In the ancient world, was it better to be born a girl or a boy? It was better to
be born a boy. One historian writes:
Exposure of unwanted female infants ''the practice of just abandoning them until they
would die outside somewhere'' was legal, morally accepted, widely practiced by all
social classes in the Greco-Roman world.
This is a letter that I just read this week. It was written during the first century by a Roman
husband to his wife. Apparently, she was pregnant. This is what he writes:
Know that I am still in Alexandria. I beg you to take good care of our baby son. If you
are delivered of a child before I come home, if it is a boy, keep it. If it is a girl, discard it.
You have sent me word, ?Don't forget me.? How could I forget you? I beg you not to
worry.
This is a guy who thinks of himself as a good husband , loves his wife.
There's a new community that remembers that Jesus treated women differently. He taught
them when no other rabbi would teach a woman. He valued them. He included them in His
community. He thought that all of life was sacred. Jesus, when asked what was the greatest
commandment, said:
This is the heart of the whole deal. ''The fundamental commandment in Judaism was
from Deuteronomy 6:4, the shema'':
Hear O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is one. Him shall you love with all your
heart, your soul, your strength. ''Deuteronomy 6: 4-5'' and ''Mark 12: 29-30''
Then Jesus adds to it, as a sign of His great authority, the second great commandment found
in Leviticus:
Love your neighbor as yourself. ''Leviticus 19:18'' and ''Mark 12:31''
All of life is sacred. All of life is to be revered. Little girl babies as well as little boy babies were
prized in this new community. They were not discarded.
