Move Over Barbie. Here Comes Clergy Girl!

If you're going to teach your daughters how disobey and trample on God's word then you may as well start em' young.

At least that is what the folks over at 'Old Lutheran' must be thinking. They're the marketers of 'Clergy Girl'. These are Barbie dolls dressed in clerical collars complete with communion accessories. They are for grade school feminists who aspire to be pastors someday. Too bad scripture forbids women from being pastors. But, as you can see, this 'minor' Biblical detail doesn't matter to the folks marketing these dolls.

As an Added Bonus: If you purchase both dolls together, the girls in your family can pretend that Pastors Grace and Faith are lesbian lovers fighting against evil Fundamentalist Bible Thumpers and the forces of dis-unity and intolerance.

Comments

[Gary (aka fool4jesus)]

Hey, but I kind of like the Martin Luther bobblehead doll over there.

http://www.oldlutheran.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=OL&Product_Code=800&Category_Code=BH

[Eve]

While I find these dolls a bit "off," it is because they are toys and not teaching tools. Biblically speaking, there is nothing against women being pastors (unless of course you are Catholic). In Romans 16 it says:

Rom 16:3
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
Rom 16:4
who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
Rom 16:5
Likewise greet the church that is in their house.

Rom 16:7
Greet Andronicus and Junia [a woman], my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

These passages not only confirm that women were leaders in the church, but either suggest directly or indirectly that they were copastors in the church ALONGSIDE their husbands, as part of a husband-wife apostolic team.

All passages must be viewed not only in text, but in context. The 1 Cor 14:34 passage about women keeping silent was based on the fact that the man is the priest of the home and therefore should be the authority on the word over their wife to prevent unnecessary discussion on the Word from happening, as well as to ensure his headship to prevent the possibility of her sharing a misinterpreted word.

If she understands the Word correctly (preferably through his priesthood), along with the fact that the word "man" most often refers to both men and women, that a woman is not necessarily precluded from serving as apostles. It simply states that it should be done with care. As a woman, I see no problem with this careful consideration of the placing of women as ministers, but believe it is important to express the possibility that you have misinterpreted doctrine.

[Shannon]

I find your sarcasm and your blatant hatred and intolerance very offensive. Who are you to say that women are not inspired leaders? The Bible states that women are not to be allowed in leadership because during that time it was not acceptable; Paul encouraged Christians to live faithfully within their culture pointing to its inadequacies and fighting them when it became possible. Paul also condoned slavery, exhorting slaves to obey their masters and work in cheerfulness and obedience. I am assuming that you believe this no longer applies? The time has now come (and has been a long time in coming) to stop making women into second class citizens. If someone cannot hear the word of God from the mouth of a woman, they need to take a good hard look at whether their faith is based only on appearances. I also find your insinuations at homosexual activity as being hateful and completely unchristlike, not to mention disrespectful and stereotypical. I do want to thank you, however, for drawing a clear picture of the kind of Christian I do not want to be. I will pray for you, sincerely, and those with your sentiments and I look forward to the day when my Christ returns and all divisions cease and there will be no lines drawn anymore. All will be one, there will be no male nor female, Gentile or Jew, slave or free. May God bless you, and all who read this, regardless of who you identify with.

[James]

Shannon,

Scripture is sooooooo clear on this.

1 Tim 2:11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

1Cor. 14:34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.

Both times Paul makes references to the Old Testament NOT CULTURE when laying down this rule.

Furtermore, NOT ONE of Jesus' Apostles was a woman or a homosexual. Should we conclude that Jesus was a bigoted intolerant unloving teacher then.

You Shannon are the one who is filled with hatred. You HATE God's truth and you don't even have enough LOVE to tell people the truth (homosexuality is a sin).

Because you do not know or understand that Bible lays down absolute moral laws and that when we break those laws we sin, because you think that a woman could blatantly disobey God's word, because you believe that it is unloving to tell a homosexual that they are in sin, YOU don't even follow TRUE Christianity, you've made and idol for yourself and are following a lie that will lead you to hell unless your repent.

[fourpointer]

Eve:

1) The passages you quoted do not "confirm that women were leaders" in the early church, especially the passage from Romans 16. The only ones who think this passage is "proof" of women being leaders in the church are those who WANT it to say that.

