Originally posted by siriuswriter
Nellinator, I must say that I have to disagree with you on your perception of women's importance in the bible. Whenever people want to bring out the importance of women in the bible, they always say Deborah and Esther and/or Ruth. Pretty much because there are really no other choices. Yes, Esther and Ruth have their own books, but the bible was set in a patriarchal society... Abraham said that Sarah was his sister at one point so that he wouldn't be murdered. I'm pretty sure she had no say in that decision. And Jacob being deceived, thinking he was going to marry Rachel when really he was marrying Leah? I'm pretty sure that the women, if they could have, would have spoken up about that.There were no women disciples, no women prophets. One woman judge that we know about. Whoopee. It's very easy to point to those women and say, "Well they're there, so it must be easy for women to get to those positions." But they were the exceptions to the rule.
Also - Adam and Eve. Eve has been the scapegoat for centuries in churches to keep women suppressed. There are no women clergy in the Catholic Church because women are supposedly tainted with "original sin." Women "fell for it" when Eve took the Apple from the snake. More Evangelical Protestant churches also believe that the woman is "weaker," and should submit to the man. I recently attended a wedding of evangelical persuasion where the woman was instructed to "submit to her husband..."
Yikes.
Silence WOMAN ! God does NOT give you permission to SPEAK !
"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 anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for woman to speak in the church."
1Corinthians 14:34-35