| As an effect of sin, humans are deeply driven | | | | or that this is not actually a spiritual issue. A |
| toward autonomy, preferring to live independent of | | | | financially-strapped college student may have little |
| God's authority instead of within the shelter of his | | | | knowledge of what is involved in selling her eggs, as |
| divine sovereignty. This is the temptation to which | | | | an act of good-will to an infertile couple or for |
| Eve would surrender. Instead of a life dependent on | | | | research purposes. She may not understand that this |
| God, she evaluated on the basis of her self-appointed | | | | egg, when fertilized, is her biological child. What she |
| authority that the fruit of the forbidden tree was | | | | has been told by the college "women's center" is that |
| beautiful and an acceptable source for knowledge | | | | the egg is nothing more than tissue and a fertilized |
| and sustenance. God was no longer necessary in her | | | | egg (an embryo) is nothing more than a "clump of |
| new view of the world because she chose instead to | | | | cells." To top all that off, she probably has not been |
| believe the twisted words of the serpent, that she | | | | fully informed about the health risks in undergoing |
| could "be like God" (Gen 3:5). She quickly dismissed | | | | such a procedure. |
| the distinction between herself, the created, and the | | | | A young married couple in the congregation may |
| Creator. | | | | struggle with infertility and is willing to pursue the use |
| When faced with difficult life circumstances, we are | | | | of reproductive technologies to solve their |
| called to submit to God's wisdom and authority and | | | | heart-wrenching crisis. After three years of |
| recognize our own insufficiency. It is true that | | | | treatment, they may have 2 children, but four more |
| scripture does not provide explicit answers for each | | | | children are in cryopreservation at the fertility clinic |
| and every situation, so while God's normative method | | | | because the most economical route for their family |
| of self-disclosure is not through audible voice, | | | | was to have many embryos fertilized at one time. |
| studying God's word is necessary to develop a biblical | | | | Still, there are other women who are entering into |
| worldview that will enable godly reflection in the | | | | the Christian community, ashamed to talk to anyone |
| absence of obvious solutions. Trusting God in the | | | | about the abusive relationship they are in, fearing |
| midst of any degree of crisis is probably one of the | | | | judgment, blame, and ridicule. |
| the greatest challenges to living the Christian life. | | | | Right or wrong, women in the church are no less |
| Popular culture argues, on the other hand, that God, | | | | immune to the ideas of culture than are women |
| if he even exists, is irrelevant to just about | | | | outside of the church. When they hear "women's |
| everything. Religion, and specifically evangelical | | | | issues" or "women's rights," their attention is easily |
| Christianity, is regarded as bigoted and | | | | drawn toward these prominent voices as their |
| narrow-minded, outside the scope of logic and | | | | message has completely saturated the culture we |
| reason. Christian truth claims are viewed as merely | | | | live in. There is no natural inclination toward a voice in |
| private values, but the "promise" of scientific | | | | the church, because that voice is difficult to locate. |
| progress and "hope" through human reason-with little | | | | The fact is, women's issues are, indeed, women's |
| room for ethical reflection-are believed to be neutral | | | | issues, and the church is in a strategic and unique |
| sources of information, and therefore, the source of | | | | position to address them. |
| truth for everyone. This way of thinking is dominant | | | | A Barna research study has recently reported that |
| in the area of women's issues and is wielding great | | | | 60% of all who attend church are women, and |
| influence on the lives of women inside and outside of | | | | around 25% of those attend church without their |
| the church. | | | | husbands. One reaction to this study was to point |
| When biblical and theological reflection on women's | | | | out the obvious, that few men are coming to church. |
| issues is tolerated, it is usually through a theology of | | | | Why? The church has been "feminized." The music, |
| liberation known as feminist theology. This theology | | | | the paint, the activities-they simply aren't masculine |
| seeks primarily to free women from the oppression | | | | enough, so men are staying home. As a result, some |
| of what they describe as patriarchalism, referring to | | | | have decided that the solution is to de-feminize the |
| male headship or authority that demands | | | | church. Plan manly hunting trips, sports activities, and |
| unquestioned female submission. In this context, | | | | offer more of the older hymns that are obviously |
| feminist theology argues that women are not really | | | | more masculine than the praise songs. |
| free due to an imbalance of power. This experience | | | | The motivation to have more men as members of |
| then becomes the interpretive grid to understand | | | | the body of Christ is right and good, yet strangely, |
| revelation, rather than revelation interpreting | | | | misguided. Please allow me to explain. God is pleased |
| experience | | | | by the fact that so many women are attending |
| Locating the meaning of scripture in one's own | | | | church, giving freely of themselves financially, |
