Is the Empowerment of women a sin?

[Dave-W]

This is a beautiful reflection from a Christian man on what he needs to hear from his sisters in Christ:
https://www.missioalliance.org/four-things-i-need-to-hear-from-my-sisters-in-christ/

Interesting article. But I find #1 and #2 to be somewhat contradictory:

#1 “I notice when you see me, probably more than you realize I do.”
#2 “I notice when you don’t see me.”

I get what the guy is saying about needing to be aware when the sisters are being overlooked or ignored; its just that in the light of Me Too and the Kavinaugh hearings, the 2 titles bring up a very different meaning in my mind.

I did find the other article referenced interesting:

https://www.missioalliance.org/what-i-long-to-say-to-my-brothers-i-release-you/

I grew up with the idea that all men, in order to be men, had to be more than Superman. And it had nothing to do with women.

We had to be extremely strong, physically.
We had to be able to ignore any kind of pain; physical emotional or spiritual.
We had to be extremely intelligent.
We had to be unemotional.
We had to be impervious to the temptations of lust, drugs, anger, gambling, etc.

We had to go alone against any and all odds; and win.
And if you didn't win, you were a sissy, a coward, a loser, etc.

It was not any woman who put that on me and my fellow guys, it was our dads and grandads. It was all or our guy friends. It was our teachers and sport coaches. It was our pastors and sunday school teachers.
It was our society.

So I am not sure how any woman can properly release a guy from that.

 

[Paidiske]

How do you mean, Dave?

 

[Dave-W]

How do you mean, Dave?

I had a lot in that post. What specifically are you asking about?

 

[Paidiske]

Oh, I replied before you edited it. I was looking at this bit:

"Interesting article. But I find #1 and #2 to be somewhat contradictory:

#1 “I notice when you see me, probably more than you realize I do.”
#2 “I notice when you don’t see me.”

I get what the guy is saying about needing to be aware when the sisters are being overlooked or ignored; its just that in the light of Me Too and the Kavinaugh hearings, the 2 titles bring up a very different meaning in my mind. "

To me, #1 and #2 are talking about different problematic circumstances, but I didn't understand what you meant about a "different meaning," or why they seemed contradictory.

 

[Dave-W]

To me, #1 and #2 are talking about different problematic circumstances, but I didn't understand what you meant about a "different meaning," or why they seemed contradictory.

Ah. OK.

I see #1 as “I know when you are lustfully eyeing me;” and #2 as to “Why are you trying to avoid looking at me?”

I do understand that was NOT what was being said in the article; but with all the recent ugly publicity of abuse, that was what popped into my head.

 

[Fantine]

Coming from a background of Catholicism, I think of many female saints, and women religious (nuns) who accomplished great things. People like Hildegard of Bingen, a doctor of the church, who was a poet, musician, herbalist, healer, abbess, mystic, leader. Women like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who founded a religious order and started the Catholic school system in the U.S. Or Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Mercy Sisters, who own some of the biggest hospital systems in the United States.

When I look at sisters in the early 20th century, it seems as if young women who wanted to have careers and get an education often became sisters. Although they often earned their degrees in summer school when they weren't teaching, many earned advanced degrees and were leaders in their community. In addition, they were often a voice for moral and ethical leadership--and this has been often the case of women throughout history.

 

[bekkilyn]

I recall reading that many women at times in history chose to be sisters and entered convents in order to escape being forced into marriage. As unmarried women, they seemingly had more rights and opportunity to pursue education and other things typically reserved for men.

 

[Daniel Marsh]

at least interesting

 

[hedrick]

What does the Bible say governments are for?

What did the prophets say God judged Israel for? Not taking care of widows, orphans and immigrants. There's obviously a purpose beyond justice. Perhaps Peter felt that justice was the best that could be expected from Romans.

 

[Zoii]

One of the issues not discussed in the bible to any great extent, is how Mary was treated by the community. The whispers behind hands He doesnt look like his father at all does he

Did Mary declare that God was the father of Jesus and therefore elect to keep silent for fear the community would ridicule - OR did she in fact announce Jesus' paternity, and expose her and Joseph to hardships.... and how did that effect Jesus as he grew up.... he was after all a boy at one point and would have been influenced by his parents and his community.

Did Mary declare she was a virgin and how did that story resonate within the community and affect her and her husband?

 

[Dave-W]

One of the issues not discussed in the bible to any great extent, is how Mary was treated by the community. The whispers behind hands He doesnt look like his father at all does he

Many see in John 8.39-47 a veiled accusation of Jesus being illegitimate. "WE were not born of fornication;" indicating they thought Jesus was.

The fact that Jesus was not married (marriages were arranged at about age 6-8) also speaks to the question of His being illegitimate. A momzer (one born of fornication) could only marry another momzer.