Clever wordplay to downplay priesthood sexism? ...

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_Rollo Tomasi
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Post by _Rollo Tomasi »

Coggins7 wrote:OK Rollo, I'm now going to use Scratch's "nuannced" interpretation of the term "lie" and brand you as a bald, flat footed liar. It was not ever doctrine and it was never part of the official settled doctrinal core of the Church. You are a liar and a deciever and I'm calling you on it right here.

Are you lumping me in with all those "lying and deceiving" Brethren who taught and wrote this principle?

It was counsel and it was the perception, conditioned by the culture, and especially nineteengh century frontier culture, of some people of those times.

Perhaps that is where it came from (man, not God), but it was still treated and taught as doctrine (perhaps false doctrine, but doctrine nonetheless).

It was also hyperbolic teaching that was clearly, on many occasions not meant to be taken literally. I don't care what church manuals or magazines it appeared in; it was never doctrine and it was never required of the the membership of the church to beleive it.

It's not important whether members believed it (although many did and still do); the important fact is that Brethren believed it and taught it as doctrine to the membership.

Further, not all GA's taught it by any stretch of the imagination.

But many in the highest qourums in the Church did teach it. That's the point.

It also flies in the face of the doctrine of the Atonement and the official teachings of the church on forgiveness and repentance ....

I agree, which is why I always found this teaching repugnant.

As you still clearly have not the slightest idea what the difference is between official doctrine and any other kind of teaching or counsel within the LDS church ....

Are you talking to yourself again?

I do, however, have problems with slithering little reptiles like you who have no intention of serious, honest debate but who are only out gunning for the faith and sacred things of others.

How so?

There is nothing here preventing what SWK saw as being purly genetic in origin. Their are white Indians living in Latin America and they've been known for sometime. Further, as you have no idea what intermarriage or sexaul pairing took place in those Indian families in past centuries, and what genetic material their may actually be in that mix, you are blowing smoke out your considerable backside and doing nothing more. My wife's grandmother was a full blooded Cherokee. She doesn't look Amerindian, but the genetic material is there. She married a man who was half Japanese. One son is lighter skinned and has sandy hair, the other has black hair, a slightly darker complexion, and an obvious eye flap, which the other lacks.

Pout all you want, but SWK's own words make clear that his observations had nothing to do with science or genetics, but with the Book of Mormon promise that Indians would become "white and delightsome."

You see Rollo, your problem, like most other professional gainsayers, is that you are a blind, true believeing ideologue who has no conern for the disciplines of critical thought or nuanced reasoning. Your mind is the mind of the political activist mixed with that of the rightours, passion imbued fanatic. That's why you can lie through your pearly whites to people like me, Wade, and Gazelam who know perfectly well you don't know what you're talking about but can sit here and watch you try to tell us what our church teaches and what is doctrine and what isn't when clearly it doesn't really matter to you what the chruch teaches, as long as you can extract some cultural practice or folk doctrine from the dusty attic of church history and use it as a charm to cast out your own personal demons.

I sense you are about to have a meltdown. Calm down. We're just having a friendly debate here.

This is indicative of another pathetic and morally decrepit psycholgical and intellectual derangement known as socialism, or leftism, to which sin you have already confessed.

Being "liberal" is now a sin? Who knew!

They are equal under the law of God and the Gospel, and they are equal partners in the home.

No, they are not -- reread my Joseph F. Smith quote in a prior post.

The man presides because of certain characteristics that inhere both in the eternal gendered spirit, and in biology.

Like what? What male "characteristics" support the husband's being in charge in the home?

Equality is always relative and embedded in the natural hierarchies of human relationships, and there is nothing wrong with hierarchy when mediated by the principles of righteousness.

But can such "righteousness" really exist when we are told the husband presides over the wife in their own home? I don't think so.

There is a reason why the man "presides" in the home but as you don't have the intellectual capacity or self honesty to understand the concepts involved, I'd reather lecture my Venus Flytrap on the finer points of belly dancing.

I'm still waiting for you to give me that "reason," but you can't because there is none, other than the standard 'well, that's just the way its always been' excuse. That just ain't gonna cut it, bub.

All men are subject to Christ. Christ is subject Old Testament God the Father. The Father is subject to his Father.

Agreed, but all women are "subject" to their husbands, in this and the next life. Try to remember the first covenant a woman makes in the temple -- without getting into details, she makes it to her husband, not to God (to whom the man makes it).

We must also have PURE, LITERAL EQUALITY there as well as in the home.

