Thu 16 Aug 2007
The Stepford Wives of the SBC?
Posted by tom cottar under theology
I know…I know…I’m behind on this. It hit the presses while I was out on vacation, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around it…
Surely by now, you’ve seen the story of Southwestern Seminary’s new degree plan to teach women how to stay home and cook, sew, clean, and keep their man happy.
Well…sort of, at least. They’re not calling it ’sewing’. Instead, it’s Clothing Construction. In an effort to establish ‘biblical gender and family roles’,i will offer a bachelor of arts in humanities degree with a 23-hour concentration in homemaking. (It’s ONLY open to women…sorry, Jimmie, you and the rest of the stay-at-home-dads are on your own. Best of luck to ya.)
Coursework will include seven hours of nutrition and meal preparation, seven hours of textile design and "clothing construction," three hours of general homemaking, three hours on "the value of a child," (because women don’t value children???) and three hours on the "biblical model for the home and family." The main focus on the course is hospitality in the home.
Whew…I am relieved. Paige says that if they (SWBTS) don’t take this action, then our denomination and our nation ‘will be destroyed’. Glad he’s on watch…
Maybe it’s because Grandma’s not around anymore to teach women (who are interested) how to sew. Or maybe it’s because we can BUY a new blouse from Wal-Mart or Target cheaper than sewing one. Or maybe I’m just totally missing the point and women don’t value children as much now that they can vote and have their own shoes.
Granted, in our family, my wife works only in the home. That’s the way we see God’s plan for our family. It’s financially tough, but so what? It’s what God wants for us right now. Even so, all this still seems a little weird.
Any explanations?
4 Responses to “ The Stepford Wives of the SBC? ”
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August 16th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
I have always felt a tension in responding to these kinds of threads. Although I grew up SBC and was a part of it for the first 24 years of my life…I haven’t been Baptist for the last 11 years of my life…..beside the math adding up to Tom being pretty damn old, it also means that I could very well be perceived as the outsider just casting stones at an institution I chose to leave for reasons like this.
However, this article has to be one of the stupidest things I’ve ever read. To make such bold statements like the one below…I just cannot fathom.
“We are moving against the tide in order to establish family and gender roles as described in God’s word for the home and the family,” Patterson said at the denomination’s annual meeting in June. “If we do not do something to salvage the future of the home, both our denomination and our nation will be destroyed.”
First, since they like to take scripture literal, are they also planning to hold investment and real estate classes (Proverbs 31:16-18)?
Second, are they really so idolatrous that they think something other than the grace of Jesus Christ will save a nation? When our country had more distinct gender roles and “family values” (I am assuming that would be back in the 50’s here…correct me if I am wrong) was our country so wonderful?
Let’s see..that’s when we denied minorities full human rights. That’s when we had rampant child abuse and sexual abuse, although we still do…haven’t fixed that one. That’s when we developed the capacity to destroy the entire world and we can’t forget that the US is the only country that has ever actually USED a nuclear weapon on a foreign country. I’m sure that’s a can most wish we had never opened. This era laid the foundation for the highest increase of divorce this country’s ever seen.
Hmm…those family values didn’t save much now, did they.
We still needed the saving power and Christ and the inbreaking of the Kingdom of God. We still do.
“Whether a woman works outside or strictly in the home, her first priority is her family and home,”
Well…not sh*t Sherlock….the same is true for a man. Why aren’t we holding classes teaching men how to be dads and husbands?
Sorry…I’ll stop before I get started on that one….
Tom…feel free to edit this more than I have already if you wish…it won’t hurt my feelings one bit.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Hey,
Thanks for not putting me in there with Paige. He is the ultimate bomb thrower to me. Why not teach women to stay home and make money for their underpaid hubbies who preach? I find it beyond vulgur that a school I went to is putting this out for public consumption.
do not forget to mention, I am not just a home maker, I am a homeschool teacher, father, husband, curriculum writer and author, not to mention preacher and conservative theologian. Not bad for a stay at home mom, huh?
August 17th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Yeah, Jimmie, but you’re not eligible for the seminary degree to teach you how to do at least part of that the right way.
I guess Paige can’t wrap his head around the fact that a guy might actually want to cook, sew, and nurture children. This is in the truth is stranger than fiction category.
August 17th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Scott,
The day that SWBTS hired Paige Patterson as their president, I called and resigned from the Doctor of Educational Ministries program. He is not a person I think is worthy of the presidency of SWBTS.