WordPress.com



God And A Woman’s Role – God Is Not A Sexist!Why Matters What God Thinks A Woman’s Role Is? Why Matters What Men Think A Woman’s Role Is? What Problems Arise If Roles Based On Gender Than Gifts? Can We Know God’s Definitive Views on Women According To The Bible?Does The Bible Anyway Definitely Say God Thinks Roles Based On Gender Than Gifts? How Can We Know What God Thinks If Not The Bible?How Possibly Have So Many Gotten The Bible And God Wrong About A Woman’s Role? Concluding Remarks About God And A Woman’s RoleWhy Matters What God Thinks A Woman’s Role Is? Many base their beliefs about God on the Bible and assume the Bible teaches roles are determined according to gender and not gifts. Many are rightly turned off by a God if appears to be a sexist. I am deeply offended when my daughters are denied the same opportunities as men despite being as qualified. Now, not everyone can do every role. I can’t be a musician or even a CEO because I lack musical/business skills or the interest. This matter is so important because women make up half the human population. If roles are determined according to gender, we are denying many women the freedom to follow their passions. It matters what God thinks because most assume One who claims to be God is worthy of imitation. Why Matters What Men Think A Woman’s Role Is? “To believe the Bible teaches wives are in subjection to their husbands in a way husbands aren’t to their wives can create an environment more conducive for the atrocities women face at the hands of men throughout history. Mutual submission is nearly impossible for men to twist to justify their subtle or blatant mistreatment of women. Men often interpret leadership as making final decisions when there is a stalemate when there are many creative ways to resolve impasses.”Mike Edwards, A Book About God, not publishedWhen two debatable interpretations of Scriptures exist on the same issue, it seems more loving to err on the side that leads to less mistreatment of human beings. Mutual submission rather than leadership is much more difficult for men to twist who are prone to violence and taking advantage of their power over women. But, many men are not such pigs and believe in “loving leadership.” The problem is when a leader is designated, creative solutions for differences go out the window. I get that in government or business a CEO may need to be the final decision-maker. But, a dyad isn’t that complicated. I have been married over 35 years and not once was the man as final decision-maker necessary to solve the problem. Besides, give me an inch and I will take a mile!What Problems Arise If Roles Based On Gender Than Gifts? “It’s been bothering me since 9/11. What’s the difference between the strain of Islam that proscribes gender roles and its counterpart in Christianity that does the same thing, albeit with a different set of prohibitions?” Unknown person to the editor of a newspaperI am no authority on other cultures that dictate what women should wear in public. The men making the rules often hide behind “because God said so according to some Holy Book.” Interpretations of any ancient literature are not infallible. There is wide debate what God says about women, dress, and roles in the Bible. How a woman wants to dress surely is a woman’s business. It is a man’s responsibility to not look if they think they may lust. Maybe we need rules for men to avoid certain dress. It is hard for many to accept that the God of Islam and Christianity, if loving, would deny a woman a role in the priesthood or pastorate if gifted to fulfill such a role. It is hard to imagine a loving God would deny anyone to pursue their passions for a better world. Can We Know God’s Definitive Views On Women According To The Bible? God either controlled the writers’ thoughts to perfectly represent God, or God did not control writers misunderstanding God at times and coming to a better understanding over time. It is not God’s nature to control and supernaturally prevent personal or cultural influences. Besides, literature always requires interpretation thus why scholars differ on what the Bible says about divorce, hell, homosexuality, gender roles, etc. When we insist the Bible is infallible, we often end up defending our interpretations as infallible. We become dogmatic in our views rather than sharing different opinions with a flexible attitude. Some may not be aware that the Bible can be used to defend that roles are best determined according to gifts than gender but that isn’t the point. Does The Bible Anyway Definitely Say God Thinks Roles Are Based On Gender Than Gifts?“There is neither Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male nor female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28).…. Now eagerly desire the greatest gift” (I Cor. 12:31). ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? Today’s New International VersionThe Bible can be used selectively to justify almost any belief in the name of God, including either that God advocates roles according to gender or I would suggest according to individual gifts. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians quoted above, Paul speaks of pursuing roles in the church according to giftedness without any mention of excluded women from any roles (I Cor. 12:4-11). Paul does say: “Women should remain silent in the churches (I Cor. 14:34),” but Paul had just affirmed women praying and prophesying (I Cor. 11:4-5). Was Paul being mindless or would Paul also suggest men to be silent in certain situations for the sake of peace?It is argued women may not fulfill certain roles in the church because of one main biblical passage (I Tim. 2:11-15), but this passage is highly debated among scholars. Did Paul use the analogy of Adam and Eve because he had in mind women not teaching men false teachings about God like the first couple’s situation? The reality is that the Bible can be used to defend roles are determined according to gender or that roles are best determined by one’s gifts and circumstances present as I have done below.? Can We Know What God Thinks If Not The Bible?