Authority -- Based in Honor
Righteously based on deserved honor; unrighteously
based on compulsion through fear, terror
Randall,
I like your question: "What is authority" in context of
Jared's statement about women not being able to exercise it. He said,
"Women cannot exercise authority any more than a man can bear a
child."
In my opinion, the statement "women cannot exercise authority" is
no more true than the statement, "Men cannot have compassion,"
which is obviously false.
Dictionary.com defines authority as follows:
au·thor·i·ty (
-thτr
-t
,
-th
r
-,
τ-thτr
-,
τ-th
r
-)
n. pl. au·thor·i·ties
-
- The power to enforce laws, exact obedience, command,
determine, or judge.
- One that is invested with this power, especially a
government or body of government officials: land titles
issued by the civil authority.
- Power assigned to another; authorization: Deputies were given
authority to make arrests.
- A public agency or corporation with administrative powers in a
specified field: a city transit authority.
-
- An accepted source of expert information or advice: a
noted authority on birds; a reference book often cited as an
authority.
- A quotation or citation from such a source: biblical
authorities for a moral argument.
- Justification; grounds: On what authority do you make such a
claim?
- A conclusive statement or decision that may be taken as a guide or
precedent.
- Power to influence or persuade resulting from knowledge or
experience: political observers who acquire authority with age.
- Confidence derived from experience or practice; firm self-assurance:
played the sonata with authority.
I do not see any of the above definitions that apply to men only and not to
women, even in a righteous, scriptural sense.
Notice how the definition for "authority" overlaps with the
meanings of "agency" -- as in the authority to act as an agent or
to delegate one as an agent -- as I discussed the other day. Are we
going to say women have no right to be an agent? Certainly not.
As with anything else, there are righteous and unrighteous manifestations of
authority. The unrighteous manifestation arises from tactics such as
fear or terror to win the "respect" from the
"subjects." Righteous authority arises from respect that
comes spontaneously by virtue of honoring a person for how well they are
able to manifest the goodness of God.
Authority, it could be said, is the operating force behind what we call
"influence." Certainly women have as much
"influence" in their own gifts as men do in theirs. Is it
not the "authority" of the mother that instills respect in the
child to obey her wishes? If that authority is based in righteousness,
then the child will be more apt to blossom in a godly direction.
In the premortal counsels, when Lucifer approached God, saying, "give
me thine honor," he was asking something that God could not give, for
it is something that is as inseparable from what a person fundamentally is,
and only Lucifer could make the choices to live in accordance with the
principles by which that honor comes. Because he was turned down, he
opted to use counterfeit means to attain that honor -- means of fear,
compulsion, hatred, etc...
Sincerely,
Sterling
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2001 6:52 AM
Subject: [888] What is authority?
Is Jared on this list? If not, maybe Jordan can comment on:
"...authority is that which is expressed by a father, not a mother.
...Women can-not exercise authority any more than a man can bear a child,
though women can ful-fill the exercise of authority." (Dictated by
Jesus to Jared -- quoted from 'Autority' by Jared)
It may be a topic worth the discussing. What is authority? Why is
it how it is? Is authority demeaning or uplifting?
It seems to me to be a bit like many holy writings.... it is the proverbial
two-edged (s)Word. If taken at face value (the outer
image), then it is antithetical to a loving God who is not a respector of
persons. If it is taken as a personal allegory about the
individual being (the Only Begotton Son or Daughter) spoken to, then it is
uplifting and edifying. Maybe it is about what is inside rather than
what is outside... all creation being an allegory of what is
above. As above, so below.... although this is turned upside down
in the world.
The two-edged s-Word. The meaning becomes a perfect reflection that
which reigns within.
Randall
