 |
| photo source |
I recently read this in a comment on an American blog: I once heard a woman being interviewed on TV. She had been a teacher in the public schools, but as a second career had become a financial advisor. When the host asked about her career change, she said, “they’ll pay you to take care of their money, but they won’t pay you to take care of their children.”
And then today I came across this from an Alabama state senator: "It's a Biblical principle. If you double a teacher's pay scale, you'll attract people who aren't called to teach. To go in and raise someone's child for eight hours a day, or many people's children for eight hours a day, requires a calling. It better be a calling in your life. I know I wouldn't want to do it, OK? And these teachers that are called to teach, regardless of the pay scale, they would teach. It's just in them to do. It's the ability that God give 'em. And there are also some teachers, it wouldn't matter how much you would pay them, they would still perform to the same capacity. If you don't keep that in balance, you're going to attract people who are not called, who don't need to be teaching our children."
The same man defended a 62% pay raise for legislators, because of the risk of bribery and corruption. He needs to make enough that he can say no, in regards to temptation. I read about his arguments in a blog post about the use of the word Biblical. Notice the damage done to the sacredness of the word “Biblical” to toss it around like that. I myself might have wanted to point out the Biblical stance against those who serve their own interest... and oppress their workers (Isaiah 58:3).
 |
| Guido Reni (1575-1642) Education of the Virgin (source) |
These quotes make me want to throw up and cry at the same time. The nausea is from the blatant abuse of the scriptures to justify an idiotic argument, and the crying is over a society that values commodities over its children.
ReplyDeletetruth is that most churches have a paid minister (very often male) and all the work done in children's work (and v often in youth too) is done by unpaid volunteers. Sometimes these volunteers are trained in their work for the church but almost always it's at their own expense. And surprise surprise much of the volunteerism is done by women.
ReplyDeleteThe church - in the main - do not value non-clergy insofaras they are prepared to pay them and would crumble if women withdreww their support.
I just read a book called Adam's rib the backbone of the church. Very interesting. As are the statistics that the churchin England lost most professional men from congregations and now highly educated women are also walking. Not because they don't believe but because of the patronising and disempowering way church services are conducted.
Food for thought :)