My reply to a post elsewhere on TN is too long for a comment section so I am publishing it here instead. The general topic of the post, that being "Christian" women are lesser creatures made to follow men subserviently, seems to be one that repeats itself right here on my site which is pretty interesting on it's own. I lost a friend the last time I had an exchange here about this overall subject. I am not hoping for the same outcome now but I can't let this slide either.
I believe following that belief has caused tremendous suffering, repression and even untold numbers of deaths over the centuries and that it does not originate from the HOLY part of the Bible.
If the post was found anywhere else, I likely wouldn't have read it for starters. However since it is here, on my site, and questions were presented, I am using as few words as possible for the sake of time to reply with the most important parts of my reactions. I also don't have time to line up point by point on the original post which ended with a series of questions on whether Christian women should have their heads veiled.
For the short answers -
"Do you agree with my explanation of the veiling? NO
Have you studied these Scriptures for yourself? YES
Is the wearing of the veiling now a part of your personal convictions? NO
Are you ready to defend it and practice the principle of headship in your daily living?" NO
I discern Bible readings with guidance from the holy spirit, and the patriarchal and ancient culture aspects of the bible are given the weight and historical reference they deserve but no more. I am not compelled or expected by God to follow the power mongering control mechanisms of the ancient middle eastern men who ruled the culture of the times or wrote the words, nor the other men of slightly lesser ancient times who translated, passed on and selectively chose the words to be in the Bible.
I study the bible to know God, not man, not to learn how to live like ancient people under their societal laws, and not how to serve anyone or anything other than the ONE whose name no one knows, who is the Creator, the Saviour and the Connector (the Holy Spirit). I've read the bible at least a dozen times, studied with aides, taught a youth class and took to heart all of the HOLY message to be found from cover to cover. That doesn't necessitate that I take every word for the current accepted translation literally, or that I am required to follow anything written that is not on the ONE and only HOLY message. All things written in the bible have to support and live up to the one and only eternal truth I am required as a Christian to adhere to whether man or woman.
There are many places this truth is found outright and by example throughout the bible but here I'll just take Jesus's words for it twice:
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."
Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."
Maybe the story of the woman who saw her neighbor's laundry as being dirty when it was her windows that needed to be cleaned will be understood to be familiar as referenced here. I think many people including those I respect and care about do a great job with a heart that searches for truth in their bible studies, but I also recognize their point of view is always referenced, just like mine is when I post on topic. If you want to go looking for reasons to overpower and control women in the same manner ancient middle eastern men did, it's definitely in there. I still don't like considering what makes a person go there looking for that but I pray the eternal truth will be revealed to all.
But, does placing one human being over another human being live up to the one and only eternal truth? NO
I'm out of time to reply and I don't intend to make this an argument. I grew up in a family that lovingly argued over religion at every gathering and I hate it. It gets nowhere. Each of us must alone answer to God and I pray each of us finds the eternal truth and light beyond our own egos and the egos of ancient authors. God is living in each of us. We can quote every word of the bible and find an argument for millions of interpretations but if we don't have the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it's all for nothing.
On men and women in general: I'll stick with more words attributed to Jesus meeting the criteria of the one eternal truth: "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,..."“
And continuing on about marriage: (Jesus) said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Following are a few links that I think show interesting things about the Bible as a book, as differentiated from the HOLY WORDS contained in the Bible. Some also contain good examples of other things one might need to be compelled to do if everything not supporting the ONE Eternal Truth were to believed and followed. In a few I found stellar examples of when the author's ego was so crystal clear as to almost make God look petty in comparison.
If someone wants to wear a veil, or a mask or anything else that I don't want to then that's their business and I don't judge them. Hopefully they will repay me the kindness to also not judge me for not dressing the same way they do. Nothing we wear makes any of us more HOLY, only God is HOLY and even our best attempts to fully grasp God are miniscule. Only in our own egos would we think it possible.
I believe such as Jesus said to the sister of Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
May all truth seekers find only the light!
