Special Hearings — Faith Community Hearings — 1997-11-17

MS CATHY P MAKHENE: Mr Chairman of the TRC, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the team   and the house, we thank you for this opportunity granted us. We really are grateful   to the Lord for having given us this chance. As women to come and present to   this aghast team how we feel about the situation within the church. I am here   to make a submission from the women's perspective within the faith communities.   I am honoured to represent such a large body of people, but need to say that   I represent them primarily from the present point of view. The group that met   to discuss and draw up the submission were all christians. We were given very   little time to prepare this document. It was approximately four days, thus precluding   us from being a consultative and inclusive, as we should have liked.
All religions are patriarchal based on the rules of the fathers. This was reinforced   by the missionaries. The legacy of this tradition is that women remain largely   powerless and voiceless. In the christian tradition, spirituality has largely   been the preserve of men. The language of prayer and worship is generally male.   The symbols and images of God are male. The scriptures have been used to promote   male dominance. The ruling sexes of the church are predominantly male. There   is prevailing male consciousness. This is somewhat of an anomaly, as the congregations   are predominantly female. Women are excluded from christian religious language,   in hymns, liturgy and scriptures, people are referred to as men. The sons of   God, or brothers, not to mention the militaristic language commonly used too.   The language for God is predominantly male. Of course you will hear Lord, King,   Master and Father. Not only do these terms entrench patriarchy, but they are   also the terms of the ruling class. God is represented as a ruling, controlling   male, thus the male is seen as more fully representative of God than the female. 
I believe that this male language and imagery has contributed to the churches   sanctioning of men dominating women. The early church shaped much of the Christian   thoughts which we carry around with us today, much of it plainly misogynist.   Women are misbegotten males, painted evils and devils doorways. The great tragedy   is that some women have come to believe this of themselves. There is very little   affirmation for those women who struggle within the church structure from other   women. Women need to encourage and support one another as we seek to find affirmation   in the scriptures. When we look in the book of the first Timothy, Chapter 2   verses 11 - 15 and allow me to share this because it really bothers us "Women   should learn in silence and all humility. I did not allow them to teach or have   authority over men. They must keep quiet." The scripture is used as justification   for the denial of equality of women within the church, but surely the passage   on baptism which is found in Galatians Chapter 3, and that needs to be corrected   because there is a misprint in what we submitted. Verses 27 - 28 "You   were baptised into union with Christ and now you are clothed so to speak with   the life of Christ himself. So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles,   between slaves and free men, between men and women. You are all one in union   with Christ Jesus"
These verses give another perspective on the position of women with God's kingdom.   The patriacal nature of church structures regrettably has condoned, encouraged   and in some cases, actively enforced the subjugation of women to men, denying   them the revelation of their full potential, not only within the church, but   politically, socially and economically. It is a matter of debate that our new   political constitution grants women far more status than any religious one.   Our clergy need to be trained in the understanding of the rights now legally   granted to us constitutionally but withheld from us spiritually. We celebrate   the changes that are taking place and acknowledge that women are being ordained   as ministers, priests and elders within some of our faith communities. However,   it should be noted that there are no female Bishops, moderators or Archbishops,   so decisions taken with regard to issues pertaining specifically to women remain   within the male domain. Things like abortion, rape, birth control, etc. Within   one denomination with the ordination of female clergy, despite the fact that   this was a majority decision, a conscience clause was introduced. This allows   that no congregant was to feel obliged to have a female priest within their   congregation or to be served the sacrament by a women. If a women was to serve   the sacrament, this fact was to be advertised in advance and a member of the   male clergy was to be available as an alternative for those who preferred. The   offensiveness of this clause is quite breathtaking! One can imagine the uproar   that would have ensued if this sort of clause had been instituted when the racial   barriers started coming down. There have been reports of sexual harassment of   women by male clergy. When these incidents are brought to the attention of other   male clergy, they are largely ignored. Or hushed up so that the church is not   brought into disrepute. Women have complained that on seeking pastoral care   and advice from male clergy with regard to abusive marriages, they are often   sent back to these abuses and sometimes life threatening relationships with   the command to forgive and live out their faith in a way that would change their   husbands. I don't know how. 
