What do Christian women think when they read the headlines “Village’s men forbid women from voting?”
On Sunday morning the majority of Christian women go to churches where they are “forbidden” by their church to do certain things. Those things range from reading scripture out loud in a mixed group of men and women to taking up the offering.
The Bible does not forbid women from doing those things, but people in the church do.
In Mateela, Pakisatan, women will not be able to vote next week. The village men decided they couldn’t and “It’s the will of my husband,” one woman said. It is always up to the husband to determine to what degree he demands his wife submit.
In our own country we are facing the same thing and women are attending conferences and seminars where they are told that it is God’s grand design for them to obey the will of their husbands.
What do you think when you read that husbands have decided that women can’t vote in a national election? Do you think, “Oh, its just over there and that is how they are?”
Is there any niggling thought in your mind that we are doing the same thing in our churches? Women, on Sunday morning, you walk in the church door and leave your equality outside the door. Why? Because somebody told you to. Is that good enough reason? The Bible does not tell you to do that.
And you – women included –vote on by-laws that keep other women from the equality God gave all women. But more importantly, you keep other women from claiming the freedom Jesus gave them.
Women in Pakistan can’t vote. Well, sister, you can’t either. You are no better off than she is. You can’t speak up either. Or you won’t.
We should be outside the church doors en masse claiming our rights. We should be holding our churches to a greater standard, but we won’t and we don’t.
If you believe the Bible tells women what they can’t do, without the same restrictions being placed on men, you need to wake up. Do you really believe pastors think the Bible says so? They know it doesn’t, but they want you to think it does.
It is always people who tell others what they can’t do. Your pastor will not speak up for you. For those who demand that the congregation steps out on faith, they will not do the same thing. They will not step out of their arena to defend over one half of their congregation. And women will not ask them to.
What a sad state of affairs we are in! Pastors are afraid to speak up and women won’t speak up.
bWe Baptist Women for Equality's Blog 
Well said– though I do believe many pastors actually do think the Bible teaches this. If anything, they are afraid to question or examine the teachings for fear of losing their pastorates– but I don’t think most pastors deliberately deceive their congregations or teach them things they themselves don’t believe.
LikeLike
I think they do teach things they don’t believe. In fact, I have heard 3 stories: 1. Sunday in Bible Study video the leader said that one of the questions asked when being ordained was do you believe the Bible is totally true and if you say no then you are not going to be ordained. So those who do not believe in biblical inerrancy, attest to something they do not believe and will teach it. 2. Another pastor told me a few months ago that when she was in seminary, she was told that to be ordained they had to answer yes to all the questions that everybody knew had a yes answer. 3. A graduate of Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth told me that all the answers to questions were found in Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and even though they were wrong (in her opinion and beliefs) they had to give the answer from RBMW or they would fail. So, yes, I believe that pastors know they are wrong and teach it anyway. Either by out-and-out declaration, or by keeping silent (which they have been trained to do). Good to hear from you!
> Date: Tue, 7 May 2013 05:16:16 +0000 > To: bwebaptist.women@live.com >
LikeLike
Shirley, that’s– that’s– I have no words. If this is what’s happening in seminaries, the seminaries need to be shut down. It’s just like the “Bible studies” we had when I was in a coercive Christian cult. The answers to the questions were in the back of the book and were the only acceptable answers. And that was a cult.
LikeLike
I believed every word this woman told me about the seminary and Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. It is Southern Baptist, of course. She felt called to pastoral ministry, but of course there is no place for her. I love your sentence!
> Date: Tue, 7 May 2013 16:24:34 +0000 > To: bwebaptist.women@live.com >
LikeLike
Shirley:
Sadly the Southern Baptist world has become a cult. You must answer questions a certain way or you will suffer the consequences. It is one reason I do not attend Sunday School anymore.
So sad!!
LikeLike
Sunday school is bad about that. There cannot be clear thought or discussion. Some people believe the most ridiculous things about God, but you can’t tell any different. Good to hear from you again!
> Date: Tue, 7 May 2013 21:08:09 +0000 > To: bwebaptist.women@live.com >
LikeLike
Chiming in to say this is the same in the good ol’ PCA–Presbyterian Church in America. It’s okay to ask questions in the PCA, so long as you accept the answer that’s always at the ready.
I’ve heard Southern Baptists made fun of by people in the PCA, usually making fun of the stance against drinking alcohol. But really, these people have no idea how similar these denominations are, with their idolization of masculinity, and emphasis (correct me if I am mistaken) on proper authority and gender hierarchy. There are some differences between the structures of church governance, but I see those as relatively minor at this point, in practice.
LikeLike
As I mention in my book, they are in bed together.
> Date: Thu, 9 May 2013 15:56:44 +0000 > To: bwebaptist.women@live.com >
LikeLike
Excellent! I’m already planning to buy your book, but wow–that’s pretty cool that you mention that. If I recall correctly, the first time I mentioned the PCA you were unfamiliar with them–but that’s been a few years now. 😉
At the time I posted because I was just amazed at how much of what you wrote about the SBC (e.g., the big names involved in the masculine supremacy movement) was familiar to me despite not being in the SBC. Thank you for letting me know about the mention in your book of the connection between the denominations.
LikeLike
My dear friend, I have learned so much since the first time I posted a blog! Much of what I learned came from you and others who helped develop my understanding of what this stuff was really all about. Much thanks to you. The sentence in my book (in the Introduction) reads: “The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, that issued The Danvers Statement, is comprised of several denominations which bedded Southern Baptists with fundamental Presbyterians, Sovereign Grace Ministries, and Evangelical Free Church of America, just to name a few.” The reason I wanted to bring that out is that pew sitting Baptists are very territorial. They think that they have it right and will not listen to what other denominations have to say. BUT the leaders have jumped in bed with a whole bunch of other denominations. The average Baptist is unaware of that fact. I hope you read my book. As you remember, I wrote the series on Dethroning Male Headship using the Danvers Statement right after I began blogging but the book is very different from what I originally wrote and is fleshed out more. As I said, I understand a whole lot better now, and that is obvious from the writing. But it is the original booklet that my publisher wanted to publish, so it is a major part of the book, just better. Thanks for the letter!
> Date: Sat, 11 May 2013 02:51:59 +0000 > To: bwebaptist.women@live.com >
LikeLike