A few of our brethren advocate that if a church puts a tract written by a woman in the tract rack, a sin is committed. Among all the absurd positions that brethren have taken through the years, this one is in competition to "take the cake." What a warped conception of women's role in the kingdom of God.

If these extremists are to be consistent in their position, they must quit singing all of the hymns written by women. In fact, they will have to print their own songbook that contains only songs written by men or they will have to mutilate the books they have by cutting out the songs written by women.

According to their illogical thinking, it would not be enough to not sing the songs, but the teaching done by women through the printed page (songs) must not even be in the meetinghouse. What would be the difference of having what women wrote in a songbook and what women wrote in the tract rack (or in a Truth Magazine - editor) It seems to me that having the women teaching us in the worship assembly through the songbook would, be far worse than haying a tract in the vestibule for anyone who might choose to, read it outside of the assembly, if the tract is sinful.

Brethren, such a ludicrous position could not be right. The fact that in its ultimate consequences the position makes the church a laughingstock shows that these brethren who embrace such extremity need to back up and reconsider.

In the songbook, Sacred Selections, there are nearly 150 songs written by women. This book is one of the songbooks used by the anti-women-teachers' brethren and they sing the songs written by the women. (Oh, consistency, where art thou?) Some of these songs are "Just As I Am," "Oh, Why Not Tonight?," "I Am Thine, O Lord," "Near the Cross," "He Hideth My Soul," "Anywhere With Jesus," "Hold To God's Unchanging Hand," "When We All Get To Heaven," and "Take the Name of Jesus With You," to name a few. What are they going to do? Will they admit their extremism and back off or will they start using the scissors and cut out the songs?

Phariseeism

Such strict and narrow limitations on a woman's role in the church because of a misunderstanding of 1 Tim. 2:11-12 reminds me of the spiritually deranged Pharisees during Jesus' personal ministry. Due to their warped concept of the Sabbath, they meticulously defined "work" that prohibited nearly every imaginable activity.

There were 39 basic actions laid down by the Jews which were forbidden, on the Sabbath. Each action had to be carefully defined. One of the actions forbidden was a "burden." But, what is a burden?. Some said a "burden" is anything that weighs as much as two dried figs. The orthodox Jews condemned anybody who drew water; who struck or killed anything or who just planned to do anything on the Sabbath.

The Catholic Church

These "no-tract-by-women-in-the-vestibule" brethren are just as preposterous as the Catholic Church's restrictions concerning fasting before communion. In one of the Catholic books I have it states: "The Communion fast requires that one should take nothing in the way of food or drink, not even medicine. Things that are not digestible, such as a hair, thread or piece of wood, do not break the fast. Neither do the remains of food sticking between the teeth, not blood from the mouth or gums or tongue, since they do not come from without. Little drops of water which mingle with the saliva in washing the teeth and are swallowed unintentionally are not considered a violation of the fast . . . . One who is eating or drinking must stop at the first stroke of twelve o'clock, though he may swallow what is in his mouth."

So, from midnight till Communion, a Catholic may not, according to this book, eat or drink anything digestible. However, Catholics may have all the wood, hair or thread they may want to eat.

Someone said there are three senses that man follows (not counting the five physical senses): revealed sense, common sense and nonsense. Of course, all must follow revealed sense, but brethren, for the sake of truth, peace and growth of the church, let's start using a little common sense and not so much nonsense.

Truth Magazine XXIV: 5, p. 82
January 31, 1980