Early Christianity was marked by the elevation of women by Jesus' impartiality and Paul's words, "In Christ there is neither male nor female" (Galatians 3:28). Western culture has generally caught up with New Testament teaching regarding equality and in some cases goes farther than the teachings of the church at large. Some Christians oppose this apparent secular intrusion, while other Christians believe the church succumbed to historical sexism and no longer teaches God's original equality. The issue is often muddied by being conflated with homosexuality and gay rights.