Through the Eyes of a Woman

Editor’s note: This is a CBE 2021 Writing Contest Top 15 Winner! For a long time, I have wondered if a women’s church strike would be effective in changing men’s perception of women. Such a notion would probably shock quite a few women as they would see it almost as blasphemy to fight for justice and equality in a church setting. After all, Christ is the head of the church. Some think that church organization is divinely installed. I disagree. Even though it is God’s church, it is managed by mere men. If churches followed the example of Christ, they would be much more egalitarian, respecting the gifts and participation of women like the early church did. The patriarchal structures are man-made, not dropped from heaven in a divinely inspired book of rules. The Strike at Putney: A Picture of Unity Some time ago I came across a short story by L.M. Montgomery (1874–1942) called “The Strike at Putney.” [1]   The Women’s Foreign Mission Auxiliary of the Putney Presbyterian congregati

  When it became possible to again gather in person after Covid-19 regulations were relaxed in March 2022, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia published a picture of the leaders of the Union and the nine Conferences. They just wanted to show their joy at no longer having to hold consultations only by zoom. Various meetings were to be held: President’s Council, Administrators Council, Executive Committee, and Board of Directors. The board members and other leaders had come together for this. What they probably did not expect was the shitstorm that arose when the picture was commented on the Internet. There was not a single woman among the 23 leaders in the photo. Many comments were angry, some were unfair. But the picture made it clear that the SDA church is led only by men, even though more than half of the church members are women. And that is the case not only in Australia. In his book Women in the Church which Samuele Bacchiocchi wrote in 1986, he examines the role of

In days gone by, there were clear behavioral codes. Etiquette and decorum prevailed not only in the highest circles but also in the human relations of ordinary citizens. There were exact regulations as to who was to be introduced to whom first and how to greet each other. As people moved up the social ladder, they were expected to learn polite behavior. Although most government leaders and politicians behave in a manner befitting their office, there are exceptions. We saw a U.S. president pushing his way to the front of the group at a NATO summit (2017), grinning. The same head of state greeted the wife of his French counterpart with a sexist remark saying that she looked amazingly good for her age. How is a woman supposed to behave in this, other than smiling in a friendly manner? When he refused to give German Chancellor Angela Merkel the customary handshake at the White House, she could only smile, too, although her facial expression revealed what she thought. Not even in his i

The world is outraged at the Russian war against Ukraine. Politicians keep saying, “It’s Putin’s war!” Of course, it is. It was Putin’s decision. But he is not alone. Large parts of the Russian population support him because they believe the propaganda on the state-controlled media. Even members of the Duma believe what the media report. Well-educated, decent Russians in Moskow say in perfect English, “I don’t believe Russia is bombing Charkov. They promised to never do that. They aren’t doing it.” They do not believe in the Russian aggression in Ukraine. How could they? They are used to believing what the state media say and show. We hear of young people who live in Ukraine telling their parents who live in Russia about the onslaught on civilian targets, of the constant shelling. They are devastated that their parents do not believe them, repeating the words of state media. [1] And there is nothing else left. The last free media outlets have been banned and anyone propagating what th