Still a woman today

This should almost be a Part II on being a woman – as the comments on yesterday’s post give much food for thought. Lydia, of writerquake, highlights a cartoon post by nakedpastor which made me laugh, but as you can see in the comments on his blog a great deal of heated argument and feeling has been generated.

I wanted to continue the discussion on today’s post with some examples from my own experience, but quickly realised that even by disguising names and places, it would be too easy for people to be recognised. Scotland is a small country. And though I have been desperately hurt by thoughtless discrimination masquerading as biblical principles I would not like to cause upset to anyone else. Suffice to say that I do know what I am talking about. Before these things happened to me I was happy enough to be one of the crowd who said, “discrimination has never happened to me…..”  But now I know better and there is no going back. I always tried to remember that I was a minister and part of the public face of the church, so it was up to me to love and keep on loving. It is doubtful that I ever achieved that ambition, but the whole point is to aim high.

There appears to have been some progress in the Church of England regarding the possibility of women being given equal status as bishops, though I understand this is by no means certain. There is a 2yr process whereby anything can happen in terms of exerting influence and gaining a position of power by those who are firmly in the against camp. I can hope – being an optimist most days – that the coalition government may influence people into being more reasonable about equality and justice. And who knows, only time will tell if we end up with a country and attitude to religion that is more accepting of people’s human rights.

I have to highlight what Cloudia of Comfort Spiral said yesterday:

…..we yanks have supposed separation of church
& state, yet religion rules…you have a state church, but a secular society….curious.

Yes – interesting indeed.

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7 Responses to Still a woman today

  1. Marcia Mayo says:

    Freda, I’m sending your link to my friend, Allison, who has had her share of discrimination from the United Methodist Church, which purports to be quite liberal, and, in comparison to many others, is. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with the rest of us.

  2. freda says:

    Thanks Marcia, if she wants to email me privately that would be OK.

  3. Jimmy says:

    You need to remember Freda that the Lord called you to serve – to give.
    What you gave in your ministry is much more important than what you received.
    “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
    If a few ignorant people did not or did not want to comprehend or acknowledge your call then that was their loss.

  4. Linda Hillin says:

    I walked away from the church about 8 years ago. After moving to Oregon I decided I owed it to myself to give it one more try and see if I had anything left for the church. I visited a United Church of Christ here which was a wonderful church with a woman pastor. After a few times I realized there was nothing there.

  5. freda says:

    Thank you, Jimmy, I believe that we are all given gifts and have some sort of call or vocation in life. But sometimes we have difficulty identifying what they are, and of course circumstances change throughout life and that means it is good to continually re-evaluate where we are.
    Linda, I’m sorry that wasn’t the church for you. In my experience some people find it easier to find their sense of God or the spiritual in other ways than church. And don’t forget I am learning about the capable, caring you at A Slower Pace. Every blessing

  6. friko says:

    Freda, I was once a catholic – I suppose I will always be a catholic, even though I deliberately left the church when I was very young and have never found my way back .

    Watching the Anglican Church tear itself apart over the issue first of women priests, then of women bishops is a horrifying and painful spectacle of naked discrimination, prejudice, male chauvinism, and downright spite and hatred at times. I have two women friends who are ardent supporters and strident in their support; not a pretty picture either.

    What with the horrendous misdeeds in the catholic church coming to light and the undignified infighting in the Anglican church open for all to see, what is a poor searcher like me to do? Will I ever find my way back? Would I even want to?
    It would be hard enough to regain faith, but when the representatives of this faith here on earth show so little charity, moral fibre and generosity of spirit, should I strive to regain it?

    I sincerely hope you will not find this comment offensive, it is meant to be nothing of the sort.

  7. freda says:

    Thanks for your comment, Friko, it is not offensive merely honest. You are right about the fighting in the Anglican communion and the problems in the RC denomination. I try to maintain overall hope by constantly remembering that the institutions purporting to serve God are run by flawed human beings. Then I have a day when I lose the rag and write a post in protest!

    The great people of faith remind us that where we see good, where we see justice, where we see joy………. there we see God. At night time I try to think of at least three things in the day where I have been aware of the presence of God. Today I am storing up firstly the horse running with foal, and the skylark singing up above. Every blessing to you.

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