Why are there so many people who are threatened by the thoughts of women, homosexuals, and other not white heterosexual males?

This past Sunday, a friend of mine and I went to see Doug Pagitt and his presentation of “A Christianity Worth Believing – Spreading a Hope-filled, Open-armed, Alive & Well Faith for the Left-out, Left-behind and Let-down.” Pagitt is an author in the emerging church movement, and he is the head pastor of Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis MN.

I had a couple of reasons why I wanted to hear Doug speak. The first reason came from the fact that I had not been part of the emerging church movement, and I wanted to see it first hand. The second reason simply came from the fact that I liked the sub title of his book – “Spreading a Hope-filled, Open-armed, Alive & Well Faith for the Left-out, Left-behind and Let-down.” (I tend to like just about anything that bumps head with the theology of the rapture and the entire left-behind concept.)

While I did not agree with everything that Doug said, overall, I did enjoy what he said. I really like the fact that he pointed out what St. Augustine wrote about and said during the 5^th century was a good explanation for the 5^th century church. But we do not live in the 5^th century, and what St. Augustine said and wrote is not part of our cannon. Therefore, the teachings of St. Augustine should be treated as 5^th century teachings, and not as the 67^th book of the Bible.

All of this came back to me because I just read an article that Former President Jimmy Carter wrote concerning. The title of this article is Losing my religion for equality. I have copied part of the article here

[The view of women being inferior to men is] at its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.

[This] discriminatory thinking lies behind the continuing gender gap in pay and why there are still so few women in office in the West. The root of this prejudice lies deep in our histories, but its impact is felt every day. It is not women and girls alone who suffer. It damages all of us.

The carefully selected verses found in the Holy Scriptures to justify the superiority of men owe more to time and place - and the determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence - than eternal truths. Similar biblical excerpts could be found to support the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.

I am also familiar with vivid descriptions in the same Scriptures in which women are revered as pre-eminent leaders. During the years of the early Christian church women served as deacons, priests, bishops, apostles, teachers and prophets. It wasn't until the fourth century that dominant Christian leaders, all men, twisted and distorted Holy Scriptures to perpetuate their ascendant positions within the religious hierarchy.

The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets.

I believe President Carter’s article and Doug Pagitt’s presentation have struck me the way they have comes from the fact that I have heard so many times over the past several months (this statement mainly comes from white heterosexual males), “I trust God’s wisdom over man’s wisdom.” My question is “Why do people (Christians) worship the Bible, and not Jesus?” Why are so many people hell bent on trying to create a 1^st or 5^th century environment in the 21^st century? And why are there so many people who are threatened by the thoughts of women, the thoughts of homosexuals, the thoughts of people who are not white heterosexual males?