Christianity

1. Christianity Learning Outcomes To learn about and understand the historical position of women within the thinking of Christianity. -To appreciate the long lasting philosophy and consequences about women into folklore.

2. -The old testament shows that women’s choices were very limited, for example, they had to remain in the home of their fathers if they were not yet married and once they were they had no choice but to stay in the home of their husband. -Moses gave these rules to the tribes of Israel in the bible; “ When a young women still living in her father’s house makes a vow to give something to the lord or promises to abstain from something she must do everything that she vowed or promised unless her father raises an objection when he hears about it.” “If an unmarried women makes a vow, whether deliberately or carelessly, or promises to abstain from something, and then marries she must do everything that she vowed or promised unless her husband raises an objection when he hears about it”

3. -According to the teachings of the old testament Eve was created as a ‘helper’ for Adam which some people interpret as women being beneath men and it is what some people still believe today. -“ Sin began with a women and thanks to her we all must die.” - Then the lord God said, “ it is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him.”

4. Teachings of Proverbs. “ Listen to your father; without him you would not exist. When your mother is old, show her your appreciation… Make your father and mother proud of you; give your mother that happiness.”

5. The Respective Leaders Teachings. • God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to earth to show us how we should live. • Although women had very low status in the culture at the time Jesus treated them as equal to men.” • Jesus saw the good in women and in the bible Luke talked about women who followed Jesus. Here is an example: • “ One sabbath Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. Awomen there had an evil spirit that had made her ill for 18 years; she was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, • ‘ Women you are free from your illness!’ He placed his hands on her, and at once she straightened herself up and praised God.

6. In the bible, Paul was originally a persecutor of Christians but God revealed to him the error of his ways causing him to change his evil actions and help promote the teachings of Jesus. • Jesus’ way of treating women was continued by Paul for a short while but ministers started gong back to treating women as they did before Jesus’ ministry. The judaic people of the time of Paul’s presence were acting as constraints to the way of life he was trying to impose. They followed the rabbis’ interpretations of the rules of the old testament, and what is known is that women went back to being classed as beneath men.

7. How women are treated today. • There are church leaders today who still believe that women are beneath men. • -There are many debates about whether women should be allowed to be priests which some people favour and others believe the teaching of the bible says this shouldn’t be allowed.

8. The Roman Catholic Church has consistently refused to ordain women, either as Priests or Deaconesses, in recent centuries. Some sources say that the Pope has declared as infallible the teaching that the Church cannot ordain women to the priesthood now or at any time in the future. This does not appear to be true. What he has said is not that the Church is unwilling to ordain women; but that the Church does not currently have the authority to do so. • “ … the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women… This teaching requires definitive assent…” Cardinal Ratzinger, 1995-October-28.

9. Women have achieved impressive advances over the last century, but progress has been uneven across the world. The main impediments to attaining equality have been culture and religion. • It is obvious that, early in the 21st century, the largest institutions in North America that continue to deny equal rights to women are conservative Christian denominations.