Women in the Bible

[Guest Reesa]

Just thought id Paste this great work written by Voula Papas. It really shocked me... Id love to know what u all think..

 

 

The vast majority of people are bible illiterates. They only hear the palatable verses from the pulpit and blindly accept that the bible emanates goodness and is the word of God.

 

Any honest, thinking person reading through the bible cannot ignore the blatant misogyny and barbarity towards women. The eminent 'men of God" who wrote the bible were the product of patriarchal, tribal, violent, intolerant, monotheistic society. They reflect the ignorance and brutality of that society and at the dawn of a new millennium, fundamentalists insist that we should all abide by biblical law.

 

It is no accident that from the very beginning the bible cements women's inferior status. In 1Timothy 2:11-15 we are told that women are not permitted to have authority over men and that they must be silent because Adam was formed first then Eve.

 

Consider this: when God created all the animals he made male and female together. Then he created Adam. Adam was alone in the Garden of Eden, so God puts Adam to sleep, extracts one of his ribs and out of that single rib creates Eve. Even before the fall woman is accorded inferior status by deliberately being created after Adam instead of being created together. Why would an all-knowing God create man first then woman, shouldn't he have known that Adam would need a partner?

 

Anyway, God places Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and permits them to eat the fruit from all the trees but one - the tree of "knowledge"! The serpent, a wise and knowing creature approached Eve and suggested that she eat from the forbidden tree. When Eve saw that the fruit was desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it - it is no surprise that Abrahamic religions value ignorance as a virtue for women. Adam is exonerated from sin since it was the woman who led him astray. Perhaps Adam would have been better off with an inflatable doll rather than a real, thinking woman!

 

Calvin declared:

 

"Woman is more guilty than man, because she was seduced by Satan, and so diverted her husband from obedience to God that she was an instrument of death leading to all perdition. It is necessary that woman recognize this, and that she learn to what she is subjected; and not only against her husband. This is reason enough why today she is placed below and that she bears within her ignominy and shame."

 

Eve was punished severely for her attempt to gain knowledge, for disobedience and for exerting independence from her husband. I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing... Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you." Genesis 3:16. In accordance with God's command, some fundamentalist sects forbid painkillers during childbirth.

 

Some years ago I had a heated discussion with a Greek Orthodox woman regarding the subject of women priests. She claimed that women should not and could not become priests because of their monthly unclean state - they would defile the altar. Her view summed up the biblical contempt for women's bodies and natural functions (also shared by Islam and Judaism) There are several verses in the bible that emphasise women's uncleanness.

 

"A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding. These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. She is to bring two doves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean." Leviticus 12: 1-8

 

If a woman gives birth to a girl she is unclean for twice as long.

 

"When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening. … If a man lies with her and her monthly flow touches him, he will be unclean for seven days..." Leviticus 15:19-32.

 

“Man born of woman…Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!” Job 14:1-4

 

In some denominations women are still considered unclean during their menses. E.g. in the Greek Orthodox church women who have given birth attend church forty days after the birth to make amends for their uncleanness and be declared clean by the priest. Young women are still exhorted by their mothers and mothers in law to bow to this insulting and demeaning ritual.

 

The words whore and harlot are used frequently in the bible to describe women who deviated from the double standards sexual moral code. Women's bodies were not their own but the property of fathers and husbands. Virginity and chastity were mandatory for women and any woman breaking the double standard moral code was put to death. Under Mosaic Law men were permitted many wives while women were permitted only one and were subject to a test for unfaithfulness - Numbers 5:11-31. Men could divorce their wives on a whim - Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Women's main role was to bear male children and infertile women were scorned. In the bible it was always the women who were sterile, never the men.

 

“…If however the charge is true and no proof of the girl’s virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her father's house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death..." Deuteronomy 22:13-21.

 

Cultures, which demand virginity and chastity in women, have as their bedrock the double standard morality code. If men are encouraged to view women as depreciative chattels they will never regard them as human. And if women are not regarded as human, then all kinds of atrocities and injustices are permissible against them!

 

"For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head;" 1 Corinthians 11:9, 10.

 

“…women should remain silent in churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission...” 1 Corinthians 14:34

 

“Wives submit to your husbands, as is fitting to the Lord.” Colossians 3:18

 

Polygamy still exists amongst fundamentalist Mormons and certain sects. A fundamentalist group in America instructs women to call their husbands MASTER and to practice the art of being a SLAVE. Various fundamentalists exhort wives to submit and obey and have embarked on a chastity crusade targeting young women.

