When it comes to racial equality, Christianity teaches that God's love and salvation are freely available to all people and all racial groups. We are told in John 3:16 “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jesus’ last words to the disciples were that they should “…go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
The principal belief a Christian holds on equality of the sexes is that men and women are equal, but have different roles.
Throughout history men and women have had different roles in society. Although nowadays these roles are less defined, they still exist. Men are typically seen as the stronger sex. A man should show little or no emotion and be the decision-maker and disciplinarian. Women should be passive and are seen to be weaker than men, and are therefore allowed to show emotion. Women take care of the home and children, while men hunt and provide for the family.
We can see these roles defined in the Bible, “You, Lord, are our father, the one who has always rescued us.” (Isaiah 63:16) and “You [Israel] will be like a child that is nursed by its mother, carried in her arms and treated with love. I will comfort you in Jerusalem, as a mother comforts her child.” (Isaiah 66:12-13) These quotes show us the stereotypes that have always been around. It might be argued that the Bible promotes sexism, although some parts of the Bible suggest that women do not have to stick to their stereotypical roles. For example, in Luke 10:39-42, Martha’s sister, Mary, leaves her to do the housework on her own while she herself sits at Jesus’ feet and learns. Jesus says “Mary hath chosen that good part,” suggesting that women do not have to just stay in and look after the house and children.
However, the Bible often seems to contradict itself on the subject of a woman’s status, for example it says “The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.” (1 Corinthians 7:4) but then later says “For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man.” (1 Corinthians 11:8-9) Clearly the first quote says that men and women were created for each other and therefore are equal, but the second quote states that women exist for men (but not the other way round). These contradictions come up frequently in the Bible, so the views on women (both in church and in society in general) are rather unclear.
In Genesis 1:27, it is written “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.” This indicates that men and women are both like God (both in his image; God has no gender), which suggests that both sexes are equal. Having said that, it makes it clear that God created them both male and female, which seems to emphasise the fact that there are differences between the two that must not be forgotten. On the other hand, throughout the Bible, God is referred to as ‘He’ or ‘Father’; a direct contradiction to the Christian belief that God is neither male nor female. By referring to God as male, the Bible is encouraging the view that men are of a higher status.
Returning to the beliefs of a fundamentalist, conservative or liberal Christian, a fundamentalist would be most likely to take the different roles for men and women literally (that men should work while women stay at home). Conservative or liberal Christians would probably believe that men and women are equal, and although they have different roles, women should be able to do the same things as men, without their gender impeding them in any way.
Essentially, it is up to the individual how they choose to interpret the Bible when it comes to equality. The Bible is often unclear on the subject and one must not forget that times have changed a great deal since the Bible was written. The social standing of women in modern times is completely different and it is imperative to take this into consideration when looking at different attitudes, as society plays a great part in personal opinion. Some Christians might hold a strong opinion on this matter while others may believe that neither gender is more important, and although men and women have different duties and obligations in life, these need not be taken to extremes.
PART B
Women
2. “I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man.” Explain the arguments for and against the ordination of women.
The ordination of women is a strongly debated issue within some churches.
There are different views on this matter within different denominations. For example, the Roman Catholic Church has consistently refused to ordain women, either as priests or as deacons. The Pope has said that it is not because the church is unwilling to ordain women, but that they do not feel it has the authority to do so. The Church of England, however, voted for women’s ordination in 1992. The response to this was both positive and negative; negative in the respect that many male ministers resigned in protest and some of the first female priests suffered abuse.
One of the main arguments against the ordination of women is simply that it goes against the teachings of the Bible. For example, the Bible says, “The women should keep silence in the churches…” (1 Corinthians 14:33-37) and “Women should learn in silence and all humility. I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man.” (1 Timothy 2:11-12). These quotes suggest that women should learn and pray quietly and may not preach. The Bible also says “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband has authority over his wife.” (Ephesians 5:21-24) which also implies that men have authority over women and they should be respected; therefore women may not preach, as men are of a higher status (which comes back to the Christian teachings on equality). Those in favour of female ordination argue that many of these biblical quotes on the subject of women and their place in the church are outdated and refer to issues that are no longer relevant. Obviously society has changed in the last 2000 years; to be respectable in those times was to be silent, religious and submissive to your husband. That is obviously not the case in modern times.
Another argument against women’s ordination is the Apostolic Tradition Argument. This argument bases it’s reasoning as to why women should not be made priests on the fact that all the apostles were men, therefore all their successors should only be men.
