> Dean Scott+: Another excellent suggestion. The historic 'classes' of the Sacrament of Orders did evolve in certain aspects over many years/ centuries. Most of the other vocations or professions (esp in the Middle Ages did have 'classes' too: e.g. apprentice, journeyman and master). There seems to be a direct relation between the length of time the vocation has been extant and the 'complications' of it. The 19th c. effort in Protestant circles to incorporate women was a realisation of their worth to the community and a need (one thinks of deaconesses) for their services. In the 1860-70's there was a real thrust for this in ECUSA in part because of a 'fear of Popery' (Maria Monk etc). They did not call them nuns but defacto that was what they were made to be.Blessings. GDVW+ > > I would like to respectfully suggest that before we begin looking at > pieces of the puzzle, we look at the bigger picture of what it means to be > called by God. I suspect the question of ordination of women was raised > (not for the first time) in the last century because of an inadequate view > of vocation; likewise abortion; likewise the place of eunuchs. Calling > the ministry of the church the threefold ministry has had its negative > consequences because all the other vocations have not been nurtured or > similarly enlarged upon in our literature. > > Charles+ > > > > > > --- On Mon, 6/23/08, gmspencer@... <gmspencer@...> wrote: > > From: gmspencer@... <gmspencer@...> > Subject: Re: [FaithandLife] Swetting Our Priorities... > To: faithandlife@... > Date: Monday, June 23, 2008, 4:36 PM > > > > > Let me ask you to prioritise (and anyone else who cares to) the > following issues: Abortion, Homosexuality and the Ordination of > Women. I think the answers will tell us a great deal about many. > > Dear Fr. Wiebe:I don't think listing these out as 1,2,3 would be > legitimate theologically or philosophically. They are actually all of one > piece which is ultimately, in our day and time, the myth that all people > should be happy any way they choose and no one has the right to tell > anyone differently. It is, as Eric Mascall pointed out in The Importance > of Being Human, the rejection of the idea that there is such a thing as > "human nature" and therefore we are free to be anything we want to be and > no one can tell us differently. "I want what I want when I want it!" The > problem is that getting what one wants when one wants it does not make one > happy. That's what I believe anyway.gms+ > > > Get the Moviefone Toolbar. Showtimes, theaters, movie news, & more! > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > faithandlife-unsubscribe@... > > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > faithandlife-unsubscribe@... > >