And why shouldn't we? What is wrong with a wife being truly equal to her husband, in which they co-preside over their family?
"Moving beyond apologist persuasion, LDS polemicists furiously (and often fraudulently) attack any non-traditional view of Mormonism. They don't mince words -- they mince the truth."

-- Mike Quinn, writing of the FARMSboys, in "Early Mormonism and the Magic World View," p. x (Rev. ed. 1998)
_Rollo Tomasi
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Re: Who is the real sexists?

Post by _Rollo Tomasi »

wenglund wrote:... but men who have been casterated may still hold the priesthood ....

Depends. Current LDS policy expressly states that transsexuals cannot receive the priesthood or receive a temple recommend.
"Moving beyond apologist persuasion, LDS polemicists furiously (and often fraudulently) attack any non-traditional view of Mormonism. They don't mince words -- they mince the truth."

-- Mike Quinn, writing of the FARMSboys, in "Early Mormonism and the Magic World View," p. x (Rev. ed. 1998)
_Pokatator
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Post by _Pokatator »

Hey Cog

Maybe you can take a break from the slithering name calling and answer a couple related questions for me.

Why can't a women get out of the grave by herself? Why does it take a man to call her from the grave? What happens if he doesn't call her?

Thanx in advance, Pokatator
_wenglund
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Re: Who is the real sexists?

Post by _wenglund »

Rollo Tomasi wrote:
wenglund wrote:... but men who have been casterated may still hold the priesthood ....

Depends. Current LDS policy expressly states that transsexuals cannot receive the priesthood or receive a temple recommend.


True. That is why I used the "may" qualifier.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-
_Jason Bourne
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Post by _Jason Bourne »

Woman's and men's roles in the Gospel plan are somewhat different. There is an emphasis and deemphasis in various areas of life (home life vs. work, caring and nurturung of children as over against men's somewhat different type of role modeling and leadership). There is a differentiation of labors and emaphasis based upon complimentary differences between men and woman across several different dimensions, including biological, psychological, and emotional. The "patricarchal order", is a recognition of these dynamics as well as a divinely ordainded pattern through which his children will attain ultimate happiness and within which family and personal relationships between men and woman will be most productive to their progression.


Dynamics that are in some cases part of nature and in some cases socially imposed. I think the era we are in do demonstrate that women are quite able to lead in politics and businesses and do it quite well. Why not in a religious leadership capacity? Is that limit due to nature or out dated social norms?

The bottom line is that woman do not need the Priesthood.


Why?

They are, when worthy, quite capable of excersing all the gifts of the Spirit, performing all the miracles, and having all the revelations and spriitual experiences men are.


Yes and nobody said they need the priesthood to lead.

The one thing, the big pimple on the face of the Church in the minds of secularist liberal critics, is that woman cannot hold the Priesthood not for the spiritual power and authority it confers (which all worthy female members have through their faith in Christ and their living of the Gospel in any event), but for the ecclesiastical authority it confers; woman cannot be Bishops, Stake Presidents, Missions Presidents, or even ward clerks.


And this is this crux of it. As it stands now a women ultimately has no power to lead in the LDS Church. Even as an Relief Society president she is an auxiliary subject to the male bishop of a ward. Nobody needs priesthood to commune with God, do miracles and all you listed. But to lead in the LDS Church one needs LDS priesthood and women do not have that. Why not and why do you so cavalierly say they do not.


This is quite simple: men cannot seek, or angle, for positions, callings, or mantles of authority in the church, and therefore, neither can woman. Men are called to the Priesthood, and they are called to offices within it. Men are called to be Bishops, ward clerks, and Apostles. They cannot seek for, compete for, or ask, in any manner, for such callings. Its not their church; its the Lord;s church. it doesn't belong to the men or the woman of the church; it belongs to Jesus Christ.


You know as well as I that men actually do posture and position themselves at times for calling and positions. Not all, but many do. And oft times callings are part of who knows you and being in the right place at the right time.
_Coggins7
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Post by _Coggins7 »

Quote:
Woman's and men's roles in the Gospel plan are somewhat different. There is an emphasis and deemphasis in various areas of life (home life vs. work, caring and nurturung of children as over against men's somewhat different type of role modeling and leadership). There is a differentiation of labors and emaphasis based upon complimentary differences between men and woman across several different dimensions, including biological, psychological, and emotional. The "patricarchal order", is a recognition of these dynamics as well as a divinely ordainded pattern through which his children will attain ultimate happiness and within which family and personal relationships between men and woman will be most productive to their progression.



