Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Sexism in the church?? Message-ID: Date: 5 Apr 91 08:31:14 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: State University of New York at Binghamton Lines: 34 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article JKH107@psuvm.psu.edu (Joy Haftel) writes: >... >The thought of actually ordaining women would probably give that con- >gregation a community coronary. In prayer and examining my feeling >for what is right, I really could find no *belief* in me that women >should not teach. As a Christian, what was I to think? Is the Bible >wrong? Am I wrong? The two just don't seem to go together. I have >thought about this issue for over a year, and I still can't reconcile >them. Any thoughts or comments would be welcome. I will testify for a number of women clergy that they were called. One's witness: "People ask me why I went into the ministry, I say `Because I know what happened to Jonah!'" Many of these women didn't plan to go into the ministry, they were headed for (or in) other fields. Eventually their calling became undeniable. They aren't in it for the money, (any idea what pastors get paid? ;-) ). They aren't in it because they're radical femnists, (although some of them *are* femnists.) They aren't in it for the glory. They simply could do no other thing. Now, either their call came from The Spirit, or from The Devil. People are hearing their messages and being saved. They are doing the work of The Spirit. If their calling was from The Devil, how could this be? And for us to say that this calling from The Spirit is *not* from The Spirit, that their good works come from another master. We find ourselves in the role of the Pharisees. We are speaking against The Spirit. Any of you who doubt this, go and listen. Hear the Good News proclaimed by a woman. *Then* decide whether they are called by the spirit or not. Tom Blake SUNY-Binghamton