"Women are another recently discovered 'oppressed class'. . ."
"Of course, one neglected reply is that if, indeed, men have succeeded in dominating every culture, then this in itself is a demonstration of male 'superiority'; for if all genders are equal, how is it that male domination emerged in every case?"
- Murray N. Rothbard, Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature
"As in the case of Jesus setting one right act, ‘keeping the Sabbath’, over another right act, ‘doing good on the Sabbath’, the good won out. It seems to me that it is good to honour redeemed women fully, recognising their intrinsic value, equality and giftedness to share with men all the responsibilities of both the church and the home. Men should not be able to lead simply because they are men, they must demonstrate a calling and giftedness. On the other hand, women who are obviously gifted should not be denied opportunity to express and use their gifts in ministry, or the home, because of their gender. People are chosen by God to serve Him on the basis of their heart motivation and Spiritual giftedness, not by sexual preference. I do not see gender distinction in the teaching or actions of Jesus therefore I cannot see it in the heart or mind of God."
- Trevor, The Value of Reason, CBE Scroll
Is Philosophy the handmaid of Theology, or have we gotten it the wrong way around when we depend upon logic to tell us what nature seems to contradict?
If we look at the Big Story throughout Scripture, we see God acting through fallible humans, but always choosing the men for leadership, authority and representation. He made the man first, he made the woman from the man and for the man - he brought the woman to the man, not the other way around, nor did he bring them to each other (as one might expect in a paradise of equal authority).
After rebellion entered the world, he chose the man Noah to lead his family safely through the flood.
God established his chosen people through a patriarch, the man Abraham and then through the patriarchs of the twelve tribes. God saved his people from starvation through the man Joseph. God brought his people out of the slavery of Egypt through a man, Moses. God chose a man, Solomon, to build his Temple.
God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, as a human man, our Saviour. God the Son, Jesus Christ chose twelve men as his apostles.
Remember the Big Story - it can be found in the Holy Scriptures, and in God's creation.
Kamilla
4 comments:
There was a custom in the Middle East at the time the OT was written, that society was patriarchal and you can see it today in fundamentalist Islamic countries. In this sense the bible was descriptive rather than prescriptive.
Mr. Justice,
Thank you for providing yet further evidence to bolster Rothbard's argument.
As to your assertion that the Holy Scriptures are merely descriptive on this point, Islamic culture (of any era, actually) and the patriarchal structures of the ANE are irrelevant when it comes to God's sovereign choices.
Kamilla
This is a bit late to the game on this comment, but what of Deborah? Was there no man in the entirety of Israel that He could have worked through then?
I was about to add Esther as well, but there was equal or greater action by Mordecai in that account.
The time of the Judges was a time when everyone did what was right in his own mind. Whatever else we can say about Deborah, we have to keep that in mind.
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