There are those within all denominations, however, who believe women should be given the same opportunities as men, and they use the Bible to back up their arguments as well. In Galatians 3:28 it says “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Feminists within the church take this to mean that everyone is equal and has the same rights. Those against female ordination argue that this verse does not teach that there is no distinction between the various groups, but teaches the equality of salvation that all Christians have in Christ. All individuals are equally sinful and equally deserving of salvation if they seek forgiveness.
During the early years of Christianity, female priests were allowed and were, in fact, quite common. By not allowing them to be made priests nowadays, churches are denying women the right to prove their devotion to God, a privilege they had over a thousand years ago. In Romans 16:1 it says, “I commend unto you Phoebe our sister which is a servant of the church…” which is praising a woman who has chosen to devote herself to God, so surely God would want a woman to be able to devote herself even further.
Some people claim to have been ‘called’ to priesthood by God. If they feel this is true, how can any church have the authority to deny a woman the opportunity to prove herself, if God has chosen her?
Another argument for the ordination of women is the argument that, as it is primarily women who attend church nowadays, denying them the opportunity to be religious leaders themselves may discourage many women from going to church. Also, as the number of people regularly attending church is decreasing, it is important for the church to try and provide a strong female role model for young Christians.
Modern-day secular society has come a long way in trying to eliminate sexism in education and employment but has yet to achieve truly equal rights when it comes to powerful religious positions. The churches that still deny women equal rights (although they would argue that it’s not a case of women not having rights, they would say it is about the authority a man should have over a woman) are the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the conservative wing of the Protestant Church. These churches’ reasons for their decision are based on their way of interpreting various biblical passages, or for another religious reason (for example, the Roman Catholic Church has said that Christ’s successors should bear a physical resemblance to him; which obviously rules out all women). These churches view the Bible as prohibiting female clergy.
As sexism is becoming more intolerable by most people’s standards, the Christian denominations that are consistently denying women the chance to be ordained are being put under ever-increasing pressure to conform to the modern world’s non-sexist standards. Many people believe that religious leader aspirants should be judged on knowledge, understanding and commitment to their religion, rather than their gender.
While it is clear that many different opinions and interpretations of the Bible are contained within the Christian church today, Christians are united on the majority of fronts. However, the issue of the ordination of women remains one of hot contention among the different denominations. While liberal and possibly some conservative branches of Christianity may in future join the Church of England in allowing female priests, fundamental churches, such as the Roman Catholic Church may always stand by their decision not to ordain women.
3. In your opinion is the Christian teaching on equality relevant today? Answer as fully as you can with reference to at least two issues.
One cannot say that the Christian teachings on equality definitely are or are not relevant today, because it depends on the subject. The two issues I will look at for this section are wealth and women.
Christians have never been united over the issue of money. Where some Christians (who follow the Jewish view on this subject) believe that money is a gift from God to be enjoyed, others believe that the rich should sell all they have and become poor themselves (like the apostle Barnabas), rather than donating to the poor without being able to relate to their situation. The Old Testament, however, suggests that wealth should not be treated as something bad, rather it teaches that the wealthy have an obligation to help the poor. In Psalms 82:1-4 it says, “God standeth in the court of heaven to deliver judgement… Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.”
In my opinion, the belief that the wealthy have an obligation to the poor is the most relevant in modern times. The cost of living nowadays is far too high for someone to be able to just give up all their wealth (with a few exceptions). There are societies, such as Rotary International, which are made up of well-off businesspeople trying to give back to the community by doing charity work. This is a direct example of the relevance of Christian teaching; the people in these societies are using their money and business skills for a good cause.
Coming back to the Christian teaching on equality of the sexes, the view that men and women are equal but have different attributes is still relevant today, but only to a certain extent.
Over the generations, women have gained equal rights. In the last 30 years especially, they have become more and more powerful. The women’s movement of the 60s and 70s influenced many women to take a stand, both in eliminating sexism in the job world and also in fighting gender stereotypes. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher led the way for women in politics when she became Britain’s first female prime minister.
Although there are obvious biological differences between men and women, the social differences and stereotypes need not be so obvious. When it comes to parenthood and society (obviously not including giving birth), men and women have basically interchangeable roles; in some cultures, e.g. Scandinavia, often it is the fathers who stay home with the children while the mothers work.
I think that the Christian teaching on equality of the sexes is not completely irrelevant, but perhaps some of it should be updated. Society must move on as a whole, rather than leaving some vital parts behind. What I mean by this is that if society has managed to move on and accept that the roles of men and women are not fixed, Christianity should also do so. Religion should reflect changes in the wider world.
Bibliography
The Bible
Facing the Issues, Barbara Wintersgill, Macmillan Education, 1987
Christianity: A New Approach, Kevin O’Donnell, Hodder & Stoughton, 1998
