Sunday, January 8, 2012

Oppression of women starts in the Bible?


Bible is an old religious text and it looks like discrimination against women begins there.
In the Old Testament there are clear indications that a man can rape a woman and if the act is discovered he has to pay her father a few shekels of silver and later he is permitted to marry her. See Deuteronomy 22:28-30 "If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives."
Fathers could sell their daughters as slaves to other men. See Exodus 21:7-8 "And in case a man should sell his daughter as a slave girl, she will not go out in the way that the slave men go out. If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master so that he doesn't designate her as a concubine but causes her to be redeemed, he will not be entitled to sell her to a foreign people….” Girls who engaged in prostitution could be burned! Read Leviticus 21:9 "And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire." There is no prostitution without the involvement of men but they are not to be touched! Women are considered evil in the Bible. "Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die." The Bible narrators made woman fail in the test and the wrath of God fell upon her. The birth of a daughter is less desirable: "Leviticus 12:2-5, if a woman gives birth to a baby boy, then she becomes unclean for 7 days. But if she gives birth to a baby girl, then she becomes unclean for 14 days! If a woman had her period and touches a chair or a bed or anything else then that item immediately becomes unclean. Anyone who then touches those things shall also become unclean. They must then bathe themselves and wash their clothes because they have touched an item that a menstruating woman has touched.” What is so unclean about menstruation?
In the epistles (New Testament) of the apostles we read: ‘Women should learn in subjugation and silence. They do not have authority over men and they should not teach. Women must keep silent in Churches. It is shameful for them to open their mouths therein. If they have a question they should ask their husbands before going to church and then their husbands will ask for them in the church.’ ‘ She should always cover her head while praying. If a woman prays with her head uncovered then she must shave her head.’ Is there anything dirty about the head of a woman? The books of the Bible maintain that God ordained men to rule over women for all time. Adam and Eve were not equal. He was created in the image and glory of God and Eve in his image. . Adam neither got deceived nor sinned but Eve did both. Saints like St. Augustin said: ‘Woman is a snare, her heart is a trap, and her hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but she will ensnare the sinner.’ While it is possible to find one upright man in every thousand, it is impossible to find even one single upright woman.’ How absurd!

2 comments:

  1. Although absurd, it's no wonder that in our world, there are people committed to defending their depraved ideas even using the word of God, is the man who seems to have created a God in the Bible often described as cruel and unfair to justify their cruel and most undesirable defects. I do not believe that God created man to wage an ancient war in the Middle East in his name, nor has ordained Joshua through the army of the sons of Israel, or not to spare the lives of children in the destruction of the city of Jericho, frankly jesus in life, not shown teach anyone to judge others, and not to spread hate and condemn those who think differently. must be very comforting and timely lay my head on the pillow and sleep the sleep of the righteous, thinking that he judged, condemned, slandered, reviled, killed, discriminated, cursed, all in the name of God, it's so much easier to evolve and seek the real reason and origin of so perverse and primitive human behavior.

    What he's worth being a woman?

    In some cultures, countries: NOTHING! In others, a woman's life is only passable!

    Given this I wonder why (culturally, men hate women so much? The brutal exercise of power? The pleasure of humiliation and denial of another human being? So alienated from the need to consider superior? God was made in the image and Like the man (you can suspect that imposed order, therefore) it was well built civilization! To think the world would not exist without the woman (who plays the female life). If a woman, become an island about ten (being pregnant) they populate the world!
    If staying for 10 men on an island, and still nothing populate kill the turf war! Fact?
    This building was constructed by hatred of religions, yes, so they do not give up that power seller and wicked woman to induce guilt and medo.Vejam teachings of the new ultra-conservative church evangelism! Where imposes fear ... someone reigns with an iron fist.

    HUMAN RIGHTS.

    Better than the biblical Ten Commandments or other religious law, as here, the need to respect differences and put them in terms of legal equality, human effort shows throughout the civilizations. This achievement was not given by the gods, ayatollahs, rabbis, popes, bispos.o was only by the belief that the human family needs legal advice balanced and that its members are protected (especially the weakest), respected as agents of construction and promotion of human well todos.A LETTER inspired by the high human consciousness, is a milestone in the advancement mental, social, political and human. What do you want the LETTER? Get that respect by all and that love and solidarity that are born outside those purposes reign wars, misery, suffering.

    MILENA LOURENÇO

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  2. By reading this comment, I did not understand anything. He uses one word. Absurd. What is absurd? I have only quoted from the Bible. There is ample evidence to prove that the Bible started women's oppression. If he blindly believes A book (here the Bible) it is his problem. If he believes this to be the word of God then it is his problem too. Please try to be reasonable in your comment.

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