Watertown First Baptist Church Pastor Tim LaBouf, also a city council member in Watertown, N.Y., said women could fulfill any role or responsibility they wanted to -- outside the church.
"My belief is that the qualifications for both men and women teaching spiritual matters in a church setting end at the church door, period," LaBouf said in a statement on the church Web site (http://www.nnyinfo.com/firstbaptist).
LaBouf and the church board fired Mary Lambert, 81, earlier this month in a letter that cited the scriptural qualifications for Sunday School teachers, Lambert said.
"They quote First Timothy Two, 11-14: A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, she must be silent," Lambert said, reading from the letter.
Coco ought to be glad female dogs aren't forbidden by the Bible to have authority, because bitches are known to be bossy to males. And the male dogs simply put up with it, unlike Reverend LaBouf! (Tell that to "Coco LeBoeuf." Yes, I'm afraid that's one of her pet names. Seriously.)
But I really should leave animal morality to animals and stick to humans. I wasn't sure whether the passage from Timothy meant women should only be barred from teaching Sunday School, or whether they shouldn't be allowed to teach anything, so I went to Reverend LaBouf's web site, where he defends the decision and quotes from the Board's decision that "the scriptural rules concerning women teaching men in a church setting was only a small aspect of that decision."
Only a small aspect? Of what? Of other aspects? I thought I should look at the entire quote from 1 Timothy 2:9-15
9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. (KJV)
Shamefacedness? No gold? No braids? No pearls?
Why that sounds almost like Communism! Or other mean religions.
Aside from selectively picking and choosing (which would allow the above to be simply ignored at will), aren't there any loopholes anywhere?
Well, I guess there's always the option of arguing over the proper context.
Or maybe not taking the Bible too literally.
(By definition, though, that's not an option for literalists.)
posted by Eric on 08.22.06 at 12:39 PM
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://classicalvalues.com/cgi-bin/pings.cgi/3946
Comments
I always thought those passages in Timothy had something to do with the local culture in Ephesus -- being the center of worship for Artemis/Diana. I don't recall all the nitty-gritty details (and you would likely know more about it than I) but I understood it as an injunction for Christian women not to behave as their Diana-worshipping peers in the same city did.
Or maybe not taking the Bible too literally. (By definition, though, that's not an option for literalists.)
Actually, it is, but they don't admit it. Or at least, they don't literally admit it...or maybe it depends on what your definition of "literally" is...
The only problem I have with the Bible is that noone reads it for themself but allows their "religion" to interpret it for them. If people read it on their own and formed their own opinions about it..... well I guess now that I thought about it the world would be a much scarier place.
Jim · August 24, 2006 12:16 PM
I think it's a problem with all religions: adherents picking and choosing from religious texts to back up their agendas.
If they're going to fire that lady, they ought to require all their ladies to either cover heads, or shave them () And they should stay out of all politics.
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
Don?t bang your head!
I always thought those passages in Timothy had something to do with the local culture in Ephesus -- being the center of worship for Artemis/Diana. I don't recall all the nitty-gritty details (and you would likely know more about it than I) but I understood it as an injunction for Christian women not to behave as their Diana-worshipping peers in the same city did.