Posted by Anne Ward on September 04, 1999 at 19:34:55:
In Reply to: Re: Women in the Church? Who's got the keys? posted by Phil on August 31, 1999 at 14:46:14:
johnboy and Phil...there is no way I can compete theologically with you guys on this issue of women in the Church but I am willing to share MY opinion! Aren't I always? well, most all the time!
I could go the long way around and make this sound nicer but I will cut to the chase and save time! To me, the role of women in the Church should be limited to the roles they have. I would go even further and say, no female/girl altar servers, no female eucharistic ministers.
I truly believe in equal pay for equal work but women and men are different [and viva la difference!] and I prefer to stay with traditional male authority in the Church. Martha had her proper role as did Mary..and johnboy, I think Martha got taken down a notch by our Lord, not because of what she said as much as HOW she said it. bet it was caustic and sarcastic as can be!!!! and full of self-pity. Poor me, stuck in the kitchen! Phooey..that is where she loved to be and where she felt at home.
Sorry, got carried away. For all it is worth here is my reason for preferring the continuation of male authority [and please, don't hand me this stuff that females should be priests! Why? Because social norms? Pulease!] anyway, my experience is that you open Pandora's box when you allow women more and more authority and/or roles in the Church. Just as an example and one which I see occurring in many other protestant churches. in the episcopal church, which is now at war within its own self and lost all moral highground, it began allowing female priests and then the allowing of female bishops. When you break one code that has been in existence for centuries you open the door to others....such as the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals and the blessings of same-sex marriage. and just recently the new baptismal rite for children of parents who do not believe in God, etc. So, what you have is a regression in evil. That is an opinion.
The Church should have an impact on society rather than society impacting the Church. You can dislike my coupling [whoops!] ordination of females with opening doors to non-celibate homosexual priests...but the progression is there. I shall stop here. I know neither of you will agree in much of anything I said, but there you go!
Frankly, I don't even think females should be readers....I am so bad!!!!!
blessings, and grace,
anne
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