Do what you're made to do.
In today's culture of "manly men" and "manlier women," I find it needful to bring up many of the truths of Scripture that apply to gender roles. Before anyone lights into me... I'm not a chauvinist (even though I have no idea how that word came to mean "man-first," nor am I misogynistic, either). I'm a married teacher, who recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of both men and women. Women are comforters, nurturers, and frankly, the kind sex that keeps the fire of manhood from doing things otherwise they shouldn't. Man, on the other hand, tends to be disconnected from his emotions (I personally hate them most of the time, and don't know quite what to do when I feel emotion - maybe every other man is different). Man can be headstrong, pigheaded, careless, and otherwise stubborn.
Notice a trend? Man is built for work and leadership roles. He doesn't act emotionally. He (should) act rationally. Women, on the other hand, are the concerned caregivers.
Call that misogynistic if you wish, but if you think I'm bashing on women by saying such things, you are a fool. Women are designed to care. Men aren't. Women are designed to go "mama-bear" when their "cubs" (which includes, but is not limited to children, family, husbands) are threatened or insulted. Women feel things differently than men. Men have the ability to step outside their own pain and "let things go" a lot easier than women do. Not only that, but men can move on easier, and stand longer, and don't care so much for "feelings." I'm not saying we are stones, incapable of movement. Quite the contrary - we are extremely weak in certain areas. But offend someone, and see which gender more easily forgives. It will probably be the man. That's not wrong, it's just gender-roles. Men are more tied to "justice" and "that's-the-way-it-is"; women are more concerned with feelings, and comfort. This is why men are to be the head of the home. They are to guard, protect, lead. Women are to keep care of the children. Why? Because they are better at comforting and nurturing.
Parents are together admonished to "spare not" when it comes to discipline, especially when the "crying" begins. Why? Because the natural tendency in the woman (and I dare say, the man as well) is to spare when the child cries at the thought of discipline. And why should we not spare in the time of punishment? Because sin brings suffering to those around us, and our tears don't drive away the suffering we cause. That is why men should be men and take the lead. Children (with love, and not in anger) must be shown that their actions have consequences; the best consequences are not those that are self-inflicted. This is also why men are to lead the church.
Any woman pastor finds herself in an uncomfortable position of being in direct contradiction to God's word. Whether you try to read it away as a Patriarchal society or a general "he" being used, Paul's admonition that a pastor must be the "husband of one wife," and that "he" should do this, and "he" should to that should be all the requirement you need for understanding that men are called into the role of the Pastorate, not women.
Why? Because men are called to be the head of the house, and the head of the church. As the pastor submits to God, so should the wife submit to the husband. In fact, the Bible also commands that women are not to usurp authority over the man, particularly in the area of teaching and preaching in the church. Hard for a woman to be a pastor when God expressly commands the opposite. Another reason men are to be the preachers is that sometimes the call involves hard decision-making, where emotion and compassion may lead to other decisions. Men have been granted the ability to put emotion and hurt feeling aside and make the hard choices that may lose them friends. Men need to be the ones to stand for the truth, and hold to the truth - in season, out of season.
Christianity is beginning to move into a compromised "Progressive" era. Men, stand strong against that heresy. Have the backbone to stand where God has put you. And women, stand by the man in your life - follow his lead, submit to his authority as you would to Christ's, and you will be blessed. We need men in the fight and women in the home. Raise children as they should be; join hands in solidarity around a literal interpretation of the Word, and take on the gates of hell, fighting for the lives of you kids and grandkids. Let tents of ease be left behind - and forward to the fray!
PS: I understand I didn't cite any specific verses, but for those familiar with the classic language of the KJV, you will notice phrases and concepts pulled directly from the pages of the Holy Writ. Do your own homework on this one, and be willing to boldly question your own intellect. It's never wrong to safely rest in the arms of Scripture, for there is no other way to be closer to Christ than in wrapping yourself in those holy pages.
God Bless, Mike
Notice a trend? Man is built for work and leadership roles. He doesn't act emotionally. He (should) act rationally. Women, on the other hand, are the concerned caregivers.