“The majority of people born have lived and died without any knowledge of the Bible or who Jesus was.” John HickA loving God wouldn’t only reveal Themselves through a Book, when the majority of humankind has never had a copy of the Bible. The Bible can’t be the authoritative guide because we don’t agree what it says. Ancient literature is always subject to interpretation. God though may communicate more clearly than given credit for. Who doesn’t believe in evil? Our moral outrage hints of a personal external force communicating through our moral intuitions that lead to outrage. We intuitively know how to act in family, work, and other relationships – threat others like we want to be treated. Most believe a Creator or Supreme Being must be perfect to claim to be God. The Bible never suggests two “perfect” standards. God and human perfection are exactly the same, which most intuitively know a lot about.Which biblical interpretations are best to choose? Choose the one that leads to more love for your neighbor. Men, pretend you are a woman and choose the interpretation that treats women like you would want to be treated regarding roles. If you think roles are best determined according to gender than skills, you don’t know my wife and daughters. I know a lot of women smarter than men and more skilled than men in leadership roles, etc. Now, now, my wife isn’t opposed to male leadership like I am. This just happens to be one time I am smarter than she is. How Have So Many Possibly Gotten The Bible And God Wrong About Women? “The whole debate, in my mind, is a matter of hermeneutics. Complementarians are not at all consistent with 1 Tim. 2, ignoring the admonitions to women about hair and jewelry and that women will be saved in child bearing---or they do hermeneutical gymnastics with the phrase. They likewise ignore the long passage in 1 Tim. 5 about rules for widows. So they pick and choose their biblical passages. We all do, and we all must be aware of personal bias when we interpret the Bible. But it is arrogant for them to claim that their gender interpretations are right and their challengers are wrong because it is their side that holds tight to the infallibility of the Bible.”Ruth Tucker - who suggest I Timothy teaches women can’t teach men often allow women to teach women and boys and girls as if they are less important than men! As Dr. Tucker says - if you say women can’t teach because of this passage then women must not be allowed to wear jewelry. If you claim women can’t have authority or teach because of I Timothy 2, do you faithfully apply the rules in I Timothy 5 about widows because God says so? Maybe many have gotten this issue wrong because of their view of Scriptures. They esteem their interpretations as if infallible, over common moral sense and love, though interpretations and common moral sense come from the same source – the Spirit (John 14:16). Human reasoning to discern truth isn’t godless if we believe all are made in the image of God. Don’t check your moral sense at the door when reading the Bible. Concluding Remarks About God And A Woman’s RoleIt matters what we claim the Bible says about women and roles because many determine their beliefs about God according to the Bible. I am convinced our moral inclinations tell us that roles in personal, business, or spiritual relationships should be determined according to one’s gifts not gender. Who should be the CEO or Pastor or Priest? The most qualified of course. Who should handle the finances in the family? The most qualified of course. Since interpretations of literature are not infallible, I typically stand on the side of the interpretation that seems to make the Gospel the best news to those on the edge of accepting or rejecting/ignoring God. I rather not take a chance of others rejecting God for the wrong reasons. Complementarianism is a theological view held by some in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, that men and women have different but complementary roles and responsibilities in marriage, family life, religious leadership, and elsewhere. I think Egalitarianism or mutual submission is harder for men to twist to justify their subtle or blatant mistreatment of women.When two debatable interpretations of Scriptures exist on the same issue, it seems more loving to err on the side that leads to less mistreatment of human beings. Choose the interpretation that more likely leads to more love for your neighbor. Men, pretend you are a woman and treat them like you would want to be treated regarding roles.When we insist the Bible is infallible, we often end up defending our interpretations as infallible. We become dogmatic in our views rather than sharing different opinions with a flexible attitude. The Bible can be used selectively to justify almost any belief in the name of God. Maybe many have gotten this issue wrong because of their view of Scriptures. They esteem their interpretations over common moral sense, though interpretations and common moral sense come from the same source – the Spirit (John 14:16). Using your moral sense isn’t heresy. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download