Women Are Inferior

Nothing quite like an inflammatory blog post title to get someone riled.

It is a common misconception by those that do not read the Bible that it is misogynistic. That it treats women as inferiors. Even a precursory glance of the Bible would overturn this notion.

Lately I have heard many women, in particular feminists, say that the Bible was written by men to subjugate women and minorities. Feminism has come into conflict increasingly with Christianity due to perceptions of the church & due to past history and the perception that Christianity treats women as second-class citizens. A differentiation needs to be made to correctly view a picture that appears to have been knocked askew by organized religion. If there is any religion that treats women as inferior it is most certianly Islam. But I digress. Back to the topic at hand: Christianity's (the Bible) treatment of women.

1. Jesus' commendation of being single or the 'single state' as a legitimate calling for those whom it was given stands in stark contrast to the traditional 1st century Palestinian views of a woman's human duty to marry and procreate. As a result women who chose to follow Jesus took on a role other than mother or wife.

2. Jesus treated women as human subjects rather than possessions. Jesus is seen engaging with women throughout His ministry, affirming them. Often they were women who were outcasts by contemporary Jewish society (i.e. prostitutes, widows, etc.).

3. Jesus refused to scapegoat women in sexual matters. The patriarchal assumption that men are corrupted by fallen women is absent from Jesus' attitude, teaching. John 4 being a celebrated instance of this.

4. The traditional view that a woman was "unclean" during menstruation was dismissed by Jesus, who made it clear that it is only moral impurity that defiles a person (Mark 7:1-23). Women were not to be excluded from worship because of this once traditional reasoning.

5. Women were integral to the group of people that surrounded Jesus before and after His death... often to the religious leaders dismay (Pharisees). Not only did women witness the crucifixion, they were the first to witness the risen Christ. The truth of the Resurrection was first revealed to women to reveal to the rest of the world. A momentous reversal of the Jewish patriarchal order. It's the only Easter event explicitly accounted in detail in all four Gospels. The visit of the women to the tomb of Jesus.

6. The Gospels frequently portray women as being more spiritually perceptive than men. Mark portrays men as having little faith (Mark 4:40;6:52) while commending women (Mark 5:25-34;7:24-30)

7. Christian baptism was for all, men and women. Traditional Judaism of the period only ordained men in this manner. The original initiation rite could only be men, circumcision.. but in Christ no distinction is made.

8. Scripture does not physically objectify women (or men) as objects of physical beauty but is more concerned with the character of a person as stated in 1 Peter 3:3-4.

9. Older women are clearly called to train younger women in Godly ways. Titus 2:3-5

10. "A woman's place is barefoot in the home!" ....said Jesus never.

What Jesus actually said and did was outlined in Luke 10:38-42 in the incident with Mary and Martha - Jesus contradicts and gently rebukes Martha wanting her sister Mary to help in the kitchen instead of sitting, listening to Jesus. Jesus showed that women could be involved like men and choose the studying of His words. Jesus actually encourages women to study Scripture which at the time of Jesus was only done and allowed by men!

Women were always showing Jesus the most extravagant forms of worship. He never turned women away when they needed something. Furthermore, Jesus taught women the things of God along side of the men which was culturally inappropriate. Jesus went against cultural / patriarchal rules of the time to empower women including calling women men’s equals, telling men they should honor their wives, and more. 

I could continue this list but my point has been made. People of the Christian faith may have, at times, treated women as inferior but Jesus and the principles of the Bible clearly do not. It is only when sin intervenes that we see women treated like crap in and outside of the Bible. Misogyny is not the intent of a Holy God but rather the intent of sinful people.