Patriarchy vs. Matriarchy

I was brought up and am still living in a Patriarchal society. Men rule in my family, in my church, in my government (though the President is a woman). I've heard about societies in which the women are the ones who dominate (historically speaking) just like the indigenous people in my country. Basically, Matriarchy is the complete opposite of Patriarchy until I stumbled upon Russell Mean's Comments on Patriarchy vis-à-vis Matriarchy.

I never thought the American Indians practiced matriarchy. I guess now that's mostly the case in native peoples everywhere in the world. Means says Patriarchy is a society based on fear. It's a distorted form of society and to prove this he stated that in history, Patriarchal societies around the world made the same mistakes over and over.

Now Matriarchy, he says, is complex, though I understood clearly what he wanted to say. It is an ancient form, but complex. After I read this, I immediately talked to my father who was just right somewhere near me. He, too, understood... and agreed. A matriarchal society is one that is nurturing, as a mother. It is balanced, respectful of others and every living creature. I can say a society is matriarchal if its approach to everything is matriarchal. It is not that women rule. It is not that.

Now what about us Christians? Just think that Jesus was gentle and kind. He loved and listened to His mother.

Then I talked to my brother and he says a woman was the cause of sin. Well did that really happen?

"When a man fears the forest, he will want to control the forest, and what he can’t control, he will want to destroy." - Luther Standing Bear

Did you notice that native people live in small communities where they share everything? If man, in nature, is good, then a society, in nature, is matriarchal. That's just what I think. It's an untainted communist society.