You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby!

By: Anonymous

When I was a young child working in my parents’ grocery store after school in New Hampshire, part of my job was to make sure the cigarette rack was full.  One of the funniest things I would say to my siblings was the slogan for Virginia Slims cigarette “You’ve come a long way, baby”,  and then we would burst into laughter as we finished filling the racks. Women have come a long way in politics and in many other arenas. However, the scripture in 1 Timothy 2: 11-12 “Let a woman learn in silence with full submission.  I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man;” contradicts the views of those who believe that God has created women to have a voice.

In Penny Young Nance’s article Six Tips for Women Afraid to Talk Politics one sees how women are more likely to keep quiet about their views on politics.  Nance shares how woman have had an impact in the political arena since 1964.  She notes in the Western world women are more educated today than in the past.  However, women seem to hold their political views to themselves, or they keep their views within the family according to Pew Research.

Women have a voice and should be heard.  Many scholars believe that 1 Timothy was not written by the Apostle of the Gentiles, Paul, and I most certainly hope this is true.  Women are lifted up in the letters that scholars truly believe were written by Paul’s hands.  In fact, Paul mentions ten women in Romans 16 as having a deep influence in his encounters and in creating the church.  I believe that the true letters of Paul confirm the notion that both men and women are equal in God’s eyes.
Women are slowly starting to have a voice in politics and hold key leadership roles in companies.  In the 114th Congress, 20% are women, and in 2015 women held 14.2% of the key leadership roles in S&P 500 companies, according to a CNNMoney analysis. God creates all people for a purpose especially women who are finding their voices.  Women have come a long way.