Biblical promotes female inferiority?

Question

Biblical references promoting female inferiority:
bullet1 Corinthians 11:3: "...Christ is the head of every man, and a husband the head of his wife, and the head of Christ is God. (NIV)". There is some debate among theologians about the translation of the Greek word "kephale" as "head." However that word is universally used in New Testament translations.
bullet1 Corinthians 11:7-9:"For a man...is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head." (NIV) This refers to the practice of women wearing hair covering as a sign of inferiority. This is not longer widely observed today.
bullet1 Corinthians 14:34-35: "...women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says, If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church." (NIV) This is a curious passage. It appears to prohibit all talking by women during services. But it contradicts verse 11:5, in which St. Paul states that women can actively pray and prophesy during services.

It is obvious that verses 14:33b to 36 are a later addition, added by an unknown counterfeiter with little talent at forgery. Bible scholar, Hans Conzelmann, comments on these three and a half verses: "Moreover, there are peculiarities of linguistic usage, and of thought. [within them]." 6 If they are removed, then Verse 33a merges well with Verse 37 in a seamless transition. Since they were a later forgery, they do not fulfill the basic requirement to be considered inerrant: they were not in the original manuscript written by Paul.
bulletEphesians 5:22-24: "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife...wives should submit to their husbands in everything." (NIV)
bullet1 Timothy; various passages: Conservative theologians date this "pastoral epistle" as having being written prior to 65 CE, and assign its authorship to Paul. Liberal theologians generally believe that it was written by an unknown author during the first half of the second century, a half-century or longer after St. Paul's execution. If the latter is true then the epistle's many passages reflecting female inferiority can be attributed to a gradual reinstatement of patriarchal authority by the early Church. Some of these passages are:
bullet1 Timothy 2:11-15:"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent..." (NIV) Some Biblical scholars believe that woman and man should be replaced by wife and husband in the above passage. This would mean that the passage would not refer to women teaching men in the church, but rather wives teaching their husbands within the home. 5
bullet1 Timothy 3:2: "Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife..." (NIV) This would seem to imply that all overseers (bishops) must be male.
bullet1 Timothy 3:8: "Deacons likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere..." (NIV)
bulletTitus 1:6: "An elder must be blameless, a husband of but one wife" (NIV). Women are apparently excluded from the position of elder or bishop.
bulletTitus 2:4: "...train the younger women...to be subject to their husbands." There is no indication of equal power sharing in marriage.
bullet1 Peter 3:7: Women are referred to as "the weaker vessel" in comparison to their husbands

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Quotations:
bullet"As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active power of the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of a woman comes from defect in the active power...." Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica,Q92, art. 1, Reply Obj. 1
bullet"And a man will choose...any wickedness, but the wickedness of a woman...Sin began with a woman and thanks to her we all must die" Ecclesiasticus, 25:18, 19 & 33. 1
bullet"And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her." Ecclesiastes 7:26, from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament)

answer to mckenziecalhoun:
Christianity and Judaism had gone through reformation implies that they have some serious problems. Something full of errors need to be reformed!!!!

Answer 1

It is true, women are not called to lead men in spiritual matters directly. Women should lead by example of patience, kindness, compassion in actions.

Men and women hold equal standing before Christ....that is why he had both male and female followers. Many of the most wonderful signs were made to women to relate to men...the sight of an empty grave was made to women first, and they were told to go and tell the disciples.

Women are to submit to their husbands in their will, in so far as it makes sense under the laws of God. There has to be a leader in the family, and God wants this to be the man. I don't fully understand it all yet, but I plan to keep studing to learn.

Lastly, think about the creation of woman. God chose to make her from the rib bones, the side of Adam. NOT his head, or in ancient times it could be a symbol that she is above, or better than man. NOT from his foot, or it would imply he has a right to trample her underfood. BUT from the SIDE...to walk together, cooperating, learning from each other. I think the other forgotten message is women are asked to live for their husbands, but husbands are asked to die for their wives. They die to self, to live in Christ, and follow in his path. Women are different creatures, we must also die to the self, to live in the Will of God, and be a blessing the the man he provided us with.

Check out www.khouse.org. I'm sure Chuck has done an article or download in regards to this very matter.

Answer 2

Ahh, the Pauline Misogyny. It's the reason why I'm no longer Christian. I can't follow these scriptures, I can't obey them. I can't accept them as the Truth, which makes them false and therefore the word of god is false. With religious dogma, it's all or nothing. You either accept it as the word of god and obey it, or you don't and you deny god's word.

It's interesting, I think, how many people read these scriptures and decide they no longer apply, yet they still call the bible, the whole bible, "the Word of God" and "The Truth".

The Pauline Books (whether they were written by Paul is immaterial dogmatically, no matter what theologians argue about) have been Biblical Canon for centuries. They've been called the "Word of God" for centuries. They have not been called "the Word of God, But Only the Parts That You and Your Culture Agree With". If these scriptures are no longer applicable, if these laws no longer apply, then why are they still in the bible which is "the Word of God"? You either believe in god's word, all of it, or deny that the bible is the word of god.

Answer 3

You are several centuries out of date. Unlike Islam, which has not gone through any reformation and considers the Quran and such books utterly and completely true on a literal basis, Christianity and Judaism have been through reformations (each in their own way) that have allowed them to see their holy works as guidelines, inspirations, etc., but not see them as literally true.

You are arguing with a minority of the Christian community while the rest of it looks at your question somewhat mystified that you never realized Christianity no longer worries about such things.

Read up on a little history. Your argument is preaching to the choir. Woman in Christianity aren't judged by those passages anymore, haven't been for many decades.

Silly.

Answer 4

If one studies they see that Woman are not ask to be Silent but in Peace, so much is in poor translations and Timothy did not help matters any, I don't know who wrote those letters But I know it was not Paul.