Why are Christianity and Judaism patriarchal religions that consider women to be second class citizens? In the OT, women were lucky to be considered third class, while in other cultures of the time they were given equal treatment as that of a man. Even God's chosen one Paul in the NT is well known for being mysogynic and yet he's considered a great teacher and is revered for his "expertise" on marriage which he himself states he would rather chew off his own limbs than to partake in. Doesn't that seem ironic?
2007-10-21 03:25:47 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Judaism started off as a polytheistic religion, just like all the others in the region, but eventually the YHWH cult got power and forced everyone else to follow them. YHWH was a male god of war.
2007-10-21 03:29:48 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
From the site named below:
In the Hebrew Bible (and in translations to languages with a she/he dichotomy) God is referred to as "he". God might be a 'He' in the Bible but non-Hebrew-literate individuals do not always know that in Hebrew language, grammatical gender is NOT an indicator of actual gender. Hebrew nouns have grammatical gender. Each object is masculine or feminine. There are no gender-neutral pronouns in Hebrew, i.e. there is no equivalent of the English "it". Everything is a "he" or a "she".
The spirit of God Ruach Elohim (Genesis 1:2) is a feminine noun. So is the Shekhinah -- the Presence of God. Does that mean the Spirit of God and the Presence of God are female?
Take for example the word "animal" -- hayyah in Hebrew. Hayyah is a feminine noun. Therefore, by the rules of Hebrew grammar, whenever people speak of a hayyah, they have to refer to it as "she". This does not indicate that the animal in question is actually female.
Since the titles for God in the Hebrew Bible (Elohim, El, Adonai) are masculine nouns, God is called "he". A book sefer is a masculine noun too. So a book is also called "he". God is no more male than a book is male.
2007-10-21 04:18:05 · answer #2 · answered by Renata 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
El...ellim, elloha...ellohim, not female gender. After the Babylonian Exile, Hebrew was written in square characters, and the word אלהים appears like this in the O.T. The word for "goddess" is ellah. In the pagan religions, the male and female gods were married and they had children, but Judaism did away with that form, and at least women would no longer have to prostitute themselves in fertility rites! You need to have an understanding of the times--when everybody but the Jews believed in idolatry! Christianity could not have come about all by itself, and it required Judaism as a support!
2007-10-21 03:38:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Assuming you will not believe that women are not treated as second class, I will try to help you, not argue with you. The place of women in the Bible is a place of honor, consider God took a rib from Adam not a toe, Eve was a help meet for him not a servant. Mary was chosen to bear the seed of the Lord, and called Blessed among women. Women taught Timothy and helped many Disciples in ministry. Our society and many of our churches would be diminished, but for the contributions of women who are recognized.
2007-10-21 03:55:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
El is not a feminine word. It is actually the name of an ancient Levantine god, husband of the goddess Asherah who later became the national god of the Hebrews. It was the priests of El who imposed monotheism to the Hebrews by forbidding the worship of the other Levantine gods (the most important of them were called the Elohim -- the sons of El).
2007-10-21 03:29:20 · answer #5 · answered by NoName 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It all depends on how you personally want to interpret it. I interpret it as 'many.' Not just one being but several who have named their clan or tribe "God." Another word for a higher consciousness or power. In other words; "Together we are God." The word God also means family. Perhaps the term God refers to Aliens, being the higher power or intelligence in question, who have been on this earth long before we can remember. Perhaps we are their creation, which would make more sense to me personally. :) Anyway, that is what it means to me as an individual.
2016-05-24 00:20:29 · answer #6 · answered by aline 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only known society where men and women might, and I say might, have been given equal status is the amazon people, and look what happened to them, they are extinct. I am sorry if this makes you upset, but the only civilizations that have ever even survived, and gone on to prosper are civilzations where women have taken a secondary role. Sorry if you feminists don't like it.
2007-10-21 03:30:53 · answer #7 · answered by Micheal M 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I suppose so. I've wondered why we follow what Paul says about marriage. Thanks for reminding me about it. He seemed to have the head knowledge, but not the practical, real life, experience.
2007-10-21 03:30:10 · answer #8 · answered by mrsdebra1966 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
*Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
*Galatians 3:28 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.
2007-10-21 03:30:20 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
men wrote the bible and ran the church- after a while god has very little to do with it
2007-10-21 03:35:44 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