[ArmsOfLove]

Originally Posted by purple_kangaroo

How are you defining Patriarchal? BJU strongly encourages even single women to become missionaries, doctors, teachers, etc. etc. and be out in the world being independent and doing great things (just not being pastors). They have stories and testimonies in their chapels and classes about how young people defied their parents to follow what they believed God was leading them to do in serving the Lord. They teach that obeying God rather than man may sometimes even, in some circumstances, mean disobeying (although not dishonoring) parents. Even in cases where the parents are not directly ordering children to sin, but are just not supporting what the young person feels God is leading them to do.

BJU is Southern, fundamentalist, and authoritarian in many ways, but I went to school there and I just do not see how they fit the Patriarchal label, since they do not teach that the father is the ultimate authority overriding all pastoral authority or God's direct leading, or that the family unit and parental authority overrides all other considerations, especially once young people reach adulthood. They do teach children to honor their parents, but not to the exclusion/overriding of their following their own convictions and hearing from God for themselves, especially as adults.

They are absolutely Patriarchal They make sure that women don't step out of the acceptable within their group roles. In fact, as a missionary, a woman can teach men--just not white American men Women, in the roles they are allowed to take, are *always* subordinate to men. I think it's important to not confuse UBER Patriarchal with Patriarchal. Though I will say that without ANY limitations put on Patriarchal ideas in Scripture (I believe because Patriarchall ideas are not actually being put forth by God) the UBER Patriarchal ideas can't be argued against if you accept the Patriarchal ideas at all.