Call that misogynistic if you wish, but if you think I'm bashing on women by saying such things, you are a fool. Women are designed to care. Men aren't. Women are designed to go "mama-bear" when their "cubs" (which includes, but is not limited to children, family, husbands) are threatened or insulted. Women feel things differently than men. Men have the ability to step outside their own pain and "let things go" a lot easier than women do. Not only that, but men can move on easier, and stand longer, and don't care so much for "feelings." I'm not saying we are stones, incapable of movement. Quite the contrary - we are extremely weak in certain areas. But offend someone, and see which gender more easily forgives. It will probably be the man. That's not wrong, it's just gender-roles. Men are more tied to "justice" and "that's-the-way-it-is"; women are more concerned with feelings, and comfort. This is why men are to be the head of the home. They are to guard, protect, lead. Women are to keep care of the children. Why? Because they are better at comforting and nurturing.
Parents are together admonished to "spare not" when it comes to discipline, especially when the "crying" begins. Why? Because the natural tendency in the woman (and I dare say, the man as well) is to spare when the child cries at the thought of discipline. And why should we not spare in the time of punishment? Because sin brings suffering to those around us, and our tears don't drive away the suffering we cause. That is why men should be men and take the lead. Children (with love, and not in anger) must be shown that their actions have consequences; the best consequences are not those that are self-inflicted. This is also why men are to lead the church.
Any woman pastor finds herself in an uncomfortable position of being in direct contradiction to God's word. Whether you try to read it away as a Patriarchal society or a general "he" being used, Paul's admonition that a pastor must be the "husband of one wife," and that "he" should do this, and "he" should to that should be all the requirement you need for understanding that men are called into the role of the Pastorate, not women.
Why? Because men are called to be the head of the house, and the head of the church. As the pastor submits to God, so should the wife submit to the husband. In fact, the Bible also commands that women are not to usurp authority over the man, particularly in the area of teaching and preaching in the church. Hard for a woman to be a pastor when God expressly commands the opposite. Another reason men are to be the preachers is that sometimes the call involves hard decision-making, where emotion and compassion may lead to other decisions. Men have been granted the ability to put emotion and hurt feeling aside and make the hard choices that may lose them friends. Men need to be the ones to stand for the truth, and hold to the truth - in season, out of season.
Christianity is beginning to move into a compromised "Progressive" era. Men, stand strong against that heresy. Have the backbone to stand where God has put you. And women, stand by the man in your life - follow his lead, submit to his authority as you would to Christ's, and you will be blessed. We need men in the fight and women in the home. Raise children as they should be; join hands in solidarity around a literal interpretation of the Word, and take on the gates of hell, fighting for the lives of you kids and grandkids. Let tents of ease be left behind - and forward to the fray!
PS: I understand I didn't cite any specific verses, but for those familiar with the classic language of the KJV, you will notice phrases and concepts pulled directly from the pages of the Holy Writ. Do your own homework on this one, and be willing to boldly question your own intellect. It's never wrong to safely rest in the arms of Scripture, for there is no other way to be closer to Christ than in wrapping yourself in those holy pages.
God Bless, Mike
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ReplyDeleteThis is a great post and I commend you for your courage haha. I agree completely with all that you said, it's all perfectly clear in the Bible to anyone with a heart to hear and it's simply a sad result of our corrupt natures that we do not agree sometimes, especially us women. We find the very words of God demeaning. How awful.
ReplyDeleteThough it does have me thinking about some things. I hear it often that a man makes a better leader because of his ability to disregard emotion better than a woman as though emotion makes for bad decision-making. Do you not think that there is ever a time when emotion may be needed to make a decision? Would this ability then not be a detriment? Also, I wonder if emotion influenced God's decisions. Perhaps with saving mankind.
Regardless, obviously God feels that a woman's potential weakness as a leader far outweigh a man's and chose him to do the more sufficient job. *Shrugs* Just some thoughts.
I would say yes. Emotions are useful. They allow much empathy and other results that truly connect the sufferer with the comforter. So I'd say those aspect of women's emotions are irreplaceable. The problem with emotions comes from out-of-control emotions. For instance, fear has kept me out of some potentially life-threatening situations (like picking up a rattle-snake or messing with a black-widow spider, which I've been tempted to do). However, fear out of control leads to irrational fear - such as being afraid of a toy snake or not being able to look at pictures of creatures you fear. That's irrational, and not tied in to self-preservation at all. I feel (but am not certain) that men are normally better at keeping their emotions in a more realistic state, whereas women are better at using said emotions (though control does become an issue) to comfort and help others. (this is Mike, btw)
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