The Orthodox Church suspends any discrimination between the sexes by considering men and women as equal members of a Body, endowed with the same spiritual gifts and with a common goal of Communion with God#orthodox_timeshttps://t.co/uNAVqFVEha— Orthodox Times (@orthodox_times) August 26, 2020
Orthodox Times
This paragraph could have been worded better:
The Orthodox Church elevates woman as a person by giving her a vital role in the development of young people and their presence in society. Contrary to timeless perceptions and realities, which want women to be marginalized, the Church suspends any discrimination between the sexes by considering men and women as equal members of a Body, endowed with the same spiritual gifts and with a common goal of Communion with God.
Discrimination needs to be defined, as well as justice. The prohibition against women being ordained to the presbyterate is a "just" one, and not discrimination according to the most popular meaning of "the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex."
The uniqueness of the woman and the functions she performs in the Church make her undoubtedly a member equal to the man. In Orthodoxy, respect for individuality is a fundamental principle. Thus, the concept of equality is not used within Orthodoxy, whether the concept of equality between the two sexes, between persons is being supported. The fact that women are excluded from the sacrament of the priesthood, means in no way a devaluation of the Woman, as some want to see it. Priesthood is not an ecclesiastical profession, nor is it of a formal or customary nature. It is a Mystery instituted by Jesus Christ himself, given by Him only to the Apostles and to the successors of their work, the Men-Clergy. Why this possibility was given only to males is interpreted humanely as due to purely practical and biological reasons. Man, after all, is called with faith – trust in Him to accept and live the divine truths and actions. This fact, however, does not detract from the value of the woman as a person. After all, the possibility of sainthood exists freely and equally in both sexes. Let us not forget the following: The body has many parts and each part has its own mission, which with its value and uniqueness contributes to the overall harmony.
Purely practical and biological reasons? Why should mere biology matter, unless differences in "biology" are tied to other differences between men and women?
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