 

Today the religious right still uses the bible as a manual for the enslavement of women and persecution of homosexuals. Not only is the bible infested with sexism, but violence and obscenity also abound. Under the guise of "family values", the religious right is fighting to reverse all the gains made by women: the right to own property, the right to tertiary education, the right to work, the right to childcare, the right to vote, the right to plan their families, the right to equal wages, the right to enter politics and above all the right to sexual autonomy.

 

In the Roman Catholic tradition the Virgin Mary is held up as a role model for women. She symbolizes female "virtues" such as obedience, submission, chastity and silence. In fervent Catholic countries, Catholic women are encouraged to emulate her. In fact the more women submit and self-efface themselves the more they are praised for being “good” Christian women. The Roman Catholic Church glorifies one woman while it rubbishes all the rest.

 

The "glory" of motherhood is constantly drummed into women with the intent of preventing them from doing anything else. At the same time the bible emphasises women's uncleanness after childbirth, and states that we are all born sinful. Even Mary had to make a sin offering after the birth of Jesus.

 

Women should beware of campaigns to enshrine "God's Law" and "family values" into secular law. Whenever "family values" and "god's law" are mentioned, the little alarm bells inside my head start ringing loudly!

 

It is time women saw the bible for what it is: a man-made, primitive "revelation"! No woman with a shred of self-esteem would want to demean herself by bowing to such tyrannical and self-effacing absolutes. Every time a woman submits to such demotion she throws away her sell-worth. Women's self-worth is anathema to fundamentalists who accuse women of being selfish and ungiving.

 

Some Christian apologists claim that sexist biblical verses are a reflection of Hebrew society of that time and that Jesus Christ was a reformer who endeavoured to improve the status of women. They point to Proverbs 31:10-31 describing the virtues of a good wife - hard working, intelligent while implying that such women are so rare that their price is more than the price of rubies. On the other hand, fundamentalists invoke sexist verses in order to deny women their rights. In the US, Reconstructionists dream of doing away with the constitution and enforcing their own version of "God's law" based on the Old Testament. They advocate the death penalty for adultery, homosexuality, witchcraft, blasphemy, unchastity and sacrificing to "false gods".

 

Despite apologists attempts to "white-wash" the bible with a litany of excuses, it does not change the fact that the bible is anti women.

 

I urge you not to take my word for it but to check it out yourself. Here are some more biblical "gems" to look up:

 

 

 

GENESIS

2:22 Eve created from Adam's rib.

3:16 Cursed with painful childbirth and domination by husband.

4:17 Cain marries sister?

4:19 Man marries two wives.

12:13-19 Abraham prostitutes wife.

19:1-8 Rape virgin daughters instead of male angels.

19:26 Lot's wife turned into pillar of salt for disobeying god.

19:30-38 Lot impregnates his two daughters while drunk. (So much for "family values"!)

20:2-12 Abraham prostitutes wife - again.

25:1-6 Keeping many concubines is OK.

 

EXODUS

20:17 Wife as property.

21:4 Wife and children belong to master.

21:7-11 OK to sell daughters. Female slaves can be used for sex.

Polygamy permitted. Unwanted female slaves can be set "free" without payment of money.

22:18 Kill witches.

 

LEVITICUS

12:1 Childbirth a sin, Women unclean after childbirth.

15:19-32 Menstruating women are unclean.

20:10-16 Death penalty for homosexuality and various sexual transgressions.

21:7 Priests must not marry prostitutes or divorcees.

21:9 Burn daughters.

21:13-14 Priest must marry virgin, not "used" woman.

 

NUMBERS

1:2 Census lists only men - women do not count.

5:11-31 Fidelity test for women only.

30:1-16 Woman's vow invalid unless approved by her father or husband.

31:17-18 Kill all except virgins. Keep virgins for yourselves.

CH 12 Miriam punished for rebuking Moses.

 

DEUTERONOMY

20:14 Take women, livestock as plunder.

22:13-21 Stone non-virgin bride.

22:23-24 Stone rapist and rape victim.

22:28 Rape victim must marry rapist; rape victim's father compensated for depreciation of his property.

25:11-12 Cut woman's hand for touching foe's penis.

24:1-5 Man can "send" wife from HIS house. Man must not marry "used" woman.

28:18 The FRUIT of your womb will be cursed - eclectic "pro-life" verse!

 

JUDGES

5:30 Women are spoils of war.

14:20 Samson gives wife to another man.

16:1 Samson visits prostitute.