The church endorses the abuse of women in the home and fails in the patoral   care of these women, often their children too. Faith communities often support   or turn a blind eye to cultural and traditional customs that entrench suppression   and oppression of women. The cry, "But it's our tradition, it's our culture."   Is used to maintain the status quo. The church was instrumental in bringing   about the abolition of slavery. Why is it so tardy in emancipating women? It   is a sad reflection on our faith that in keeping women in spiritual bondage,   men themselves are not fully free. Our clergy need to be ...[indistinct] to   the issue of women within the church. There needs to be a greater sensitivity   to the needs, aspirations and rights of women within our different faiths and   denominations. Our men need to unlearn many of the things that have consciously   and unconsciously learned at their father's knees, reinforced by the church's   patriarchal attitude. Men are discouraged at every level of their lives from   recognising their own feminine attributes as though they were something of which   to be ashamed or had no worth. Sometimes you will hear someone saying, "don't   cry, did you ever hear your father cry?" In so doing, they deny themselves   the richness and fullness that God has created in us. It needs to be acknowledged   that women often support and sustained their oppression. They accept without   question or challenge the view of God's love for them, taught largely from a   totally biased and subjective theology. They sometimes allow themselves to be   co-opted, which often results in them behaving like men, to the detriment of   all, as well as the kingdom of God. Patriarchy has been so internalised that   women will often vote for men in their absence. 
Education systems and curricular need to be received and revised within our   seminaries and religious institutions. Why is God acknowledged as God of Abraham,   Isaac and Jacob and never of Sarah, Rachel and Rebecca. The new testament with   its male trinity has denied us all the understanding and experience of the nurturing   care of our creator and has denied women the same sex identity with God. Jesus   described God as a woman looking for a lost coin and as a woman sweeping, looking   the lost, our saviour discussed theology with the women at the well, healed   a women on the Sabbath, listened to women and stayed in their homes. Sought   the kingdom with them, and received anointing from a women. Rebuked a man who   scorned her on the day after the crucifixion, it was a women who went to the   tomb, physically weak, to roll away the stone, but strong in faith and trusting   that God would provide whatever was needed for her task. It was to this women   that the risen cried with the message, "Go and tell the good news". 
The book of Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 22 to 24 needs to be read in the context   of verse 21 and verse 25 to 30. "Wives submit to your husbands as to the   Lord. For a husband has authority over his wife, just as Christ has authority   over the church. And Christ is himself the saviour of the church, his body,   and so wives must submit completely to their husbands, just as the church submits   itself to Christ" Verse 21 says "Submit yourselves to one another   because of your reverence for Christ". I think we need to revisit some   of these chapters so that we can see how applicable they can be in our situation.   Verse 25 reads "Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church.   He gave his life for it. He did this to dedicate the church to God by his word   after making it clean by washing it in water." When studying the scriptures,   three things should be borne in mind who wrote the passage? What was the context   within which the passage was written? How old was the person writing the passage?
Marriage vows need to be examined and expounded to words that perpetuate the   subjugation of women. It is demeaning and degrading to ask all if one part of   our faith community is opposed in this fashion. There exists a classism and   racism with the church that has resulted in a differentiation of the facilities   provided for pastors. And here I speak as a pastor's wife, your Honour. Usually   with an urban bias. Though aimed at the clergy, it also has resulted in the   suffering of indignities by the spouse and this is done overwhelmingly. (and   the children). Lack of adequate sewerage, water and other basic needs are common,   especially in rural areas. Urban areas differentiate between townships and suburban   facilities thus reinforcing classism and inevitably, racism. The wives of clergy   are often exposed to conscious and unconscious patriarchy that would make a   weaker person buckle at the knees. Whilst studying, their husbands are accommodated   in seminaries, spouses and their children are not. Often living in conditions   that are simply disgraceful because of poor or non-existent stipends. Little   or no training is offered to wives to equip them for the contribution that make   to their husband's ministry. There is little choice in the matter of wives'   ministry. The expectation of the congregation, the denomination of the ministers   themselves is that wives will participate actively and fully in the lives and   work of the congregation or parish. Ministers are called. They have vocations.   Wives are not recognised for their contribution they make, called or not.
