Contrary to prevailing Middle Eastern cultures at the time, Jesus didn’t have a problem with women. He welcomed them as disciples and took stands in their defense. The pastor of Watertown, New York’s First Baptist Church might’ve taken a lesson from the Lord before using a Bible passage about female subservience as his reason for firing a Sunday school teacher.

Citing 1 Timothy 2:11-14, in which Paul suggests women should keep quiet, Pastor Tim LaBouf and the church board relieved Mary Lambert of her duties after 54 years of service. How the passage had gone unnoticed for so long isn’t explained and Lambert suggested her dismissal had more to do with her past criticisms of LaBouf. Saying he didn’t want to bring up other reasons out of “Christian courtesy,” LaBouf later admitted that other factors did play in the decision, again pulling an excuse out of scripture by saying “a house divided cannot stand.”

The fact that LaBouf is also a city council member has caused further concern in the community, prompting a letter in which LaBouf explains that some of his best friends are women.

» Scott Saxon