Question For Christian Women?

Question

How do you rationalize all the sexism found in the bible?

Deuteronomy 22:28-29

If a man is caught in the act of raping a young woman who is not engaged, he must pay fifty pieces of silver to her father. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he will never be allowed to divorce her.

(Apparently rape victims have to marry their attacker, and you're worth 50 silver?)

Deuteronomy 22:23-24

If within the city a man comes upon a maiden who is betrothed, and has relations with her, you shall bring them both out of the gate of the city and there stone them to death: the girl because she did not cry out for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbors wife.

1 Corinthians 14:34 - 35

Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but [they are commanded] to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

1 Corinthians 11:7 - 9

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.

Ephesians 5:22

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

Colossians 3:18

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

1 Timothy 2:13-14

For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.

Genesis 3:16

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

The list goes on, but you get the point.

Answer 1

I don't rationalize anything.  I am here today.  God put me here today.  I enjoy being a woman here today.

But it is not all peaches and cream.  We have many single moms rearing children without the help of fathers in our world.  Single mothers are the most likely to wind up in poverty.  I guess it depends where you sit.

Answer 2

I do not find it sexist.  I follow what it says.  I honor my God and my husband to the best of my ability.  And in turn my husband honors me.  If you'd read some more in the Bible you'd find that in the New Testament, there are guidelines in there for how a man is to treat and honor their wife and how they both are to treat raise their children.  

As for 1 Corinthians 14:34 - 35, Paul was speaking of the women who were running their mouths being little noisy busy bodies who were to busy gossiping to focus on God and living a righteous life.

And as for 1 Timothy 2:13-14, Eve did sin first then drug Adam into it.  He could have said no, but she still ate of the tree first therefore sinned against God first.  No sexism there just fact.

God does not love man over woman.  He love us equally and calls and anoints us equally according to our closeness and faithfulness to Him.

I just hate when people try to nit pick, disprove, and mock the Bible for their own personal agenda.

Answer 3

Ah yes, but the leaders changed the bible.  

See they were losing people with all that nasty God talk, so they made God good, threw in a Jesus and 'bim-bam' we have the NEW TESTAMENT.  Now the sheep are happy.

Answer 4

I'm speaking for Christian women I know.  Those found in Deuteronomy were God's laws for the Jews in the Old Testament times.  It is not for Christians in general.  1 Corinthians 14, Paul was speaking to the Church at Corinth.  That again was a different time: with changing cultures, approaches on certain issues change.  What problem do you find with 1 Cor. 11?!  Ephesians, most of the Christian women I know have no problem with this scripture, as it continues in verse 25 to say that husbands must love their wives.  

.They have no problem with submitting themselves to someone who loves them because there is trust.  Colossians, same thing.  1 Timothy, is just agreeing with the biblical record in Genesis.  Genesis? Nowhere does it say this is a curse to all women.  Appreciate the question.  Again, I am giving the perspective of Christian women I know.  Nothing is wrong with equality of women with men.  The Bible says that God is no respecter of persons.  

Answer 5

Many of your scripture were tooken out of context. Paul was writing to many of the churches because the women were wild. He told them to have their women quiet in the church. Other than that God made man leader of the household and also told us to love our wives as christ loves the church.

Answer 6

for Genesis 3:16 , that was a curse he put upon them both. you have failed to write about Adam's curse as well

I agree totally with Colossians. The woman's job was/is to be there for her husband...

as for the others, i don't really care about what you see as "sexism"  

Answer 7

Different time and culture, to put it simply.  And yes, Paul was a male chauvinistic pig.

Answer 8

That was a long time ago. And most of those quotes are from the Old Testament which is considered more as history than current instructions. My religion today is virtually sexism free, except for the rule that women can't be pastors. That i don't agree with.  

Answer 9

so whats your point. don't like what the lord says? he is GOD your not.but i guess you know better then the lord.so you should write a book and tell the world how it should be.because the lord is wrong and your right?

Answer 10

I don't have much to say about Genesis and Deuteronomy but Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Timothy are all letters written by Paul.  Much of what Paul has written are his own opinions.  He was a woman hater you know.  The OT is the Old Covenant, these things changed with the New Covenant.  

