It's Men and Men Only Behind the Pulpit at Southern Baptist Convention

If ever one wonders what will happen to Christianity, it is only necessary to watch the male dominated Southern Baptists and Catholics. Some smaller ones are in mix as well. That women are not capable to hold certain positions in the clergy simply is not sustainable in today's world. So long as this prejudice is maintained and widely known, membership in all of Christianity will fall.

I know there are millions of Christians who believe women should not be priests/preachers. They don't care how much it hurts their denomination or Christianity so long as ridged rules are followed. If you are one of those people and do not care that a "FOR SALE" sign will be in front of your church some day you are strange indeed.

There are many church members who say rules about what women are allowed to do should be accepting but having them behind the pulpit preaching is just too far. There remain so many "standards" of morality like that. Some will say gays are fine so long as they aren't allowed an official marriage. I recall a late relative of mine, born and raised in the deep South, saying integration of many kinds was right and should be allowed. But, integration of swimming pools was just too much, she said. 

The Southern Baptist Convention is having a hard time kicking out some successful churches in California founded by famous preacher and author, Rick Warren. His churches are official members of the SBC but decided to ordain three women recently. In certain ways, I suppose, he welds a bigger stick over the SBC than it does over him. He is an influential figure, publishes books most every year and is looked to as an authority on such matters of morality. A basic problem is that many dominations saw population growth in California and raced there to start churches. The social values are different there and hard to reconcile with denominations like the SBC. 

I once thought the splintering of societal tastes had maxed out when cable television replaced TV antennas. We went from three channels to a dozen or two. Then came hundreds. Now TV itself have to compete with a seemingly unending sources of programing. Why would we think there would not be as many new concepts of religion? 

Denominations would do well to allow local churches to make their own choices in these issues. The SBC could just allow California churches to do whatever they want and those in rural Mississippi the same.