2) The passage in 1st Corinthians is talking about women keeping silent IN THE CHURCH, at the assembly. Besides, if you really think that Paul allowed women to be leaders in the church, then why did he write these words in 1st Timothy 2:11-12--Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

This would be a contradiction according to your interpretation. But there is no contradiction, because God has spoken--the Holy Spirit, moving men to write--that women are NOT to be leaders in the church. Consider the priests in the Old Testament. Not only did they have to be JEWS, they could only come from ONE TRIBE--Levi.

Shannon:

We do not consider women to be "second-class citizens." God, speaking through the apostle Paul makes it very clear that men are to be extremely respectful of women, especially their wives. But, there are certain functions that God has forbidden them from performing. Sorry, that's just the way it is. It doesn't matter what our likes or dislikes are. The word of God is the word of God, and that is the final authority.

And as for homosexuality, it's a sin. Plain and simple. You know the proof texts. They say what they say.

[Mike Allen]

James:

Where do you get that Shannon is stating that homosexuality is not a sin? Shannon merely objected to the last line, saying that one could pretend they were lesbian lovers simply because they are dressed as clergy. Shannon's point was obviously that throwing that in was completely uncalled for, and I agree. While you are free to disagree that women can be ministers (I also agree with Shannon on this), there is no need to jump into an argument over homosexuality. I do think someone owes Shannon an apology.

The Bible also states that leaders are to be the "husband of one wife" with obedient children, but I am aware of many different churches in which unmarried and/or childless males serve in a high capacity. Do you also feel so strongly that they should be excluded, or is this directed only at women?

Additionally, if you are taking 1 Cor. 14:34 literally, do you silence your own mother from teaching a class or raising a question? I have yet to hear any church, fundamentalist or not, rule from the pulpit that women are not to speak in church. If you feel so strongly on the matter, perhaps you should meet with your own pastor to make sure he sets the record straight for your congregation. If you do, I will pray that the women will be forgiving and refrain from beating you both in the parking lot for such narrow-minded foolishness. Do you also accept Psalm 137:9 as license to kidnap infants and bash their brains out? Eve has a good point that the single verses you named must be taken in context with those she named.

Again, no one is saying anything about homosexuality other than the jab at the end of the posting was entirely uncalled for. Intelligent, God-seving woman does not equal lesbian. I will leave you with Galatians 3:28:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

God loves us all.

[rick]

As a Christian, and a person studying to be ordained in the Episcopal Church, id like to say that ive just about had enough of the right wing using scripture to justify sexism and gender bias. Scripture says, niether MALE NOR FEMALE, slave nor Free, Greek Nor Jew, for ALL are one in Christ Jesus.

God doesnt look at a persons gender when judging whether they are fit to lead his people, he looks at their heart and their soul. God raises up those whom we as humans may in our ignorance fail to see as worthy, but God sees them as worthy. God doesnt choose us based on our gender or color or sexual orientation, he chooses us simply because he loves us. There is nothing we can do to make God love us, God loves us because he is God and we are his children. A persons "manhood" is irrelevent to God, and in the overall scheme of humanity, is fairly irrelevent to the world as well.

The bible, although the word of God, was also written through the hands of man, and through the eyes of a culture that existed 2000-6000 years ago. The principles of love, peace, justice, equality all still apply, but many of the rules, regulations and codes that once applied, no longer apply for our culture. We eat shrimp, and yet scripture forbids it. We wear clothing made of cotton and polyester, and yet scripture forbids that. We wear jewelery and use hair product, and yet scripture forbids that. We choose whom we fall in love with and whom we will marry, and yet scripture forbids that as well. How much of the sciptural codes and regulations can we truly apply to our post modern culture? It is illogical to even try.

Rules and regulations are made by man, and are constantly changing and varying from culture to culture, but one thing that doesnt change and never will, is Gods love for us. God calls us all to be ministers of his Gospel, and he calls some men and women specifically to be priests and pastors.

Using scripture as a way to justify masogony prejudice of any sort is just as idolotrous as the archaic understanding of the medieval church, selling indulgences and false relics to unsuspecting people.

Its time to put the idolotrous masogonistic view of scripture and God on the back burner and wake up to the reality of Gods love and all-inclusivity. Both Male and Female, God created them Both, in Gods Image and in Gods Likeness!

[Lynns Daughter]

I just found this by accident while looking for altered Barbies. The one on the left looks disturbingly like Carrie Prejean.