Post #46.
Dear Readers,
What do former President Jimmy Carter, Kate Kelly, the whole of Catholicism, and now Larycia Hawkins have in common? Or, put another way: What do the Catholics, the Baptists, the Mormons, and the Evangelicals all have in common? Are you aware that Catholicism – the Church of Rome, the Church of Peter and Paul, or by whatever name you call it, does not allow women to minister? Yes? That women are not allowed to hold any real positions of leadership or authority within the Church? But are you aware that Baptists, Mormons, and Evangelicals share the same dogma and perception of women?
The links we’ve provided will take you to stories about why President Jimmy Carter renounced his lifelong affiliation with the Baptist Church. Like Catholics, they too refuse to allow women to minister. You can also read about Kate Kelly who was ex-communicated by the Mormon Church for even just daring to suggest that women be allowed to minister. Indeed even recognize women as Jesus did – as men’s co-equals; the source of all balance; through whom all life flows. Yes, we have written about these stories before, so today we direct your attention to Larycia Hawkins. A “Christian”, she is (was?) a University Professor of Political Science at Wheaton College.
She was assailed and castigated – attacked really by Evangelical men for daring to wear a hijab in solidarity with Muslim women. These so-called “Christian” men called for her termination as a teacher. Now we recall that Muslim men are roundly criticized for their treatment of Muslim women, and so her act was especially poignant. What did Jesus say about men who attacked women?
“He among you that is without sin – let him cast the first stone at her.”
(Page 198.)
But in a way wasn’t Larycia standing together with other women of God? Women oppressed by the men in their lives? Oppression borne out by the very actions of those men who now attacked her? But let’s not overlook that the hijab demonstrates humility before God, not subservience to men. So what must those so-called “Christian Evangelical” men believe? Do they comprehend humility at all? Is this not Hellenism by another name? The primacy of men? That men can tell women what to do and what to wear and how to act?
Do these men really not get that theirs is the same hypocrisy as the Pharisees? Men that Jesus denounced? Men who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus but have no idea what Jesus actually taught? Perhaps men who have been indoctrinated into a religious system relegating women to less than second class citizenship? Or simply represent the Hellenist worldview deeply embedded in their religious philosophy? Jesus said,
“Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
“Isaiah prophesied well about you hypocrites as it is written:
‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me.
‘It is in vain that they worship me – teaching as their doctrines the commandments of men.’
“You neglect the Commandment of God, and instead hold to the tradition of men.”
(Pages 163 – 164.)
So to what do we really owe the popular expression “Christian Values” or “Evangelical Values”, as are commonly used as the lingua franca of the “Christian” world? Among them that women are somehow less than second-class citizens? Men who believe they can disrespect and abuse women any way they choose? Clearly it is not the Word of God, nor of Jesus. If we learned nothing else from Miguel’s book “The Word 2.0“, it is that Jesus tried to teach men to honor and respect all things feminine – the female, women, the Earth as God created them in God’s own image.
Indeed, do these so-called “Christian” beliefs and values not originate with the Greek Hellenism of the Syrian Seleucids who invaded Israel-Judea long before Jesus was born? And with the Pharisees who adopted Hellenism even after the defeat of those Greeks, and the “Rededication of the Temple” in Jerusalem (pages 36 – 38.)? And men like Saul/Paul of Tarsus?
Shalom – Peace!
Miguel
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We are dedicated to the absolute co-equality and balance between men and women! Our premise is that God created us this way to be whole, complete, unified – as One, through one another, masculine and feminine. That is what Jesus taught men. We are discussing how the Word of God as taught by Jesus of Nazareth was willfully or inadvertently misrepresented or misunderstood such that men came to believe they were somehow more equal.
God is One! We are one! Consider the Sh’ma (Shema):
“Hear O Israel – The Lord our God is One Lord. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
“This is the first and great commandment.
“The second is like it, namely this:
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Pages 305 – 306.)
Whether or not you agree please be our “Friend” and “Share” us with your friends!
You are reading one in a series on the “Feminine-ist” teaching of Jesus of Nazareth.
As a Traditionalist Rabbi opposed to Hellenism, Jesus’ teachings are drawn entirely from the Law, the Hebrew-Jewish Scripture and the Traditionalist doctrine of his day. To which he chooses to specifically emphasize God’s Divine Balance – the absolute co-equality, balance, unity, harmony and Oneness of God’s masculine and feminine aspects.
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This weblog, our pamphlets, study guides and other materials are inspired by Miguel’s book, The Word 2.0, a new biography of Jesus of Nazareth in his own words, based upon a single, unified timeline that reveals important new details about his life and ministry! For example that Jesus was not a Hellenist!
Find us at Amazon.com or our website: www.whatifjesuswasawoman.com
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God is undifferentiated masculine and feminine energy in perfect balance, whole, complete, unified, and co-equal. God is neither male nor female, and yet both – inseparable! And as a reflection of God’s Divine Balance, God made each of us manifest as male and female, man and woman, in God’s perfect likeness! Truly a state of grace.
How Adam’s actions brought about the fall from this state of grace is something we will discuss elsewhere. Suffice it to say that long before Jesus was born, men and women were already out of balance. In the more immediate sense of events which took place in Israel before Jesus was born, I found the Seleucid Greek invasion critically important because of the belief system we call “Hellenism” the Greeks forced on the children of Israel at that time.
It may not be especially well known today but the Seleucid Greeks from Syria outlawed our One True God! They forbade the worship of God under the penalty of death. Their King Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Antíochos D’ ho Epiphanḗs, “God Manifest”), believing he was god, decreed the people would have no other god before him.
Coin depicting King Antiochus IV: “Image of (G)od; bearer of victory”
Hellenism did cause divisions among the people though. On one hand identifying with the Greek empire and culture could enrich certain elite Israelites, but on the other hand their man-worship violated God’s Law. This divided not only those who were “Hellenists”, their supporters and adherents, from those who were “Traditionalists“, but also, apparently, men from women. Why? Because it is also in the nature of Hellenism that women be subordinate to men.
Typical Hellenist art depicts the naked male-form as the object of worship – godly.
But our One True God was definitely not a Hellenist, right? Given that, Jesus was not a Hellenist – quite the opposite. We might characterize Jesus’ ministry as anti-Hellenist – teaching men in particular about the Divine Balance of God’s Feminine and Masculine aspects, specifically “Feminine-ism“. I briefly outline some basic principles of Jesus of Nazareth’s life and ministry, as they are revealed in “The Word 2.0”:
1. Jesus was a “Traditional” Hebrew-Jewish teacher and Rabbi – to say the very least!
2. Jesus was not a “Hellenist” in any sense of our understanding the word.
3. Jesus espoused and promoted that our One True God – the God of Israel, is a perfect co-equal balance of both masculine and feminine, as is reflected in all Creation.
4. Jesus said that we must love the Lord our God first and foremost, and then love one another as we love ourselves.
5. Jesus taught that love, beginning with God’s “Ruach HaKodesh” – the Breath of Life and Holy Spirit, as aspects of God’s Divine Feminine, is the only way that men can experience the Kingdom of God.
6. Jesus rejected the kind of egocentric, selfish, self-centered thinking and behavior of men that characterizes “Hellenism”.
We will discuss each of these points in much greater detail as we continue, and, look for my study guides they will soon also be available!