CH 19 Concubine pack-raped and butchered.

21:10-12 Slaughtered all inc. women and children. Saved virgins for wives.

21:21 Abducted girls for wives.

 

RUTH

Ruth shags Boaz.

 

1 SAMUEL

15:2-3 Attack Amalekites, kill men, women, children and livestock.

22:19 Kill all inc. infants and livestock.

21:4-5 Men avoid defilement with women.

 

2 SAMUEL

5:13 David took many wives and concubines.

CH 13 Ammon rapes his own sister.

16:21-22 Absalom sleeps with his father's concubines.

6:20-23 Mischal punished with bareness.

 

1 KINGS

11:3 Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.

 

2 KINGS

9:30-37 Brutal murder of Jezebel.

 

2 CHRONICLES

15:13 Put to death unbelievers.

11:21 Hoards of wives and concubines.

 

ESTHER

CH 1-2 Queen Vashti dethroned for disobedience; setting "bad" example to all other women.

 

PSALMS

51:5 Sinful since conception.

127:3 Sons are heritage from god.

137:9 Seizes infants and dashes them against rocks.

 

PROVERBS

CH 5 Beware of wicked women!

CH 7 More of the above.

6:24 As above.

31:3 Do not waste strength on women.

 

ISAIAH

3:16-26 Lord punishes haughty women.

4:4 Filthy women.

13:16 Ravish wives, dash infants.

19:16 Will be like women! (insult to Egyptians)

 

EZEKIEL

9:6-7 Slaughter all including children.

CH 16 Prostitutes, stoning, promiscuity...

CH 23 Tale of two adulterous sisters - reads like the script of a pornographic film. I bet you weren't told this story at Sunday school!

 

HOSEA

13:16 Rip pregnant women, dash little ones. (Another "pro-life" verse!)

 

NAHUM

3:4... wanton lust of a harlot... prostitution... witchcraft.

3:5 I will lift your skirts over your face!

3:13... Your troops are all women. (insult to Nineveh)

 

MATTHEW

5:32 Husband can divorce wife for adultery. Can wife divorce husband for the same?

CH 25 Sexist tale of ten virgins.

 

LUKE

2:22 Mary must be purified after birth of Jesus.

2:49 Jesus rebukes his mother.

 

I CORINTHIANS

11:2-10... Woman created for man.

14:34 Women must be silent in churches.

 

EPHESIANS

5:22-24 Wives must submit to husbands in everything.

 

COLOSSIANS

3:18 Wives submit to husbands.

3:22 Slaves must obey masters in everything.

 

I TIMOTHY

2:11-15 Woman must not have authority…she must be silent. Women can be saved with childbearing.

5:9-10 Widows should be faithful to husband and must wash saints' feet.

 

1 PETER

2:18 Slaves submit to masters, even masters who are harsh.

3:1 Wives submit.

3:5-6 Sarah calls husband master.

 

REVELATION

CH 17 Destroy great prostitute.

14:4...they did not DEFILE themselves with women but kept themselves pure.

[Mythra]

DEUTERONOMY

22:28 Rape victim must marry rapist; rape victim's father compensated for depreciation of his property.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Reesa: welcome to the forums. What an awesome post. Pretty overwhelming evidence when it's all compiled like this.

 

One thing though. This verse says that rapists had to compensate the virgin's father and marry the rape victim. I thought that rapists had to be put to death? Oh- wait a minute - that's right. They were only put to death if the victim was a married woman. Cause the rapist messed with another man's property.

[Guest Reesa]

Reesa:  welcome to the forums.  What an awesome post.  Pretty overwhelming evidence when it's all compiled like this.

 

Hi There and thanks for the welcome.

[Mythra]

How can christians say that these were just a reflection of hebrew society, while out of the other side of their mouths, they give us "all scripture is God-breathed, and suitable for instruction, exhortation and edification of the saints" yada yada yada

[Lunar Shadow]

Reading the long ass post above makes me wonder.......

 

 

 

WHY THE FUCK ANY WOMAN IN THIER RIGHT MIND WOULD WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN!!!!

 

 

edit: and Welcome to the board reesa

[Vixentrox]

Reading the long ass post above makes me wonder.......

WHY THE FUCK ANY WOMAN IN THIER RIGHT MIND WOULD WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN!!!!

edit: and Welcome to the board reesa

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Becuase they don't read thier bibles most likely and have been brainashed into it since childhood.

[Lunar Shadow]

Becuase they don't read thier bibles most likely and have been brainashed into it since childhood.

