Ä Area: HOLYSMOKE ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
  Msg#: 1663                                         Date: 03-12-96  06:26
  From: Lynda Bustilloz                              Read: Yes    Replied: No 
    To: All                                          Mark:                     
  Subj: Male Priests
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
TEN REASONS WHY MEN SHOULD NOT BE ORDAINED

From The MENNONITE REPORTER, "Fly on the newsprint" by Ivan Emke (with
acknowledgement for inspiration to Rosemary Radford Ruether.)



1.  Their physical build indicates that men are more suited to tasks such
as picking turnips or de-horning cattle.  It would indeed be "unnatural"
for them to do other forms of work.  How can we argue with the intended
order that is instituted and enforced by nature?

2.  For men who have children, their duties as ministers might detract
from their responsibilities as parents.  Instead of teaching their children 
important life skills like how to make a wiener-roasting stick, they would be 
off at some committee meeting or preparing a sermon.  Thus these 
unfortunate children of ordained men would almost certainly receive less 
attention from their male parent.  Some couples might even go so far
as to put their children into secular daycare centres to permit the man to
fulfill his duties as a minister.

3.  According to the Genesis account, men were created before women,
presumably as a prototype.  It is thus obvious that men represent an
experiment, rather than the crowning achievement of creation.

4.  Men are overly prone to violence.  They are responsible for the vast
majority of crime in our country, especially violent crime.  Thus they
would be poor role models, as well as being dangerously unstable in
positions of leadership.

5.  In the New Testament account, the person who betrayed Jesus was a man.
Thus his lack of faith and ensuing punishment stands as a symbol of the
subordinate position that all men should take.  The story also illustrates
the natural tendency of all men to be either unwilling or unable to take a
stand.  From the Garden of Gethsemane to football locker rooms, men still
have this habit of buckling under the weight of the lowest common
denominator.  It is expected that even ordained men would still embarrass
themselves with their natural tendecy toward a pack mentality.

6.  Jesus didn't ordain men.  He didn't ordain any women either, but two
wrongs don't make a right.

7.  If men got ordained, then they wouldn't be satisfied with that; they'd
want more and more power.  Next thing most of the Conference leaders 
would be men and then where would we be? No.  The line must be drawn 
clearly now before it's too late.

8.  Many, if not most, men who seek to be ordained have been influenced by
the radical "men's movement" (or "masculist movement").  How can they be
good leaders if their loyalties are divided between leading a church and
championing the masculist drive for men's rights?  The tract writers
haven't pronounced on it yet, but the masculist movement is probably
profoundly un-Christian.

9.  To be an ordained pastor is to nurture and strengthen a whole
congregation. But these are not traditional male roles.  Rather, throughout 
the history of Christianity, women have been considered to be not only more 
skilled than men at nurturing, but also more fervently attracted to it.  Women,

the myth goes, are fulfilled and completed only by their service to others.  
This makes them the obvious choice for ordination.  But if men try to fit into 
this nurturing role, our young people might grow up with Role Confusion 
Syndrome, which could lead to such terrible traumas as the Questioning 
Tradition Syndrome.

10. Men can still be involved in Church activities, without having to be
ordained.  They can still take up the offering, shovel the sidewalk, and
maybe even lead the singing on Fathers' Day.  In other words, by confining
themselves to such traditional male roles, they can still be vitally
important in the life of the Church.  Why should they feel left out?












Lynda Bustilloz      bustillo@ix.netcom.com
... Illustrate your Sermons! Wear "far side" ties.

-!- IM2.29+/FE1.45a+/PB2.12+
 ! Origin: Xtians are uncomplicated beings: pure and simpleton. (1:109/601)