Kacy is a 14-year-old athlete. She’s a girl. Her sport is football.
Those facts may make her a bit unusual. But they don’t make her unChristian.
Apparently, the coach of the opposing team thought otherwise. Before the start of the game, he read a statement on the intercom, quoting Romans 12:2 and warning that Christians shouldn’t be conformed to the unChristian ways of the world.
It wasn’t the first time Kacy encountered such nonsense. She plays in an Atlanta league for home-schooled kids and kids attending Christian schools. The chairman of the league tried to boot her out. Kacy respectfully stood up for herself and she kept playing football.
Kudos to Kacy! She simply wanted to play football, but to do so, she had to stand up to senseless religious-based bullying. She didn’t do it because she was trying to make a point. She did it because she’s an athlete.
And that’s reason enough. Her playing football has nothing to do with anything biblical or unbiblical.
For men to twist scripture to say a 14-year-old girl can’t play football is silliness.
If they think a girl shouldn’t play football -- for whatever reason -- fine. But they’re grown-ups and they should at least have the gumption to own their own point of view.
For them to project their personal point of view onto the face of God, and then conjure scripture to rationalize it, is nothing more than cowardly chicanery.
It’s similar to the sort of chicanery that Baptist leaders have used to rationalize why they don’t take action to protect kids against reported clergy child molesters. “Scripture teaches that each church is autonomous,” they say. And so they protect their self-serving radicalized notion of “autonomy” rather than protecting kids.
There’s nothing biblical about it.
Those facts may make her a bit unusual. But they don’t make her unChristian.
Apparently, the coach of the opposing team thought otherwise. Before the start of the game, he read a statement on the intercom, quoting Romans 12:2 and warning that Christians shouldn’t be conformed to the unChristian ways of the world.
It wasn’t the first time Kacy encountered such nonsense. She plays in an Atlanta league for home-schooled kids and kids attending Christian schools. The chairman of the league tried to boot her out. Kacy respectfully stood up for herself and she kept playing football.
Kudos to Kacy! She simply wanted to play football, but to do so, she had to stand up to senseless religious-based bullying. She didn’t do it because she was trying to make a point. She did it because she’s an athlete.
And that’s reason enough. Her playing football has nothing to do with anything biblical or unbiblical.
For men to twist scripture to say a 14-year-old girl can’t play football is silliness.
If they think a girl shouldn’t play football -- for whatever reason -- fine. But they’re grown-ups and they should at least have the gumption to own their own point of view.
For them to project their personal point of view onto the face of God, and then conjure scripture to rationalize it, is nothing more than cowardly chicanery.
It’s similar to the sort of chicanery that Baptist leaders have used to rationalize why they don’t take action to protect kids against reported clergy child molesters. “Scripture teaches that each church is autonomous,” they say. And so they protect their self-serving radicalized notion of “autonomy” rather than protecting kids.
There’s nothing biblical about it.
_______________________
News Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Is a girl playing football un-Christian?”
Just for the record there are a lot of "christian" women that hold the same narrow un-scriptual views as men when it comes to "keeping all females in their place".
ReplyDeleteTh is is a clasic example of power going amuck. These people "look" for anything that will "set them apart from unbelievers". I can remember when it was only christian to taper your hair cut, never block it! I always have hoped we would uncoiver a bible-times barber shop to see what they called it.
My approach has been if they have more rules than Matthew 22:36-40 then they are too legalistic for me.
"...there are a lot of 'christian' women that hold the same narrow un-scriptual views as men when it comes to 'keeping all females in their place'."
ReplyDeleteJohn: I know you're right about this. Since I've spent so much time trying to get the attention of Baptist leaders - and since most of the leaders are men - it's men from whom I've encountered the most nonsense and hatefulness. But I know that what you say is true -- there are plenty of women who hold the same sorts of views and who twist scripture to justify those views.
Christa,
ReplyDeleteI am just curious. Have you ever approached the WMU to see if they would be willing to address this issue at one of their annual meetings which takes place just prior to the convention? There might be some great thinkers among these ladies.
Nice thought, but it's been done. Dee Miller, in particular, made significant efforts, and others also.
ReplyDeleteSo many people - not just myself - have tried so hard to reach out to so many Baptist leaders and to communicate and to seek help... always imagining that, surely, there would be someone in leadership out there who would actually care enough to try to do something. Time and again, we've all been wrong. The whole system is oriented toward institutional protection. If there's someone in leadership out there who gives a hoot, it's high-time they started reaching out to us.
