Viewing God as male 'contributes to domestic abuse' says Church

Major Tom · #1 3rd-October-2006

From the Daily Mail website,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...#StartComments

(Bold added by me)

Quote:

Viewing God as male 'contributes to domestic abuse' says Church

A new report backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams accused the Church today of failing at "many points" to protect people vulnerable to domestic abuse.

The Church has not only failed at many points to address the processes that lead to domestic abuse but has - intentionally or unintentionally - reinforced abuse, failed to challenge abusers and intensified the suffering of survivors, the report said.

The document highlights "misguided" or distorted versions of Christian belief which have contributed to the problem of domestic abuse in contrast to "life-giving" theology which could help the Church counter abuse.

These harmful beliefs include a conception of God derived from the Bible and the Christian tradition portraying divine power in "unhealthy and oppressive" ways, the report said.

There are particular problems in the attribution of violent actions and attitudes to God, chiefly but not solely in the Old Testament, which require "careful" interpretation, it said.

A view of our relationship with God in terms of domination and submission, along with uncritical use of masculine imagery to characterise God, can validate "overbearing and ultimately violent patterns of behaviour" in intimate relationships, it said.

Harmful beliefs can also affect the response of churches when domestic abuse comes to light or reaches a critical point, the report added.
A spirituality of "self-denial" is often linked to a theology in which the survivor is urged to forgive the perpetrator and not to take remedial action against him.

Such an approach is "deficient" in many respects, the report notes, and in the context of abuse, to make forgiveness the top priority seems "perverse" when the welfare and safety of the person being abused is at a risk.

The report entitled Responding to Domestic Abuse, Guidelines for Pastoral Responsibility, encourages churches to become places of safety for survivors of domestic abuse.

Pastoral workers should also raise awareness about other agencies, support services, resources and expertise to encourage collaboration, it said.

In a jointly-signed foreword, Dr Williams and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said: "Domestic abuse in all its forms is contrary to the will of God and an affront to human dignity. All need to play their part in preventing or halting it."

Launching the report at a news conference in London, the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham James, said he hoped the new guidelines would break down the silence and secrecy surrounding domestic abuse.

He said victims might well seek pastoral support in church congregations.

Commenting on the idea of harmful beliefs in God, he said: "I think of the experience, not least of some victims themselves who can be locked into a belief that they deserve the punishment that they receive and they link that with the theology that they hear in church where Christ is victim.

".. maybe even that they think their suffering has redemptive quality to it which justifies it in some way."

Domestic abuse affects one in five adults in the UK - one in four women and one in seven men - at some point, the report said.

One quarter of all assaults reported to the police are defined as domestic abuse and an average of two women a week are killed by their male partner or ex-partner in England and Wales.

The report was drawn up following a motion passed by General Synod in July 2004 calling for national guidelines and for dioceses to consider how they could work with other agencies and "speak out against the evil of domestic violence".

"Uncritical use of masculine imagery to characterise God" is contributing to domestic abuse?
In other words, God being seen as being predominantly male is to blame for domestic abuse. I wonder where their proof for this is?
I wouldn't be suprised if some mangina in the Church was behind this stupid claim.

-----

This is an updated version of the story also from the Daily Mail website:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...#StartComments

(Notice this time the headline says 'wife-beating' rather than domestic abuse')

Quote:

Outcry as clergy say calling God 'He' or 'Lord' encourages wife-beating

Church of England leaders warned yesterday that calling God 'He' encourages men to beat their wives.

They told churchgoers they must think twice before they refer to God as 'He' or 'Lord' because of the dangers that it will lead to domestic abuse.

In new guidelines for bishops and priests on such abuse, they blamed "uncritical use of masculine imagery" for encouraging men to behave violently towards women.

They also warned that clergy must reconsider the language they use in sermons and check the hymns they sing to remove signs of male oppression.

The recommendation - fully endorsed by Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams - puts a question mark over huge swathes of Christian teaching and practice.

It throws doubt on whether the principal Christian prayer should continue to be known as the Lord's Prayer and begin 'Our Father'.

It means well-loved hymns such as Fight the Good Fight and Onward Christian Soldiers may be headed for the dustbin.

The rules also throw into question the role of the Bible by calling for reinterpretations of stories in which God uses violence.

The guidelines also claim that abuse is common within marriage and says this is because marriage heightens a sense among husbands that they own their wives.

The document prompted an outcry from conservative clergy. They accused the Archbishops' Council, the CofE's cabinet that produced the guidelines, of distorting theology for a 'feminist agenda'. Rod Thomas, a Plymouth vicar and spokesman for the influential evangelical Reform movement, said: "There is a danger that this document has veered too much towards political correctness.

"The Bible says God has both female and male characteristics but it does not feel inhibited about referring to God as male." Simon Calvert of the evangelical Christian Institute think tank, said: "They appear to suggest seriously that we should ditch many centuries of Judaeo-Christian teaching because of some half-baked feminist theory." The guidelines - Responding to Domestic Abuse -say that centuries of Christian teaching have led to "questionable assumptions" about the Bible and moral teaching.

"Domestic abuse is fundamentally an abuse of power, and many conceptions of God derived from the Bible and the Christian tradition have portrayed divine power in unhealthy and potentially oppressive ways,' say the guidelines.

"There are particular problems in the attribution of violent actions and attitudes to God, chiefly but not solely in the Old Testament, which require careful interpretation." The document adds that Biblical violence, 'in combination with uncritical use of masculine imagery, can validate overbearing and ultimately violent patterns of behaviour'.

It quotes a feminist thinker that "If God is male, then the male is God". Calling for the Church to "correct this major imbalance", it says changes must extend to sermons, formal teaching and hymns.