Ministers wives, often professional people, have little choice in the decision   to work or not. Their financial contribution to the family often exceeds that   of their spouses and is often what keeps the family clothed, fed and educated.   Should their husbands predecease them, they lose their homes. If provision has   not been made to purchase a home prior to his death. Given the stipends most   clergy are paid, the chances of that having taken place are usually remote.   Newly widowed and homeless and usually with a family to provide for, what support   can this woman expect from the church. Often marginalised and isolated by their   position as the Minister's wife and neglected by their husbands because of church   commitment, many of them are lonely and depressed. With the new political constitution,   many young single professional women are no longer members of church groups,   simply because of the lowly status granted to them within the church compared   with the status they are being afforded in business, commerce and industry.   These young women realised that they are achieving key positions in secular   society, long denied them within the church. Their voices are being heard finally   and they are making meaningful decisions, but not within the church. Although   women have had no authority within the church, they have had a profound influence.   Women and women's organisations have made a significant and valuable contribution   to the lives and work of their denominations, especially in areas concerning   family and social issues. Their service has brought no positions of responsibility,   outside the domestic. For example, women raise much of the church funds, but   are not in a position to decide how these funds should be allocated. That important   decision is made by the male church council. It should be noted that Gert van   Manen, General Manager of the Ecumenical Development Co-operative Society, which   is the financial department of the World Council of Churches had this to say   at a conference on sustainable development, which was spearheaded by the South   African Council of Churches in April 1996, and I quote "Our recovery raid   on loans lending to the poorest of the poor, is 90% the highest of any financial   institution in the world. We emphasis women participation. Women never let their   children down. If school fees, shoes and food on their children depended on   the success of the business, women will fight for it. Their commitment is ...[inaudible]   as compared with males, whose commitment is often more entrepreneurial".   There is a need for true emancipation within our denominations. We need to examine   our teaching of the scriptures to free them of gender bias. Our political constitution   enshrines freedom expressed in the scriptures, but not applied in practice.   Attitudes of male clergy and leaders within church organisations need to reflect   what is written, but not lived out in our religious lives. If only it was understood   that if any of your wives remain in subjugation, then none of us are truly free.   Women and men are created to co-operate with, and compliment one another. Not   to be in perpetual competition with one another. Eve was created from Adam's   rib, not from his heel to be trampled on. Nor from his head to be over him,   but from his side, that we may walk together in partnership, in support and   encouragement of one another. If women sound shrill and militant at times, it   is because we are not heard and so little recognition of our work and value   as God's creation is accorded us. There are faith communities represented at   this hearing whose female believers are not allowed to worship in the same area   as their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons. They are separated from the fullness   and richness of their spiritual and family life. Not because of sin or omission   or commission, but merely because of their gender. They are absolutely voiceless   and powerless and suffer denigration and humiliation because they are women.   God hears the cries of the oppressed. When will we?
In closing, Chairperson, we wish to share this creed which we as women feel   could be encouraging not only us but the total change. The creed is thus We   believe in God who created women and men in God's image. [Tape 4] [inaudible]   created the world and gave both sexes the care of the earth. We believe in Jesus,   child of God, chosen by God born of a woman, Mary, who listened to women and   stayed in their homes. Who looked for the kingdom with them, who was followed   and supported by women disciples. We believe in Jesus who discussed theology   with the woman at the well, who received anointing from a woman at Simon's house   and rebuked the man guest who scorned her. We believe in Jesus who healed a   woman on the Sabbath, who spoke of God as a woman seeking a lost coin, as a   woman swept, seeking the lost. We believe in Jesus who thought of pregnancy   and birth with reverence. We believe in Jesus, who appeared first to Mary Magadalena   and sent her with the message, "Go and tell". We believe in the wholeness   of God, in whom there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, female nor male,   for we are one in God. We believe in the Holy Spirit as she moves over the waters   of creation and over the earth, the woman's spirit of God who created us and   gave us birth and covers us with her wings. Amen. 
We thank your Honour for this opportunity.