I should have known you would have already tried this approach. I just cannot help but believe that someday something is going to happen that will kick the door of opposition down. Those in leadership would do well to study history. When a few people become consumed with justice and are willing to stand time after time for the truth, the protectors of evil will fall. It is not a matter of if this will happen but when.
ReplyDeleteAs a fourth degree black belt, growing up with a passion for martial arts, let me say Amen! I dealt with all the crapola about martial arts being a sin for a woman to do, or being demonic. I love the Lord, and Christ has saved me. And I love martial arts. I couldn't take on the pompous and deceptive windbags of Fundamentalism without my 25+ years of martial training.
ReplyDeleteFundamentalists have tried to shrink women into a mold of being tiny and quiet, but God just keeps making a certain percentage of us tall and strong and jolly and loud. And yes, that's just as womanly as the rest.
Seems to me that religious bigots often want to cast women into roles as little girls: insipid, infantile, and lisping. That makes weak men feel safe.
But when we consult the Scripture for what it actually says, we see strength, honor, courage, and even a thirst for theological knowledge among godly women, which the Lord honored. Jael nailed it: the fear of God is the root and source of our wisdom and growth.
It is sad that the WMU did not step up and be of help. Did you write bout this on your blog at any time in the past?
ReplyDeleteI would like to see this information be brought out like the information about the Executive Committee has been. I think it is important to do so and also a wise move to be completely transparent about who in the SBC does not help.
Jeri: I always enjoy your black belt thoughts! For those of you who don't know, Jeri has a wonderful series of articles on the art of doing battle - here's one of them. I sometimes turn to Jeri's black-belt words when I'm in my low times, and almost invariably find a jewel within.
ReplyDeleteHey Christa,
ReplyDeleteDee is here, and we were reading the blog. She wanted me to put a link to the article about WMU for your other readers. If you want to hear more about how WMU has responded to this issue - see Dee's site www.takecourage.org and the artilce
http://www.takecourage.org/wmu-update.htm>
Renae: Thanks so much for posting the link to Dee's site.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but laugh at Anon's notion that we should provide information about "who in the SBC does not help." The real question is this: Who in the SBC DOES help?
The link above doesn't seem to work - here's another link to Dee's site.
ReplyDeleteI went to it Crista, this does not surprise me as I overheard some older church women speaking last week at a resturant about church issues and budgets. They were feverent believers of tithers let me say.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJon L. Estes, Baptist pastor in North Carolina: Get off my blog. You've been banned and you know it. You yourself promised not to bother me further, and you aren't keeping your own promise. I also blocked your email address, as you may recall.
ReplyDeleteAnd now you're trying to sneak on my blog as an Anonymous. That's sleazy and low. And you got caught at it because you apparently clicked "publish" before you switched over from your usual blogger identity to an anonymous identity.
The funny thing is that I actually suspected that original 11/5 5:00 Anonymous WMU comment might be you because it's so similar to something you said in an email once. And sure enough, in the comment that you yourself deleted (presumably because you realized you had posted as yourself instead of as Anonymous and thought you could fix it) you revealed that the Anonymous WMU comment was you. (For those who don't know how blogger works, I wind up seeing blogger comments even when the author deletes them and even when no one else sees them.)
No matter how worthwhile you may think what you've got to say is... don't say it here. I don't want to sort out the worthwhile from the caca. I will delete everything of yours, and if I ever again suspect that an Anonymous comment is you, I'll delete that too.
If you think you've got such great ideas on how to address clergy sex abuse, then just do it. Stop telling me what to do. Stop telling me to do more. Stop bothering me. You promised. Keep your promise.
I disagree with censoring John...if he makes himself look like an Pharisical idiot let him. I have read his stuff and he sounds completely like a Pharisee
ReplyDeleteJust to be clear... the person I have banned from the blog is Jon L. Estes, a pastor in North Carolina. It's NOT any of the other people who comment here using the name "John."
ReplyDeleteAnon: Thanks for sharing your disagreement, but Jon L. Estes stays banned. He and WatchingHistory are the only 2 I've banned... and both for good reason.
Sorry for the misprint, I meant Jon. Crista, I would suggest watching the movie Luther with Joseph Fiennes if you have never seen it.
ReplyDelete