Nancy Wilson made the following statement: "The modern woman has been deceived...and led away by her own lusts. Loaded down with sin, discontent, and envy, she is promised freedom and happiness if she will just forsake her domain--the home--and neglect her responsibilities, husband, and children."
Nancy Wilson is wrong. She, along with Mary Kassian, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Carolyn Rainey, and a host of others deceive and polarize Christian women, by convincing them they only have two choices, thereby dividing them into two camps, either radically submissive or radical feminists.
But there is another choice, a choice supported by scripture that says there are no gender "roles" but rather the sexes were created to support one another equally and manage the earth's resources together, in a functionally equal capacity.
Thankfully, women who embrace their God-given autonomy and unapologetically walk in it, do not need to make the tragic and unnecessary, radical, choice of forsaking home and family in exchange for adult autonomy. In fact, women who walk in the light of God's Word, fiercely love their families and are strong examples living godly and positively impactful lives.
The ancient paleo Hebrew is clear about the relationship between father and mother in the home:
AB: Hebrew for Father, means the physical strength of the house (physical protector) symbolized by an ox and tent.
EM: Hebrew for Mother means the emotional strength of the Family, symbolized by an ox and water (strong water=GLUE) Read my article about this.
Without turning natural, God-given, tendencies and desires into stereotypical and prescribed "roles," it is easy to see that fathers are natural physical protectors of their families. This makes total sense, because men tend to be overwhelmingly physically stronger than women. It is equally as easy to see that mothers are natural nurturers and emotional protectors of their families, as women tend to be much more in tune with the emotions of others. That also makes sense, as women have been shown to be more empathetic with those around them and better communicators in personal relationships.
There are always exceptions, of course. So we cannot paint all women and all men with the same broad brush. So, which is more important and more qualified to lead in families, father or mother?
The answer, is Neither!
Both women and men bring strengths and weaknesses to the table, and neither has the market on having all the info on any given situation or hearing from God concerning every circumstance.
An equal but prayerful balance of leadership is what scripture prescribes: "So God created 'âdâm in his own image in the image of God created he him male and female created he them And God blessed them and God said unto them Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth...This is the book of the generations of 'âdâm In the day that God created 'âdâm. In the likeness of God made he him Male and female created he them and blessed them and called their name 'âdâm in the day when they were created."
Traditional role religion and the complementarian controversy is rife with extremes, and doesn't the Bible warn against extremes when temperance (self control) and moderation are commanded? This goes for every aspect of life--including how we approach relationships--not just eating, drinking, partying, etc....
Complementarians claim there is a sliding scale from moderate to extreme when it comes to practicing their doctrine. But that is simply not true. We cannot espouse the concept of moderation within complementarianism, because the paradigm itself is extreme. All complementarians teach that from birth to death and through-out eternity, men are born into the the leadership caste and women are born into the assistant and follower caste. That is extreme by any standard.
Even complementarians who consider themselves moderates must accept the above definition, as there is no other. So that makes every complementarian an extremist, even if they are loath to admit it.
Christians must reject the wrong and radical, either/or, labels and choices provided by complementarians regarding their extreme twist on traditional-role-religion. Choose, instead, the scriptural choice of a moderate and prayerful, give and take, balance of power within marriage and most personal relationships between autonomous adults.
Humans are commanded in scripture to dominate all nature, but never other humans.
Author and speaker, Jocelyn Andersen, is an eclectic
Christian writer. She is a Bible teacher who writes about many subjects
including Bible
prophecy and equality
of the sexes. She is best known for her advocacy in domestic
violence awareness. Her book, Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence, has been a staple in the library of resources on that subject.
If the topic of God and Women interests you, join the conversation HERE.
To receive an
announcement from Amazon whenever a new book is released by Jocelyn Andersen, subscribe
to Her Amazon author's
page.
To
Contact Jocelyn: Use
the contact form in the sidebar of her blog at www.jocelynandersen.com to leave comments on her books, to reach her with questions,
or to request for her to come and speak at your group.
Did
you know the first feminists were godly men and women? Read about them in, The Evangelical Caste System. Read also about the role of Christian leadership in suppressing women's rights and even censoring the
historical record of Christian initiatives in the women’s rights movements.
Many of the same arguments used to support institutionalized slavery are still
used today in suppressing the rights and autonomy of Christian women through
traditional-role-religion and the patriarchal complementarian movement. This book is an
excellent resource for all who desire an in-depth biblical and historical study of the subject.What
readers are saying:
"This
book is well written, well researched, and a real eye opener."
"Andersen
is a gifted writer, and the book was easy to read even as it covers thoughtful
and sometimes technical information. I am glad I read it. I’ve read a great
deal about women in the church and home, and it is easy to think there is
nothing new to be learned or considered – but this book has a unique approach
and covers aspects overlooked by others. Everything is well documented with
footnotes in case you have questions or want sources."
"The
author is not only a gifted writer but clearly well-studied
and informed."
" I
was pleased that translation bias was covered in a chapter, an issue that needs
to be addressed, and one that I find quite hard to bring up with lay people or
everyday believers who lack knowledge about Bible translation. We can trust our
Bibles, but we also need to acknowledge that certain passages are difficult to
translate and bias can come into play."
"Andersen
tackles most of the primary the teachings of complementarianism with an
impressive exegesis"
Woman this is WAR! Gender, Slavery & the Evangelical Caste System: Andersen, Jocelyn: 9780979429323: Amazon.com: Books
No comments:
Post a Comment