'Christian' store treats story on female pastors the same as porn

[nichomachus]

This supposedly Christian store pulled the magazine from the shelves and hid it behind the register -- just as stores do with porn mags.

Magazine with story on female pastors hidden behind register

CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) - At Lifeway Christian Bookstore in Chattanooga the latest issue of Gospel Today has been pulled from the magazine stands and placed behind the cashier counter. The problem? The five smiling women on the cover are pastors.

In a statement to Eyewitness News, Lifeway Christian Bookstores said:

"The cover story featuring female pastors clearly advocates a position contrary to our denomination's statement of faith."

The bookstore chain is operated by the Southern Baptist Convention. Leaders of the denomination don't believe women should be pastors. A belief they claim is supported by scripture.

Janice Robertson. is a United Methodist pastor in Fort Oglethorpe. She says the decision to pull the magazine is disturbing.

"I'll be very frank with you. When I learned about it, I was startled that it would be happening now in 2008," said Robertson.

Even at Fort Oglethorpe where Robertson has been the minister for nearly 3 months, the decision to place her in a pastoral role was met with questions and concerns.

"A lot of the older members did come to me with some concerns. We've never had a female minister; we've always had male pastors in this church. Not so much from a biblical perspective although some of that came up. But more just this is new, this is different we've never had that," said Dobbin Callahan, a Chair of Pastor Relations.

Callahan says Robertson is leading the church to new spiritual places. Within the span of her 12-year career as an ordained minister, dealing with opposition is something Robertson has grown accustomed to.

"Those things don't hurt me anymore, and it's not because I've become so thick skinned or tough. It's because I've begun to overlook them. I don't take them personally," said Robertson.

And she believes Lifeway Christian Bookstore's Decision to pull the magazine reflects the decision of a select few, not the entire denomination.

[southpaw]

1. Not surprising at all

This is one of the first beliefs I ditched when I started to question my faith.

Now I'm an atheist.

I simply couldn't accept that the all powerful creator of the universe made women to be inferior to men.

[Rob H.]

2. The Southern Baptists are behind this? I'm shocked!

:sarcasm:

[Midlodemocrat]

3. One of these stores just opened here.

:puke:

[RufusTFirefly]

4. "I was startled that it would be happening now in 2008"

Welcome to the end of the Age of Enlightenment, Pastor Robertson! Here, please accept this pair of complementary tickets to the Creationism Museum.


By the way, I wonder what scripture says about a moose-killing woman vice president, who thinks that God wants us to build a new pipeline in Alaska.

[tanyev]

5. They're hiding the Ladies of the Pulpit Issue 2008?

Now it's going to be the top seller.

[nichomachus]

7. Maybe it was the Swimsuit Edition

[susanbanks44]

6. What were they thinking?

[noel711]

8. As a clergyperson who is a woman...

I find it sad that for many progressives,
faith is an either/or preposition.

Too many progressives reject religion or faith
because they were brought up in rigid religious sytems,
or they buy into the 'divine redeemer would create women
to be second class citizens.' YOu don't have to accept things
the way others say they are. You can think for yourself,
and know that God didn't write the scriptures,
and no way does God view women as inferior.
Read the Bible with an open mind, (what's called the 'hermenuetic of suspicion')
see beyond the usual misogynist interpretation,
and see how the divine goes beyond our feeble traditional views.

When a person is educated in the ways of the world,
one sees beyond the 'party line' of politics and religion.

There ARE Liberation Theologies that proclaim a wonderful
diverse faith perspective.
There ARE Feminist Theologies that embrace the divine feminism of God.

I grieve the faith communities that are embarrassed to showcase
bold women preachers who aren't afraid to take on the world
and preach a gospel of diversity and healing.

That is NOT the whole picture of women pastors.
Nor is that how all faith communities address women pastors.

[nichomachus]

9. I think it's the other way around

for many religious people, faith is an either/or proposition. This is why they spent so much time burning people at the stake and chopping their heads off.

This is why our presidential candidates are forced to dance a jig every time some religious "leader" plays a tune.