Those of you who know me or who have read this blog for a while know that I am a big fan of Voddie Baucham. I think he's an amazingly eloquent bible teacher and he has made me engage with scriptures in ways I had never considered before. I thank God for his ministry.
Gov. Sarah Palin (right)
But politics makes strange bedfellows and politics reveals odd viewpoints and character flaws. And this election cycle has been no different.
After the announcement of John McCain's choice for running mate, the liberal anti-Christian, anti-life people came out of the woodwork. With spittle flying, they attacked Gov. Sarah Palin—and her husband, and her daughter, and her daughter's boyfriend's family—going back to things that Todd Palin did in his teens.
The strange bedfellows of these media crazies and blog psychos is exemplified best by Pastor Voddie Baucham. Ethics Daily recently reported on the conservative Christian backlash against Governor Sarah Palin. In the article Baptist Preacher Terms Palin VP Pick 'Anti-Family' reporter Bob Allen reveals a dark and mysogynistic side of conservative Evangelical Christianity. (You may read Pastor Baucham's original statement about Palin here.)
More character flaws abound, however, when Voddie Baucham's daughter entered the fray with a blog post titled 10 Reasons Why I Don't Want To Be VP. Now why would she be giving reasons why she doesn't want to be VP? Why not 10 Reasons Why I Don't Want To Be An Astronaut? Or perhaps, 10 Reasons Why I Don't Want To Be An Oak Tree. If you have no chance ever of being something, it's rather egotistical and fanciful to write an article about why you don't want to be that particular thing.
I have avoided the topic of patriocentricity for a while now. It has become a tedious discussion and I don't think there are very many people who have fallen this far off the biblical bandwagon into religious lala land. But with Gov. Palin's addition to the Republican presidential ticket, the Patriarchy has reared its very ugly and mysogynistic head and it's time to play Wack-a-Patrio again.
Don't let the anti-woman rhetoric from these folks sway you. As solid as Voddie Baucham is in other areas, his relationship with the Patriarchal movement calls his judgment in this area into question.
I don't agree with her views, but I also don't see what's egotistical or fanciful to make a top 10 list on one's personal blog.
ReplyDeleteShe says in her most recent post:
The article was the result of a very light-hearted conversation with a good friend of mine about politics; we dared each other to write posts about the recent turn of events, and I gave mine a bit of a ridiculous title to be funny. :)
"to make" should be "about making"
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's not egotistical, but it appears that way to me. Voddie Baucham's attack on Palin and the other varied attacks from the Patriarchy crowd have made me wonder why they have not asked these very same "anti-family" questions about the many men who Voddie Baucham says are just as anti-family as Palin because you can't hold public office without being anti-family.
ReplyDeleteI wrote my light-hearted ridiculously titled post to do, as Rush Limbaugh has done, to illustrate the absurd with the absurd. I think it is very sad that this apparently intelligent young woman is being affected by some extra-biblical teachings that have risen to the top of the theological agenda of many conservative Evangelicals.
Good thoughts, Richard.
ReplyDeleteYes, why not state a top 10 list of reasons for why we don't want to be oak trees? That makes just about as much sense as me blogging about the reasons I won't be VP. Or a list about why I won't be a brain surgeon or an artificial inseminator of cows?
It is arrogant because she and many others are inserting themselves into someone else's life and making judgment calls of which they know not. They are not judging with a righteous or just judgment. They are judging using self as their measuring stick.
On her blog, his daughter states that women can be midwives. But, we all know that this is a profession that takes women out of the home, away from their families and babies do NOT come on a schedule that is always conducive for "pro-family" values.
What is the difference between women working in other professions and being the VP? This is one woman not all women.
And who knows whether or not God is asking Sarah to sacrifice and put Him first for a season?
Hypocrisy and inconsistency abounds and the rules change as the patriocentrists see fit to change them.
Being a mother/wife is not a woman's only purpose, role or calling. It is only one of them. That is not even our highest calling (1Cor. 7 proves it is not).
Our highest calling is to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and to obey Him, follow Him, pick up our cross. He tells us that our love for Him should be so much more than our love for even our spouses and children that Jesus uses the word "hate" when he refers to our feelings for our families.
