What does Evangelical mean? Definitions are constantly shifting. This video attempts to answer that question.
Exploring Christian Denominations
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What does Evangelical mean? Definitions are constantly shifting. This video attempts to answer that question.
I only care about what all the Abrahamic religions have in common: an unproven premise that a god exists. Prove that before exploring any further.
The last saying of the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas expresses contempt for women:
Simon Peter said to them, “Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life.” Jesus said, “I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven.”4
World religions have been charged with not only permitting, but also with perpetuating ingrained patterns of sexism, patriarchy, and misogyny. These religions, it seems, must either change or be left behind by all who believe that women and men are equal in their rights, abilities, and potential. Some charge that Christianity demeans and marginalizes women, that it is a male religion in which men are given the preponderance of power, prestige, and influence. But what did the founder of Christianity teach about women?
Jesus And Women’s Dignity
In the ancient context of Jesus’ day, women typically had little social or cultural influence. Their roles were usually limited to domestic life, and in the home and family they had very little control over money or possessions apart from their fathers or husbands. A Jewish man would pray three benedictions each day, one of which thanked God for not making him a woman—al-though nothing like this is contained in the Hebrew Scriptures. Though written within and for patriarchal cultures, the Hebrew Scriptures present several women as leaders worthy of respect, especially Deborah, who was a prophet and judge over Israel (Judges 4-5). Other women, such as Miriam, Huldah, and Esther, play important roles as well. While some women in ancient Judaism enjoyed some opportunities for leadership and respect, this was more the exception than the rule.1 Within this cultural context, Jesus’ respectful regard for women was unusual and sometimes even scandalous to those around him.
Although the New Testament is often assailed for being sexist and patriarchal, it fares far better than other ancient documents. Consider Gnosticism. Elaine Pagels champions the Gnostics as proto-feminists who had a higher regard for women than did writers of the New Testament.2 This conclusion is quite speculative and probably based on spotty evidence and selective quotation.3 The last saying of the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas expresses contempt for women:
Simon Peter said to them, “Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life.” Jesus said, “I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven.”4
Spiritual gender switching is not required for the sake of Jesus’ kingdom. Philip Jenkins’s comment is apt: “Though women play so crucial a role in Gnostic texts, the religious system as a whole had nothing good to say of women.”5 Women were held in low esteem because of their close connection with physical procreation, which the dualistic Gnostics detested. Men of Jesus’ day typically viewed women’s seductive behavior as responsible for most (if not all) sexual sin.6 Jesus never did so. While he never condoned immodesty, Jesus judged sexual lust as a man’s individual responsibility: “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28). Further, Jesus tightened the restrictions on divorce, not permitting men to divorce their wives for frivolous reasons (Matt. 5:31-32; 19:1-12), which, in a patriarchal setting, would leave women vulnerable and outcast. While the consensus was that only women could commit adultery against their husbands, Jesus insisted that a husband could commit adultery against his wife; it was a sin for both sexes.
What Jesus Thought About Women: His regard for them was unusual for his time—even scandalous | CBE (cbeinternational.org)
What do Pentecostal and charismatic mean? What is the difference between Pentecostal and Charismatic? Let’s answer those questions.
They might want to join forces. Controlling women sexually couldn't be all bad....
So entirely dismiss Jesus as a moral teacher? The ten commandments? Even if it started with people trying to get other people to do what they wanted there are still valuable lessons. Would it have helped you if they wrote in more sex scenes and some T&A?...
The Reformed Church in America, along with the Christian Reformed Church in North America, has its roots in the Dutch Reformed Church. This video will explain the history of the denomination and what its churches teach for doctrine.
There are several cross-denominational categorizations of churches: Mainline, Evangelical, Fundamentalist, etc. This video describes what Mainline churches are like today.
The evangelicals and the extreme orthodox Jews have joined forces ... gotta rebuild that temple and be ready for the Rapture....
Jews don't believe rapture nor do they concern themselves too much with hereafter.
Calvary Chapel was started by Chuck Smith and has grown to be a notable group of churches in the United States. What do they believe?
No.
There are already a LOT of sex scenes and T&A in the Bible.
This Video discusses some unique views of the following six denominations: Netherlands Reformed Church, Free Reformed Churches of North America, Heritage Reformed Congregations, Presbyterian Reformed Church, Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
What is the Wesleyan Church?
The Wesleyan Church is a Major holiness church body in the United States and Worldwide. What does the church believe and teach?
The Wesleyan Church is a Major holiness church body in the United States and Worldwide. What does the church believe and teach?
These Four Christian Denomination Families are all around, but what do they believe and what makes them different? This is a quick look at a few of the answers.
