I'm not really sure how far we can apply that representative/intercessory principle, lynnie. And I mean that: I'd be interested to hear if someone has worked through this more thoroughly.
In each example you cite, we have a case of someone with God-given leadership or intercessory role--a prophet in each case, if not a priest--representing his people in their sins.
Do I really have the place or the right to represent and intercede for, say, CJ Mahaney? A (former) officer in a denomination utterly disconnected from me? As a Christian husband and father, I feel like I can represent and intercede for my family, and my church, if I were still a church officer. Beyond that, I would be hesitant to take that role. I don't see any example in the Bible--correct me if I'm wrong here--of a lay-person taking it on themselves to represent or intercede for their leaders without being given that role.
Hi- don't want to drift where the thread went, but to answer your question, I don't know. I have been encouraged by teaching in the past to this effect but I can't make out a theological case for your question at the moment. I have done it often, just from the vantage point that I probably have some or all of the same root sins that lead to scandalous actions in some people. I actually find it hard to interceed like this for people with perversions only because I don't feel like I am twisted in that unnatural way, but I admit that if I had been terribly molested when young I very well could have ended up just as perverted. But its no problem just praying for people the way you do, and asking the Lord to bring them to repentance.
The main point I was trying to make is that when women in the church seem like "feminists", at the very least spend part of your prayer in praying for the sort of men that provoke such sinful reactions. They are all over : ). I listen to women about their problem husbands, and I always have to direct them back to themselves.........invariably it is a great big stew with plenty of female ingredients in the mix. I tend to think it is wiser for older women to be doing the exhorting about submission to women, and for men to be doing the exhorting about how men should be to men. It may be that the biggest problem with Aimee is not her opinions about where men need to change, but that she is trying so hard to get them to change. Maybe that is better left to men, and she should be more focused on where women need to repent. Thinking it all through right now. Thanks for the reply.