Lately on JWD there have been a number of posts regarding the state of woman in the JW organization. One lady asks “sisters” for their thoughts and comments on male dominance over their lives.
I am not a “sister” but for quite a few years this subject has been on my mind, but I never spoke my thoughts, always waiting for someone else to come up with a clearer explanation of Bible texts that seem to indicate that Christian woman should keep their mouths shut.
Where to start?
While walking on my property one day, I noticed something red in the grass along side the path. I looked closer, and the murmured the words, “damned cat”, under my breath. It was the dead carcass of a red-headed wood pecker. At a later time, I passed by again and it caught my eye. I know from experience, that when something catches your eye, more than once, your unconscious is trying to tell you something. So I started to ponder. The red-headed woodpecker is a male. Females are not colored red, they are camouflaged, Nature, as in many, many cases has protected the female and her offspring at the expense of the male. The predator, the cat in this case, pounced on the male.
I believe, it was back in the late 1950’s or early 60’s that the WT first asked “da sizters” to give demonstrations on the ministry schools and on the platform at assemblies etc. I was “congregation servant” back then. Many times pioneer and publisher sisters would come to me, and say they hated it. I helped many to prepare their talks.
How many of you ladies enjoyed going on the platform? Did you desire to go there of your own volition? Is it your nature? Who told you to go on the platform in public and instruct and teach in an indirect setting that gave the appearance that you were not teaching?
Searching the Bible texts I find that the word used for teaching is always used in a public setting, a synagogue or temple. It is not the same as the word for “preaching”. Here is a list of meanings for “teacher”:
2) in the NT one who teaches concerning the things of God, and the duties of man
a) one who is fitted to teach, or thinks himself so
b) the teachers of the Jewish religion
c) of those who by their great power as teachers draw crowds around them i.e. John the Baptist, Jesus
d) by preeminence used of Jesus by himself, as one who showed men the way of salvation
e) of the apostles, and of Paul
f) of those who in the religious assemblies of the Christians, undertook the work of teaching, with the special assistance of the Holy Spirit
g) of false teachers among Christians
James 3:1 says: Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. Revised Standard Version © 1947, 1952.It was not just woman who were advised not to be teachers. This text is addressed to the “brethren”. Why are many not to become teachers? Jesus Christ was a teacher, a public instructor, a leader. As such, he was open to assault by the predators, who considered his words as evil, and eventually he was put to death. In those days the authorities always went after the alpha male, the leader, with the intent of destroying him and thus putting an end to his movement. (They do the same today, consider the hunt for Osama Bin Ladin.) Although the context of James indicates that judgment comes from stumbling errors of the tongue, looking up the word for judgment the following meanings are given:
2) judgment
a) condemnation of wrong, the decision (whether severe or mild) which one passes on the faults of others
b) in a forensic sense
1) the sentence of a judge
2) the punishment with which one is sentenced
3) condemnatory sentence, penal judgment, sentence
3) a matter to be judicially decided, a lawsuit, a case in court
I often wondered why in the Bible it does not give many accounts of the persecutions, trials and tribulations of the early church. There are indications of it, but not many. I believe many of the instructions, especially of Paul, were for the purpose of protecting the congregation, specifically the woman. When he was instructing the woman to keep a low key in the public gatherings, it was for their protection!
Without filling up this post with all the texts the WT uses to enforce the subjection of woman in the congregation, which I have considered, here are two of my conclusions:
1. Paul addressed his writings to brethren, it was they who were pushing the woman to prophecy and teach in the congregation and thus exposing themselves to predators of public criticism and potential arrest. In the writings of Iraneous, which I will locate later, he gives and example of how one prominent leader was enticing women to publicly prophesy.
2. Paul’s instruction to woman was for them to follow their nature, to do nurturing work, to influence people within their immediate home environments. They did not have to go door to door. Why for example, at the crucifixion of Christ the Roman soldiers allowed the women to be present? Were they carrying placards, distributing literature?
I hope that many of you, male and female, will get the gist of what I am trying to say, and can add to my comments. If you find any reason, scriptural or not, that what I am saying is in error, I will be glad to consider them.
belbab
