Define: Worldly

People talk about how the church will not bend to worldly pressures to make the church less gender biased. You need to understand how ridiculous that sounds to a feminist. "The world" is not feminist! Not by a long shot!

Young girls are being shot for attending school, rape is used as a weapon of war but it's still used as a punchline, body shaming and objectification are rampant in Western media, more than 125 million women are alive today who have had their genitals cut and mutilated because of men who believe that women experiencing any kind of sexual pleasure is wrong. In India there are now some 35 million fewer women than men due to female infanticide and China is in the middle of  a ‘gender crisis’, because their culture places greater value on a male child than a female. In the USA, a woman with exactly the same level of education as her male counterpart can expect to earn around 18 percent less than him, even when factors like type of degree and actual hours worked are taken into account. 

In the light of honor killings, human trafficking, and child brides, the situation of the women of the church seems like the least of our worries, but let's be very clear on one thing:

SEXISM IS WORLDLY. Sexism is the result of a fallen world, of carnal natures, of wickedness. It's influence is what we should be rooting out of Zion, not conserving and protecting as if it's a gift from God. Sexism does not come from God.

"For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile."

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace."

There is a lot of confusion, a lot of teachings that are anything but "plain" regarding gender in the church. I don't believe that convoluted mental gymnastics come from God. I don't believe sexism and gender bias come from God. I do believe that some of our teachings on gender are more in line with "worldly philosophies" than feminists are. 

Comments

  1. JamesJune 24, 2014 at 11:29 AM

    Amen. Philosophies of men mingled with scripture, even in Mormonism. You may find this interesting: http://mormonbookshelf.com/wiki/Lowry_Nelson_Communications_on_Race

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JamesJune 24, 2014 at 11:29 AM

      Doctrine once is doctrine no more.

      Delete
    2. AbigayleJune 25, 2014 at 11:38 AM

      Thank you so much for sharing this. It gives me so much hope. I really do believe that things will change on this issue of sexism enshrined in church doctrines and ordinances. The article your posted bears out my hypothesis that these things come as byproducts of our revelations being received by imperfect men with their own biases and prejudices. God is so much bigger than that. I feel like it will just take some time but this is really encouraging. Thanks again.

      Delete
  2. T VultureJune 24, 2014 at 11:37 PM

    Interesting perspective; and one that I generally agree on. I'm not sure if we can extend that to all issues that are interpreted as being anti-feminist (eg. the matter of the priesthood, though, to be fair, you didn't mention that at all), but definitely the idea is correct- God created men and women and both enjoy equal status as children of God.

    I suppose the important thing to consider here isn't "ARE people valuable" but more "HOW are people valuable". All people have equal value as children of God, but the way that they are valuable is different. A nursery leader (a calling I've seen given to men and women alike) may perform a different function to the prophet, but both perform equally valuable roles.

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