Catholic Women Cannot be Deacons Because Jesus was a Man



A new statement from deep in the Vatican about women being appointed deacons was just released. According to the link it is another unconvincing argument against women. One reason women cannot be deacons, and of course priests, is because they are not in the image of Jesus. The eight pages also, apparently, go into other reasons, undocumented meetings of important people, untrue statements there have never been women deacons and someone heard from the Holy Spirit. It also said more study is needed as well as the favorite new word, "discernment." 

We know the additional study and discernment will be done by men. This is all the more likely because women are leaving Christianity faster than men.

The first explanation I ever heard against women clergy was that Jesus' disciples did not include women. We don't have much confirmation of that, only Bible stories written by men and recopied by men. I recall one of our Presbyterian pastors explain Jesus was much better for women than most of the men at that time. That may or may not be true but so what? That he ordered his disciples to leave their wives and follow him and scolded his mother is not a modern model of equality.

A preacher in the Lutheran Missouri Synod refers to its no women clergy in various ways. It's clear he believes that denomination's prohibition of women clergy is wrong but he is not allowed to say that in his videos. So, he gives tongue-in-cheek reasons for the policy. Recently he said it was because Eve came from Adam's rib.

The recent Vatican paper on women in the clergy said discernment and the Holy Spirit are needed to figure this out. At this time, however, the paper tells women they just don't look like men so they are out of luck.   

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 5, 2025 at 6:21 PM

    Unfortunately for many, mythological women are preferable to real life women.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ancient God, Bel (Baal), the Main Character in an Ancient Play

Image
In a British museum is a preserved stone tablet from Babylon. It dates to about 2,000 BCE. Someone labored patiently to inscribe an entire passion play featuring the god Bel. I reiterate this is a stone tablet, not a recopied papyrus. The play begins with the god Bel arrested by soldiers and taken off the stage. He reappears at a trial in the Hall of Judgement. Bel is innocent but is sentenced to death. In the next scene Bel is accosted by a mob. He is despised and rejected. The actor playing Bel is then taken by guard to a hilltop in a sacred grove. Two criminals are taken with him. One of these is released. The the audience then leaves the theater and follows the actor Bel and his guards to the top of a hill where the death scene is enacted by hanging from a tree. The audience returns to the theater for the dramatic final scenes. The dead Bel is stripped and prepared for burial. On a theatrical hill to the side of the stage is a tomb where the body is placed. A stone is rolle...
Read more

What Was the "Argument" in the Election

Image
I hate to add my blog to the piles of blogs and pundits analyzing and pondering the meaning of the just passed election. But that's what I feel like doing today. I've always like Senator Ted Cruz's summary of politics. He once said, "First, win the argument. Then, win the election." I think there is a way of applying that to anti abortion Catholics and Protestants. The link talks of Catholics who now feel they have no political home because Republicans let them down with Trump but they remain against abortion rights. Taking Cruz's win-the-argument thesis, I'd call the past election about an argument between two groups. One group's argument was, "Trump's a jerk." The other's argument was, "Abortion is wrong." The group, "Trump's a jerk," won the argument and then the election.  While one can argue the election, or any election, it about more complex issues, I believe in the end elections hinge on very simple ar...
Read more

Time to Forget the Christian Nation Thing

Image
While women are forbidden from being priests/preachers in some branches of Christianity thank goodness they are not forbidden from writing and lecturing about Christianity. A great article about the "Christian nation" notion shows us the U.S. is not a Christian nation and hopefully never will be. It is written by a woman with nerve and was published on a very Christian site, Christian Post.  Among the pilgrims were a few that wanted to establish a utopian Christian society. Some of their brethren stayed behind in Europe hoping the push aside worldly forces there and bring sinners to God. Today, whether it is the anti abortion, anti gay/trans, anti immigration or the put prayer back in schools branch there are those who want a version of what some pilgrims wanted, a utopian Christian society. The pilgrims were disappointed. Today's Christian utopians will be also. Here is why. The children of pilgrims did not believe the same things as their parents. Parents were roundly d...
Read more