The Minister of The First Baptist Church in Watertown, NY let go of a Sunday School teacher that had been teaching for 54 years. The Minister says women can perform any job outside of church but in church only men will teach since women cannot teach men. He has gone to the literal interpretation of the Bible.
What are your thoughts on this?
2006-08-21 09:39:24 · 16 answers · asked by genaddt 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Gosh .. that's like a bunch of rabbits marching backwards .. really bad stuff I'd hoped to live to see outgrown ...
2006-08-21 10:25:42 · answer #1 · answered by gmonkai 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not Baptist, but 54 years of teaching Sunday School!!! WOW! I asked to be released after 18 months, I can't imagine teaching for 54 years.
Ok, but to answer your question, if your minister really believes that, he's kind of strange. ...Don't y'all have a council or elders or something that sort of governs your church? Maybe if enough of y'all get together they'll see it your way. If you're in the minority and it really bothers you, don't y'all change churches sometimes and go to a different Baptist church? I'm Mormon, and we don't do that, but my supervisor at work is Baptist and her church went through a situation where about 1/3 of the congregation left. About 1/2 of those that left formed a new church, and the others started attending a different Baptist church. The council or whatever it's called quickly saw the difference and over about 6 months fired the minister and went through another 6 months or so of "guest" preachers before finding a new one. Once they did, some of those that left came back. Maybe, if enough of you fill the way you do, you all can aproach your council and voice your opinion.
My opinion is that if it doesn't bother the teacher, then it's between the teacher and the pastor. If it does bother the teacher, then she and the pastor need to have a talk, maybe with a moderator and discuss the situation.
2006-08-21 17:00:50 · answer #2 · answered by Tonya in TX - Duck 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely not right if, as you say, its just a matter of her being a woman. I would pray for this minister because he is severely misguided in his scriptural interpretation. Perhaps there is more to this than just what meets the eye, he may have had underlying reasons that were there and just used this an an excuse to justify his actions. That would be very wrong too.
2006-08-21 16:56:55 · answer #3 · answered by Mamma mia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's sexist. However, Christianity has been promoting sexism since it started in most of it branches to some degree. It depends on what lens is used to read the Chistian Bible. I would suggest reading "Wisdom's Ways, Introducing Feminist Biblical Interpretation" by Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza.
2006-08-21 17:00:45 · answer #4 · answered by Mrs. Pears 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not a really big feminist, unless feminist means equalist.
That's why I rejected religion long ago--I couldn't stand the patriarchal structure. It means a woman's faith is less than a man's simply based on her gender. In a way they're saying that she's worth less.
What is even more sad are the women who accept this, and take it sitting down. They're more detrimental to the women's rights movement than any man.
2006-08-21 16:56:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If he wants to interpret things literally then ask him why he talks iun church becasue the bible clearly says that men and women are supposed to be silent in church. it says it in two different spots in the original ancient greek version. Also, ask him how the women are supposed to fulfill the decree of Christ and furhter the church in the world by being silent.
2006-08-21 16:47:09 · answer #6 · answered by miloscrack 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
2006-08-21 16:51:29 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Baptist? hmmm. they are a little wacky. i know it says "women are to remain silent in the churches" and i'm taking that out of context and can't remember what the rest of that is but somehow, i always took that as women cannot preach...in church ie: mass for me, i'm catholic. but they can certainly do other stuff. "minister" to God's service in other ways. they just can't hold mass.
2006-08-21 16:49:09 · answer #8 · answered by practicalwizard 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think it's a sad day in the USA when we still have some old die hards that don't respect womens rights! FYI. Change your church and don't stop teaching!
2006-08-21 16:51:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
no! that is not right! men and women can be a sunday school teacher..the bible and it's menaing was meant to be shared by all gender to all gender...it's not right nor fair...that's plain sexism!
2006-08-21 16:53:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