Thursday 17 January 2008

Sex discrimination in the Church

So, help me here. Never mind the details of the current reason why people keep talking to me about this subject. I want to write about the Big Stuff.

If God made human beings in God's image (Genesis 1), and Moses told them they weren't allowed to make "any graven image" (Exodus 20), isn't the point that our worship of God will show itself (genuine or not) by the way we honour or dishonour the people made in God's image? (Amos 5)

It looks to me like that's what Jesus was about. (Too many texts to list. But for just one, Mark 10.6)

Can someone explain to me why Christians who say they want to follow Jesus, don't seem to set themselves the goal of loving strangers, enemies and people who are sinners (as yet unrepentant) just as he's supposed to have done? Isn't the Holy Spirit supposed to change our hearts?

What does that really look like in 21st Century? (Examples, please!)

And if there is a New Creation in Christ, (1 Corinthians 5.17) and if the apostle Paul says that In Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, Male nor Female, Slave nor Free... (Galatians 3.26-29) why are Christians so keen to perpetuate these distinctions, even after society has accepted it should abandon the injustice of it as far as biologically possible?

Doesn't our experience of the unconditional grace and love of Jesus Christ give us enough humility to listen to each other, to work alongside each other constructively, and trust God to work out the Big Stuff? I know it should in my life...

There now. I've got my frustration out there, hopefully without damaging my brothers and sisters. Answers on a postcard... Please!

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