Re: Women's Role

The Holy Spirit guides the Church. The Holy Spirit gives direction
to the Church. This guidance and direction is real and dynamic - not
always something that is based on books and practices. As and when
mankind is mature enough to take it - the Holy Spirit guides the
Church into new dimensions of the Truth. That is how changes happen
in the Holy Church. That is how the Sabbath was moved to Sunday.
That is how the practice of public confession was replaced by
private Confession before the priest.

I have seen many passionate postings on ICON related to women's
role, women priests etc, some bordering on the extreme and
fundamentalistic. I have no comments to make at this time, but I
have a thought to share:

If in our times, the Holy Synod as guided by the Holy Spirit takes
these issues up for consideration, and unexpectedly makes a radical
decision to allow women into areas never allowed before (literally
and figuratively) (many times the decisions of the Holy Spirit
defies our sense of logic!)

what will be the reaction of the Orthodox Community?

1) Will we be able to see it as the light shown from above and
accept it?

2) Will we rise to condemn the Holy Synod as 'hijacked by liberals'?

3) Will we be able to rely on the direction and guidance of the Holy
Spirit even then and be assured that the Lord will never ever
forsake His Holy Church or the Holy Synod?

4) Or will we be taking our wounded egos and moving out of the
Church thinking the church is doomed?

5) Is the role that the Lord will give to women in the Church in the
coming years and generations fundamental to our salvation?

Somethings to think about.

Regards,
Mathew Samuel, Albany, NY

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrthodox/message/16882