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Marion Ann Taylor's avatar

This disturbing story echoes the opening chapter of the book of Esther where we read that Vashti’s “No” to appearing before drunken men to show off her beauty triggered an over-the-top response by insecure men who feared the power of women. Memucan, one of the king’s officials, advised that Vashti’s defiance would cause “all women” in the Persian Empire to “look with contempt on their husbands” and “the noble ladies of Persia and Media to rebel against the king’s officials” causing “no end of contempt and wrath!” He proposed that the king issue a decree that mandated that “all women give honor to their husbands, high and low alike” and that “every man should be master in his own house.” We now know that the only women invited to ancient drinking banquets were prostitutes and dancing girls; wives were not welcome. I applaud the Vashti-like courage of women like Aimee Byrd and men like Michael Bird who support them.

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CynthiaW's avatar

It all seems very "inside baseball" to me, but in the Evangelical or Reformed milieu, this is obviously upsetting some big cheeses. I don't have much idea how big the teapot for this tempest is, although the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the denomination Mrs. Byrd left, is tiny, with around 30,000 total congregants.

I've been reading Aimee Byrd's articles and books for years. She has a lot of interesting things to say.

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