And why is it that men in their own circles are self-made pastors with a terrible track record who make up their own presbyteries when they can't obey already established leaders and they are not put under this kind of scrutiny? There is one such man in their circles who is divorced, as a Christian, from his first wife with which he had 4 children with and none of them say "boo" about it.
ReplyDeleteOh, but Sarah Palin is fair game for the magnifying glass but we are instructed to not be so judgmental about men who lead God's sheep?
"Or perhaps, 10 Reasons Why I Don't Want To Be An Oak Tree."
ReplyDeleteLOL!!
Richard, I hate to break it to you but Voddie has been on the speaking circuit with this patrio stuff for quite a while now. It breaks my heart.
"Or perhaps, 10 Reasons Why I Don't Want To Be An Oak Tree."
ReplyDeleteLOL!!
Richard, I hate to break it to you but Voddie has been on the speaking circuit with this patrio stuff for quite a while now. It breaks my heart.
He tells us that our love for Him should be so much more than our love for even our spouses and children that Jesus uses the word "hate" when he refers to our feelings for our families.
ReplyDeleteCorrie - this is a very good point. We need to keep our priorities in proper order.
I like your why I am not an artificial inseminator of cows concept. But I don't think I'll compile a list. It seems a bit futile (almost like why I don't want to be VP).
Lin - I am disappointed in this aspect of Voddie's teaching. And his involvement in their crusades and conferences gives me even greater cause for distress.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to view everyone through the filter of "they're only human and humans make mistakes." In other words, I'd like to benefit from the good that they teach and simply pass over (and maybe critique) the bad.
I don't know how possible that will be yet, but I'm going to try ... at least for a while.
Richard, it looks like Voddie Baucham is your Stacy Mcdonald: you can't ignore his nonsense, but you hope for the best because of his other gems of wisdom. This is just how I feel about Stacy. Oh well, at least she didn't make anti-Palin blogs. I'd love it if she, too, broke off from the VF influence.
ReplyDeleteJennifer (from the WWF board)
Please don't say mean things about my friend Jasmine or her father.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous Commenter: I did not intend any mean-spiritedness against Jasmine or her father. Her father is one of my two favorite bible teachers/preachers and I have great respect for him. I have some minor disagreements with him and have commented on those from time to time, although I did so without drawing his name into the fray - primarily because I did not want to dissuade anyone from listening to Pastor Baucham's sermons or reading his books, which I find to be among the best out there.
ReplyDeleteBut two years ago Jasmine and her father made what appears to be a mean-spirited attack against my friend, Sarah Palin. Jasmine's father was quite direct with his statements and his statements along with all the other over-the-top statements from the Patriarchy camp were well refuted by others. So I did not address them here. However, when Jasmine posted her article about why she does not want to be vice-president of the United States, I was just blown away by the absurdity of it all. I commented on her article, without saying anything "mean" against her or her father. It is not mean-spirited to say that you think someone is wrong. That's simple disagreement. And it is not mean to speak the truth from your point of view. So when I say that Jasmine's question seems to be egotistical, it is only because her question seemed egotistical.
I have never met Jasmine or her father and hold no ill-will toward either of them. But if they enter the public discourse about one of my friends, I'm likely to comment on it. I will, as always, try to keep it out of the arena of ad hominem and will try to deal only with the truth and my opinion of it. I'm sorry if my comments upset you. They were intended to provoke thought and not anger.
To get a more balanced view of how I normally present Jasmine's father, check out these blog posts from before and after this one that you commented on:
- Family Driven Faith (January 10, 2008)
- What will be your legacy? (January 14, 2008)
- A heritage from the Lord (March 27, 2008)
- It's Friday, but... (April 2, 2010)
Anonymous commenter, it appears you can't understand the humor in Richard's post title. It was a parody of what Jasmine said against Sarah Palin.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't agree that what the Voddie or Jasmine did in speaking against Palin in office was mean-spirited, they were dead serious against her, and dead wrong. And Richard's remarks were not mean - just done in the spirit of vigorous debate. And in that spirit, those who can't take the heat should not be in the kitchen!
I heard Voddie on CNN quoting Scripture out of context when speaking against Sarah Palin, ignoring all the Deborahs, Queens of Sheba, and other honorable women of influence in Scripture.
