Thread: Is Christianity anti-female?

Christianity, the Bible, is not anti-female in fact is the best thing that ever happened to women. Why, Paul told the Christians in Ephesus, ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.’ And he added, ‘He who loves his wife loves himself.’ Jesus ignored the Jewish anti-Samaritan prejudices along with prevailing view that saw women as inferior beings. Jesus gave women status and respect equal to men. Mary was the cultural deviant, but so was Jesus, because he violated the rabbinic law of his day [about speaking to women].” By teaching Mary spiritual truths, he violated another rabbinic law, which said, “Let the words of the Law [Torah] be burned rather than taught to women. If a man teaches his daughter the law, it is as though he taught her lechery. “He who talks with a woman [in public] brings evil upon himself.” Another rabbinic teaching prominent in Jesus’ day taught, “One is not so much as to greet a woman.” So we can understand why his disciples were amazed to find Him talking to a woman in public. Now the kicker where most get upset when Paul says “ wives to not only submit to their husbands as to the Lord, but he calls husbands to submit to Christ.” He calls men to love their wives in the self-sacrificing way Christ loves the church. But understand at that time In a culture where a wife was property, and a disrespected piece of property at that, Paul elevates women to a position of honor previously unknown in the world. Paul also provided highly counter cultural direction for the New Testament church. In the Jewish synagogue, women had no place and no voice in worship. In the pagan temples, the place of women was to serve as prostitutes. The church, on the other hand, was a place for women to pray and prophecy out loud (1 Cor. 11:5). The spiritual gifts—supernatural enablings to build God’s church, are given to women as well as men. Older women are commanded to teach younger ones. The invitation to women to participate in worship of Jesus was unthinkable, but true.

Originally Posted by freecell

Christianity, the Bible, is not anti-female in fact is the best thing that ever happened to women. Why, Paul told the Christians in Ephesus, ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.’ And he added, ‘He who loves his wife loves himself.’ Jesus ignored the Jewish anti-Samaritan prejudices along with prevailing view that saw women as inferior beings. Jesus gave women status and respect equal to men. Mary was the cultural deviant, but so was Jesus, because he violated the rabbinic law of his day [about speaking to women].” By teaching Mary spiritual truths, he violated another rabbinic law, which said, “Let the words of the Law [Torah] be burned rather than taught to women. If a man teaches his daughter the law, it is as though he taught her lechery. “He who talks with a woman [in public] brings evil upon himself.” Another rabbinic teaching prominent in Jesus’ day taught, “One is not so much as to greet a woman.” So we can understand why his disciples were amazed to find Him talking to a woman in public. Now the kicker where most get upset when Paul says “ wives to not only submit to their husbands as to the Lord, but he calls husbands to submit to Christ.” He calls men to love their wives in the self-sacrificing way Christ loves the church. But understand at that time In a culture where a wife was property, and a disrespected piece of property at that, Paul elevates women to a position of honor previously unknown in the world. Paul also provided highly counter cultural direction for the New Testament church. In the Jewish synagogue, women had no place and no voice in worship. In the pagan temples, the place of women was to serve as prostitutes. The church, on the other hand, was a place for women to pray and prophecy out loud (1 Cor. 11:5). The spiritual gifts—supernatural enablings to build God’s church, are given to women as well as men. Older women are commanded to teach younger ones. The invitation to women to participate in worship of Jesus was unthinkable, but true.

Quiet woman. You're to be seen and not heard.... and walk "behind" your man when you're in public.

Originally Posted by freecell

Christianity, the Bible, is not anti-female in fact is the best thing that ever happened to women. Why, Paul told the Christians in Ephesus, ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.’ And he added, ‘He who loves his wife loves himself.’ Jesus ignored the Jewish anti-Samaritan prejudices along with prevailing view that saw women as inferior beings. Jesus gave women status and respect equal to men. Mary was the cultural deviant, but so was Jesus, because he violated the rabbinic law of his day [about speaking to women].” By teaching Mary spiritual truths, he violated another rabbinic law, which said, “Let the words of the Law [Torah] be burned rather than taught to women. If a man teaches his daughter the law, it is as though he taught her lechery. “He who talks with a woman [in public] brings evil upon himself.” Another rabbinic teaching prominent in Jesus’ day taught, “One is not so much as to greet a woman.” So we can understand why his disciples were amazed to find Him talking to a woman in public. Now the kicker where most get upset when Paul says “ wives to not only submit to their husbands as to the Lord, but he calls husbands to submit to Christ.” He calls men to love their wives in the self-sacrificing way Christ loves the church. But understand at that time In a culture where a wife was property, and a disrespected piece of property at that, Paul elevates women to a position of honor previously unknown in the world. Paul also provided highly counter cultural direction for the New Testament church. In the Jewish synagogue, women had no place and no voice in worship. In the pagan temples, the place of women was to serve as prostitutes. The church, on the other hand, was a place for women to pray and prophecy out loud (1 Cor. 11:5). The spiritual gifts—supernatural enablings to build God’s church, are given to women as well as men. Older women are commanded to teach younger ones. The invitation to women to participate in worship of Jesus was unthinkable, but true.

This is a good example of what happens when a person wants to believe something so badly that they willingly remain ignorant so that their fantasy will not be exploded by a bunch of disgusting FACTS.

