New Church Life Jan/Feb 2015 | Page 16

new church life: jan uary/february 2015 Our Doctrinal Environment To The Editors: My heart goes out to Michelle Chapin and Kristin Coffin Daum. I empathize with their feelings and agree fully with their extremely well-written, rational and well-reasoned responses.It is all very well to say that we must abide by what the Word teaches. Of course we must. However, the Word does not teach that women should be excluded from the priesthood. This is a manmade doctrine, from their understanding. I would ask why it is that some of our priests, from their understanding of the Word, agree that women should not be excluded from the priesthood? Why do they see things differently from those who wish to maintain the status quo? Are these priests acting from a false doctrine? I think not. I would suggest that their understanding has been freed from the constraints of the past. I would suggest that the reason the majority of our priests would preclude women is due to their personal understanding of the Word, an understanding which rests on the “indoctrination” they have received all their lives in the General Church. Doctrine is according to our understanding and our understanding is shaped by what we wish to believe and is often heavily influenced by our environment. The environment of the General Church, in the home, in society at large, in our education system, in our Theological School and in our church services is that women may not be priests. Given that there is nothing in the Word precluding women and that the policy to do so rests on man-made and limited understanding, it is hard to understand the Bishop’s decision, which will only alienate many more people. It is most disappointing that the Bishop’s decision in his statement in the November-December 2014 issue of New Church Life is not supported by conclusive doctrinal arguments. Where are the doctrinal statements supporting such a decision? We get a decision, said to be based on the true doctrine, but we are not given that doctrine. Nor are we told why the doctrine of those priests who support women in the priesthood is false. Name withheld online by request Canberra, Australia 12