But the key thing is their theonomistic message, which is why they misuse Scripture so much. They are trying to put the USA under some kind of Mosaic Law code, and it came out loud and clear during that time. And one of their loudest messages preaches not merely for male elders in the churches and the authority of a husband in his home, which I CAN understand from reading the NT Scriptures. But they go WAY beyond that in teaching that everywhere else outside the church and home, a woman is NEVER to be vested with ANY kind of authority, ever. That includes government offices and being heads of corporations. I've read enough of Voddie's buddy, Doug Phillips to know that is what they teach.
This is why we saw the Left using Voddie to bring down Palin and divide the Right, and it is why Voddie misused Scripture and ignored passages that clearly went against his position to try to make a point Scripture does not make, namely, that woman are to always be under male authority, and that they may never have any kind of authority in the civil realm. It's their version of theonomy, and while they quote Scripture to try to prove their points, it is about as biblical as Moslems who are trying to place the USA under Sharia Law.
The book of Hebrews was written to warn the Jews who had become Christians to NOT go back to the Mosaic Law. We are under the New Covenant now, and like it or not, it doesn't command that women cannot ever be in positions of leadership in the world of commerce, or in the government.
Even the Old Testament allowed for the the occasional woman judge, or prophet, and it is a guess of mine He did this so the Uber-patriarchal teachers such as Doug Phillips would have a Scriptural witness against them, even though, as I said, they ignore all the Scriptures which talk of good women in positions of leadership.
Although I do not agree, I do want to thank you for your post. Both of the arguments presented is what has driven me to the word of God and challenged my heart. It has caused me to reflect and to ask the tough questions of myself and beg God to reveal himself to me through His written word.
ReplyDeleteWhen we begin to put "every" area of our life underneath the complete authority of scripture, God has a way of really shaking things up! This is where I have been in the last several years concerning my work outside of the home and my family. He's really been shaking my world, my ideals, and etc.... I once believed that I could do it all. That's a lie. I wanted to give 100% of myself as a mom and 100% of myself to my work. I wanted to offer the best of "me" in both worlds.
How is that even possible? The math just doesn't add up. Scripture says, "you cannot serve two masters." (Matthew 6:24)
I know many might not agree and would simply assume it's just a matter of prioritizing and balancing. However, I don't agree with that.
Inevitably one will make a choice.
Matthew 6:24 goes on to say...Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
Sadly, in our culture today we are all too willing to lay our families down on the alter of our success, egos, pride, greed...you name it.
This is the heart of Voddie's message. He's just simply asking the tough questions and I applaud him for taking such an unpopular stand even among his own evangelical circles!
He's simply asking given the season of her life and the nature of the position she is seeking as the second most powerful person in the nation, how can she be all that she needs to be to her family?
How can she truly be what she needs to be to her pregnant teenage daughter who desperately needs her mother probably more now than ever! How can she be what she needs to be to her special needs child, and her other children. All this on top of her normal duties as a wife and mother. Again, given her season of life....it's physically impossible for her to lead our nation and lead her home well!! At some point, she will be asked to make a choice.
Voddie says below:
"I am not arguing that it is always wrong for a woman to be engaged in affairs outside the home. I agree with Albert Barnes who wrote:
This does not mean, of course, that they are never to go abroad, but they are not to neglect their domestic affairs; they are not to be better known abroad than at home; they are not to omit their own duties, and become “busy-bodies” in the concerns of others. (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)
He goes on to say.....
"My point is simple. The job of a wife and mother is to be a wife and mother. Anything in addition to that must also be subservient to it. There is no higher calling."
He is not saying that one should NEVER work outside of the home, rather every position, every calling, every work opportunity must be viewed in light of how will it FIRST affect the home and bring glory to the gospel of Christ?
Because of that, and given the season of her life I am in agreement with his last statement...
"Moreover, I believe Paul’s admonition should lead us to reject any notion of a wife and mother taking on the level of responsibility that Mrs. Palin is seeking."
I applaud Palin for her drive, her desire, and her courage to lead our nation. My hope is that she desires to lead her family with that same vigorous passion!
