shall taunt you regarding your misspelling of the word “somewhat”! 
All kidding aside, I agree with your comments regarding the picture of biblical manhood. A “real man” is someone who stands up for what’s right and defends the innocent and protects his family, etc. Someone who is physically, mentally, and spiritually strong. So, in that sense, Mars is okay, because he symbolizes strength.
However, I don’t like the war part. I think that strength can be demonstrated in peaceful ways (most of the time). Just look at the life of Jesus Christ (not just a god… the one true God in human form). He hardly ever used physical violence of any kind. He also had a compassionate, caring, sensitive side (which “Mars” would probably view as “sissy”). He spent time being kind and helping people. He had heart-to-heart conversations with people. He had an appreciation for nature. He cried sometimes (even in public)! Now that is real manhood!
Of course, there are times when violence is necessary (like if a family member’s life is being threatened by a burglar or something), but those times happen very rarely, and ideally, they should never happen.
So I think that the “male” symbol should characterize strength minus the violence part! (Although, I doubt there was a Roman god that fits that description.)
Comment from Bethany Wheeler
Time 2008/03/29 at 7:14 am
Hmmm. I agree that Jesus was sensitive and gentle, etc.; but He (God) also called the ancient nation of Israel to war several times. I think war is can and should be necessary in the proper situation, and in that case, I admire a man who will step up and defend, not merely in words, but in a battle.
I know that you are anti-war, Jed, so I don’t want to star a big debate here. I maintain that a man who is willing and prepared to defend what he holds dear, both physically in war, or politically, or in his words or actions in everyday life, is following a Biblical pattern of manhood. He is also following a Biblical pattern when he is gentle, caring, and selfless. And the Mars symbol definitely doesn’t seem to be including that 
And while I don’t think that violence is good in a man, the capability to use violence in a horrible time of war is sometimes necessary.
That’s my two cents’ worth
Comment from Jed
Time 2008/03/29 at 11:24 am
You don’t want a debate? Well I hope you kept your receipt, because you just bought one!
Sorry, I heard that line a while ago and I’ve just been looking for an opportunity to use it… seriously, though, I don’t want to debate, because I think we’re both right to some extent (there’s a Bible verse which talks about “a time for war, and a time for peace”).
But I will clarify my position… I’m not exactly anti-war. I’m simply against preemptive human-initiated wars. The key here is that in the case of ancient Israel, God Himself initiated those wars. Thus, there could be no question that the violence was justified (if God says to do it, then that’s the end of the story). But I don’t like the idea of a flawed human leader taking thousands of people’s lives into his hands by declaring a war.
So if I lived in ancient Israel, and God told me to go into battle and defeat evil, I would do it. However, if George W. Bush tells me to go to Iraq and defeat people who oppose the American Dream, I would feel very VERY uncomfortable doing that (not because I’m scared of conflict, but because my conscience strongly objects to the whole situation).
It’s one thing if I have a rifle hanging above my fireplace which I use to defend my family. It’s a completely different story when somebody hands me an M16 and says, “go overseas and kill some people.” One is noble. One is… questionable.
I think that in today’s age, there is no such thing as a “holy war,” and war should be avoided if at all possible. Of course, like with everything, there are exceptions. If some nation declares war on the U.S. and starts attacking us, then obviously we need to defend ourselves.
But my main point is that WAR IS A HORRIBLE THING, and it shouldn’t be exalted or held up as an ideal (which is what the whole “Mars” idea does). Participation in war does not prove one’s “manhood” (anybody can learn how to point a gun and pull the trigger). Maybe war is necessary sometimes, but that doesn’t make it a good thing.
I realize that my “give peace a chance” philosophy possibly makes me look like a spineless weakling, but I guess I would rather be (unfairly) called a wimp than to violate my conscience just to gain some glory in battle.
I hope I’m not being argumentative here, Beth… I really appreciate your input and I don’t want to repress that. You’ve definitely made some great points. It’s just that I feel strongly about the war part of the topic, and once I get started on it, I tend to get a bit adamant.
Comment from Jed
Time 2008/03/29 at 3:45 pm
Oh, and my Bible reading for today just happened to include Matthew 26:47-56!
Jesus rebukes Peter for trying to start an unnecessary battle…
“‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.’” (Verse 52, NIV)
Comment from Bethany Wheeler
Time 2008/03/28 at 10:20 pm
Although I do not condone senseless killing or the needless taking of human life, I do (sum-what) (is that how that’s spelled???) like the picture of man being represented by the ‘god’ of war. Now, I know hardly anything about Mars, so maybe it is unjust and disturbing and gross to compare all men to him. He’s probably brutal and he probably loves to kill. I don’t like that in a man.
But I do like a man who steps up and defends the beautiful things or people or ideals that he holds dear. A man who will lay down his life, if necessary, to defends and protect such things. That, I believe is a Biblical picture of manhood. And I think that Biblical manhood is a beautiful thing. Not an ugly thing. It’s also something to be proud of.