C'mon, Free, are you kidding? I never suspected you of having that much sense of humor based on your other posts so I suppose you aren't. Early church doctrine maintained that women didn't even have souls--yep, must have been the very best thing for them.:therethere:

I hope you realize that you will be the recipient of rather a lot of Scripture pointing out your ecclesiastical error, so you better get your magnum REVISIONIST-DENIER out and oil it up.

No one really knows. No one will ever know.

Okay, Free, Lakeman and I have discussed this and he remains in total denial, but the ugly fact is that the Bible allows women to be taken as the spoils of war, their families slaughtered, their homes destroyed, and--as long as they are virgins--they can be taken home by the men who killed their families to be raped and married, or raped and thrown out like garbage. Check it out: Judges 21:10-11, Numbers 31:1-10, Numbers 31:32-35, Deuteronomy 20:10-18, Deuteronomy 21:10-14.

It was also acceptable for men to rape the wives of their enemies before killing them. Isaiah 13:11-16

God also threatens that the Israelite's wives will be ravished by other men if the Israelites don't behave. (Why does the punishment fall on the women when they have no political power or any say in the councils that control the actions of the tribes?) Deuteronomy 28:28-30, Jeremiah 6:11-14, Jeremiah 8:8-11, and Zechariah 14:1-2.

I Corinthians 11:3-9 details women's status very clearly, but goes on in 10-13 to state that both men and women belong to God.

I Timothy 2:11-14 "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

Let's get right down to the meat of the subject, Free, when Jesus saved the fallen woman from being stoned for her sin, did He say anything about the man involved? C'mon, Free, even you can't believe that she sinned by herself. The woman was going to be stoned to death and the man went home smiling. That single act by your religion's Most Holy Person should say all that needs to be said on this thread.

How many examples out of your Holy Book do you need? I can supply you with rather a lot of them. Why did Christianity preach that women didn't even have souls? Why were women denied the right to own property? To vote? To have control over their own bodies? Christianity is one of the most homocentric and misogynist religions in history.

Originally Posted by Inkslinger

Quiet woman. You're to be seen and not heard.... and walk "behind" your man when you're in public.

Nowadays the woman is required to walk in front of the man in case of land mines.

Originally Posted by Wedgehog

Okay, Free, Lakeman and I have discussed this and he remains in total denial, but the ugly fact is that the Bible allows women to be taken as the spoils of war, their families slaughtered, their homes destroyed, and--as long as they are virgins--they can be taken home by the men who killed their families to be raped and married, or raped and thrown out like garbage. Check it out: Judges 21:10-11, Numbers 31:1-10, Numbers 31:32-35, Deuteronomy 20:10-18, Deuteronomy 21:10-14.

It was also acceptable for men to rape the wives of their enemies before killing them. Isaiah 13:11-16

God also threatens that the Israelite's wives will be ravished by other men if the Israelites don't behave. (Why does the punishment fall on the women when they have no political power or any say in the councils that control the actions of the tribes?) Deuteronomy 28:28-30, Jeremiah 6:11-14, Jeremiah 8:8-11, and Zechariah 14:1-2.

I Corinthians 11:3-9 details women's status very clearly, but goes on in 10-13 to state that both men and women belong to God.

I Timothy 2:11-14 "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

Let's get right down to the meat of the subject, Free, when Jesus saved the fallen woman from being stoned for her sin, did He say anything about the man involved? C'mon, Free, even you can't believe that she sinned by herself. The woman was going to be stoned to death and the man went home smiling. That single act by your religion's Most Holy Person should say all that needs to be said on this thread.

How many examples out of your Holy Book do you need? I can supply you with rather a lot of them. Why did Christianity preach that women didn't even have souls? Why were women denied the right to own property? To vote? To have control over their own bodies? Christianity is one of the most homocentric and misogynist religions in history.

I can save you the trouble and simpley give you Freecell's response, since I've encountered it so often: Bla bla bla "atheist websites!" bla bla bla! :lalala:

Originally Posted by Zarathustra

I can save you the trouble and simpley give you Freecell's response, since I've encountered it so often: Bla bla bla "atheist websites!" bla bla bla! :lalala:

Thanks, Zara, I suspected as much, but I write to the rest of the people as well and maybe some of them are a little more receptive to the truth of what's actually written in the Bible.

What I find ridiculous is those who think Islam is a violent religion and yet dont feel a twinge of emotion when someone tries to point out that God once commited genocide. Or any of the other evil things the Bible praises, like raping women after a victorious battle.

And let's not even GET INTO what Christians themselves have done throughout history...Bitching about some Muslim suicide bombers and yet think the Crusades and Inquisition are inconsequential.

Originally Posted by Zarathustra

What I find ridiculous is those who think Islam is a violent religion and yet dont feel a twinge of emotion when someone tries to point out that God once commited genocide. Or any of the other evil things the Bible praises, like raping women after a victorious battle.

And let's not even GET INTO what Christians themselves have done throughout history...Bitching about some Muslim suicide bombers and yet think the Crusades and Inquisition are inconsequential.

I think it's very unkind of you to point out these tiny discrepancies in the Christian dogma. Why do you hate America?