Every time we say God is a man, another woman in our church believes God must be a complete bastard.
Every time we say that women cannot lead or preach, another woman in our church is convinced she is evil and has a rebellious spirit rather than a gift and a calling from God.
Every time we stand up and condemn abortion and say it was murder, another woman in our church learns she will always have to hide her past to retain her dignity.
Every time we condemn homosexuality, another woman in our church learns she has to lie to us to protect her family.
Every time we insist God says women must always submit to their husbands, another woman in our church believes if she can just change herself enough, God will step in and stop the abuse.
Every time we say that women are the weaker sex, a girl in our church believes that she could never have fought off her rapist anyway.
And every time we say Christianity has a masculine feel, a young woman in our church understands that this is just one more place where she will need to trade primarily on her ability to complement, satisfy or service the men in it.
Sometimes these things are said, and “God is love” is said in the very same breath, and when they are, sometimes women leave the church and abandon their faith in God completely. And that is not Gods fault. But sometimes, women and sisters and mothers and daughters trust their deep suspicion that both cannot be true. These things must be lies, and God must love women, because God himself that said He was neither a man, nor a liar*.
*Numbers 23:19
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I love your insight Jo.. I myself was bought up as a Pastors Daughter and have completely re evaluated my belief system as I have gotten older. I have been in an abusive relationship and I knew that was not Gods plan for my life so I got out.. I was reading your post the other day about the submissive wife and I was in total agreeance with what you said.. I am becoming an avid follower of your insightful and very honest writting
Cheers
Cindy
Thank you Cindy, women like you truly inspire me 🙂
There’s an article this month in Christianity Today about the macho-ness of male characters in movies. I read it and thought of you. Here’s the only link to the article I could find online: http://www.baptist-ministries.org/new.php?n=88128
Hit “continue” in that little box on top.
Here’s a better link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/movies/commentaries/2012/masculinityquotient.html
(I’m a researcher… It’s what I do.)
It’s a great article, thanks Elysha, I enjoyed it. 🙂
Or how about this one: every time we say that divorce is wrong, we leave another woman feeling like she has failed …
Absolutely true Janet, you and I know many women who feel this way. I know women who feel this way now, and yet will not divorce cruel, unkind and abusive men, because they know the church will only support them if they are a victim, not a perpetrator, and they see divorce as an act of violence against marriage. So sad 🙁
Jo, I think you might these articles by Frank Viola. Very refreshing!
http://frankviola.org/2012/01/30/godsviewofawoman/
And a more “academic” one: http://frankviola.org/role.pdf