Dynamics that are in some cases part of nature and in some cases socially imposed. I think the era we are in do demonstrate that women are quite able to lead in politics and businesses and do it quite well. Why not in a religious leadership capacity? Is that limit due to nature or out dated social norms?


You tell me, and submit a detailed theorectic basis for your belief that in the case of the LDS church, the reason woman don't hold the Preisthood is due to, or ever was due to, outdated social norms. This is a very easy (and fashionable), claim to make, but such sociological beleifs are notoriously difficult to maintain philosophically when subjected to critical analysis.


Quote:

The bottom line is that woman do not need the Priesthood.



Why?


Quote:


I've already answered that. I'm not going to do it again. If you disagree with the explanatory outline I gave of it, then what are they?

Snip...

Quote:
The one thing, the big pimple on the face of the Church in the minds of secularist liberal critics, is that woman cannot hold the Priesthood not for the spiritual power and authority it confers (which all worthy female members have through their faith in Christ and their living of the Gospel in any event), but for the ecclesiastical authority it confers; woman cannot be Bishops, Stake Presidents, Missions Presidents, or even ward clerks.



And this is this crux of it. As it stands now a women ultimately has no power to lead in the LDS Church. Even as an Relief Society president she is an auxiliary subject to the male bishop of a ward. Nobody needs priesthood to commune with God, do miracles and all you listed. But to lead in the LDS Church one needs LDS priesthood and women do not have that. Why not and why do you so cavalierly say they do not.


I have already answerd these questions in outline in the post you are referencing. What problems do you have with its points?


Quote:

This is quite simple: men cannot seek, or angle, for positions, callings, or mantles of authority in the church, and therefore, neither can woman. Men are called to the Priesthood, and they are called to offices within it. Men are called to be Bishops, ward clerks, and Apostles. They cannot seek for, compete for, or ask, in any manner, for such callings. Its not their church; its the Lord;s church. it doesn't belong to the men or the woman of the church; it belongs to Jesus Christ.



You know as well as I that men actually do posture and position themselves at times for calling and positions. Not all, but many do. And oft times callings are part of who knows you and being in the right place at the right time.


In my experience, I don't know at all that this takes place and I've never seen it take place except in one instance, and in that instance I have no possible way to know one way or another, all their was was an appearance. Further, whether you believe to have seen men angle or posture for positions and whether or not you think you know instances when being in the right place in the right time or knowing someone had something to do is in the first is, for the purposes of this discussion utterly subjective on your part as well as completely ancedotal, and therefore useless to a discussion of what the church actually teaches as to the nature of authority in the chruch and the manner it devolves upon Prisethood holders in the form of callings to various offices.
_Jason Bourne
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Post by _Jason Bourne »

In my experience, I don't know at all that this takes place and I've never seen it take place except in one instance, and in that instance I have no possible way to know one way or another, all their was was an appearance. Further, whether you believe to have seen men angle or posture for positions and whether or not you think you know instances when being in the right place in the right time or knowing someone had something to do is in the first is, for the purposes of this discussion utterly subjective on your part as well as completely ancedotal, and therefore useless to a discussion of what the church actually teaches as to the nature of authority in the chruch and the manner it devolves upon Prisethood holders in the form of callings to various offices.


Do you realize that in that paragraph you have only two sentances. Both you and Wade need to reduce your word usage. And yes I will concede that all of this is anecdotal on the aspiration issues.

Anyway, on the other points, it seem to me that all you have said s that is just the way it is becasue God says it. This is the same answer we had for year for the priesthood ban for blacks as well as what you think were ad hoc speculative statements as to why. We don't even have that for women. But like it or not, your position is essentially women don't need the priesthood because that is the way it is and oh by the way, men only lead if called and they should not be aspiring to it. But women cannot lead at all in the LDS Church as it now stands. And really, your only answer is that is just the way it is.

Maybe there were other reasons but in ouor over abundance use of words I get impatient and tned to try to skim through your posts for some substance. I could have missed it but I did not see much substance at all this go round.
_Rollo Tomasi
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Post by _Rollo Tomasi »

Coggins7 wrote:
The bottom line is that woman do not need the Priesthood.

Why?

I've already answered that. I'm not going to do it again. If you disagree with the explanatory outline I gave of it, then what are they?

