Before you read the headline and the article, realize a few things:
This took place yesterday.
In Wisconsin.
In a Lutheran church.
So much for a “harmless” Christian sect.
The headline:
Baraboo church doesn’t let women speak or vote as school principal is fired
Here’s the story in a nutshell:
Women from St. John’s Lutheran Church said they want basic rights and that the lack of those rights is what led to the firing of the school’s principal.
The Lutheran school’s principal, John Hartwig, was fired on Sunday, mainly because of his beliefs that women should be respected more in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Church…
And at the meeting to decide his fate, the women were commanded to shut up while the men voted to oust Hartwig 76-74.
Church leaders argue that they weren’t disrespectful to women at all:
Women who wanted to ask questions at the meeting were told to write them on a piece of paper and have a man read them aloud. But some, including Hartwig’s own daughter, said their questions were never read.
…
“Our congregational president was not trying to disrespect anyone. We have a wide number of households and a representative spiritual leadership of males who were asked to speak on behalf of their families so the meeting would not be over five hours,” said the Rev. Carl Schroeder, of St. John’s Lutheran Church, in the statement.
Because obviously women have no opinions of their own. They can only speak through a male translator.
At least a few of the women are coming to their senses:
The women who didn’t have a voice at the meeting said they hope they’re heard loud and clear next year when they move their children to public school.
“They’re willing to take our money and take our time and ask us for more, but when it comes to our opinion, it’s not really needed,” [mother Julie] Cutrell said.
Of course, if they knew the church’s policies were anti-women for so long, I wonder why they would enroll their children in the church-affiliated religious school in the first place — or even be part of the church.
I never thought I’d be defending a principal who thinks he needs to “assist parents with their God-commanded responsibility to train their children in the truths of Scripture.” But he got shafted by people even less rational than himself.
I’m waiting to hear other Christians denounce these people and their beliefs.
So far, nothing.
(Thanks to Glenn for the link)