Backing Bigotry With the Bible
It grieves me when people make front-page comments that portray my religion as repressive, goofy and irrelevant.
As a female ordained pastor and frequent contributor to the religion page of The Times’ Orange County edition, I am especially distressed when Scripture is used to promote racism and sexism.
Racism was preached from the pulpit during the Civil War when denominational leaders argued from Scripture that slavery was God’s will. Today, descendants of those same religious leaders are preaching that sexism is God’s will (Southern Baptist Convention decision, June 2000). As with slavery, I must question whether this is an issue of doctrine or of wealth, power and prestige.
We have fought racism with the words, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” That’s how I answered the pastor who told me I could teach in his church as a housewife, but when I enrolled in seminary I would have to stop because I was a bad example for the women. My Bible doesn’t tell me I have to remain unempowered, subservient and biblically illiterate.
Ruth Graham Lotz, daughter of the renowned minister Billy Graham, recently tackled the issue of women in ministry as she launched her five-city revival tour. In an interview she stated that she became convinced that God has called her to give testimony about what Jesus Christ has meant to her, stating, “I believe God has called me into the ministry where I am.” She then alluded to the passage where Mary Magdalene was the first to see the resurrected Jesus and was instructed by Jesus to go and tell the disciples, who were all men.
A similarly meaningful passage to me is when another Mary was invited to sit at the feet of the disciples while Martha prepared food. I believe that invitation by Jesus was tantamount to having her join “the boys club.”
Go figure. If women are not allowed to speak from a Sunday pulpit, are they allowed to “share” in church? Can they write a book, design curriculum, give a radio message, pen a poem, compose a song, teach in a seminary or be published on The Times’ religion page? The irony of the situation is that those activities assume a theology and teaching impact far beyond the scope of most Sunday pulpits.
If I Timothy 2:11-12 is interpreted as an absolute prohibition on women teaching and exercising authority in the church, then it would be a de facto elimination of women from using their God-given minds, talents and spiritual gifts. Likewise, I would have to be biblically illiterate to believe that when Paul calls for women to “keep silent,” he is referring to verbal silence. The same Greek term is translated “settle down” in II Thessalonians 3:12 (New International Version), indicating proper order or normal practice. When the librarian points to the “‘Silence” sign, does she mean for you not to speak in any library for the rest of your life?
Similarly, when Paul says he does not permit a woman to have authority over a man, the term “to have authority” is a rare negative term referring to the usurping and/or abuse of authority. It cannot be taken as a prohibition of ordinary positive authority, both because of the underlying meaning and its contradiction of other passages.
In a bold move for a macho culture, Shalom Baptist Community of Mexico City ordained Rebeca Montemayor Lopez in March. That is consistent with Paul’s commendation of the woman Junias in Romans 16:7, whom he described as “outstanding among the apostles” (New International Version). Of course one can always imitate the slave owner Thomas Jefferson, who cut out the Bible passages with which he did not agree.
Like Jefferson, we all tend to read our cultural expectations into Scripture. Proponents of male-only clergy have said they are not going to let their position be dictated by the culture. But the last time I looked, footwashing and holy kissing--both commanded by the New Testament--were not practiced in those churches. Those absences already show that the Southern Baptist position has been influenced by cultural sensitivities.
May God bless men and women of every race, nationality, color, or ethnic origin who faithfully answer God’s call on their lives and who answer to a higher authority.
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On Faith is a forum for Orange County clergy and others to offer their views on religious topics of general interest. Submissions, which will be published at the discretion of The Times and are subject to editing, should be delivered to Orange County religion page editor Deanne Brandon.