You seem to have a caricature of what our view is rather than what it actually is, so you might want to read the sections of some of our statements on women's roles in society in the various studies entitled "Man and Woman in God's World" or the brief section in "This We Believe." There are many questions about this in the relevant section of this web site. You might also want to talk to some WELS women doctors. I am not aware of any of them ever encountering any problems with this.

A sample of some of the thoughts about this can also be found in chapter 10 of the Bible study "Man and Woman in God's World:

The principle of male and female roles is not the only principle which governs the life of Christians. When making decisions, we must also consider other principles, such as the need to provide for one's family, the responsibility to be a good steward of the family's property, and the responsibility to oppose evil. At times, when two different principles seem to be in conflict, it may be difficult for a Christian to know which to apply. A Christian will, however, apply one of the two principles and will show his or her acceptance of the other principle in every way possible. Since Scripture gives us relatively little guidance in applying these principles in society, we should be slow to pass judgment on the decisions of others concerning gray areas. (A "gray area" is a situation which is not clearly wrong, but which could become sinful depending on the attitude with which it is carried out.)

If a Christian woman through responsibility for her property or needed employment finds herself in a position where she is placed over men, she should try to exercise her responsibility with an attitude and demeanor that shows her respect for the biblical principles and which does not diminish the men's sense of responsibility for leadership. In some jobs which place her over men like being president it might be almost impossible for a Christian women to function without violating the scriptural principles. In other jobs or positions she may be able to operate in a way which shows respect for the biblical principles. Since we should never go against our conscience, if her conscience cannot find peace with her current role and practices, a woman should find a different way of carrying out her responsibility or she should seek a different position. But you may be imagining greater difficulties than actually exist in the situation you describe.

4. Aren't there a lot of ambiguous or uncertain areas here?

Response: Yes, but in an imperfect world, in which good values often come into conflict with each other, we cannot escape difficult situations and or avoid times when we are unsure of the best course of actions. In such cases we should carefully weigh the principles and the circumstances, seek the advice of mature Christians, make the best decision we can, trust the outcome to God, and let our conscience be at peace.