I know that this is political, but

[Neil D]

....how does one look at this issue with objectivity?

From the Huffington post

After more than 60 years together, Jimmy Carter has announced himself at odds with the Southern Baptist Church -- and he's decided it's time they go their separate ways. Via Feministing, the former president called the decision "unavoidable" after church leaders prohibited women from being ordained and insisted women be "subservient to their husbands." Said Carter in an essay in The Age:

At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.

And, later:

The truth is that male religious leaders have had -- and still have -- an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world.

After watching everyone from philandering politicians to Iran's president taking a sudden look heavenwards when the roof starts to come down on them, it's refreshing to see Carter calling out the role of religion in the mistreatment of women.

The question for Carter -- and for others who find themselves at odds with leadership -- is, when a group you're deeply involved in starts to move away from your own core beliefs, do you stay and try to change from within or, at some point, do you have to look for the exit? Carter did give the former a shot -- in recent years publicly criticizing and distancing himself from church leadership, while staying involved with his church. Now, he's seeing if absence might do what presence did not.

[phkrause]

Why? Its seems a church issue and not political. Unless you mean religious political issue? I see this as a church issue. Even though I don't agree with him on many issue's concerning Israel, but I have always respected him above many other leaders.

[Woody]

I'm not sure about objectivity. ...

[teresaq]

I remember when the Southern Baptist church made it a law that wives had to submit to their husbands,

then repealed it a few years later "because it didn't work".

The law was made because all the ills of society were blamed on women supposedly not submitting to their husbands.

I guess we have not come very far from Adam and Eve and the blame game.