Arya Samaj

Shishya

Christianity: Sunday School Teacher Dumped for Being Female
by
AP
via CNN, USA
Aug. 21, 2006

WATERTOWN, New York (AP) -- The minister of a church that dismissed a female Sunday School teacher after adopting what it called a literal interpretation of the Bible says a woman can perform any job -- outside of the church.

The First Baptist Church dismissed Mary Lambert on August 9 with a letter explaining that the church had adopted an interpretation that prohibits women from teaching men. She had taught there for 54 years.

The letter quoted the first epistle to Timothy: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent."

The Rev. Timothy LaBouf, who also serves on the Watertown City Council, issued a statement saying his stance against women teaching men in Sunday school would not affect his decisions as a city leader in Watertown, where all five members of the council are men but the city manager who runs the city's day-to-day operations is a woman.

"I believe that a woman can perform any job and fulfill any responsibility that she desires to outside of the church", LaBouf wrote Saturday.

Mayor Jeffrey Graham, however, was bothered by the reasons given Lambert's dismissal.

"If what's said in that letter reflects the councilman's views, those are disturbing remarks in this day and age," Graham said. "Maybe they wouldn't have been disturbing 500 years ago, but they are now."

Lambert has publicly criticized the decision, but the church did not publicly address the matter until Saturday, a day after its board met.

In a statement, the board said other issues were behind Lambert's dismissal, but it did not say what they were.

(Source)

Sunita · Arya Ladies Forum Moderator Joined: 24 May 2006 Posts: 567

Well, this is shocking......i wonder what they will do next.
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Deepan Abisuriya · Junior Member Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 66

Mean mentality of these who have stopped a lady from teaching. The Holy Bible says that all are one in the eyes of God whether men or women....what have these dictators studies in their scriptures. Are they up to claim themselves to tbe gods?