Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!wuarchive!psuvax1!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: gt6321c@prism.gatech.edu (gt6321c CRIMM,LANCE CARY) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: ambitious women may approach the altar now ... Message-ID: Date: 18 May 91 05:55:22 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology Lines: 56 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu >Based on my limited experience, I see women as being equal with men before >God, as being equally talented and gifted whether in preaching or counseling >... My view of Scripture says that just because my experience says >one thing, I better not interpret away Paul's statements just because they >done't jive with my experience. My current conclusion is that in God's >eyes it must be possible to have different roles and still be equal before >him. > >I'm also uncomfortable about "demanding" my rights before God, whether it is >right to do something in particular or perform a certain role. As I see >it, as Christians we have no "rights" whatsoever. I don't have a "right" >to be ordained, even if I feel called, or I'm a great preacher. Any role >--- >Paul Gordon Loptson Ferwerda Here, we must consider the vast differences between what you call talent and God-given gifts. Talents are given to both christians and non- christians at the conception of each individual whether female or male. However, one of the 25 chief spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit the moment a person accepts Jesus Christ as his or her Savior realizing that they are ultimately doomed for Hell if it was not for the grace and mercy of our eternal Father who sent His only Son to save each one of us. Jesus was the only human to walk the earth with all of the spiritual gifts. Now, here comes the part where most people will confuse themselves by trying to put their own interpretation into what the Holy Bible says through men and women such as Paul, Ruth, David etc... who all were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. Specifically, in 1 Corinthians 14 and other chapters ( as well as many other books of the Bible) we are told how to exercise these gifts whatever they may be. Take a look at 1 Cor. 14:34 where God instrtucts us to "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are permitted not to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says." (Other references include Gen. 3:16 and 1 Tim. 2:11). Now before you take this verse out of its context, examine the chapter, and furthermore the entire Bible, as a whole. This is particularly defining our roles as christian men and women in Public Worship. Notice different roles of men and women, not that one is any better than the other, for we are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:28) Therefore, yes it is not correct in God's eyes for women to exercise the authority of an ordained minister. Many churches do not uphold this(PCUSA to name only one of the many), but then again these churches are investigating whether homosexual's have a right to be mewmbers of a church and EVEN serve as ministers. Woooooo, this Anti-Christ theology surely will have a vivid affect on the majority of both non-christians and christians. Dear friends, be sure to never insert your own desired interpretations of the Bible, but only listen to what God is saying and commanding in the Word He has graciously given to us. In Peace, Lance -- CRIMM,LANCE CARY Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332 uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!gt6321c Internet: gt6321c@prism.gatech.edu