| Comments by the Reformed Baptist Fellowship Church |
e-mail 1
from I.:
Scanning the web brought me to your page. I see that you have some discrepancies
that you do not exactly back up. As they are just assertions I cannot see where
you draw your points from…except on the idea of Sexism. This is something that
people have had a hard time with because they haven’t taken the time to see the
verses in their correct social, historical, and in context with the chapter it is located
in.
People point to the ‘fact’ that the Bible is against women who are bald praying in
the church (or for women to be wearing extravagant clothes, jewels, etc.). What
they fail to learn is that at the time there was a rampant problem (in the eyes of the
moral) with prostitution. In the temple of Venus in Corinth there were thousands of
‘holy prostitutes’ and it was hard to go anywhere without running being around them.
If you knew this, you would also see how Paul would want (and even the church in
general) to disassociate from sin. In that society, what distinguished a ‘proper woman’
from a prostitute was they way they dressed and the way they cut their hair. A
prostitute would have short hair (even have it all shaven). And suddenly it seems
more clear. Deeper study would reveal similar discoveries.
My reply:
Dear I.
>This is something that people have had a hard time with because
>they haven’t taken the time to see the verses in their correct social,
>historical, and in context with the chapter it is located in.
I absolutely agree with you. To appreciate the Bible you have to realize it is a book
that is set in ancient times and describes the beliefs of these times.It is
written by people
that saw the universe as was common in ancient times. Through Science people have
found the universe to be quite different than the biblical description of it. As in any
ancient document, one may find some useful information in the Bible. By viewing the
Bible (also the Koran and other “Holy” books) as an ancient man-made book that
presents ancient ideas prevalent at the time one can enjoy and appreciate it more.
These “Holy” books may even have been progressive for the time in which they
were written. Ethically and scientifically, the bible is deficient. I would not
recommend it as a guidebook or a source of science or ethics.
Thanks for giving me the probable reason for some of the sexism in the Bible.
A reply to My reply:
it was very to the point. On your email response #1, I was taken aback
at the apologetic response you were given. Why did you not respond
regarding the rampant prostitution?
men that these prostitutes managed to make a living from… who, exactly? My
guess would be… you guessed it, MEN! In that these women were
obviously good enough to fuck (about the most important use for a woman
in the bible, or would that be “proper use” as in the story of Sodom
and Gomorrah?), I’m just not sure why men would want to avoid them. I
mean, if they are there for the use of man, who is there to serve god, then
shouldn’t they be allowed to speak in the church, or even go to it? After all,
these women were serving men.”
Kay
e-mail 2:
Have you ever heard of the Promise Keepers? It is a group of organized religion
people including Fundamentalists, some Liberal Protestants, Catholics, Mormons
and possibly other organizations — it is expanding fast. It began in 1990 by a
Football Coach in one of the American Universities. I became interested in them,
last summer when my cousin attended one of their gatherings in Seattle for a weekend
— my cousin is an evangelical. He went with a number of guys from here, leaving
their wives behind.
I was at Dave’s house for a party, when an Anglican priest, who we have known
for some time mentioned his attendance at the Promise Keepers gathering in Seattle.
He described it as the most inspiring time he has ever had in his life. He said at
one point at the gathering, the tens of thousands of men there roared for a full
10 minutes, yelling and praising God, saluting with their hands raised; a completely
wild time. Only after a leader at the front screamed out “Jesus is Lord” did
they
suddenly stop. Dave, a history person, said it sure sounded to him like the kind
of gatherings Hitler had in Nazis Germany. Our Anglican friend said it was for
a good cause.
I have since gathered more information on the Promise Keepers from the Net —
they have hundreds of websites.
One example: One thing the men are supposed to do when they return home from
this kind of meeting is to have a quiet talk with their wives. Gently tell your wife that
you have failed her in your marriage. Tell her that you have not taken your
responsibilities as a husband, and have made her carry a load she is not meant to carry.
That from now on, you as a husband, will be the head of the house. You will make
the final decisions with fair input from the wife — the wife will be treated with
fairness,
love, and gentleness. Tell her this is the Christian way, because the Bible says that
the head of every man is Jesus, the head of every woman is the man, and the head
of Christ is God (1 Cor 11:3 and many other verses).
Comments
by the Reformed Baptist Fellowship Church
An Ad in the local paper by the Reformed Baptist Fellowship of Canada
(Pastor D. Chanski, Minneapolis, Mn):
GOD AND WORKING MOTHERS!
The most striking change in the family is the increase in women who hold a full-time
job outside the home. The trend is seldom questioned. What does God think of it?
The Word of God proclaims a clearly defined role for the wife and mother.
God created Adam and brought him to the garden and then created Eve and
brought her to Adam. Thus Adam’s task was tending the garden. Eve’s was
tending Adam. Thus God through the Apostle Paul tells wives to “submit to
your husbands.” (Eph 5:22) He counsels young widows “to marry, to have
children, to manage their homes…” (1 Tim. 5:14) “to be … workers at home,
kind, subject to their husbands … Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him
Lord …” (1 Pet. 3:1,6) Remember, if this makes you angry, that these are
the Words of God!
All this does not mean it is always wrong for a mother to engage in gainful
employment. The Bible teaches the opposite. (Prov. 31) It does mean a
woman’s priority must be her husband, her children and her home NOT
her career. Where there is not dire need to work full-time, abandoning
children to day-care centers or babysitters is not only sinful, it is unnatural.
The “feminism” which encourages it is enemy number one.
End of article.
Naturalism and Religious Experience 