Also, Paul was an orthodox jew before Jesus turned him around, women not being able to speak in church was Jewish law.

Answer 11

In God, WE are ALL SON's

in JESUS, we are ALL Brides

So who is the real Woman

If we become the Son's of God,

or do we become a Bride of Christ.

Answer 12

you obviously haven't done much research on these verses have you?

Deuteronomy 22:28-29 there was a story in Judges (i think) where if it wasn't for this one law a whole tribe of Israel would have died out... also it never says the woman cannot divorce him, and it was a punishment for the man because now he has to provide for her. not to mention the fact that non-virgin women had extremely low marriage rates and it was written in a time when marriage pretty much meant life or death...

Deuteronomy 22:23-24 don't see anything sexist about this... both the man and the woman gets killed... which should be the case as why should only the woman get punished for what the man had to take part in doing to like how it was in that area at the same time, not to mention God takes sexual immorality very very seriously.

1 Corinthians 14:34 - 35 talking about a specific group of women... which were the women of the Church of Corinth who were married and were causing a rucus in the church.

1 Corinthians 11:7 - 9 there was more to that statement but he was actually saying that women don't need to cover their head as their long hair already does that... if he didn't say this then women would have to cover their head when they pray like jewish women had to...

Ephesians 5:22 i counter this verse with Ephesians 5:25-29

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church"

so the writer is telling the women to do what their husbands tell them to and he is telling the men to nucher and cherish his wife like she was his own body... now what person in their right mind would do anything that harmed his body?

Colossians 3:18 same as above the verse that evens it out is Colossians3:19

"Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them."

Genesis 3:16

he was cursing her for tempting Adam and blaming it on the serpent... also interesting that you mentioned Genesis... as it is also a story that shows man and woman's equal level... as Eve wasn't taken from a piece of Adam's foot so that he may trod on her, nore his head so that she may rise above him. but his rib so that they may stand as equals, and as the rib is under the arm man's job is to protect the woman from harm and like the rib the woman's job is to protect the man's heart, and also like a rib if you break it you risk getting serious injery...

Answer 13

Deuteronomy is a list of specific instructions in a specific time. The sins of the people in that time (before Christ's sacrifice and forgiveness) made them have to go through horrific things to pay for their sins. Keep reading in that book, and you'll find that women were not the only ones suffering- every sinner was.

The 1 Corinthians 14 verse concerns overall behavior in the church. Just as it addresses women, there are guidelines for men as well. I would ask that you read the entire chapter, maybe in a translation that is easier to grasp and more like modern language so that the message would be clearer. I have pasted it here from "The Message" translation.

34-36 Wives must not disrupt worship, talking when they should be listening, asking questions that could more appropriately be asked of their husbands at home. God's Book of the law guides our manners and customs here. Wives have no license to use the time of worship for unwarranted speaking. Do you—both women and men—imagine that you're a sacred oracle determining what's right and wrong? Do you think everything revolves around you?

Adam WAS made first, in the image of God. Eve was then formed from Adam's rib, also made in the image of God. These verses are not placing the woman and man in order of importance, but in order of creation (1 Cor. 11 and 1 Timothy verses). If anything, to say that women is the glory of man is complimentary. This is saying we make men look good!

(Eph. and Col.) The submission verses are also taken from an area in which direction is being given to both men and women. Women are asked to submit twice, while men are instructed to love their wives at least seven times. Under the structure of marriage intended here, the man's job is to place his wife first because his love for her is so strong. If this is done, a wife should have no problem yielding the authority to him. As someone has to be willing to compromise first, the Bible is suggesting that the women do so. It's emphasis, however, is first on the man's assignment to love.

Genesis- This isn't sexist- it's the truth. Eve ate the fruit first, Adam followed. God punished accordingly, as he often does in the Old Testament, before Jesus' death.

To answer your question in general, Christianity is very liberating to women. I doubt you will find a group of people more appreciative of a woman's beauty and kindness than in the church. If you were to read the Bible in a hollistic sense rather than hand-picking verses that sound fishy out of context, you'll see that the Bible praises women and celebrates our strengths.

Jesus was controversial in his day because he treated women as equals, and no one had done that before (see John 4, for example). Christ was the first advocate for the equal treatment of women, so it's hardly fair to call his word sexist.