No, you haven't answered this question. Nor have you explained the relevance of "needing" the priesthood and the priesthood's limitation to males.
"Moving beyond apologist persuasion, LDS polemicists furiously (and often fraudulently) attack any non-traditional view of Mormonism. They don't mince words -- they mince the truth."

-- Mike Quinn, writing of the FARMSboys, in "Early Mormonism and the Magic World View," p. x (Rev. ed. 1998)
_Coggins7
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Post by _Coggins7 »

Do you realize that in that paragraph you have only two sentances. Both you and Wade need to reduce your word usage. And yes I will concede that all of this is anecdotal on the aspiration issues.

Anyway, on the other points, it seem to me that all you have said s that is just the way it is becasue God says it. This is the same answer we had for year for the priesthood ban for blacks as well as what you think were ad hoc speculative statements as to why. We don't even have that for women. But like it or not, your position is essentially women don't need the priesthood because that is the way it is and oh by the way, men only lead if called and they should not be aspiring to it. But women cannot lead at all in the LDS Church as it now stands. And really, your only answer is that is just the way it is.

Maybe there were other reasons but in ouor over abundance use of words I get impatient and tned to try to skim through your posts for some substance. I could have missed it but I did not see much substance at all this go round.



As to my writing style: that's how I write, and that's how its going to be, and if it gives you a headache, fine, the way I write, when I do so seriously, is inteded to make you think, not just to squirt out pat answers.

I'm goint to...oh man...I don't know.

Your dead wrong on the doctrinal justifications for woman not holding the Priesthood. The writings of the GA.s of the church over genrations are full of detailed explanations for this practice regarding church governance. Unlike the Priesthood ban, which despite being taught in an authoritative manner, was, like any other number of concepts taught in an authoritative manner, was never official church doctrine binding on the Saints (and I'm not claiming that their are not substantive aspects of the explanation of the ban that are not doctrinal. There are. I'm also not saying that the Lord might not ultimately have been the source of the ban. He may have been. I'm also not saying that all of the docrtinal details of the explanation were in fact, inspired. They may not have been).

The lack of Priesthood among woman is established church doctrine, and has been for quite a long time. Its quite biblical, and one need not be a degreed biblical scholar to find warrant for it in the New Testament, as well as for the concept of the presiding leadership role of the man in the home. So, here we have a 2,000 year history of a patriarchal order being observed within the Lord's church, which means from biblical times to the present, this was something else simply restored by the Prophet, and has no relation to cultural norms (even though, similar cutural norms, although corrupted, had always existed side by side with the authentic gospel teachings).

This isn't to say patriarchy isn't a western cultural norm. Its to say that those particular norms have no direct relation to the patriarchal order as understood and observed within the church and kingdom.

As to your idea that woman don't lead, this is utter nonesense. Woman lead all througout the church, and, truth be told, they lead the men who lead the church, from the home to the ward to the Presidency of the Chuch.

If you don't understand what I mean by this Jason, then there's probably liitle more I can say on this subject you will grasp at this time.

Loran
_harmony
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Post by _harmony »

Dynamics that are in some cases part of nature and in some cases socially imposed. I think the era we are in do demonstrate that women are quite able to lead in politics and businesses and do it quite well. Why not in a religious leadership capacity? Is that limit due to nature or out dated social norms?


You tell me, and submit a detailed theorectic basis for your belief that in the case of the LDS church, the reason woman don't hold the Preisthood is due to, or ever was due to, outdated social norms. This is a very easy (and fashionable), claim to make, but such sociological beleifs are notoriously difficult to maintain philosophically when subjected to critical analysis.


The problem is that the church is stuck. They've never progressed past 1959. They only moved into the 60's as far as Blacks are concerned because they were forced to do so. Our leaders grew up in the first half of the 20th century, and they see no reason to join the rest of the world in the 21st.

In the church, as women are concerned, we are given one choice: motherhood. No other choices are available, IF one wants to be in compliance. Oh sure, we pay lip service to other circumstances that can intervene (such as death or injury to a spouse or the woman never being asked to get married), but by and large, women are supposed to be mothers, period. We stay at home, we nurture the children, we keep the home fires burning, and we'd better damn well be happy with it... or we can sit down and shut up if we aren't. This recycled 50's nonsense is direct from the latest and greatest: the Proclamation on the Family. There is no give there; there is no escape; it's motherhood, period. Eternal life on earth, complete with minivans.

The bottom line is that woman do not need the Priesthood.


The bottom line is, no one needs the priesthood, not even the founders of the church. They didn't have it, when they formed the church.
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