Segregation between women and men...

[Gaura Priya]

Is there any Biblical basis for this?

Although most churches that I've been to have almost always been a mixed crowd, I was visiting the local Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ, a Philippine denomination of Christianity) and was shocked to see that all of the women were separated on one side, and the men all sat on the other side.

I do expect this when visiting an Indian temple, but almost never in a church setting. So what gives? :sarcastic

 

[Pegg]

i've never heard of segregation except in islam.

Its definitely not a christian teaching.

 

[IsmailaGodHasHeard]

There is no Biblical basis for that.

 

[Tamar]

i've never heard of segregation except in islam.

Its definitely not a christian teaching.

There is segregation in Orthodox Judaism too.

 

[Gaura Priya]

There is segregation in Orthodox Judaism too.

So I guess the question would be why Jews practice this custom, and yet it somehow or other disappeared in mainstream Christian worship. I guess perhaps the INC is probably the only Christian denomination I know that practices this, but i wonder what was God's bother with this form of segregation?

I know that under social circumstances, the more traditional Anabaptists such as Mennonites, Amish, the Brethren, Hutterites and such, practised some form of social separation between women and men.

 

[gdemoss]

Old German Baptist Brethren practice this. I can not think of any biblical basis for such a thing. As a matter of fact Paul seemed to know the women of the churches he planted well enough to include them in his letters. Jesus, our example, was constantly ministered to by women. Just as there is a role of deacon in the church there is a role of deaconess.

I think we would be closer to the biblical model to stay mixed seating.

Another question that I pose is....is the current model of one man preaching for 45 minutes every Sunday to people in pews biblical?

 

[Bob Dixon]

Another question that I pose is....is the current model of one man preaching for 45 minutes every Sunday to people in pews biblical?

Of course not. What IS biblical is a couple of guys getting together, having a barbecque, and discussing Bible and Gospel. But that's not practical for organised religion.

 

[Gaura Priya]

Of course not. What IS biblical is a couple of guys getting together, having a barbecque, and discussing Bible and Gospel. But that's not practical for organised religion.

Now where did it say that in the Bible, "And Jehovah said, may ye have barbecues in all the land, and gather the men of the tribe thereof, that they may discuss the Gospel among themselves. And it was good."

I may have to get another Bible...

I think a girl's potluck night is more fun! n__n

 

[JacobEzra.]

Is there any Biblical basis for this?

Although most churches that I've been to have almost always been a mixed crowd, I was visiting the local Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ, a Philippine denomination of Christianity) and was shocked to see that all of the women were separated on one side, and the men all sat on the other side.

I do expect this when visiting an Indian temple, but almost never in a church setting. So what gives? :sarcastic

This is a cultural thing.

A month or two ago, a monk came and gave a sermon at the local parish. He was a missionary to the Philippines and he mentioned this.