The Bible is undeniably a sexist book. It constantly devalues and objectifies women. Is it hard to be a bible-believing Christian and a modern woman? [Spirituality & Religion]
I found it hard to be a practicing Muslim woman and a feminist (or merely a self respecting woman). As a believer, I always went out of my way to defend things that didn't feel right, but when it came to woman stuff, it was extra hard to swallow.
I was mainly referring to the Abrahamic religions and not all religions per se. The abrahamic religions are very similar although their believers like to think otherwise/
@chrisCA One year when I was working at a school, 35 students tried to commit suicide and they were all Wiccan. I tried to find the pattern and common link. That was it! I spoke to them after the hospital released them and I had never spoken to them before that. It was the strangest thing. They were involved in ritual with circles and they had gotten more and more depressed until they wanted to die. They did come from the same class and had a Wiccan teacher.
You are misinformed! God didn't curse man for no reason! Obviously those atheist websites are confusing you! The Bible is about the evil of man and Gods standards to love. The reason for the flood and the curse on mankind and the reason why Jesus came to save us is because we fall [i]short[/i] of Gods standards.
The most equality in the world are the Scandinavian countries. They have been Christian for a 1000 years! Working women, equal pay, no abuse! The most abused women are in the atheistic countries, and the Muslim countries of the middle east, Africa, Russia, China, North Korea. The Bible has the highest standards for people.
Women of the Bible
Deborah in the Bible was a judge! A strong Godly woman who used her intelligence and wisdom to help Israel.
Esther used her intelligence and beauty to seduce King Xerxes to save the entire country from being killed, in THE BOOK OF ESTHER! It is a smart woman who uses her beauty for good!
Miriam, Moses sister was very intelligent and outsmarted King Pharaoh to see and raise her brother who lived in Pharaohs courts.
Sarah was a strong woman and much loved by Abraham, and treated like a queen.
Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, was old but her faithfulness to the Lord and her faith brought answered prayers. Being a mother and a wife is very honorable. It takes as much intelligence or more than any profession.
Priscilla was a church leader, who influenced the church to spiritual purity.
Mary of Bethany hosted Jesus. It is honorable to host people in our homes. Jesus complemented her on her devotion.
Jehosheba was a brave daughter of the King Jehoram and stole a baby to save his and many others life.
And here is a description of a Godly wife. A wife is worth more than rubies. A ruby is worth a million dollars,[i] more[/i] than a diamond.
The Wife of Noble Character according to the Bible she works hard, travels for work, has servants, and buys real estate, and is loved.
" A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. 19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." Proverbs 31
This is kind of like saying "No, the Egyptians respected their slaves. Look! Pharaoh made Joseph his right hand man! Salves in Egypt were well-regarded!" Or "No, the Egyptians thought highly of the Israelites, look, Moses was a commander in Egypt!".
These are examples notable by their rarity and exception to the rule.
@Pikachu Joseph was a slave and he was treated great, yeah. But my point and I think the Bibles entire point is that most people then and now need Jesus because we treat each other terrible. That IS why we need Jesus!
Well as long as your point wasn't that women are actually well-treated and respected as equals as a rule in the bible, then you can say we need as much Jesus as you like. Because i think Jesus [i]did[/i] do a better job of that in the NT. While he never tried to actually make a feminist case, at least he seemed to make the case that we're all garbage people and a woman no more or less.
Saying the Bible is sexist because when it was written it was worded to reflect society at that time.......is like saying all Mark Twain books are racist because it used the language that was acceptable at it's time of writing....but not now.
The Jewish culture of 2000 years ago is reflected in the way the Bible is written. The Bible deals with lineage from the man's side of the family. We still do that. We still talk about the family line going on because a son with the family last name was born.....or the family name ends with this generation because a couple has no kids or has all daughters. There are no corporate women in Biblical days. Women were wives....period. So the great men of stature in the Bible were men. Lineages were traced by family last names. But there are exceptions....Like Ruth...Mary...Sarah...Rebeccah...Rachael and many more...all held in very esteem.
