I can’t analyze why I grew to this way of life. But I view women as people.
I’ve had breakfast meetings, lunch meetings, even dinner meetings with women. I have worked with women where I needed one-on-one meetings.
Never was there ever the slightest hint of extra-curricular activity.
With few exceptions, I innately trust the people I deal with or meet. Almost always (unless there are strong signals) I will trust you until you prove me wrong. And that happens.
Andy Stanley, the popular speaker and pastor, has a rule about never having any sort of meeting alone with a woman. He has never had lunch with his admin. He spoke once that he was invited to speak somewhere. He was to be met at the airport by a driver. The driver was a woman. He almost refused to get in the car. He called his wife.
I’ve recently heard that Vice President Pence has the same rule. Here is an article by a professional woman published in The New York Times about this subject from her point of view.
How demeaning that is to women.
Here’s the conundrum. Men in power use that power to gratify their sexual urges. Men in power use that power to exclude women from meaningful leadership.
One is more abusive than the other, but both attitudes miss the point. What is the common denominator? Men in power.
I think that it is scriptural to treat women as people. And other men as people.
It is possible that people with suspicious minds would try to make something of seeing a man and woman at lunch together. But in my world, it happens all the time. No big deal. Just as it shouldn’t be.
When we respect each other, life is good.
Faith Venture 
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