RE: [asa] Roles of women

Indeed, as George, Michael, and others have noted, one cannot say that
St. Paul's personal perspective on women vis-a-vis authority in the
church is the only Biblical or godly perspective, any more than one can
say that the original U.S. Constitution's restriction on women's
suffrage was the only American or democratic perspective.
 
By the way, my own congregation decided to call a woman pastor, and
plenty of women are on our congregational council (what some churches
would call elders). I see that as a blessing, and a sign of the
kingdom. Other congregations in my denomination (ELCA Lutheran) can
choose to call and elect only men to those positions if they wish, but
such choices aren't elevated to the level of official doctrine or policy
in the ELCA.
 
For personal/cultural reasons some people (both men and women) don't
want women in certain positions of authority in the home, church,
business, or government. And in my opinion, for personal/cultural
reasons some people don't want to accept the evidence for common descent
of biological species (at least not humans). Another open question is
to what degree various sexual orientations can be biologically
determined.
 
Even if a position on such a question is consistent with the Bible,
alternative positions on the same question may also be consistent with
the Bible. The Bible should certainly guide one's thinking on such
questions, but one still has to think, not simply quote one verse and
give it one interpretation and claim "thus says God," as I think the
SBC did in the case of their former seminary professor who taught
Hebrew.
 
Chuck Austerberry

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Received on Wed Jan 31 08:38:13 2007