This page lists the verses that give women the utmost in respect from men. https://www.openbible.info/topics/how_men_should_treat_women#:~:text=80%20Bible%20Verses%20about%20How%20Men%20Should%20Treat,so%20that%20your%20prayers%20may%20not%20be%20hindered.
Comparing the Biblical woman and the modern woman is like comparing apples and oranges. In each age society has looked at women thru different colored lenses...but both lenses were/are appropriate for the time.
I'm not really impressed by that rationalization. Of course it was written at a different time when women simply were not valued the same as men. That doesn't give it a pass. It doesn't change the way women are treated as objects and tools by supposedly godly men. Because this isn't like Mark Twain using language which today would be considered offensive. This is meant to be the inspired word of god and god himself is complicit in this same objectifying behaviour.
[quote]both lenses were/are appropriate for the time. [/quote]
That's where i'm gonna disagree with you. It was never appropriate. It just was.
[quote]and many more[/quote]
lol not [i]many[/i] more, i suspect. And i'm not sure i even by that claim really. Ruth is the only one who's actually a woman who is held in esteem because of her own deeds. Seems to me that the others on the list are largely held in esteem for who they are married to or what children they bore.
@Pikachu It was in the early days when the church was hijacking Pagan festivals (e.g. Yule/Saturnalia, Oestra etc.) to gain a hold over the people. Canonizing their gods and goddesses was just another ploy. There's a list of some of them here - http://piereligion.org/pagansaints.html
[quote]No, its not hard. I don't know how to be anything else. [/quote]
And i think that's why you're so out of touch. You think it's is necessary for a man to be in charge. You think it is proper that women be valued for their reproductive organs. You hold it as high praise for a "godly" woman to be working herself to the bone to keep house and make babies.
This is the kind of thing that tells me you are out of touch with young women today. No, a man does NOT need to lead in the home. This is NOT psychology 101, it's societal indoctrination. A logical fallacy known as argument from tradition. Do households work with a man in charge? Yes. Do households work with a woman in charge? Yes. Do households work with a man and a woman sharing equally the decisions? Yes.
You're actually reinforcing my point that the bible is sexist by championing its sexist views as the "right" way . Just as you did with the verse from proverbs. What you describe is one way for a woman to be, one way for a good relationship to be. But in the bible that is the only way for a "godly" woman to be and that's sexist and it's wrong.
Look beyond your ego. It's not about attacking you, the ideals your championed prove the point i was making.
You appear to find no fault with the way woman are represented in the bible. That unavoidably makes you out of touch with how modern women see themselves.
I'm happy to end it there if you are.
SW-User
There are definitely some problematic lines in there. I think some of the worst of it is in the letters of Paul. Women should be silent in the churches, women should be submissive to their husbands, etc. But Paul was someone who thought everyone should be celibate and marriage's only purpose is to prevent fornication. 🤷♂️
@SW-User What's wrong with being submissive to husbands? There is nothing wrong with that! God tells husbands to love their wives! They are to be serving their wives as Jesus served his apostles washing their feet. I have no problem being submissive. I am confident and want to love my husband and will do what he desires.
Yeah...modern women certainly have it harder than previous generations...those darn suffragettes...had it easy compared to modern women, plus those women who went to work during the war when those sexist bastard men went to fight the war to save our freedom...nothing compared to modern women.
[quote] why hasn't the bible been considered sexist before now? [/quote]
Who says it wasn't? It always was and there's nothing wrong with pointing that out.
As for clickbait, i can see that you personally have been triggered on an issue which clearly upsets you but no, asking for women to discuss what it's like to be a woman and a bible believer is not a trap for [i]men [/i]lol
I think it's just a matter of keeping the parts you like and ignoring the parts you don't. Cherry picking is a pretty standard habit for the average Christian.
It strikes me more like historical fiction. OR maybe like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire hunter lol There's some history in there but it's mixed up with a lot fairy tales.
@MougyWolf Haven’t you heard? Libs consider theKoran to be feminist and the Burka to be liberating. But if you are a Christian who reads the Bible you are sexist.
