Southern Baptists Encourage Basic Skills – But Only For Women

The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, TN, is offering classes this fall on how to cook and sew. The coursework would include instruction on clothing construction, homemaking, nutrition and meal preparation. This 23-hour course will count toward a bachelor of arts degree in humanities.

Now, I must admit that I was thinking they had a good idea there until I read that the classes were for women only. Cooking and sewing are basic skills that everyone could benefit from knowing. Certainly, as increasing numbers of women have joined the workforce, more and more men have taken an active roll in cooking, cleaning and generally sharing duties at home. I think the general consensus about changing gender roles is that they have created a new level of cooperation beneficial to the happiness and well-being of families.

I love to cook and sew and I am always surprised when acquaintances, usually women, announce with an air of misplaced pride that they don’t know how to do either. They think they are implying that they are modern individuals free of traditional roles, but I think it just comes across as unfortunate. Everyone has to eat, so why not learn to make something that tastes good? If a shirt is missing a button, sew it back on! It’s not hard. Really. And it shows a degree of self respect.

If you need a gift for someone who could use a class or two in cooking or someone who’s career goal is to become a chef, I offer as a suggestion this Cooking Themed Pencil Case. This long engravable metal case can hold pens, pencils, markers, erasers to keep a future chef organized, and an organized chef is a good one. We show it here in pink for those ladies mentioned above, but it also comes in manly black at right. As anyone who spends any time in the kitchen knows, there is no time for chaos – enough comes up on its own.

Technorati: Southern Baptists, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Nashville, Tennessee, Cooking, Sewing, Women, Pencil Case, Unique Gifts for Chefs, Gender Roles.