The Christian Sentinel

February 1999 issue

Invasion of the Sophia Women

Feminists from the Main Line find new ways to spell a-p-o-s-t-a-s-y, not to mention s-t-u-p-i-d-i-t-y.

By Jackie Alnor

ã 1999 Christian Sentinel

The organized Feminist/Lesbian-planned take-over of the mainline denominations has heated up rather than cooling down since the now infamous "Reimagining" conference first introduced the Church to the term "Sophia in 1993."1 They are now organized into clubs and political lobbies in order to advance their immoral agenda.

Unhappy with the biblical revelation of God as Our Father, these women have clung to their female deity in order to empower the women's movement that is pushing itself upon the traditional church. When the denominations allowed the ordination of women, against all sound biblical exegesis, they let the proverbial camel's nose under the tent. Now these feminists and lesbians have systematically tried to tear down everything holy in their traditions, such as the lyrics of time-honored hymns and the way God is addressed in prayer and liturgy. They have found willing accomplices with other ministerial outcasts such as homosexuals and transexuals in order to make a bigger noise.

One such group which has formed within the Presbyterian Church (USA), is called "Voices of Sophia." It has published the "95 Illuminations," an archetype of Martin Luther's famous 95 Theses which he nailed to the door of the Wittenberg church. Sophia's revolt against Bible-believing Christianity is a call for what is called a new "paradigm" to replace the old and "dying paradigm" of Christianity's patriarchal leadership.2 But an examination of these Illuminations gives a preview of the type of structure these men-haters are hoping for. Here's a summary:

· We affirm God-Sophia, Woman Wisdom who fashioned us in the image of the divine as women and men.

· We affirm Jesus-Sophia, wisdom incarnate in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

· We call the church to welcome and celebrate the gifts of all people: women, men, children, persons of all classes, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations.

· We call the church to explore ecumenical and interfaith partnerships as a sign of our interdependence and to join with all people of faith who are engaged in the work of peace and justice.

· We join our voices and lives in the joy of Womenspirit rising around the world, cherishing our future of worship and work together.

· We call the church to confess that for too long the female imagery for God in Scripture has been suppressed and marginalized in favor of male imagery which serves to legitimate patriarchy.

· We affirm the policy of the Presbyterian Church (USA) advocating the use of inclusive language.

· We call the church to acknowledge and confess that it participates in idolatry when it adheres to exclusively male images of God.

· We affirm the freedom to be innovative and creative as we name God in our own forms of speech and actions.

· Woe to you who fear diversity of gender and sexual orientation and who turn your fear into abuse of the saints of God.

· Woe to you who deny women the freedom to make reproductive decisions, particularly regarding abortion.

· Blessed are you who affirm the diversity of gender and sexual orientation and who welcome diversity as enriching the human community.

· Blessed are you who respect the moral agency of women to make decisions about their reproductive lives, and who comfort and sustain them in this process.

· Blessed are you who affirm the calls to ministry of persons of all sexual orientations.

· We are open to new ways of being reformed by the wild and untamed Spirit.

This left-wing idea of church life is not interested in the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but is an attempt at watering down the already lukewarm mainline denominations into nothing more than social agencies at which feminists and lesbians are at the helm. The church of the Sophia vision consents to murder (abortion), perversion (homosexuality), and yoking with anti-Christian religious forces just so long as they too have a similar social agenda. The number one enemy is the conservative faction of their denomination who are trying against great odds to preserve the godly traditions of the honorable beginnings of their churches.

The majority of the Presbyterian Church USA oppose the lobbying efforts of groups like "Voices of Sophia" and the many feminist and homosexual organizations who bombard their general assemblies with their incessant demands for more power and acceptance. But, the conservatives are labeled as "homophobic" and "patriarchal." At last year’s ReImagining God conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, one speaker, Presbyterian professor of ethics at Union Theological Seminary in New York, lashed out at their opposition in their denomination. She accused them of "Jurassic Park theology" and complained that they have a "longing to kill the queers... and making women use their wombs for the proper use of state production."

The Presbyterian Layman magazine has reported on the annual ReImagining conferences critically and has been a thorn in Sophia's side. In a recent article the Layman blasted the participants of the ReImagining movement for teaching a false gospel and blaspheming the Lord Jesus. The article quoted several of the speakers"who insisted that Christians are under no obligation to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of the world. In their view, Jesus is not particularly unique, being only one among many ways that Sophia has made herself known."

Another Union Theological Seminary professor, Delores Williams, according to the Layman, said to the crowd of ReImaginers, "I don't think we need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff... We shouldn’t be persecuted for being heretics." She added, "In the heart and soul of the deities, we are all loved, and it doesn't matter who we're sleeping with," adding support to the lesbian and homosexual Presbyterians.

One conservative woman critic who wrote of her observations while attending the gathering warned her fellow Presbyterians: "You must not be lulled... into thinking this is merely a fringe movement... I sat at tables with pastors, Christian educators, seminary professors, and... PC (USA), United Methodist and Evangelical Lutherans were the most represented denominations, in that order. These were not fringe people."

When one of the speakers denied Jesus Christ's uniqueness as the Son of God, she was heralded with a standing ovation, drum beating, whistles and cat calls from the audience. And their communion consisted of honey and milk, representing female sexuality. The presiding "reverend," Presbyterian minister, Sally Hill, gave the benediction as she passed out the "elements." "Here we taste, see and savor how good it is to be in our bodies. . . This is the body of God for healing the bitterness of the human heart... We have seen the power, rising from the earth."

It is unthinkable that a true Christian denomination would even allow such pagan groups to exist and have a voice among them. If the denominations were true to their roots, these people would be excommunicated before they even had a chance to organize. Ultimately, these factions will split the denominations in two or, as the Bible predicts, the leaven will leaven the whole lump, and eventually true believers’ voices will be totally repressed.

One of Sophia’s false prophetesses spoke her word over the future of the Protestant denominations: "We are learning that to be ecumenical is to move beyond the boundaries of Christianity, said Mary Ann Lundy, "yesterday’s heresies are becoming tomorrow’s Book of Order."

The book of Revelation seems to have targeted the mainline Protestant denominations when Jesus said, "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God" (Rev. 3:1-2).

2 At a recent religious conference one Sophiagette called for the death of the old paradigm in favor of a new paradigm she called the "new dialogic paradigm." This would open the door for new interpretations of scripture and church practice to include the things on the feminist interpretation.