deird1 | (Reply)

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I just don't get it? I have known some really, really soppy romantic guys and some girls who really, really don't have time for this sort of thing. Do people not think about all those people who don't fit into these gender norms? And how they have to feel? I get really annoyed with this sort of thing because honestly the Bible was really progressive for its time period: David was the man after God's own heart, but he was SUPER EMOTIONAL and always crying and writing angsty poetry (I mean, it's gorgeous, 'cuz the Psalms are awesome, but so much of it is angsty poetry!) and dancing in his underwear and having sappy times with his BFF. And Jesus is always hanging out with the prostitutes and such. I just don't feel like the Bible puts a huge amount of value on women's sexuality as opposed to men's. I really don't. I feel like there's as many times of men getting in trouble for sexual misconduct in the Bible as women. And there's loads more examples of people getting in trouble for not worshipping correctly or lying or something than there is sexual stuff, honestly. It's just one of those cases that's so clearly influenced by culture and the church just can't see it.

Basically: if that's your doctrine, teach people to be abstinent before marriage and pure in mind. But teach people that and acknowledge that it's harder for some and easier for others, but don't make it about gender, because it's really, really not. And then move on to all the other things that are really important, like taking care of the poor and being kind and loving our enemies and such. This is really not that difficult, church.