There should, it recommends, be "imagination and sensivity in using potentially problematic language".

"For example, the idea of God as "Lord" may be used in harsh and domineering ways."

Removing signs of "male oppression"? That smacks of feminist bullshit.
Some people in the church definately seem to be pandering to the PC crowd....

Thankfully, the conservative clergy is standing up to this bollocks:
Simon Calvert of the evangelical Christian Institute think tank, said: "They appear to suggest seriously that we should ditch many centuries of Judaeo-Christian teaching because of some half-baked feminist theory."
If they can do anything to stop this will remain to be seen.

Out of interest, almost everyone on the comments section seems to think this is a stupid idea. Changing the church to suit the PC crowd clearly isn't winning the church any respect.

I believe that if the church does conduct a major change such as cleansing itself of references to God as 'Father' and 'Lord' and so on that we will see many people losing respect for it as an institution and I wouldn't be at all suprised if church attendance fell even more if they continue along these lines.
To quote a comment left on the Daily Mail website:
'The church has also now gone PC. That should be the final nail in its coffin.'

dad_savage · #2 3rd-October-2006

If they're hell-bent on retconning the Bible to make it more fluffy, are we eventually going to see them start adding positive female characters to the cast? They could make Jesus female, but it'd be unbeleivable. I mean, think about it, she'd have only needed to argue that she was abused and there's no way they'd have crucified her; it'd be a slap on the wrist instead. Ho ho ho

On a serious note though religion is syncretic, this doesn't come as a surprise to me.

Fidelbogen · #3 26th-October-2006

All of this talk presupposes that a person has any interest in the Xtian
religion in the first place. Which I'm glad to admit I don't.

Anyway, the feminists are just paving the way for the ascendency of
their 'goddess' theology, which they will unroll little by little and cement
into place when the time seems right.

Anybody familiar with THIS fruity slimeball?

http://www.womanthouartgod.com/rasa.php

That is what the future holds. You may laugh now, but as time goes on
and the culture changes, more and more people like this - and their whole
style of thinking - will crawl out of the woodwork and all over society and
into positions of influence....

Well, hopefully not....

Fidelbogen · #4 26th-October-2006

All of this talk presupposes that a person has any interest in the Xtian
religion in the first place. Which I'm glad to admit I don't.

Anyway, the feminists are just paving the way for the ascendency of
their 'goddess' theology, which they will unroll little by little and cement
into place when the time seems right.

Anybody familiar with THIS fruity slimeball?

http://www.womanthouartgod.com/rasa.php

That is what the future holds. You may laugh now, but as time goes on
and the culture changes, more and more people like this - and their whole
style of thinking - will crawl out of the woodwork and all over society and
into positions of influence....

Well, hopefully not....

Major Tom · #5 26th-October-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fidelbogen

All of this talk presupposes that a person has any interest in the Xtian
religion in the first place. Which I'm glad to admit I don't.

Anyway, the feminists are just paving the way for the ascendency of
their 'goddess' theology, which they will unroll little by little and cement
into place when the time seems right.

Anybody familiar with THIS fruity slimeball?

http://www.womanthouartgod.com/rasa.php

That is what the future holds. You may laugh now, but as time goes on
and the culture changes, more and more people like this - and their whole
style of thinking - will crawl out of the woodwork and all over society and
into positions of influence....

Well, hopefully not....

woman thou art god! I remember reading that website ages ago-good for a laugh.
That woman is seriously insane!

Major Tom · #6 26th-October-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fidelbogen

All of this talk presupposes that a person has any interest in the Xtian
religion in the first place. Which I'm glad to admit I don't.

Anyway, the feminists are just paving the way for the ascendency of
their 'goddess' theology, which they will unroll little by little and cement
into place when the time seems right.

Anybody familiar with THIS fruity slimeball?

http://www.womanthouartgod.com/rasa.php

That is what the future holds. You may laugh now, but as time goes on
and the culture changes, more and more people like this - and their whole
style of thinking - will crawl out of the woodwork and all over society and
into positions of influence....

Well, hopefully not....

woman thou art god! I remember reading that website ages ago-good for a laugh.
That woman is seriously insane!

Billy · #7 26th-October-2006

At the head of feminism is hatred for man and God.

Women are so easily influenced and as we know Eve was back in the begginning of our existance. Women are suppose to be under mans care and protection. But women today want to step out from that and rule him.
Which means the downfall for everyone.

I think those in our governments and the hidden hand who are athiest and Satanist have created feminsim. It has reduced men to powerless over women and created distrust between the sexes. The main goal iin my opinion is to slow the population growth.

Well the plan has worked for decades now.

Billy · #8 26th-October-2006

At the head of feminism is hatred for man and God.

Women are so easily influenced and as we know Eve was back in the begginning of our existance. Women are suppose to be under mans care and protection. But women today want to step out from that and rule him.
Which means the downfall for everyone.

I think those in our governments and the hidden hand who are athiest and Satanist have created feminsim. It has reduced men to powerless over women and created distrust between the sexes. The main goal iin my opinion is to slow the population growth.

Well the plan has worked for decades now.

Dr David Banner · #9 10th-December-2006

Billy we read in the Bible when God laughed.It was when man(or in this case a woman) sets himself up as God. Things that are absurdly out of place make us laugh.So it is with Him. I am sure that these idiotic times must soon come to an end.Chesterton the great English writer said when people dont believe in God they believe anything!Reason and Religion should go hand in hand, today religion is discredited by falsehood and all manner of corruption and fake religion.Feminism is the root cause of much of this.Feminist theologians have done huge harm.They help keep many men out of the church.I begin to think they are seriously possessed!

Note the deafening silence of feminists proclaiming satan as a woman!