There are some women who claim both labels of Christian and feminist, and they strive to bring the sacred feminine into (or back into) their religious traditions, but technically, Biblically speaking (as the Bible has been translated and accepted) it's simply not there. A Christ-centered practice, as opposed to a Bible-centered one, leaves some room for feminism because of the way Jesus treated women in his ministry, but then it has to be acknowledged that the Bible is not infallible and the (many) portions of scripture that denigrate women have to be set aside and ignored. The Bible is not a pro-woman book, therefore branches of Christianity that view the Bible as the ultimate authority of the church are not pro-woman (and therefore God is not pro-woman if it's truly His word.)
Some of the Biblical directives for women include:
- Dress modestly (no braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothes.) Good thing I shop at Goodwill!
- Learn in all quietness and submission.
- Do not teach or have authority over a man; be silent.
- Remain silent in church. If you have a question ask your husband when you get home.
- Submit to your husband.
- Cover your head.
- Don't wear men's clothing.
The hierarchy of power of God ----> Man ----> Woman ----> Male Children ----> Female Children is a central tenet of Christianity. Sue Monk Kidd, in Dance of the Dissident Daughter, states:
"One of the more destructive consequences this hierarchy sets in motion is a pattern of imbalanced valuing, in which the masculine is valued over the feminine."
This was very much my reality growing up in the Christian environments of school and church. Followers of the Bible believe very deeply that a woman is to be submissive. Qualities that are desired in girls and women are quietness, humility, meekness, helpfulness or a "servant's heart," and total faith and dependence on the men in her life, be it father, husband, brother, or pastor. Women are to be the caretakers of home, husband, and children. Christianity is very much a patriarchal institution, and I am now beginning to see that people who fight against feminism and gay rights are fighting tooth and nail to maintain the patriarchy. "Traditional family values" is simply code for patriarchy.
The language and imagery of the divine within Christianity is strictly male. I remember learning that technically God was genderless, but if that was so why did we never say "Goddess" or even "she?" I think it's because to refer to the divine in the feminine would have been to lessen his divinity, since in the hierarchy of power male is above (and therefore better than) female.
Woman is blamed for the fall of all mankind, and this supposedly explains why she has to experience pain in childbirth and should keep silent in the church:
I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 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. But women will be saved through childbearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
- I Timothy 2:12-15Um, I call bullshit. I simply do not accept that this is the way things are supposed to be. I'm sure some would say that I'm just rebelling against God, but I don't think I am. I just don't accept that I am an extra step away from the divine, or that I should accept my place in the hierarchy since it was supposedly the first of my kind who fucked it up for everybody.
My talk the other night went pretty well, but I took issue with someone who said that even if I had read the Bible, clearly I didn't really get it. I hate the inference that somehow we should all be able to ascertain what God really meant in between the lines of what the words actually say. The Bible says what it says, and either it is the word of God and should be taken literally or it shouldn't. Not only do I no longer believe that it is the word of God, I believe it is a very dangerous book.
So, while I admire those trying to change things from the inside out, ultimately I decided to just reject all of it outright. I don't have the strength, time or energy to do the study that would be necessary to reframe Christianity in kinder to women terms. There are some strong cases out there that the language and imagery in the Bible was not originally so male centric, and that the feminine aspect of the divine was included. I think that's great, but as far as Christianity as it stands today and the Bible as it is currently translated and accepted, I just don't buy it. I believe I stand equal to men, and equidistant to the divine.
And frankly, this image:
Speaks to me far more than this one:
I read through quickly....because I really need to get some school work done...but I will give a quick comment and come back again and read it more deeply later.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that really stands out to me about this is most of the things you listed off wern't Biblical but cultural of the time. Jesus treated women differently then the cultural norm. He did that with women and with many other things (but that is a different discussion all together).
I still think you might enjoy sitting down with Joe Beach and talking about some of this.
It is still very odd to me reading about some of the things you were exposed to growing up. I know I saw some glimpses of it, but not nearly to the degree you did and normally not within my own church. I grew up in a very different "Christianity" then you did.
Just some thoughts from me. :0)
Actually, these things WERE Biblical. And I find it very interesting that the majority of Christians like to dismiss the Old Law, claiming that Jesus did away with it. I would like to hear an explaination then on this:
ReplyDeleteMatthew-5:17-19
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Along with that, there are plenty of examples of this misogyny in the New Testamant - people just seem to conveniently ignore these verses.
Here's a good link for reference - toward the bottom it lists a whole slew of verses that outline the Biblical view on Women:
http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/articles/women-bible
Ultimately, in terms of this discussion - I'm with you, Beth. I have no need for a book where women are routinely put blame upon, where they are nothing more than property, where they are bought and sold and raped and murdered with impunity. Where a woman who refuses to be put on display is beheaded, where women are often considered evil.
J~
Another option is to view the Bible as a parable of the good and evil forces that war within us. We can relate to each character of the Bible at different times of our lives. E.g. I am Rahab the prostitute, welcoming other men's teachings into my mind and not being married to just one as well as I am the two spies that Rahab hid because I know that I am on the "winning" side.
ReplyDeleteErm -- just a thought... it probably doesn't summarise well into one paragraph... :)
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." - Gandhi
ReplyDeleteWould love to talk to you about all of this in person, Beth. It's a heavy topic, and it was cool that you presented it to your Bible Study group.
I agree with what Jakel Five said about it more being a cultural thing... that was well-said.