"[Guiso, Sapienza, and Zingales] found that people who were raised religiously were more intolerant and less sympathetic to women's rights."
-Journal of Monetary Economics, 2003
Three fairly opinionated female students, two thoughtful and respectful male students, and the professor who did the research for his book we're helping with talked about this for the most part of our regular meeting.
The discussions moved further as we mentioned women in church offices, church limitations, homosexuality, church's lack of tolerance, what is sin, and so on. And of course, there was no conclusion. I don't even know if there can be a conclusion. We still believe what we believed before the discussion only this time, with more reasoning and justification.
But I'm still startled. Is their finding still true?
How has this happened?
this feels like a trick...
ReplyDeletesome truths that flew through my mind while reading: the church...under the flag of "God" or Christianity is responsible for more deaths by far than all the wars ever fought in human history combined. it is true that some of the most bigoted, small-minded, racist, stubborn and unforgiving people are Christian. sin permeates everything in creation and sadly, this ring even more true within the church today than it does in the secular world. you are more apt to find examples and stories of heroism, mercy, grace, compassion and love (in Christ's sense, not the lusty societal expression of eros) in the outside world than inside the church. i could go on and on and on and on and on...
but the truth that remains is that, like you so aptly shared hani, we leave our conversations with one another a little more knowledgeable and yet a little more frustrated with a sense of frustration and fatalism. what's the point? how could all this be true?
i share with you what i learn and experience on a daily basis. it's hope. despite this, Christ still loves His church and His people. the Father still extends His providence and gracious salvation to His people and the Holy Spirit continues to groan and ache in moving through the hearts of the faithful to transform them into Christ.
and this gives me hope. that when we cannot see how to love ourselves or one another, that God still loves His people unconditionally, passionately, desperately and completely. this is the only thing that the church has to offer the world. hope. that in our brokenness, that Christ would shine through in our interrupted, shaky and awkward expressions of perseverance and Christ-imitation.
the call still remains for His people. to love the Lord with all our hearts. to live humbly, justly, and to love mercy.
some thoughts i wanted to share.
oh...and congratulations kiddo. ;-)