What better time to raise an issue that has vexed me for some time. Let me first acknowledge I face the same scrutiny. I do not attempt to write from the “ivy tower” of superiority. Nothing could be further from the truth. I loudly proclaim, like the Apostle Paul, “I am the chief of all sinners.” I enter the dialogue with fear and trembling but I enter it, nonetheless; because I believe lives and eternity hang in the balance. This is NOT some pedantic issue of no real significance or consequence.
As we enter another Mother’s Day season I continue to struggle at the attitudes and actions of so many females, many of whom would claim to be Evangelical. I must admit most of my interactions have been with African-American females. Horrible mind-numbing shows like “Atlanta Housewives” and “Bring It” just adds to the desensitization of the roles and God-honoring Christian worldview that has “seemingly” disappeared in such a short period of time. It seems like just yesterday we had characters like “Florida” from the 70’s show “Good Times” to the culture’s embrace of public figures like Beyonce and Nicki Manaj being hailed as role models. Nicki Manaj is known for one thing and she has exploited it, acquiring untold wealth and fame. Yet, the words that ring in my mind are, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but to lose his soul? What can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
In the last presidential election approximately 88% of African-Americans voted for Hilary Rodman Clinton. A candidate who was just feted with the Margaret Sanger Award from the controversial organization Planned Parenthood. The fact that so many African-Americans can willingly, unwittingly or not, align themselves with this culture of death simply boggles my mind. Americans instituted “Mother’s Day” in 1914, a few days before WWI, to honor the vital role women play in bringing into existence the next generation and more importantly shaping that generation. The womb, which should be the safest place for a fetus, is under assault and many professing Evangelicals continue to support candidates that explicitly sanction the hideous practice of abortion, to include partial birth abortion. A partial birth abortion is the practice whereby the delivery is brought to term and after the baby’s head breaches the womb its skull is crushed. The rest of the fully developed body is “sucked” out of the woman. John MacArthur reports that if you take into account all of the legally authorized abortions since Roe vs. Wade that over 99% of the homicides committed since 1973 have been abortions.
I believe there is a direct correlation between what our culture has embraced and the subsequent moral positions and practices one endorses and gives consent, either actively or passively. My mother passed in 1986 and now that I have matured (hopefully it is maturity) in my faith. I was never able to have conversations with my mother about matters like this. She was a sincere believer in Jesus Christ but I am not sure what was her Christian worldview. I would hope I would have been able to influence her understanding if she embraced this sexual/moral revolution. We will never know but we can only impact the actual world we do live.
Before anyone retorts, “what were their other options” I simply respond I understand the difficulties but my Christian conscience does not allow me to align myself politically with someone who advocates the taking of life in the womb. As one of my former pastors was fond of saying, “I wouldn’t vote for a dog catcher if he supported abortion.” The last election, like all elections, never resorts to a choice of the” lesser of two evils.” In fact, if an Evangelical is truly ever presented with only two “evils” he should refrain, as much as humanly possible, from choosing whatsoever. Thankfully, this alleged dilemma is fallacious in its logic as in any election there are always more than two choices. There are always third-party candidates. There are opportunities to always write-in a candidate or if convicted you can ALWAYS refrain from voting. There is no moral defect associated with an Evangelical who consciously abstains from voting. R.C. Sproul, one of my spiritual heroes, spoke about how Christians are never obligated to vote. He says if a person’s preferred political party does not advance a suitable candidate then “it is a pox on their heads.” Maybe if more people refused to compromise and refused to vote for unqualified candidates that would force their preferred political party to do a better job of presenting better candidates.
But back to the issue at hand: it seems we as a people are more interested in asserting some purported “rights”. Women feel or have bought into the propaganda “control” over their bodies is a sine qua non (essential right). My question to female Evangelicals is what happened to “Your body is NOT your own. You have been bought with a price.” Why is it that Scripture does not rule the day. Why do the words of Margaret Sanger or Cecile Richardson hold more sway than the Bible? Why is motherhood regarded by women as a second-class status? Why is Titus Chapter 2 ignored and deemed oppressive and out of touch with the times? Why is the Apostle Paul regarded as misogynistic? When if you actually understood God’s revelation the Apostle Paul was a great emancipator of women. Go and actually read or re-read the 16th chapter of Romans where Paul painstakingly greets and recognizes so many female co-laborers in the Gospel. The mere fact that Paul admonishes women to learn was revolutionary in Paul’s day. Yet, most people only gravitate to Paul’s instruction to not usurp authority over men. You see, when you attack Paul then you wittingly or more likely unwittingly attack the Third Person of the Trinity because He “moved” Paul to write exactly what Paul wrote.
Feeble attempts to ground Paul’s teaching to the culture or the “inadequacies” or lack of training/qualification of the females teachers in Ephesus really belie the clear grounding the Apostle Paul uses. Paul simply says it is a function of creation, a function that God Himself designed and implemented. Paul bases his imperative upon the created order found in the Book of Genesis. The Scriptures do not speak with a “forked tongue,” we either yield to it or we ignore it at our own peril.
As the Lord tarries His coming it is an indicator He is graciously providing an opportunity for us all to repent and turn back to Him. There are certainly aspects of Biblical Manhood that remain a work in progress for this author. I readily admit and will spend the concentration of my remaining time on Planet Earth, hopefully, diligently working on those issues. I hope and pray my Evangelical Sisters would do the same. Less Atlanta Housewives and glorification of Nicki Manaj and more discussion about becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman.
That is what our society and Evangelical churches so desperately need. It may be too late for those in my generation but I am really concerned about the Ricky Kyles Jr’s (my son) of the world, the next generation. The Bible teaches that “He who finds a wife finds a good thing.” This proverbial statement (A proverb is never intended to be an absolute promise. It is something which is only generally true.) is the hope and desire of every Evangelical God-Fearing Men.
Women hold us accountable but we have the same responsibility to hold you accountable. One day we will both appear before an infinitely Holy God who does not grade on a curve.
Happy Mother’s to ALL the Mother’s, especially those who are in the team picture for the Proverbs 31 type Woman.
I welcome your comments and feedback.
Keep your hand to the plow and serve for an Audience of One,
Ricky V. Kyles, D. Ed. Min.
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