Philosophers: If men and women are equal, how come they are not spiritually equal?

Question

Thanks to all your answers. Have a wonderful day!

Answer 1

Equal does not mean same. Pure and simple. Spiritually males and females are complimentary rather than equal. [It is a philosophical question. Plato referred to the fact that one was incomplete without the other. Our friend above in stating the Bible legend, which she got almost right is on the track of the argument of the rabbis in the Mishnah Bereshith, but there the character Lilith also plays a part. Eve is pre-eminent as the source of all life. Creation is Ish and Ishah rather than Andros and Gunaiks, stressing the complimentary nature of their equality over the difference of species implied in the Greek. And God's Creation remains Good, not fallen as in Augustine's later re-write.] This does not mean that one is better or subordinate to the other. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, that the two may be one flesh" seems to indicate that according to Jesus' teaching females are given the priority in certain things like home and property, does it not? And His prohibition of a man putting away his wife in divorce likewise forbids her being treated as property. Few people bother to read the addresses Paul sent his letters to, most were women. Can a head function without a body or a body a head? The modern fashion is to mix all into the greyness of mediocrity rather than recognising the unique qualities and differences that make for true equality, dignity, and integrity.

[Woman was not taken from the head of man that she might be above him, from the foot of man, that he might Lord it over her, nor from the hand of man that she might serve him, but she was taken from the side of man, that she might be near to him, from next to the heart of man that he might cherish her. Therefore it is said, "This is flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone." Vau and Cheth are bound by Yah. This is the image of God we see in Creation, neither complete without the other, and both blessed in the divine Name to bring forth Life, the two one flesh. This is the explanation from the Talmud.]

[It's a question where there is often quite a lot of heat these days and not much light.]

Answer 2

Legend of the bible:
Adam was being alone in the 'garden'. The serpent was a God's messenger. Remember that God makes the world good at its first dawn; there were not any evil forces at the beginning of the world. So, like as wizard (a good sorcerer) the serpent took a rib bone from Adam in order to provide him a wife (his second side who must stand by him). Both (Eve and Adam) were too naïve and they could not have any babies. So the serpent taught Eve about the nature of the life which was going to be in the next future. The serpent had told Eve about the life, before she was going to understand the knowledge of the life. The serpent warned her that there are evil forces outside the God's garden and the 'outside' is the life. Furthermore, the female side of Adam wishes (forever) to have babies, so she entered to the world of the knowledge in order to understand what the living world is. Remember, the sin belongs to the ignorant person. To conclude, on the one hand Adam had sinned against the Lord (God) because of his ignorance, on the other hand, Eve put into practice the Lord's commandment (she made the God commandment alive), or she made the right thing (the living beings' duty is to make the world full of offspring). But over the time, the world became more bad and evil than once (maybe because of Eve's offspring); therefore, human beings (men) accused Eve (women) wrongly for her knowledge.

Answer 3

Hi,
All men and women are created equal in the eyes of God, at least that's what I believe because there is a distinct bias within some religions against women. I think there is definitely a difference psychologically between male and female in that for instance men are more 'spatially aware', women are perhaps more emotional and sensitive. Spiritually, I don't think there is a difference. I'm not sure if there are any studies that might relate to this.
Pollyanna

Answer 4

Respectfully, I suggest that your questions would be more appropriately posted in Religion & Spirituality. This is not a philosophical question. In fact, it is more a statement than a question.
"..how come they are not spiritually equal"? Who said they are not? Perhaps you saw something in the bible, that often demeans women? Or do you mean that men are not spiritually equal to women?
The "question" is ambiguous.
Spirituality is not a province of sex or gender.

Edit: As to the answer of jbaudlet, YES, it IS a legend. Relgions use metaphor, allegory & exaggeration from the early Egyptians through modern Sunday school. Metaphors are a way to help our minds process the unprocessible. The problems arise when we begin to believe, literally, our own metaphors. As in a previous answer to one of your questions, man contrived "original sin."
Also, because of your increasing questions about the equality of men & women, I now suspect your statement intimates women are not spiritually equal to men. Again, I suggest you post these in R&S. They are not philosophical questions.

Answer 5

" they are not spiritually equal"I think this is a bad translation from the philosophers and it could mean that they are spiritually different. I mean you cannot compare say ... 1 litter of watter and the number 90. They may have orthogonal spiritualities :) and you cannot compare them , then you can say men and women are not equal. The whole equality problem isn't justified.

Answer 6

Men and Women are equal under law and not by some ancient spiritual and very sexist books, do people really believe in the 21st century that women are somehow only just obedient servants and men because they were born with a penis are somehow more equal and God somehow favors them more , what rubbish!

Answer 7

Not one person is equal to the other, all are equal in the right.

Answer 8

Equal is not synonymous with identical.
Men and women ARE equally intelligent, caring, and valuable, yet men and women are not the same.
Heck, NO two people are the same.

Answer 9

what exactly does that mean?

are you saying that women are more spiritually open and in tune with the universe? i have to say that men can be just as spiritual as women. hard to believe i know...

bb

Answer 10

notwithstanding there are physiological and psychological modifications between adult adult males and women human beings, they're spiritually equivalent. and that is a good verse that shows that Allah does not favor one gender over the different.