Women Vice-Presidents but Not Pastors
When Sarah Palin was announced as the Vice-Presidential running mate for John McCain, I heard some news outlets say that she wouldn’t get support from Southern Baptists because they don’t even allow women pastors. I also read that Evangelical Christians in general would have a problem with her because they believe women should be at home with the children. These are both supposed to be examples of the backwards thinking of Christians and in some ways a hook into pointing out the hypocrisy of Christians if they do support a woman for Vice-President.
Lutherans have very similar positions on both women pastors and women staying at home with children. And while I don’t know why Southern Baptists and Evangelicals hold the positions they do, I do know why Lutherans believe the way we do. Our understanding doesn’t put the notion of women Vice-Presidents vs. Pastors in conflict. It also provides for women working outside of the home.
So why can a woman be a Vice-President and not a pastor? Simply put, the United States does not prohibit women from become Vice-President and God prohibits women from being pastors in His church. There’s not much more to say except that if you take God’s word seriously the case is open and shut. If you want to play around with God’s word women pastors will be the least of your problems .
But aren’t women supposed to be home barefoot and pregnant? God did create men and women differently. Woman are naturally more suited to rearing children. That is not to say men don’t have a role in raising their children, it’s just a different role. The issue is really about the children, not the parents. The parents were given their children by God so that the parents would love are raise them in the fear and love of the Lord. How are the children best served? Most likely by having their mother available to nurture them full-time. However, a mother may also have a calling to serve her neighbors as a government official. This calling will conflict with her calling as a mother, and in this fallen world, she will have to compromise and ask for forgiveness in either case.
What I’m trying to point out is that we have an understanding of the roles of women, vocations, that allows for this seeming contradiction. God rules both the church and the state. In one He allows women to govern in the other he does not. In addition, He places women where they can serve their neighbors. In some cases the needs of various neighbors conflict. They must use the reason God has given them to best serve the neighbors and ask for forgiveness for the rest.
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October 3rd, 2008 at 9:41 am
I have no problem with a woman being in a position of authority. I do have a problem with an anti-science arrogant fundie nutjob being in a position of authority.
TRiG.
October 3rd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
TRiG, I appreciate comments, but please try refrain from simple name calling.
October 4th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Sorry. I’ll try to think of something intelligent to say.
Or, why bother? It’s not my country, and if you want to elect a woman to bring yourselves back to the stone age, that’s your problem. Well, mainly your problem. It’s her anti-science stance that bothers me most, I think.
PALIN/CLEESE.
TRiG.