Should Women be allowed in the pulpit?

Answer 1

Anyone can be allowed in the pulpit because god can use anybody!

AnswerThe God who created religion forbade women from participating in such masculine activities. This God ordered that a woman must obediently serve her master/husband as this is her only purpose. She must make many strong children for her master and she must respect and appreciate her co-wives. AnswerYes, Yes, Yes!!!

God created men and women equal, but with different roles. Biologically men and women have different roles (eg women in childbirth, men's sperm determining the sex of a baby etc), but each are vital. Spiritually they also have different roles but that does not extend to the pulpit. God has never 'forbidden' women from participating in such activities.

The only real reason for women not to frequent the pulpit as much as they should, is the mysoginistic nature of men. In Islam, especially in some Islamic countries, women are regarded as little but cattle, or possessions. This is partly the bogus interpretation of the Koran (which actually says that men and women are equal!) but is also a result of the masculine culture to which they belong. In Judaism, there are not so many extremes, but again the male domination of females is culturally too entrenched, despite the Old Testament reiterating the fact that God created all equal.

Within Christianity, and biblically, Paul made comments about the place of women, but one has to realise that he was writing within a particular masculine-orientated Jewish culture, and talking mostly, in that particular letter, to Jews. In the Roman culture, women were far more emancipated. In Acts, we read of Lydia, a Roman woman, who was not only the head of her household, but she became the head of a house church in Rome, and was regarded with love, affection and honour by Paul. In the Catacombs we see paintings dating from the first and early second centuries where women actually presided at Communion, as priests, let alone preach. Let's not forget that Christ himself regarded Mary Magdalene as someone special - it was to her that he first appeared after the resurrection. The other Mary of Bethany was one of the few who actually understood exactly his teaching first time, without it having to be explained over and over (as was the case with the 12 disciples).

There are still branches of the Christian church where the ministries of women are still regarded with contempt. The Roman Catholic Church and many strict evangelical churches still regard women's ministry as a threat or somehow against 'the Bible' despite there not being a shred of real Biblical evidence against the ministry of women. However, in the Methodist, URC, Salvation Army, Anglican Church and many other more forward thinking denominations, they have gone back to the Church that Jesus himself began, before mysoginy took over, and welcomed the ministry of women with open arms. So now, within these churches, women have full and equal roles - as preachers, ministers, priests, bishops or Salvation Army Officers. And rightly so. If God created us all equal then it must be his will for women to exercise that equality.

STephen

God made men to be the head of the household, so why would we take orders from a female? Often we find ourselves adding and removing words so that the Bible can fit in to today's world. We can not Change God's word because a woman feels she has the right too. Its not about you, it's about God. So suck it up, Your not the head of the household, never will.