What better way to start off my offensive blog than with a bit from The Good Book?
1 Timothy 2
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
1 Timothy 2
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
1 Corinthians 14
1 Corinthians 14
34 Let your awomen keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to bspeak; but cthey are commanded to be under dobedience, as also saith the law.
35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to aspeak in the church.
I'm sure you're definitely sensing a theme among the things that offend me. Yes, anit-feminist items are particularly delightful unto me. There are so many things that I love about these verses. Number one being that since Adam "was not deceived," he (and therefore all beings with a penis) is morally superior for willfully choosing "sin." Going by Paul's own logic, if the Fall was indeed a sin, then it would appear that Eve is less to blame--she was deceived, while Adam knowingly sinned. Of course, I also think that Paul's base premise is quite offensive.
Finally, my favorite part about these scriptures is their implications for anyone who says we should take the Bible literally and apply it to government/morality now. I mean really, if you want to kill homosexuals as per Bible instructions, you'd better not be female, because if you are voicing this in public and/or church, you'd better be ready to be stoned yourself--according to Paul, this "talking" thing is better left to your husband.
I'm sure you're definitely sensing a theme among the things that offend me. Yes, anit-feminist items are particularly delightful unto me. There are so many things that I love about these verses. Number one being that since Adam "was not deceived," he (and therefore all beings with a penis) is morally superior for willfully choosing "sin." Going by Paul's own logic, if the Fall was indeed a sin, then it would appear that Eve is less to blame--she was deceived, while Adam knowingly sinned. Of course, I also think that Paul's base premise is quite offensive.
Finally, my favorite part about these scriptures is their implications for anyone who says we should take the Bible literally and apply it to government/morality now. I mean really, if you want to kill homosexuals as per Bible instructions, you'd better not be female, because if you are voicing this in public and/or church, you'd better be ready to be stoned yourself--according to Paul, this "talking" thing is better left to your husband.
1 comment:
Amanda,
Yes, Paul was impassioned about many things, and partly blinded by the times he lived in and the customs of the day. I have just taught the children in Primary about him - and how he persecuted all the followers of Jesus until he was converted. I love his passion. Perhaps we can forgive him for his confused views about women.
While the church is the Savior's, and the priesthood power is God's, it is amazing how God lets us use our free agency to learn to govern, and love, and lead. Peter, although the prophet, did not believe the gospel should go to the gentiles - and he and Paul fought about this. It was not until God sent Peter a vision in Acts 10 that he allowed Paul to preach to the gentiles.
I actually love to read the four gospels - because the Savior truly loved women - they were his best friends (Mary and Martha), he appeared to Mary before any other person after the resurrection, and he preached to the Samaritan women by the well - a Samaritan, a woman, and a vile sinner - having had 7 husbands and now shacking up. His apostles were appalled!!
I actually struggle a little to read the Book of Mormon - bacause there are no women found in it. We don't even know Nephi's wife's name. Then it occurred to me that when Nephi and Mormon ask us to forgive them for the difficulty in writing on metal in a language that was not their own, that I could forgive them for not including women because of the difficulty of writing with the conditions they labored under. It is a little presumptous of me to forgive them at all - since I don't even keep a regular journal and record all the great events of my life and the women in it.
It might interest you to know that when I was a child women could not pray in sacrament meeting or speak in general conference. We've come a long way. In the last leadership training meeting there were two men and three women on the panel discussion.
When I taught the Old Testament to the 11 year old boys in Primary - I taught them the story of Deborah the prophetess in Judges 4 and 5 - and how she led the men into battle, even though this was not a lesson in the manual. I wanted those boys to understand the value and power of women. Paul might have thought of that before he wrote that women should be silent. Maybe he had a fight with his wife the day he was writing his epistle?
As you have children, you will discover that the world of scouting is expensive and rewards the boys at every turn, while in activity days and young women we are not allowed to hand out any rewards - the girls are supposed to just feel the joy of a job well done. It is just one of those little inequalites that will be so vastly different when the Savior rules the earth - because he will rule perfectly and we as humans rule imperfectly.
My personal belief is that the general authorities and leaders of the church are wonderful men - but they are not perfect. Boyd K. Packer spoke about this in the last general conference.
Bottom line Amanda, with all my crazy musings, is that I love the scriptures, the gospel, and the Savior. The Savior is perfect, the scriptrues can bring us closer to him, and the gospel is the vehicle, however imperfect it is because we, imperfect beings, are allowed to run it.
Cheryl Radmall
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