Comparison of Views of Women

Comparison of Views of Women

  • Submitted By: eluck14
  • Date Submitted: 11/15/2009 7:50 PM
  • Category: Religion
  • Words: 1314
  • Page: 6
  • Views: 426

Erin Luck
Dr. Call
English 2030
21 October 2009
Comparison of Views of Women
Women’s behavior was very limited in biblical days. Women had to follow very strict rules. Some of these are: they could not testify in court, women could have no roles of authority, unmarried women were not allowed to leave the home of their father until marriage, they were not allowed to talk to strangers and many more. All these rules were strictly enforced throughout the Bible by Jewish law but Christ overthrew many Jewish customs and laws in the Christian Gospels. He also violated many Old Testament regulations especially gender equality.
In the Old Testament women were considered inferior to men. In Genesis 2:7-3:24 it is told how Eve is made from Adam by taking one of his ribs to make her. In Genesis Adam names her woman since she is made from him. In ancient times, one was believed to have authority over a person or thing by naming it. This showed how Adam was “master” over Eve. “To the woman He said, ‘I will terribly sharpen your birth pangs, in pain shall your bear children. And for your man shall be your longing, and he shall rule over you.” (100). This passage is plainly stating that a woman is to have the children and her husband is to be her “master”.
Exodus 20 and 21 talked about how women were the property of their father and at marriage was “transferred” to the husband. Exodus 21:7: “And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do." If a father sells his daughter as a slave/ maidservant then she is never to have freedom and a male servant gains his freedom after six years. These along with other actions show just how the Old Testament treated women more unfairly than men.
In the Christian Gospels Christ showed many ways that he treated men and women equally. First he ignored ritual impurity laws. In Mark 5:25-34 it describes Jesus' cure of a woman who suffered from menstrual bleeding for 12 years. It this time it...

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