Separate iff Equal

I believe that there is a divine power that wants us to become more advanced beings and accomplishes this by giving us responsibilities, abilities, and possibilities. In other words, I believe in God and that the situations we face are given to us so that we can become more like Him. We do this by learning about and understanding who He is. We do that by doing what He does. We can do that because we can have access to His power. We call it the priesthood, but I have trouble defining what that is.

When I hear "separate but equal" quoted in any context it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It is a too obvious reference to the opposition to the Civil Rights movement. It references racism. But I have heard it recently in reference as to why Mormon men have the priesthood but women do not. It is usually used along the lines of, "Men have the priesthood, but women bear children. We have separate but equal responsibilities in the family/home, in the community, and in the church." If you ever have the urge to use that phrase to explain anything to anyone (that is an American. I suppose it may not have the same guilt associated with it in other cultures. Probably) stop. Just say no. It will weaken your argument because people (at least my mind does) associate that phrase as a justification for unjust elitism. Your intentions may be good and your reasoning may be sound, but your audience will associate anything you say after "separate but equal" as bigotry.

What makes this situation terrible is that some things do have to be separate to be equal. I might try to defend that most things have to be separate if equal. If two things perform the exact same function in the same way and at the same rate, if they are equal, then they spread out. They inhibit each others potential and production by being too close. Think of two burger joints next to each other, neither receives as good of business. The gases that make up our air spread out until evenly dispersed. Economics encourage specialization so that people perform different functions and increase social production, because if everyone did the same job than we produce less as a whole. If two things are equal then they will perform best if separated. If two things are separated then they can be equal (without the force used in fictional dystopias for the same effect).

So, I am not arguing against the explanation that men hold the priesthood to make them as equally useful and purposeful to women. I only suggest that we avoid ever using the phrase "separate but equal." Try separate and equal or separate iff equal or come up with a creative and catchy phrase that can be shared to illuminate the need for people to perform different roles in close social settings, especially in a family or church.