Don’t they ever get tired of arguing about women and gays?

The Vatican begins its “Synod on Synodality” next week on October 4, where they will discuss – you guessed it – women and gays. The word Synodality means listening together to see how God is dealing with individuals. Call me cynical, but it is likely a session to listen together to hear what they already believe.

They will abide by their 1976 declaration on the ordination of women. The Vatican even says so when they declare that discussion of doctrine is off the table “Changes in doctrine and morality are off the table, according to Vatican officials.”

But this blog is not to just beat up on the Catholics. We will also beat up on SBC and CBMW because they LOVE to discuss women and gays.

Because of the loud clamor of dissenting voices, in 2016, both Catholics and Southern Baptists put together a commission or an advisory council to study the matter of women in church leadership. But do not expect anything to come of either one, because the outcome has already been decided before any meeting ever takes place.

It will not be these Christian leaders that pave the way for women. It will be ordinary people taking a stand and speaking up. The Southern Baptist Convention and the Vatican can save their money and their time. They both know what conclusion they will reach.

Let’s take a look at the picture regarding Christian women as it stands now (in 2016 when I wrote this)

Pope Francis institutes the Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women

On the now famous plane trip July 29, 2013, Pope Francis, when asked about women’s ordination, said “That door is closed.” Women must remember that it was Pope Benedict who closed that door in 2010 by saying that pedophilia crime is on the same level as having a woman as a preacher.

On May 12, 2016, Pope Francis was asked again to address the call for Catholic women to be allowed to serve as deacons. There is a specific distinction between deacons and priests. Deacons can preach, perform marriages, lead funeral services and run parishes. They can be married men but they must have been married before they became deacons. They cannot hear confessions or consecrate the Eucharist. As of yet, Catholic deacons cannot be women. Currently there are about 18,000 Catholic deacons in the United States, all males.

Pope Francis’ answer was that he would think about appointing a study. The news sources picked it up and declared that the Pope had opened the gate for ordaining Catholic women as deaconesses.

Two months later, Pope Francis established an official commission that could study the question “of the diaconate of women, especially with regard to the first ages of the Church,” the Vatican’s statement said.

The commission’s purpose falls short of what Pope Francis was originally asked to do. This commission is not charged with studying the possibility of women deaconesses in the 21st century; instead, this commission is to look at the history of early day deacons and deaconesses and the Church’s tradition. Hardly an open door for women today.

Plus, this is the third time such a commission has been appointed, and neither time has it gone anywhere.

It is safe to say that this commission will also die on the vine.

Women’s roles in Southern Baptist Convention focus of advisory council

Southern Baptist women have also stood up and asked for a place at the table.

Not to be outdone by the Catholics, a few weeks after Catholic women appealed to Pope Francis in May, on June 16, 2016, Southern Baptists formed an Advisory Council⁵ to “study the perspectives and strategies women in Southern Baptist churches bring to the God-given task of fulfilling the Great Commission.”

They made no pretense about entertaining the idea that women could be deacons or pastors. That is not even on the table. What is on the table is the fact that they felt the need to praise women for their contributions, hoping they would be satisfied with that.

This Advisory Council is made up of 18 women. Three of the women are wives of Southern Baptist seminary presidents: Mrs. Al Mohler, Mrs. Chuck Kelley, and Mrs. Jeff Iorg. These women prefer to be known as ‘the wife of’ before any other professional accomplishments are listed.

Since Southern Baptists believe that wives are to submit graciously to their husbands, and that Baptist women cannot be deacons or pastors, or even lead men in the church or home, there is no way these women will come to any conclusion that their husbands do not agree with. In fact, that is what male headship means: he makes the rules and she cannot decide against him. It would be heresy if a SBC seminary wife spoke in direct opposition to their faith statements as posted to their websites. Make no mistake: if any of those 18 women said that women should be allowed to be deacon or preachers, she and her husband would face harsh criticism.

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood seeks a more dominant voice

While the Catholics are studying the historical role of women deaconesses and the SBC is congratulating themselves on allowing women any position at all, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood has recently taken a hard-line step toward keeping women in their place.

Their new president, Denny Burk, is calling on all Christians to get in line behind the Danvers Statement by signing up more Christian groups to endorse it. Burk’s “My vision for the future of CBMW” spells it out.

Burk wants to renew this war against women with “resources, conferences, etc. in order to equip churches and organizations to face these current challenges.” They already have those resources plus they have locked egalitarian (women’s equality) books from being sold in Christian bookstores. What more do they want? Witch hunts come to mind.

Burk also wants to spread the net further and encompass all gender and sexual identities. It is important to remember that even if you have strongly held objections against homosexuals and transgendered people, it is never right to embark on a crusade against your fellow man. Look at the harm of the Crusades, the Inquisition, slavery, women’s rights, and the damage already done to homosexuals down through the years. Christians should never be complicit in exacting damage to those we disagree with or see as less than ourselves.

You are the deciding factor

Baptists and Catholics have long been on the wrong side of justice. Among them are the witch-hunts during the Inquisition, slavery in the United States, women’s right to vote, and criminalizing homosexuality.

Southern Baptists, Roman Catholics, and the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood have outlined their positions in 2016. We know the conclusion they will reach because we know what defines them. They are all bound by church tradition and recent statements of faith such as the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 and the Danvers Statement of 1987. They cannot act outside their man-made restrictions.

What they do not know – and what they have no control over – is how you will react.