I am glad to hear that someone became egal from reading non-egal literature. I study both sides, as I do not want to be wrong and I do learn from both sides. I do admit I need to limit my exposure to non-egal teaching as it can get too depressing FOR ME to read it for too long at one time.

Nevertheless, I suspect your analysis carries a flaw. You assume we can know the consequences of our actions. That’s a large assumption. I fear that in far too many situations that simply isn’t the case. We don’t know or cannot know the consequences. In fact, disobedience often has results that are unforeseen and far larger than we suspect. So even though you raise a fascinating point, it doesn’t help. Adopting one of the other of the views could be far more devastating or detrimental than you calculate. The world is simply too fallen.

Consequently, study the Word. Do what you believe to be right and biblical regardless of the consequences. Solid exegesis, I argue, trumps suspected results every time.

Some of you may refuse to believe that… it honestly doesn’t matter to me. Appearances can be deceiving, but I’m telling you the truth, and I would hope that you take my words as an encouragement instead of an attack, because I have no intentions of starting a fight here. God Bless.

Alex

Anyone take a look at the Bayly blog lately? Just read the thread “And Women shall rule over them…” and see how a woman named Joan was treated. It didn’t take long to call her a heretic and a complainer and a wolf in sheep’s clothing who is trying to devour the innocent sheep with her false teaching.

But, take a look at the heresy she was “teaching”. There is NONE.

Honestly, I am surpised I am not “Finally Feminist”. The Bayly blog and the CCC-forum at yahoo are two places that could drive any woman struggling with feeling like she is loved and respected and appreciated over to the egalitarian side. They are their own worst enemies. They will stand before God and they will have to find out just how many women they drove to be feminists. They have no love for anyone who disagrees with them on either point.

I was kicked off of both forums and I am a complementarian! No lie. Why? Because I don’t hate the egals and I don’t tolerate mistreating my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I am of the mind that the bible restricts the role of pastor/elder to males but not outside of the church. The Baylys say that no where should a woman have a position of influence over any man. I don’t see the verses in the bible teaching this. It is clearly speaking TO the church.

I also disagree with how *some* define the word “submission” and what that means. Most of it is manmade tradition being taught as biblical doctrine. Just think of Debi Pearl’s book.

I was just thinking how thankful I am that I am a woman. I don’t gnash my teeth when either a male or female police officer pulls me over. I submit to authority without thought of their gender. I am not hung up on my position, my title, or that others should be submitting to me or that I am above submitting to someone of the other gender. I would hate to go through life examining everything like this. It must be very stressful and it must be very discouraging.

John, I haven’t read your book yet but I agree with your above comment. It is comforting to know that others see exactly what I have been seeing. Honestly, it gets very depressing sometimes.

I appreciate you stopping by and adding your .02! Like you, I’m still working out the issue in my own mind….

~chewymom

…just passing by…
Thanks!

Just stopping by, but thanks for important point you made in your post and for the charitable words about my little book.

Brother John

No self-proclaimed “authorities over” us are ever going to be an acceptable substitute for the Holy Spirit within us. If God has called us to (fill in the blank here), God will equip us to do exactly that. And if it doesn’t fit in with the traditions that some would require us to follow, the One we answer to should matter more to us than those who tell us we’re wrong to think that God is calling and equipping us.

Now if somebody’s operating as an independent agent, outside a trustworthy body of believers, and comes up with some bizarre notion (like “I’m Jesus in a new incarnation” or “Don’t pay income taxes”), that’s a different matter. But that’s not what’s happening when women commit to obeying God’s call to leadership in the church, or husbands and wives commit to submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. And it’s precisely such people that certain groups of Christians are calling heretics, disobedient, selfish, etc. and ridiculing and lying about in public.

And on THAT, I really don’t hesitate to say they’re wrong to so mischaracterize their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Molly, I have heard women leading be blamed for divorce, drug abuse, spousal abuse, child abuse, child neglect, and … this one always cracks me up … the rising epidemic of obesity.

I was banned last week from the Bayly blog - for asking a question they couldn’t answer. Or rather, no matter how they answered it, the patriarchal paradigm would not look like the perfect solution they claim it to be. I asked it respectfully and wanting to know how they would handle the situation - and got booted off for heresy. Of course, they were ascribing all kinds of sinister motives to my question, which is why they claimed they wouldn’t answer it.

Molly, I MISS YOUR BLOG!!!! Please don’t take it down, even archived it is such a blessing to so many people.