"A few years ago, I started
getting invitations to consult with ministry leaders about the subject
of Christian women in leadership. Usually I begin my presentation by
posing a general question: Does the controversial subject of women's
identity have anything to do with spiritual formation? In other words,
Does a person's view of women somehow correlate with a person's level of
Christ-likeness and maturity? If so, then does a person's view of a
women somehow inform the way a person reads the Bible, especially the
verses about women?
So far, each group has said that spiritual formation factors into a person's interpretation of the Scriptures. The reasoning goes like this. Racists are more likely to believe the Bible teaches racism. Traditionalists are more likely to believe the Bible teaches traditionalism. Chauvinists are more likely to believe the Bible teaches chauvinism. Feminists are more likely to believe the Bible teaches feminism. In every case prejudiced people produce prejudiced interpretations of God's Word.
It's helpful to conceptualize the notion of prejudice in terms of an analogy to numbers. Insofar as 2 and 3 are primed numbers, and 4 and 6 are composite numbers, what is the best way to define prejudice? Is it a root sin or a secondary, derivative sin? In other words, is prejudice essentially a composite sin (composed of others sins more basic), or is prejudice itself a root sin?
The word prejudice literally means 'to prejudge.' I believe it's wrong to prejudge. God commands us to do 'nothing in a spirit of partiality' (1 Timothy 5:21). It is sinful to be partial either to men or women. None of us are to think 'more highly' of ourselves or of anyone else than we ought to (Romans 12:3).
Prejudice is a sin that Christians seem afraid to talk about, for at some level we realize that our prejudice is a symptomatic sin that alerts us to something underneath. Prejudice is not a primary sin; it's a secondary sin. It derives from a basic sense of pride. Prejudice arrives from the soils of fear and ignorance, though, ironically, prejudice is learned. Customarily prejudice tends to be manifest in one of two ways--either as self-superiority or self-hatred.
In a word, prejudice is narcissism. Prejudice is narcissism that discounts and discredits human beings typically in one of two ways: a self-exalting way that discounts other people because 'they are not like me' or a self-rejecting way that discredits others because 'they are like me.'
The problem with prejudice is that the person who has it typically cannot see it. It is similar to the sin of inconsideration. An inconsiderate person is blind to his or her lack of consideration. For example, an inconsiderate teenager who takes a forty-five minute hot shower isn't trying to hurt anyone else in the family by using all the hot water. When scolded with words, 'You don't even care if the rest of the family has to suffer and take cold showers!' You don't care about us at all!' the narcissistic teenager may sincerely respond, 'Hey, don't take things so personally! I wasn't even thinking about anyone else in the family!'
Prejudice is a sin of omission. It derives from the failure to love. Of course the worst kind of prejudice is religious prejudice that deems itself sanctioned by God. When someone believes God sees one category of people as superior or inferior to another, then prejudice becomes blind not only to itself but also to the sinfulness of itself. It is always sinful to show partiality, 'for there is no partiality with God' (Romans 2:11)."
- Sarah Sumner, P.H.D.
from: http://www.amazon.com/Men-Women-Church-Consensus-Leadership/dp/0830823913/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376258347&sr=1-1
So far, each group has said that spiritual formation factors into a person's interpretation of the Scriptures. The reasoning goes like this. Racists are more likely to believe the Bible teaches racism. Traditionalists are more likely to believe the Bible teaches traditionalism. Chauvinists are more likely to believe the Bible teaches chauvinism. Feminists are more likely to believe the Bible teaches feminism. In every case prejudiced people produce prejudiced interpretations of God's Word.
It's helpful to conceptualize the notion of prejudice in terms of an analogy to numbers. Insofar as 2 and 3 are primed numbers, and 4 and 6 are composite numbers, what is the best way to define prejudice? Is it a root sin or a secondary, derivative sin? In other words, is prejudice essentially a composite sin (composed of others sins more basic), or is prejudice itself a root sin?
The word prejudice literally means 'to prejudge.' I believe it's wrong to prejudge. God commands us to do 'nothing in a spirit of partiality' (1 Timothy 5:21). It is sinful to be partial either to men or women. None of us are to think 'more highly' of ourselves or of anyone else than we ought to (Romans 12:3).
Prejudice is a sin that Christians seem afraid to talk about, for at some level we realize that our prejudice is a symptomatic sin that alerts us to something underneath. Prejudice is not a primary sin; it's a secondary sin. It derives from a basic sense of pride. Prejudice arrives from the soils of fear and ignorance, though, ironically, prejudice is learned. Customarily prejudice tends to be manifest in one of two ways--either as self-superiority or self-hatred.
In a word, prejudice is narcissism. Prejudice is narcissism that discounts and discredits human beings typically in one of two ways: a self-exalting way that discounts other people because 'they are not like me' or a self-rejecting way that discredits others because 'they are like me.'
The problem with prejudice is that the person who has it typically cannot see it. It is similar to the sin of inconsideration. An inconsiderate person is blind to his or her lack of consideration. For example, an inconsiderate teenager who takes a forty-five minute hot shower isn't trying to hurt anyone else in the family by using all the hot water. When scolded with words, 'You don't even care if the rest of the family has to suffer and take cold showers!' You don't care about us at all!' the narcissistic teenager may sincerely respond, 'Hey, don't take things so personally! I wasn't even thinking about anyone else in the family!'
Prejudice is a sin of omission. It derives from the failure to love. Of course the worst kind of prejudice is religious prejudice that deems itself sanctioned by God. When someone believes God sees one category of people as superior or inferior to another, then prejudice becomes blind not only to itself but also to the sinfulness of itself. It is always sinful to show partiality, 'for there is no partiality with God' (Romans 2:11)."
- Sarah Sumner, P.H.D.
from: http://www.amazon.com/Men-Women-Church-Consensus-Leadership/dp/0830823913/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376258347&sr=1-1
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