Shock & Awe

Over one short week, I've ceased to feel invested in the current discussion on women in the priesthood.  I believe that those in favor of a more balanced ministry face, at least on the pastoral level at this moment in time, insurmountable disadvantages.

I arrived at last Tuesday's class full of admiration for Jeremy, for his courage in bringing the topic out into the light of day.  As the class began, admiration turned to shock.  He opened the class by talking about - even miming - a minister who tells a child that it is wrong to lie, although the minister himself has lied & will lie again.  He explained that the angels of the celestial heavens & the people of the Most Ancient Church avoid discussion of doctrine because such discourse causes dissent & discord (as I was taught, such a topic would never had occurred to them, as they were in universal agreement).  He explained that he believes The Spiritual Diary is divinely inspired revelation (apparently, there is no consensus among G.C. ministers as to what is & isn't divinely inspired, which was news to me).

Nothing prepared me for the shock I felt when Jeremy explained, in response to a Facebook posting of mine, that his comment re: celestial angels & people of the MAC was made in jest, was simply tongue in cheek.  

In giving a doctrinal class, which we had every reason to believe he took seriously, he made a doctrinal reference in jest?   Really?  

Let's see - ministers lie to children, my pastor is basing his resistance to women in the priesthood based on a book that may or may not be divinely inspired (depending on which G.C. minister you talk to), and a crucial comment he made about the delicacy of having the conversation at all is shrugged off as having been tongue in cheek.  

How can there be reasonable discussion under such assumptions & circumstances?  

Even though I am shocked on one hand, I am awed on another by the determination of so many people to have a genuine discussion.  Am not sure why they are having it in the General Church. If only they would take their different view, their new understanding, and walk toward the east, to the sunrise, not along the old road west.  

Allies that claim to speak in jest when what's needed most is inspired priestly understanding & guidance are not allies this worthy endeavor needs.