How about you ask your Pastors wife (if he has one) if its OK to hug her husband? See what kind of response she gives. If she says yes, then ask your Pastor if its ok and see what he says.
This issue is about respecting the standard of the church so if all else fails and you dont feel comfortable asking the one you want to hug if its ok, follow the standard set forth in the Church.
Can't really vote in the poll since it doesn't have certain qualifiers in it... for me, it's nothing to do with "holiness" standards or things like that, but just is what is culturally appropriate in the culture of that local church and community. Where I was raised, and most of the folks I spend time with, you would never consider hugging across gender lines unless they were family... just considered inappropriate.
So, if my pastor were a woman, I'd never think of hugging her, even from the side, as it is just not appropriate for me to hug the opposite sex by most people's terms.
I gained a whole new respect for you today Bro. Robbins with just this one little line.
Don't read too much into that... Though the organization I'm ordained with, and minister within does have women pastors, was started by a woman, and I often minister for women pastors... I personally would never be a formal member of a church with a woman senior pastor. It was more of a rhetorical statement in light of the original question, not me providing my theological viewpoint of the appropriateness of women pastors.
Don't read too much into that... Though the organization I'm ordained with, and minister within does have women pastors, was started by a woman, and I often minister for women pastors... I personally would never be a formal member of a church with a woman senior pastor. It was more of a rhetorical statement in light of the original question, not me providing my theological viewpoint of the appropriateness of women pastors.
POOF! that was short lived...
So is it 'appropriate' for you to hug a male pastor... I mean if you can keep your self pure in thought and deed (not you personally, the common you) thorugh that... why not a nice seinor lady pastor... or even a hot young girl pastor??? Where is the Holy Ghost when you need Him? JK... well.. maybe.
Last edited by Titus2woman; 08-06-2012 at 12:37 PM.
So is it 'appropriate' for you to hug a male pastor... I mean if you can keep your self pure in thought and deed (not you personally, the common you) thorugh that... why not a nice seinor lady pastor... or even a hot young girl pastor??? Where is the Holy Ghost when you need Him? JK... well.. maybe.
HUH? Totally misfired thoughts from what I originally posted.
The point I was making was that the appropriateness had nothing to do with the role the person played, it was a gender issue. In the culture I was brought up in, and live in, it's not appropriate for me as a male to hug any female, no matter her role in the church. Therefore, if my Senior Pastor were male, no issue hugging him, but if my Senior Pastor were female, it would be inappropriate... because she is female, not because of the role in the church.
My original pastor never would have allowed that. He was super conservative that way. You never hugged a person of the opposite sex you were not married to. Quite a bit of divorce in that church. Which came first, the chicken or the egg. Just sayin'.
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When I was young and clever, I wanted to change the world. Now that I am older and wiser, I strive to change myself. ~
Just wondering, this rule some have against opposite-sex hugs, well, what if you're gay? What if the other one is gay? What if you don't know if he or she is gay?
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