| experience is the equivalent of dethroning God, | | | | engaged in ministry activity, and so on. Women are |
| taking his seat, and wearing his crown. It is an | | | | present and eager to hear what the Lord has to |
| approach that fails to recognize God's authority over | | | | teach them and how to apply it to their lives. |
| his entire creation, the exact problem Eve | | | | Young women, who are the next generation of |
| encountered as she replaced the revealed word of | | | | mothers and leaders of all types, are there too, but |
| God with her own rationalizations. Our experiences | | | | often not very comfortable with the women's |
| can only describe how we live, they certainly do not | | | | ministry of their mothers and grandmothers. Granted, |
| prescribe how to live. Yet, this is not a matter of | | | | few women's ministries are addressing "women's |
| cold hard facts about the nature of God. God is the | | | | issues" proactively, but the young women are |
| source of all that is true, he transcends all that is in | | | | entering into youth group and college groups with |
| the earth, yet he cares deeply about it and is closer | | | | little contextual opportunity to inquire or learn about |
| than it may seem. Scripture reveals that our | | | | these issues that will play a significant role in their |
| experiences do matter to God, he cares deeply | | | | lives far into the future. The church has a real |
| about the problems we face and solutions we find. | | | | opportunity to challenges the ideas of a culture |
| At the core of "women's issues" is a long list of | | | | fixated on being a god unto themselves by reaching |
| topics that matter to women. The list includes access | | | | the women the culture seeks to influence. That 60% |
| to abortion, conception and contraception, careers, | | | | of the church is comprised of women should be |
| gender equity in the workplace, end-of-life health | | | | regarded as a call to a particular ministry; we can see |
| care, domestic violence and human trafficking. All | | | | positively that the glass is half full! |
| issues of great significance to the every day lives of | | | | As women continue to be the primary caregivers of |
| women, yet for the most part, not a part of the | | | | children and parents while also being a witness to |
| evangelical discussion within the walls of the church. | | | | great technological advancement, time must be |
| Of course, there is a strong Christian voice in | | | | invested in developing women to reflect on all of life |
| defense of the unborn and for the moral status of | | | | through the lenses of faith. Grandmothers who |
| the embryo-and this voice needs to continue its bold | | | | believe that their grandchildren would have been |
| proclamation. As well, there is an appropriate voice | | | | better off aborted rather than going through the |
| reacting against the ideology of secular feminism, a | | | | foster care system before arriving at her doorstep is |
| voice that rightly shows how this worldview fails | | | | not representative of a consistently applied Christian |
| women spiritually and in all other practical ways. What | | | | ethic, and yet this is the reality of a real woman who |
| has been lacking, however, is a proactive voice | | | | has professed faith in Christ for many years. |
| intentionally educating women on these and related | | | | The desire for love, companionship, or children can |
| issues, a voice that teaches women to think through | | | | drive any woman to solutions that do not necessarily |
| complicated life issues from a Christian worldview. | | | | cohere with godly wisdom, especially when the |
| Organizations like the National Organization for | | | | voices that he been assisting her in thinking about |
| Women, the Feminist Majority, and NARAL have | | | | these issues have primarily belonged to secular |
| been declared by the dominant culture to be the | | | | feminism. The feminist movement in the early 20th |
| source for addressing women's issues and equipping | | | | century began with the noble pursuit to obtain for |
| women to live triumphantly in this "patriarchal" | | | | women the right to vote and to gain a substantive |
| society. The Christian community is quick to provide a | | | | voice in society. Little of this noble effort remains in |
| response to these organizations and issues, but little | | | | secular feminism, known today chiefly for its fight for |
| education has been directed to the women in the | | | | unfettered reproductive freedoms. Secular feminism |
| pew, women of all ages, ethnicities and economic | | | | has been a lone voice for women in academics and in |
| levels who have been or are potentially swayed by | | | | popular culture for the better part of the last 100 |
| the seductive gospel of unfettered "women's rights." | | | | years. In a real sense, they have been women |
| It is erroneous to believe that with the assurance of | | | | mentoring other women. For women in the church, |
| salvation comes the instant ability to effectively | | | | now is the time to speak godly wisdom into issues |
| reason through issues and achieve resolutions that | | | | that all women face. As a matter of discipleship and |
| are pleasing to God. The status of "born again" is not | | | | evangelism, we have an opportunity to show how |
| a guarantee that a young woman won't consider an | | | | dependence on God is not only the path to true |
| abortion, because the dominant culture may have | | | | wisdom, but also to righteousness. |
| convinced her that the embryo is not really her child | | | | |