Quote:
Originally Posted by ILG
Do you see how this message could really be enticing to a woman who feels out of control in her life? All she has to do is stop cutting her hair and she will have power and control! This is really dangerous because instead of working towards a true and positive solution for real problems, a woman’s energy is diverted into “long hair” and the belief that it gives her some special power. So, how does a sign that is supposed to be about submission (according to UPC theology) turn into one of power and control? I think the whole thing is about power and control from beginning to end.
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We live in interesting times. The cultural backlash against Biblical norms and customs for women and femininity is at an all time high. The Church is all too often found being influenced by the world, instead of the other way around.
One of ways the world has successfully deceived members of the Body of Christ, particularly women, is by linking the word "submission" to "doormat".
The world has had such an awful history when it comes to women being harassed, manipulated, abused, raped, tortured, and murdered, especially in patriarchal societies, that to even suggest a woman ought to submit to her husband comes across as misogynistic and degrading, at least in our Western, 21st century, post-modern culture.
For this reason, many Apostolic women are being fed from two different spoons. They are being presented with a false dichotomy. One spoon contains Biblical morsels about marriage, respect, submission, and etc. None dare pretend they don't stand for these things.
But the other spoon contains worldly morsels about how ugly and hurtful and stupid and mean men are vis a vis how beautiful and caring and intelligent and kind women are, so it's best to make sure you never find yourself underneath one, or, if you do, make sure you let him known who's in charge. Headship becomes neckship.
Now, this second message could never overtly be preached to any Apostolic woman, because everyone would recognize it for what it is: slander and blasphemy.
So, instead, alternative methods are devised in which this second message can be spiritually codified and justified through the perverting of certain verses of Holy Scripture. Then it can be preached as revelation and insight into the deep mysteries of God.
But the "power on her head" phrase has been used so much over the last couple of decades to engender and propagate so many bad ideas and false doctrines as to stagger the mind.
So, for the "silly woman" who is "laden with sins", who is carnally minded, these worldly morsels entice her into circumnavigating God's established order so it can be redefined and made into something it's not, something that is easy to swallow and makes for good sermon and book fodder, especially at retreats and conventions.
Therefore, there will be no end to this kind of nonsense. Paul called it out way back when, and whether or not anyone, man or woman, cares at all about what the Lord's emissary to the Gentiles had to say, or not, is really something no one can adequately measure or enforce, one way or the other.
Everyone will be persuaded each in their own minds. All anyone can do is continue to declare the right ways of the Lord and depend upon Him to sort His people out.