WOMEN AS ELDERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19719, 19 August 1927, Page 14

WOMEN AS ELDERS

Sir.—ln reply to the letter signed "L.M.L.I may say that I remain unmoved by the fact that your correspondent is annoyed by my references to St. Paul. Most women are annoyed when Paul is quoted against them. Further, I question very much the truth of the statement contained in her letter "that the Church is losing its hold on the young people of, our day." If it is true I do not think that the cause can be found in "our narrow-minded atitude of women." I have been accused of basing my ideas on the teachings of Paul. Is your correspondent aware that the whole structure of the modern Church, and the bulk of its doctrinal teaching, are built upon the teachings of Paul ? The assumption is, of course, that Paul truly interpreted the mind of Christ in these matters. The experiences of the Christian Church so far have abundantly proved that Paul knew a thing or two about human nature, and the problems of Church life, which are the same in essence to-day as they were in his day. Your correspondent also thinks it is unfair that we should place such emphasis on Paul because he was only a man. If that is a permanent disqualification then we have a fairly big contract on hand in dealing with our teachers and many more besides Paul will have to go by the board. I am asked if I can quote one word uttered by Christ supporting the fact of the subordination of women. My reply is that Jesus was a Jew, and that when He lived women were subordinate to men in the Jewish nation in civil and ecclesiastical affairs. He never spoke a word against that system and yet it can be clearly seen from His gracious treatment of women that He looked upon women as equal with man on the spiritual plane, with a soul of her own and with duties of her own. But as far as I can see He never gave any grounds for the modern demands made bv some men and women for high positions in the Church. We mi~ht say, with equal truth, that Christianity is in favour of slavery because Jesus never said a word in condemnation of it, but the real truth is that Jesus taught the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, and these make slavery unthinkable. In the same way the applications of the principles of Christianity would make war impossible. As this matter has, in my opinion, been sufficiently ventilated, it is not ,my intention to continue this correspondence. Leonard H. Hunt. The Manse, Mount Eden. '