Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Nasrin's Story, 1994

What does biblical equality have to do with our Christian witness to the Islamic world? Nasrin was a close friend of mine when we lived in Cyprus. She helped me understand...

Nasrin's Story

5 comments:

  1. This doesn't totally apply to your post (BTW, I love the blog thus far!) but one of the things that I have been focusing with Charis on lately is her obsession with princesses. Everytime she wants to dress up we talk about "What is a princess?" She's the daughter of a king and that Charis is a daughter of The King. She's an heir to the kingdom not just the girl some prince will come along and sweep off her feet. I think our culture has romanticized royalty so much that it is difficult for us to believe Sultana's (sp?) story is true. But I want my daughters to know their worth is found in their relationship to the King not the prince (lowercase intentional) that sweeps them off their feet and that they hold all the rights as co-heirs with Christ.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are so right, Christie. I couldn't agree more with the direction you are leading Charis. We are princesses, daughters of the King of the Universe, and co-heirs with our brother, Jesus Christ. It is an awesome truth! Let's pray that Charis's present obsession with princesses will lead her to the wonderful identity found in her KING.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Kathy

    One of the pages is blank when I try to read your article...

    I think Christianity has raised the standing of women in the world considerably, especially in contrast to the abuses and oppression brought on by Islam. However, women are still often treated as second-class citizens in the church of Christ, and I agree with you that it does hamper the gospel. Too many of our leaders have bought into the traditions of men read into the Scripture and as a result are waaaaaay more focused on authority than on being a servant of all. In Nasrin's Story, you touched on the invented categories of "formal" and "informal" worship designed to give women (and in our denom. now spreading to any lay person)some freedom, but not too much. Similarly, men's vs. women's "roles" have been invented through misinterpreting Scripture,trying to convince us that we are all *essentially* equal...just not in practice. I'm looking forward to the day when the church lives out Galatians 3:28 fully. The church no longer makes distinctions between Jew & Greek or slave & free. When are we going to live out "no male and female"?

    ReplyDelete
  4. One time in college I asked a male friend why women were subordinated in the church and his response was, "Because it was part of the curse." I still am shocked at that answer everytime I think about it...isn't the goal of the Christian life, of life in Christ Jesus to get out from under the curse--is that not what we are freed from when we become co-heirs of the Kingdom? How awful that the church that is to point us to Christ seeks to keep us in at least partial bondage! I too agree that it is a hindrance to the gospel--I have a friend who is not "religious" in any way and one of her complaints is that most religions in some way demean women. How sad if that is what keeps her from seeking Christ...

    Thank you for sharing this article...it's been a long time since I read and was very enlightened by your work.

    Jackie (Hemphill) Rathbun

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you, Jackie! I'm enjoying having a place to Simply Put stuff.

    I had a very similar experience with a male friend. I wrote about that...now where did I put that?

    ReplyDelete