Did I Become Catholic Because I Hate Women? – 2

 

  1. The Lord only chose men as his apostles – The Church cannot change what the Lord established. This is a matter of sacramental integrity and the church simply does not have the authority to change these things
  2. There is a God-given complementarity in the traditional imagery of male and female – The father in the church reflects the father in the family. The mother in the church represents the mother in the family. The female model of perfection is found in the Blessed Virgin–in motherhood and the conception, gestation and bearing of new life. Putting women in the “father” role is un natural and destructive
  3. This innovation is an obstacle to unity – The Catholic and Orthodox Churches do not allow women priests. For Anglicans to move forward on their own is a slap in the face to Catholics and Orthodox. Furthermore, the Anglican Church is a tiny minority compared to those two churches. This is not smart.
  4. The Bible and the Early Church have women ministers, but not women priests – There is scant evidence for women’s ordination in the history of the church. Where there was such an innovation it was condemned as heretical by the Church.
  5. Instead of Women’s Ordination we need a renewal of women’s religious orders – The saints of the past who were religious sisters were feisty and faithful. They were not weak women, but strong and dynamic servants of the church. The answer to the feminism problem is stronger nuns, not women priests.
  6. The Church should not simply bend according to the winds of cultural change It’s disastrous to adapt the church to every fashion in society. Best to hold fast in the storm and resist change because the person who weds the spirit of the age will soon be a widow.

Along with many other Anglicans, I looked at the arguments on both sides and could see strengths and weaknesses in both.

This is what made me look again at the real question beneath it all, and that was the question of authority in the church.

When good Christians disagree for good reasons how should the decision be made? This was a classic case: those on both sides were good, faithful and sincere Christians. Both sides really did think the Holy Spirit was on their side. So how do you decide?

The Anglican solution was to take a vote. Continue Reading