whatyareckon

Swarthmore College began as a Quaker institution of higher education in 1860 https://www.swarthmore.edu/a-brief-history#event-founders-and-the-quaker-tradition. One hundred and fifty eight years later one of the courses now taught at Swarthmore is ‘QUEERING GOD: FEMINIST AND QUEER THEOLOGY’.

‘The God of the Bible and later Jewish and Christian literature is distinctively masculine, definitely male. Or is He? If we can point out places in traditional writings where God is nurturing, forgiving, and loving, does that mean that God is feminine, or female? This course examines feminist and queer writings about God, explores the tensions between feminist and queer theology, and seeks to stretch the limits of gendering-and sexing-the divine. Key themes include: gender; embodiment; masculinity; liberation; sexuality; feminist and queer theory.’  http://catalog.swarthmore.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=7&coid=8805

If that isn’t enough a 2014 graduate of the school created a tree shrine on campus because she was ‘Inspired by Hindu and Buddhist icons that she studied in Professor Steven Hopkins’ class The Power of Images in Spring 2012′ making ‘an icon of Lucretia Mott as a transgendered, multi- racial and multi-armed goddess astride her flaming Phoenix, holding safely in her womb the campus Quaker Meeting House, and brandishing in each of her graceful hands symbols that represent service and leadership, scholarship, the Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Humanities, and the virtues of athletic discipline.’

This graduate went on to say ‘When I took The Power of Images. . .  I stared and stared at those gorgeous snapshots of Hindu shrines sprung up overnight like miraculous technicolor weeds, at Jizo shrines overflowing with little statues; shimenawa, omamori, baby Krishnas, reliquaries, Shiva processions . . . Do you know what it’s LIKE to be both an artist and a student of religion? Have you ever been forced, starving and depressed, to look at hundreds of professional photos of world-class sushi or baked goods? It was a lot like that. I thought, ‘why don’t we DO anything like this?’ The religious experience—ANY religious experience—is a thing beyond everyday description. To me that comes across best in a riot of color, clutter, sound, smell, and ceremony.’ https://www.swarthmore.edu/religion/making-image-swarthmore

Do the Quakers have any control over this school and what is taught? NOW, the Bible is pretty clear on the subject of making images and gender. For instance on gender, Paul wrote in 1Timothy 3:16 that ‘God was manifest in the flesh…’. 

John the Apostle wrote in John 1:14 that ‘…the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth’ John 1:14.

Of course both John and Paul were speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. What gender was Jesus? That’s not hard to answer for when reading the Scriptures the only conclusion one can end with is; He was a male. As to Jesus’ Father ONLY male nouns and pronouns are used of Him. Now, that wasn’t hard, was it?!

So, why would the professors at Swarthmore College try to make the plain sense of Scripture say something else? Paul summed up the religious teaching at Swarthmore College when he wrote ‘Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils’ 1Timothy 4:1.