David J. Stewart has a fascinating website called jesus-is-lord, in which he gives a lot of advice to people about Christianity. It is a curious page to say the least, for Stewart himself admits he is not a Christian.
(For more information, see http://davidjstewartexposed.blogspot.com/)
Why would a non-Christian give “Christian” advice? Perhaps because he feels that religion is a good way to spread his views about how things should be, for people rarely question religious advice—which is exactly why we should question everything.
Even a cursory glance at his website leads us to the conclusion that this is about a specific lifestyle, one that is not necessarily found in the Bible, but in history books; a lifestyle of rugged individualism, working the land, raising large families. It all sounds rather good, until you start piecing it all together.
The author dislikes a lot of things. The television is a big one, and resurfaces continuously. The Catholic Church gets an earful, as do most, if not all other religions and spiritual groups. Science is evil, as is higher education. Basically, we should all go back to our homes that we built with our bare hands, and live happily ever after.
But consider if we all did just that. The wheel was invented by someone, and the same is true of penicillin. Pasteurization didn’t appear from nowhere, nor did we learn how to avoid toxic materials, such as cyanide and lead, without someone’s research. It is really tempting to just go home and close the door on the rest of the world, but if we all did just that, our lives would become drastically shorter. Our lifespans are so much longer now than they were before because some of us took the time to do something to improve the quality of life for everyone.
Besides a heavy dose of nostalgia, it seems that the author has some rather patriarchal view about women in general, and it is his writings about women that show most clearly his inconsistent and poor knowledge of the Bible.
Let’s take a look at some of the comments made on his website about the “proper role” for women.
“Today, many, many women are entering pulpits, ruling churches, and speaking during the church services (giving announcements, etc.)--this is wrong. Women are to keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak (reference I Corinthians 14:34). No woman should be called pastor, reverend, Adult Sunday School teacher, etc. Even if they have a question, they are to ask their husbands at home for it is a shame for women to speak in the church (reference I Corinthians 14:35). And yet we also learn from the scriptures that daughters are to serve the Lord (there are a diversity of gifts, all to be used decently and in order.).”
(http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/)
If daughters are to serve the Lord, why does Stewart write the following in another article:
“Carefully notice that God did NOT create Eve to do anything for God!!! Rather, Eve's sole purpose in creation was to help her husband.”
(http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/Feminism/everything.htm )
And…
“Those that are still stuck to the first Adam, may wish to visit our How to Get to Heaven article. Today's false gospel offers a god that will help you with YOUR plans instead of the true God Who requires that you SERVE HIM with your spirit in the gospel of His Son. …”
(http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/family.htm)
If God didn’t create Eve to do anything for him, why does God require that women serve him?
And how does Stewart think women help men? By bearing children, and guiding the house:
“I am confident many modern women would have a problem with Paul's letters to his sons in the faith concerning the normal and appropriate goals a woman ought to have (I Timothy 5:14, Titus 2:4, 5) Marriage, bearing children, and guiding the house are still lofty and noble goals for a young woman; calling on them to prepare in practical ways for these duties learning to cook, sew, care for children, etc. Those women whose goals are careers, love affairs, business, and freedom from what they call household "drudgery" are seeking fulfillment at the temporal flesh-pots of Egypt.”
(http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/famcontr.htm)
But if this is the case, the woman was created without a reason for her existence. For if she wasn’t created to serve God, neither was she created to serve the man, for there was no home to guide in the garden. Stewart's attempt to subject the woman to the man erases the woman from the creation account entirely, for if she has no purpose to her existence why was she created? It's a very good question indeed, one that the Scholastic Scholar Thomas Aquinas had to answer in the 13th century. Thomas found his answer in the writings of the Greek philosopher Aristotle, but since I very much doubt Stewart reads, or even approves, of Aristotle, Stewart has no answer to give us. Theology can be tricky, especially when we try to add things to the Bible that doesn't belong there.
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