Reverend Labouf

From The Houston Chronicle

Thus saith the Lord, and there are no exceptions

By LEONARD PITTS JR.

The First Baptist Church of Watertown, N.Y., fired Mary Lambert for being a woman. They say the Bible told them to do it.

Nothing against women, says the Rev. Timothy LaBouf. The church is just trying to obey 1 Timothy 2:11-14, which says in part, "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent."

So, after 54 years as a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist, Lambert was given the heave-ho. She and others have said the firing probably had as much to do with church politics as with Scriptural injunctions, but let's stick with the reason in her letter of dismissal: The Bible forbids women taking positions of authority. There is, for the record, a similar injunction in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, which warns that it is "disgraceful" for a woman to speak in the church.

So the church is Scripturally right. It's just not right.

The Lambert case intrigues me because it illustrates a point I've made on many occasions when people bring out Bibles to explain why gay folk deserve no civil rights. Maybe now, without the reflexive emotionalism that gay brings to cloud their view, a few more people will see the obvious: Bible literalism is impractical and impossible. Or maybe they won't see.

Allow me to share an e-mail I received from a gentleman named Al who took exception to my column condemning capital punishment. Said Al, "When one criticizes the death penalty, one criticizes God's judgment in the matter, as Scripture ordains death for numerous crimes. It is not wise to criticize God."

I responded and pointed out that among the crimes for which scripture ordains death are cursing your parents (Leviticus 20:9) or committing adultery (Leviticus 20:10). Did Al really believe those misdeeds should be treated as capital offenses?

"Only if one wishes to accomplish God's will in the matter," Al said.

I don't mind telling you, people like him scare me.

One of America's greatest churchmen recently weighed in on the question of Bible literalism. In a twilight-of-life interview with Newsweek, Billy Graham spoke of the way age and perspective led him to reject the absolutism of the left and right and to make his peace with the notion of God as a loving mystery. People of faith, he said, can "absolutely" disagree about the details of theology. "I'm not a literalist in the sense that every single jot and tittle (of the Bible) is from the Lord," he said. "This is a little difference in my thinking through the years."

It is a difference people like Al would do well to emulate.

Or has no one else noticed how literally some Christians interpret those Scriptures that give them license to condemn, yet how elastic and liberal their readings are when dealing with Scriptures that convict their personal behaviors. Meaning that it's always a little more difficult to catch people being literal about turn the other cheek, do not store up treasures on earth, do not turn away the borrower, love your enemy. Yet, you can't go to the store without tripping over someone who wants you to know the Bible calls homosexuality an abomination.

People obsess on the fine print, yet miss the big picture, the overarching themes of sacrifice, redemption, love. In their selectivity, they are reminiscent of the Islamic fanatics who bomb and behead, citing some passage of the Quran as justification, yet conveniently ignoring a dozen other passages commanding mercy and love. People are much less apt to be selective in the direction of mercy and love.

I'll close by observing that Exodus 35:2 requires death for those who work on the Sabbath. Were I a member of First Baptist, I might wonder where the church leaders stand on that one.

Of course, I'd be scared to ask.


This really hit home my feeling. I speak not in the sense of condemning all those of a particular line of thinking but for those select few who it may apply to.

There is nothing wrong with faith and there is nothing wrong with living your life according to the path of your own choosing. My problem arises though is when people seemingly of faith pick and chose when that faith will apply in their lives and to those around them. Can one really quote scripture left and right, proclaiming the praises of their lord on the one hand while at the same time slandering their neighbor, or worse? It seems a little contradictory to me.

A conversation comes to mind where I was told of two people who have had words and ill will towards each other for years. The two people now were going to be in a position where they would have regular contact. As to how all the history would play now that they two gentlemen would be working together it was said "The one has churched up so I guess all is good".

But why the doublespeak? Why the falseness, the facade? Why would it be that a person speak so spiritually, quoting scripture, singing the praises of our god and like turning off a switch they revert to all things the commandments are against? They use the bible only when it is in their favor to do so.

Hmmm, I have nothing against a little divine intervention...but for many it seems as if a spiritual renaissance wipes the slate clean of all the misgivings of the past, or worse yet, it seemingly gives them perpetual license to abuse.

These people scare me too.