Women have always played a central role. The Risen Christ appeared first to the faithful women. This was not accidental. I agree the thread began with a very valuable and salutary post.
ON THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN CHURCH
The above article forgot to mention the role women play in the choir....those of us who can't cook or sew...we sing. We also do the readings.... one of my childhood memories of of our matushka reading the hours during the weekday services or weekday vesper services, when there was no male available who could or would. remember not all churches are blessed with readers. There were even times when her daughters read the Apostoli, because there was no male available who would or could.
In the past few years it was the deacon's teenage daughters who read the hours (in slavonic mind you!).
Milla
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joasia
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Liudmilla, your article is close to my heart...guess why.
All your words are true. I would like to share something that I learnt about the Myrr-bearing women...
I don't remember which saint explained it(as I am not good with memorizations, as the protestants are)..but he said that God identified the woman as being just as important in the structure of His plan by, first, being born of a woman(since that is how He created mankind) and two, by having the women discover His Resurrection first and proclaiming the joyous word...while the men were hiding in fear in their apartment and too afraid to come out. Since the women had the duty of preparing the body for burial and it could not be finished due to the sunset(of their jewish tradition), they were the ones to go to His body, with faith in God and no fear, to complete their duty. It's amazing how God established this preparation to be done by women...as if, it was meant for the women to discover the Resurrection. God had it planned from the beginning. So the female gender always had a place in God's plan of importance.
Don't forget that the Theotokos is the intercessor for all of us, to God.
Gender-biase is based on OUR material worldview...we are the ones that have created the division...God has always shown that the two are meant to be as one.
Yes, the men can be priests, but how many laymen go to church? I see more women at church than men.
And a mother's prayer is so much more spiritually powerful than a father's. That includes god-mother's prayers too.
Joanna
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joasia
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Par. (1): I'm not clear as to how this fits into your overall post. Gender BIAS, I reject. Gender DISTINCTIONs, on the other hand, are God-given.
Well, you are correct Orthodox6...gender distinction is the proper way of viewing our circumstances between men and women, but don't you think that there is a form of gender-bias that has developed in society?
Par. (2): Statistical sample of one parish doesn't support the claim that fewer Orthodox men than Orthodox women attend services.
Yes, that is based on my observations of the 4 churches and two monasteries that I have attended. Do you see something else? Please share your observations.
Par. (3): I have to reject this as fully absurd. Joasia, you often have written wise remarks. How did this one slip in ?!
No need to call it absurdity now, is there? Well, this was taught to me over time. I can't really put a finger on it...it's like a whisper. It is taught that a mother's prayer comes deep from her heart. I guess it has something to do with giving birth to a child. Even female animals will protect their young. It's the mother instinct.
And as for the god-mother part...I became a god-mother for the first time, one year ago and all I want to do is give her everything that I have so that she could be spiritually strong.
I'm not a mother, but as a god-mother, I will give her all my precious possessions so that she can be blessed....and I have.
I feel that the mentality of a mother is someone who will be willing to give up everything she has for the spiritual benefit of her child.
Agree with me or not...but the mentality of a man will never reach that same level. There is always a certain detatchment.
Yes, a father can love, but a woman's love of a child is different. Maybe I'm just biased. Guess that brings us back to that same cross road.
Joanna
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Aristokles
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Orthodox6 wrote:Joasia,
Neither sex possesses greater potential for, nor superior abilities for living the Christian life (spiritual and practical) and seeking salvation through Christ.
I concur. I respectfully submit, Joasia, that it is your opinion regarding prayers of a mother vs that of a father, but that your feelings are not necessarily in line with reality regarding other human beings. Particularly those who are parents either by birth or adoption. Your experiences with other people are not universal any more then mine are. But you personally do not know what is in a father's heart when he prays for his child who's just be diagnosed with a disability, for instance. Or that of both parents who have had a child die.
Therefore, I disagree with you on your assumptions stated in this case.
Ebor
joasia wrote:Well, you are correct Orthodox6...gender distinction is the proper way of viewing our circumstances between men and women, but don't you think that there is a form of gender-bias that has developed in society?
Otoh, I agree with you on this point, in general but not in all instances.
There is gender-bias in most societies of humanity to one degree or another and there has been for millenia. In many countries girls are often not educated while, if there is a chance, boys might be. In India and China, for example, to have a boy child is much preferred to having a girl. Such that girls have been aborted at a much higher rate then boys. But this leads in a few years to not enough brides for the young men. Here are two articles on that:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/736466.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2723513.stm
In American and European history, girls have been told that they shouldn't have a college education or a career or do things that they have been very capable of doing (climbing mountains, flying planes, learn mathematics etc.)
On the third hand, not every interaction between males and females is coloured by bias.
Ebor