We are very aware of the problem which concerns you and share your concern. That is why the Northwestern Publishing House Bible class on this subject begins with this statement:

"There is probably no other issue which raises more controversy in the church today than the debate concerning appropriate, scriptural roles for men and women in the church. This issue may often bring us into conflict with society and with prospective members of our congregations. The question of how Christian women should serve in a society which rejects the biblical principles governing the roles of men and women is perhaps the most difficult practical question which Christians face today. This issue certainly calls for careful study of Scripture, thorough discussion, and a spirit of cooperation and mutual consideration among us.

"There is no doubt that much of the current interest in this topic is a response to controversy in the church and in the world around us. This is an important issue which we cannot afford to ignore. But we should not overemphasize this one issue. It is not the one great principle which dominates our lives as Christians. The distinct responsibilities which God gives to us as men or women are just one part of the whole 'table of duties' which God gives to us as Christians. Although the distinct roles which Scripture assigns to us as men and women affect every area of our lives, there are many other principles which govern every area of our lives. When we are making decisions in any area of life, we will be guided not only by our distinct duties as men or women, but also by other duties such as our responsiblity for our family, our responsibility for our property, and our responsibility to oppose evil. As we study this topic, we want to study it, not in isolation, but in relationship to all the other duties and guidelines which God gives us. We want to study God's principles which govern the roles of men and women, not as a problem, but as a blessing.

"In this course we will begin where Christians must always begin when they face troubling questions--we begin by seeking direction from God's Word. In Part I of the course (Lessons 1-5) we will study the relevant scripture passages to discover the general principles which the Lord has given to guide Christian men and women as they serve him. In Part II (Lessons 6-10) we will discuss the application of those principles to specific situations in the church, in the home, and in society.

"A few cautions and comments are in place before we begin. Our class discussions will probably concentrate more on the God-given role of women than on the role of men. This is natural because the role of women is the point of controversy in the church today. But this should not lead us lose sight of the fact that Scripture is very balanced in applying God's will to men and women alike. The failure of all-too-many men to exercise Christlike leadership in their families and in the church is one of the most serious problems confronting the church and society. It must always be our goal to apply the admonitions of God's Word in a balanced way to men and women alike."

Our synod's doctrinal statement on this issue says:

"In applying the principle of role relationship, the church will emphasize the duties and responsibilities of men. God holds Christian men accountable for the use of the authority He has given them and will grant His blessings when men exercise this authority out of love for Christ (1 Pe 3:7; Col 3:19)."

We recommend that in Bible class no practical question on this topic ever be taken up without a five or six hours of study of the biblical foundation. I would like to preface every question to the Q and A with the above comment, but it is simply not possible to do so in the nature of the format. The preface would take more space than a typical answer. That is why we so often direct questioners to fuller studies of the topic or to their pastors or some other Christian counselor. We usually do not know what prompted the question or the attitude of the questioner. If the question arises from a conflict, we almost always have heard only one side of the story. That is why we so often say that we can address only the principles, not the specific conflict that lies behind the question.

The topic you have raised is an especially sensitive area today, problem of a narrow focus that concerns you is true of almost every area of the question and answer page. I do not recall ever receiving a question on enjoying the positive side of church fellowship, only questions about some.htmlect of not having fellowship with people. Almost every question on Revelation concerns millennial misinterpretations of the book. I do not think I have ever answered a question about the beautiful, comforting passages of the book. The same is true of the topic we are discussing. Without doing a statistical study, I would say I receive 25 questions (or more) about the role of women for every one about the role of men. This by and large is simply the nature of the format.

Those who answer the questions simply do not have the space and time to provide the background or balance that can be given in a commentary on Revelation or in a complete Bible study on the topic. The answerers of the questions take up this work as "unpaid overtime" in addition to their regular work. It is some time they must fit somewhere into their schedule each day as something extra. They may feel they are treading water just trying to keep up with the questions that are asked, without the possibility of elaborating on the subject. They can only answer the questions that are asked--not cover everything that might be said on the subject. It is not fair to expect them to answer questions that were not asked In some formats, as in Forward in Christ or the old Northwestern Lutheran, the answerer may have only 600 words to answer a question which could be answered in a chapter or a book. The letter of criticism he receives for what he did not say may be longer than the space he was alotted for the answer and may take much more time to answer than the original question. It is this that makes the answerer's job more difficult than it already is.

Reading a collection of answers on a topic can never give a balanced view of the topic because people ask the same questions over and over again, and they have to be answered each time. So
the number of repetitions of the same basic answer is going to pile up.

The question and answer format has some value, but it is extremely limited in what it can address and in what it can be expected to accomplish. One solution would be to not address any questions of this type in the Q and A page at all, but the danger then is that people will feel you are trying to avoid the issue. This is not the case, but there are many.htmlects of the discussion which Q and A is simply not up to handling. We need to realize the severe limitations of the medium. It cannot serve as a balanced in-depth study of topics as a Bible class or book can. It can only provide "sound bites" not in-depth analyis.