I've been involved in a small debate over at iMonk about women in church leadership. The question at hand is women leading churches, and Paul's prohibition thereof. I have given the relevant Scriptures.
Thinking about the discussion more, I wonder how much the opposing side is driven by the notion of "Pastor as CEO". That is, most every manager wants to be CEO, and city councilman wants to be mayor (or president of the USA). It is a sign of accomplishment, to oneself and the world. The fulfillment of one's career (which may be reasonable, or sinful/prideful).
This is where the passage in Matthew 20:25 comes in. A leader of the church is not a position of power to be envied. It is a position of great responsibility (see James 3:1). It is a position of total servitude (often the Greek word "slave" is translated "servant").
Forbidding women from leadership is not a "glass ceiling". It is the duty of men to serve others, and to protect women from the onerous burden of Christian leadership. To allow a woman to lead one's church is not "open minded", it is men slacking in their duty, a grave disservice to the woman, and dishonoring God.
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6 comments:
It's also chauvinistic/sexist. Thank you for standing up for your religion's ways and showing us all how backwards it is.
I'm curious, do you think it is chauvinistic/sexist for a man to open doors for a woman, or carry her bags?
nedbrek,
I'm curious, do you deny that your religion is sexist, and are you going to dodge that by asking irrelevant questions?
I don't think it is sexist in itself to perform tasks for others out of kindness. If one would only do that for a woman, it probably could be considered sexist. If one were only doing it because women are incapable, it most certainly is sexist. What's your point? The fact remains that your religion is basically saying that women are either unworthy or unable to handle the mantle of being in a position of power or being in charge or being a conduit for god. This is sexism no matter how you slice it. This isn't a case of simply doing something nice for someone, because your religion put requirements on it and barred women from those positions. It's further proof that your religion is archaic and has to be dragged kicking and screaming into better moral schemes, just like it did with slavery or civil rights for blacks, etc.
You assume a position of power is a good thing. In Christianity, it is not. It is a position of extreme sacrifice. God has made men to make that sacrifice, and women to receive that sacrifice. Same as in marriage.
"God has made men to make that sacrifice, and women to receive that sacrifice. Same as in marriage."
Sexism! You god is a chauvinist pig. Thank you for pointing that out so well.
Very rational argument. And how is men serving women sexist? Isn't the opposite decried?
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