"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right." ~Confucius
I know this was an old post, but as I mentioned these are the very things I have been wrestling with myself the past few years. Thanks for letting me add my two cents. ; )
Blessings,
Mel
Mel - I appreciate your comments and the obvious careful thought you've put into it. Frankly, we are in agreement in almost everything. And perhaps we are fully in agreement on the one thing that sticks in my throat on this, because it's an aspect of this situation that you did not address.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that this is an old post--yes, it really is. And when I posted this, I was under strong conviction through sermons I was hearing, my personal studies of scripture, and events in my life and my friends lives that faith in Christ has always been intended by God as a personal relationship between the believer and his Savior. This personal relationship spills over to others in much the same way as our love of anything else would spill over to others. It is the result of our praising the object of our love. That praise causes others to see our love and, perhaps, to want that same thing for themselves.
The flip side of this concept is that Christian faith was never intended to be a bully pulpit or a rod with which to whack those we have a disagreement with.
So although I agree almost entirely with Voddie's various proclamations of the faith, including his integrated family approach and emphasis on proper roles within the family, I simply don't think it is his place to tell Sarah Palin what she should do. He cannot possibly know her family's unique internal structure and it's truly non of his business.
Of course, I didn't write this post about Voddie because I didn't think he made strong enough statements for me to address them. He simply offered his opinion on things. I disagreed with his opinion, but that's part of life and certainly did not bother me in any way.
I wrote this post about Voddie's daughter who published a silly piece about why she does not want to be Sarah Palin. The presumption necessary for her to write such a piece is astounding, but understandable due to her age and the fact that I gather it was a school assignment. But to then publish it on the internet was frankly too much for me to ignore. It made me think that, perhaps, her father is not taking as strong a hand in her education as he advocates in his books and lectures. So I responded with this post, written in much the same vein as her's.
Although I did not address it here, this post (along with almost all my other posts for that period of about two years) sprang from my firm conviction that we Christians spend far too much time trying to force our own standards on others and far too little time simply praising the object of our love--Jesus Christ. I am guilty of this as much as anyone else, but that doesn't keep me from seeing it as a wrong that is quite prevalent in evangelical society.
I just read the post by Voddie's daughter Jasmine. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I thought it was a thoughtful piece by one of the clearer thinking young people in this country. Perhaps you yourself have grown clearer in your understanding during the last two years. Hopefully you have listened more to Voddie and less to the sermons that put you under a type of "strong conviction" that caused you to strike out in the way you did. I wish you less strife, more love, much more grace and truth. Shalom.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Rubygal. And I'm glad you were able to find Jasmine Baucham's article through my blog post. I agree that Jasmine seems to be one of the more clear-thinking young women out there, although I don't read her blog most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, follow Voddie pretty closely. The only preacher whose sermons I listen to more than Voddie's is John Piper. So I'd say that your recommendation about which sermons I should listen to has been fulfilled - and will continue to be fulfilled.
My issues with Voddie's position regarding Sarah Palin and the subsequent band-wagon riding by Jasmine stem not from sermons, but from my personal study of the Bible. It is a small disagreement, in my estimation, and does not keep Voddie from being one of my favorite preachers, speakers, and writers.
The intervening two years since I first posted this have convinced me more than ever that had Voddie's public statements against Sarah Palin been offered as political discourse they were unwise in the extreme. However, I don't think he meant them to be political in nature. I think his stand on this had much more to do with his view of men's and women's roles according to scripture. On that point I think we can reasonably disagree, and I don't think he and I disagree all that much.
In the political realm, however, I'd like to see our country continue its long history of moral example to the world and protection for its people. Voting against John McCain/Sarah Palin mean voting for Barack Obama/Joe Biden. I was no fan of John McCain, and am less a fan today. But the Obama/Biden ticket was so terrible a choice for America that John McCain was clearly the acceptable lesser of two evils. When Sarah Palin was added to the ticket I was actually able to support the Republican ticket intentionally--not just by holding my nose when I voted. That perception of the political landscape has strengthened tremendously over the past two years as I have watched our current political leadership take our great nation to the edge of the precipice.
I only hope that in the next election we can all be clear-headed enough to realize that we are voting for political leaders--not for perfect examples of biblical manhood and womanhood.