<![CDATA[Substantial inequalities between the sexes still exist in the society as well as Church of Nias. These inequalities are social-cultural construction and are supported by theological understanding of the Genesis 2:18-23, that is man was previously created by God and woman was created by God from man’s rib. This social fact pushed the writers to do a library research on the Genesis 1 :26-27 and Genesis 2:18-33 and to do a field research in the society and the Church of Nias. There are two research questions: Is there any equality between men and women according to the Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18-23? How is the inequality in the society and the Church of Nias? The writers used the Qualitative-descriptive methode to do this research and find that there is no inequality between men and women in the message of Genesis 1:26-27; 2;18-23. On the contrary the writers find that men and women are equal. Men and women are different in order to complete each other . Therefore it is wrong absolutely to use the Genesis 1:26-27 and 2:18-23 to support these gender inequalities in the society and the Church of Nias. Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18-23 should be used to control and to remove the gender inequalities in the society and the Church of Nias. The writers interviewed ten people of Nias. They are also the members of the Church of Nias in Tangerang. We find that they do not know that actually there is an equality between men and women according to the message of the Genesis 1:26-27;2:18-23. Although they realize that inequlity between men and women is not good but they cannot release themselves from the social tradition undertanding that men and women are not equal. Men should be positioned higher than women. The writers also find that the society and the Church of Nias not yet has any plan to control the inequalities in order to establish the equality between men and women in the social sphere and in the Church sphere, in the public sphere as well as in the domestic sphere. The sugestion should be proposed is that the Church of Nias should has a plan to control and to remove the inequalities between men and women in the society and the Church of Nias and to establish the equality between men and women based on the Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18-23. In this case the leaders of the Church of Nias and the traditional figures of Nias should collaborate. Realitas sosial masyarakat dan gereja Nias dalam pengamatan awal penulis, menunjukkan bahwa perempuan dihargai lebih rendah dari laki-laki karena faktor budaya, dan adanya pehamaman yang salah terhadap Kejadian 2:18-23, sebab laki-laki dicipta terlebih dahulu daripada perempuan. Pengamatan awal ini mendorong penulis untuk melakukan penelitian pustaka tentang kesetaraan laki-laki dan perempuan menurut Kejadian 1:26-27 dan 2:18-23, serta penelitian lapangan tentang kesetaraan laki-laki dan perempuan dalam masyarakat dan Gereja Nias. Ada dua pertanyaan penelitian, yaitu: Bagaimana kesetaraan laki-laki dan perempuan menurut Kejadian 1:26-27 dan 2:18-23? Bagaimana kesetaraan laki-laki dan perempuan dalam masyarakat dan Gereja Nias? Untuk menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan tersebut, penulis menggunakan metode kualitatif-deskriptif (data diperoleh dari penelusuran tulisan para pakar Perjanjian Lama dan para penafsir Kejadian 1:26-27; 2:18-23). Dalam penelitian ini, penulis mewawancarai sepuluh orang Nias yang adalah warga BNKP Tangerang. Dalam penelusuran penulis terhadap eksegese Kejadian 1:26-27 dan 2:18-23 tidak terdapat pendapat bahwa laki-laki dicipta lebih tinggi daripada perempuan. Mereka berbeda untuk saling melengkapi demi mewujudkan kemanusiaan yang sempurna sebagaimana yang Allah kehendaki. Ketidaksetaraan laki-laki dan perempuan adalah pandangan yang bertentangan dengan pesan kesetaraan laki-laki dan perempuan dalam Kejadian 1:26-27 dan 2:18-23. Ditemukan bahwa masyarakat maupun gereja Nias belum sepenuhnya memahami dan menganut kesetaraan laki-laki dan perempuan secara teori dan praktik. Hambatannya ialah adat yang masih sangat mendukung ketidaksetaraan laki-laki dan perempuan, serta gereja Nias yang belum secara berencana mengajarkan pesan firman Tuhan tentang kesetaraan laki-laki dan perempuan. Karena itulah, adat harus dinilai untuk dibaharui dan gereja harus secara berencana mengajarkan warganya tentang kesetaraan laki-laki dan perempuan, teori, dan praktik berdasarkan Alkitab. Dalam hal ini, kerjasama tokoh adat dan para pemimpin gereja sangat diperlukan.]]>