 

 

point well taken... I mean hell I never really thought about how ant-woman the bible was. Yeah I knew there were a few verses but seeing them all together (which I commend whoever compiled the list if it was you Reesa great job) makes it kinda mind blowing why any woman would join up you know what I'm sayin??

[Mr. Neil]

There is nothing so tragic as an individual who has been brainwashed into believing that she is a worthless second-class citizen.

[sonofspong]

The whole "women are inferior in the bible" thing seems to be ignored by most christians: one of those things they stick in the back of thier mind, and forget about. Or, they try to come up with half-assed excuses to explain that god really isn't a wife-beater, such as saying that a women is a man's "helper" or some other euphanism for slave.

[shy1680]

Yes, the girls father, with a cloth wrapped on his fingers inserts this into her vagina, if the hymen breaks there will be blood on the cloth, proving her vaginity.  If memory serves correct, I believe the Talmud has those instructions.  How freaking humiliating.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

God's such a genius, he gave us all the perfect solutions to deal with lifes little problems. I wonder how many young girls were sexually abused during that time and later failed the good ole hymen test and ended up being stoned to death for not being "pure".

 

Someone above made a comment about why would women want to be Christians, because Christians make everyone else look like they are worse off because they are going to hell. Plus I notice lately, the more Christian women make a fuss over womens lack of respect in the church, they are reminded of how "bad" the Muslim women have it. I remember thinking like this, well if I can put up with this sexist BS for 80 years if i live that long, I can enjoy eternity in heaven with JC.

[LloydDobler]

And yet even wtih all the anti woman junk in the bible, you can still find examples where women were even placed in positions of authority, like in the book of judges, the judges were the supreme legal and religious leaders of the nation of israel... and guess what? They had woman judges!

 

Kinda throws a wrench into the whole women in authority rules of the new testament. Clearly if god placed women in power in the old testament, then the new testament gets it wrong, or was a very specific context in regard to the church in philippi. (as most non sexist christians I know will contend).

 

Meh, who cares anyway?

[Amethyst]

Becuase they don't read thier bibles most likely and have been brainashed into it since childhood.

 

Agree.

 

And even if they do read their Bible, most likely they only read the church-sanctioned verses during Bible study groups.

 

I remember reading the entire Bible at the age of 11-12 and wondering why I had to believe in it, but I said nothing out of fear because I was still forced to go to church at that age.

[Purple]

Jester writes;

WHY THE FUCK ANY WOMAN IN THIER RIGHT MIND WOULD WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN!!!!

 

Submissive and masochistic tendencies?

[Vixentrox]

Jester writes;

 

Submissive and masochistic tendencies?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I guess so if they want Jesus to be "Master"...though I think Jesus was more into guys and I doubt he carried spreader bars, nipple clamps, or a ball gag with him. He might have had a riding crop though!

[Vixentrox]

Meow!

[white_raven23]

So far, the xtians haven't touched this thread with a twelve foot pole.

 

No real surprise there. They feel much safer in threads where there really is no ultimate answer to the ultimate question yet. Funny how whenever they enter any thread in here....it could be about dish soap even, somehow they try to make everything all about creation vs. evolution.

 

Think they know they don't have a leg to stand on regarding moral issues?

Especially when the immorality in question is written in the damn bible!

 

Great word of god there.......funny how god seems fixated on accounts revolving around demeaning women, genocide, and baby killing.

 

This would represent some major slumming for a truly supreme being.

[Japedo]

Welcome to Ex-C Reesa!

 

 

This is an outstanding post, thanks so much for posting it. It will be a wonderful reference page.

 

  Eve was punished severely for her attempt to gain knowledge, for disobedience and for exerting independence from her husband. I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing... Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you." Genesis 3:16. In accordance with God's command, some fundamentalist sects forbid painkillers during childbirth.

 

Just goes to prove that even to this day when people gain knowledge (women especially ) they are known as evil. This quote above here stirs all sorts of rage inside me, and also explains where cult members are coming from as far as women and independence. I have utter contempt for the narrow minded women hating cults.

[Vixentrox]

Being nawtee can be oh so much fun.

[Guest Reesa]

HI guys, Thanks for all your welcomes! hehe Im so glad i finally found a site that has people who feel the same way as i do!!!! Ahhh we can all bitch in harmony! lol..

 

Anywayssssssss... This subject gets me sooo mad! i hear so many christians who bad mouth the muslims for their treatment of women but totaly dismiss thier own religious teachings.. Grrr its ridiculous!