Christianity Unraveled

November 19th, 2019

Sometimes I search online to read about different viewpoints on interpretations to both try to remember what I used to believe and try to gain more empathy rather than bitterness toward people who believe wholeheartedly in Biblical gender roles (as usually referred to as). And yet, I find myself feeling angry toward people who proclaim that gender roles are the best for every person, and that women need to remain at home and men need to be the breadwinners.

I have been trying to figure out why these topics make me feel so negatively, and I've concluded that it is possibly due to one to three things: 1. It may feel as though they are attacking my worldview, 2. It may feel as though they are perpetuating exclusion, and 3. Their teaching may be detrimental to people. Ah, but I digress.

One such page that I find myself turning to when I feel as though I need to attack my worldview and gain a more open-minded thought process is Lori's The Transformed Wife. Maybe you have heard of her; maybe you haven't. In either way, the best way I can describe her teaching is that it is similar to radical fundamentalist Christianity. However, this definition may be different for each one of you, so I would encourage you to go to her blog and read a few of her posts to gain a better understanding of what she advocates for and against.

One of the articles that I decided to read was "Gender Perversion in the Home and at Church" (linked here [it will open in a new tab] ->). Lori wasn't the one who wrote it, but nonetheless it is a position she does advocate for. And, while it does have a definite argument for Biblical man and womanhood, I can't seem to escape the feelings of recoil, dislikement, and resentment. Yet, I also feel as though I need to dial myself back and empathize with the writer because, in all actuality, he is only sharing what he believes is the truth in the hopes that he will bring the most people to what he believes is the truest form of God's handiwork, love, and desire. And as I think and ponder on this, I realize that I am doing that as well, and that he would probably have his knickers in a twist in the same way mine are if he read anything that I wrote.

Even so, I cannot bring myself to accept the argument for the God-ordained necessity of women being at home, never preaching, and always submitting to men and for the superiority of males in leadership. I think it places an unfair responsibility on both genders (let alone people who don't fully identity with either, whether it be in gender or sex) and dismisses the possibility for diversity in the church – of course, adding diversity is perhaps the scariest thing anyone could add to something that desires to never be changed.

With all this said, I realize that I haven't made an argument or case against Biblical gender roles and that I won't circle to there yet. I also realize that I am basing much of this article on my feelings – but, I assure you, dear reader, that I have done an extensive amount of research to come to this conclusion against the traditional definition of Biblical gender roles. So yes, I am responding emotionally, but that emotion is driven through the background of logic and injustice. Though, I suppose that emotion in itself isn't a bad thing, as it often leads us to figuring out the logic behind our feelings.

To sum this all up, though, reading about opposing views is difficult, but deeply necessary in my opinion if we are to embrace a deeper form of empathy and understanding. Perhaps the most difficult part to me is knowing that their words impact other people – which I believe is a negative thing (while they of course believe it is a very positive thing). I find myself recoiling at many beliefs, and yet I must redial myself and attempt to understand that they are only doing what they think is right. And that is all any of us can do – think, act, and express what we believe is the truth.

I know that people often make fun of needing to "speak your truth," but the more I understand humanity, the more I realize that this is an important step in gaining insight for truth-seeking and empathy creating. And the beautiful thing about speaking your truth is that it doesn't have to be absolute. It has the freedom to change with you, as it is yours alone. And no one has the ability to change that.