We sometimes have a hard time believing what we read. For instance, would you believe that the pope has now been blamed for the fact that many Baptist churches won’t allow a woman to preach? That’s exactly what Barbara Reynolds said in a recent syndicated column. Here’s a sample of what was printed in the Tribune-Review, a Pittsburgh-area newspaper.
Reynolds tells us that “As a member of the clergy who is banned from preaching in many Baptist churches because I am female, I know firsthand how it is to be treated like an old shoe within the sanctuary.” So why blame the pope? Because “in Catholicism the sexism perpetrated by the church with the pope as a ringleader” has found its way into the Baptist church (no doubt a neo-trickle down effect).
“By this logic,” we answered, “if Reynolds goes to a restaurant on a Friday during Lent and finds that steak is not on the menu, it must be because of the pope.” On a more serious note, we asked, “What business is it of Reynolds what the Catholic Church teaches?”
We added that “If she doesn’t like being a Baptist, and doesn’t like the Catholic Church, then she is free to found her own religion.” We closed with, “And good luck trying to find some women who will want to join.”
