Rose
04-21-2012, 12:48 PM
The male hormone Testosterone is what causes men to be more aggressive, competitive and to build larger muscles than their female counterparts. In the animal kingdom these qualities are manifest in the constant display of aggression in male to male combat for the privilege of mating with a female; very rarely is a male’s aggressive behavior directed at the female. This is quite different from the human male who often uses his more aggressive and stronger nature to dominate and abuse the human female. The extremely sad thing is that this belief of female subjugation to men is a doctrine taught in the pages of many religions, thus encouraging men to deny women their equal rights based on 'God’s' order. The question that comes to mind is: does it really seem plausible that a gender neutral god, who supposedly created the universe, would decree that the stronger more aggressive male rule the female? I don’t think so…which strongly leads one to think that the gods of man’s religions are made up by them, because they are the ones who benefit the most! Giving men the rule over women is much like putting the fox in charge of the hen house, or having college boys in charge of the women’s dorm!
My focus in this article is on the Christian religion; because that is the one I am most familiar with - considering myself one for nearly 30 years. The Christian religion like many others has some very positive qualities and has done much good in the world, but the one glaring problem that to some extent overshadows all of its good, is the unequal treatment of women that it promotes. The Bible is anti-progressive compared to its secular counterparts when it comes to women’s issues, because of the fact that its decrees are written as coming from an unchangeable god, therefore whatever is spoken of as 'God’s' laws remain immutable. The decree of Genesis 3:16 states a man is given ruler-ship over a woman because of her transgression; this remains a blight on the Bible’s message of unity that can never be overcome. Anytime the stronger and more aggressive male is put in a position of authority over his female counterpart by a god, the outcome is sure to be negative, which is exactly what we see has happened in Christianity. Men have used the Bibles message of male ruler-ship to keep women from fulfilling their full potentials, and it is only when women themselves have risen up in protest and demanded their equal rights as humans that changes have happened.
For the most part the Bible’s message has not helped women gain equal rights; it has in fact hindered the cause of freedom on many fronts. Every freedom that women have gained has been won by fighting hard against men who dogmatically hold to their god given position of ruler over women. The argument is sometimes used by Christians that the New Testament declares male and female, Jew and Greek to be equal, but that is clearly only meant in the spiritual sense. One only has to look as far as the book of 1 Corinthians to find the explicit statement that 'man is the head of woman', and that 'man is the image and glory of god, but woman is the glory of man' which permanently places women under mans authority and ruler-ship… once something is decreed by god it can never be changed, thus making woman’s rights trapped in the mindset of first century males who considered women to be inferior and subordinate to men.
1Cor.11:3-10 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God….But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
Rose
My focus in this article is on the Christian religion; because that is the one I am most familiar with - considering myself one for nearly 30 years. The Christian religion like many others has some very positive qualities and has done much good in the world, but the one glaring problem that to some extent overshadows all of its good, is the unequal treatment of women that it promotes. The Bible is anti-progressive compared to its secular counterparts when it comes to women’s issues, because of the fact that its decrees are written as coming from an unchangeable god, therefore whatever is spoken of as 'God’s' laws remain immutable. The decree of Genesis 3:16 states a man is given ruler-ship over a woman because of her transgression; this remains a blight on the Bible’s message of unity that can never be overcome. Anytime the stronger and more aggressive male is put in a position of authority over his female counterpart by a god, the outcome is sure to be negative, which is exactly what we see has happened in Christianity. Men have used the Bibles message of male ruler-ship to keep women from fulfilling their full potentials, and it is only when women themselves have risen up in protest and demanded their equal rights as humans that changes have happened.
For the most part the Bible’s message has not helped women gain equal rights; it has in fact hindered the cause of freedom on many fronts. Every freedom that women have gained has been won by fighting hard against men who dogmatically hold to their god given position of ruler over women. The argument is sometimes used by Christians that the New Testament declares male and female, Jew and Greek to be equal, but that is clearly only meant in the spiritual sense. One only has to look as far as the book of 1 Corinthians to find the explicit statement that 'man is the head of woman', and that 'man is the image and glory of god, but woman is the glory of man' which permanently places women under mans authority and ruler-ship… once something is decreed by god it can never be changed, thus making woman’s rights trapped in the mindset of first century males who considered women to be inferior and subordinate to men.
1Cor.11:3-10 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God….But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
Rose