There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

—Galatians 3:28

od created us in His image (Genesis 1:26–27), but He did not create us the same.

As God’s image bearers, human beings intrinsically resemble one another. Thus,

human beings cannot be mistaken for cattle. However, each human being is distinctly

unique and different from any other human being—even twins are not exactly the same.

People differ in appearance; we have different skin color, eye color, and hair color. We are

male or female. We are born into unique families with rich cultural traditions.

The Apostle Paul tells us these differences do not matter to God (Galatians 3:28).

However, humankind’s history tells another story. It would appear these differences matter

a great deal to us. As the result of racial and cultural variations, people perceive marriage

and family patterns differently. Struggles arise when one culture asserts it is the dominant

culture and identifies others as “minority” cultures.

Cultural Variations

in Marriage and Family

G

11

Paul Chesley / Stone / Getty Images