Is God a Feminist?
 |
| Google Image |
OK, so we don’t usually
think of him/her in those terms, which may conjure up women protesting,
marching and going bra-less. But does God buy into society’s biases against
women, males’ illusions of superiority, the violence perpetrated against women
and their objectification in entertainment and pornography? Not the God for
whom I’m searching.
Somehow, however, the
equality of the sexes has been lost on many religious people. In the case of
Christians, it’s especially hard to understand.
Christians believe that
God became a human being in the form of Jesus of Nazareth. Presumably, God
chose a certain time, about 2,000 years ago, and a certain culture, that of
Judea, to do so. The time may have been right in the development of Jewish
religious views, but the contemporary culture did not hold women in high regard.
You can say that about
all the cultures of the ancient world, perhaps, but surprisingly, the ancient Hebrews were
probably among the best in that regard. Look at the story of creation in
Genesis, for instance. Many aspects of the story may seem sexist in our eyes –
like the role of Eve as temptress – but it was unprecedented, say Scripture
scholars, that Genesis had Eve created from Adam’s rib, exhibiting an equality
that was unheard-of among other cultures.
Because Women Do It
That message was lost on most males, however, and has continued to be so throughout the ages. Women are still, in many ways and places, considered second-class. A recent New York Times article reports that women’s salaries are stubbornly stuck at about 20 percent below that of men for the same work and cites research showing that “work done by women pays less because women do it.”
That message was lost on most males, however, and has continued to be so throughout the ages. Women are still, in many ways and places, considered second-class. A recent New York Times article reports that women’s salaries are stubbornly stuck at about 20 percent below that of men for the same work and cites research showing that “work done by women pays less because women do it.”
People searching for God,
especially Christians, should do all they can to change this, based on Jesus’
teaching and Christian writings.
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither
slave nor free, nor is there male and female,” writes the author of the Letter
to the Galatians in the Christian Bible, “for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus repeatedly broke
the rules about the separation of the sexes, like when he had his extended
conversation with “the woman at the well.” The early Christian biblical authors
chose to include it in the gospels, rejecting the prohibition against single
men speaking to unrelated women.
 |
| Google Image |
They remind Jesus that Jewish
law requires that such a woman be stoned to death. If Jesus agrees, his
reputation for compassion ends. If he does not, he is an apostate from Judaism.
Nothing is said, of
course, about the man with whom the woman had adultery – even though the
prohibition against adultery applied to both sexes. Jesus seemingly has no
patience with the notion that the woman was expected to answer for her sin, but
not the man.
He resolves the tension
with a remark that is a blow against hypocrisy and misogyny. It has become
among history’s most famous quotes: “Let him without sin throw the first
stone.”
The Catholic Church, to
which I belong, has especially struggled with the status of women. Although
women do the bulk of the work in the church and are arguably the most faithful, they are barred from the ranks of the clergy.
Arguments Are Vacuous
I really believe this will change, and hope that it does. The arguments against women priests appear to me to be vacuous, and are needlessly alienating many women of good will. There are enough legitimate issues in the church that can cause alienation without clinging to one that has little merit.
I really believe this will change, and hope that it does. The arguments against women priests appear to me to be vacuous, and are needlessly alienating many women of good will. There are enough legitimate issues in the church that can cause alienation without clinging to one that has little merit.
Women priests could
contribute immensely to the church’s mission in a way that men can’t.
So if I feel this way,
why do I stay in the church? Perhaps if I were not a male, I would feel
differently, but I think women’s equality in the church will arrive a bit
earlier if I stay in the church and make my views known.
Apart from that, there
are lots of good reasons for staying. The principle one is that for me, it’s
the best way of finding God.
Comments
Post a Comment