This is 'serious', no name calling- Why does God call women dirty?

Question

In the bible it says women are unclean on their period and anyone that 'lays next to her' is unclean for 7 days. Did God just word it wrong? Did he just mean that they should bathe more frequently on it or is he calling them nasty bloody tramps?

If he was being literal, then all humans without soap and toilet paper are unclean

Answer 1

For the ancient Jews, blood was considered sacred to God, since it and breath consituted the life force. So people couldn't touch it without consequences. "Dirty" is a poor choice of words. Think "taboo". There were rules for slaughtering animals, both for sacrifices and for food. To be kosher, the blood had to be drained as much as possible. And those who handled the blood went through a period of ritual impurity, meaning there were certain places they couldn't go and certain actions they couldn't do until the prescribed time was up, because they had trespassed on God's prerogatives. Menstruation and childbirth involved blood so they were covered under the rules.

Prudish Christians, ignorant of the connection between blood and divinity, focus on the "impurity" aspect, making it a matter of guilt, not respect. That was not the original meaning.

Answer 2

This is one of those "edited" parts, Love. And those "editors" were, literally, hell-bent on destroying the nature of Woman...this was entirely a human desecration.

When you read, or seek from ANY source...if the words do not reflect an action or reaction of unconditional love then it is human created and sooo not of God Stuff.

Have a little compassion, though...The biology of our body vehicles was not known as well then as today...understand that our differences were used to negate the balance that they actually create...and people, in fear for their lives from religious power wonders of their times believed anything they were told...many still do. Now knowing that our "period" is a cleaning process our bodies go through, does the above concept even make sense???

I have to chuckle, because in writing this, I can't help but to try to imagine "God" telling the "Goddess" that She is an unclean tramp...it just wouldn't happen!!! Esp. if you knew what a powerful warrior She truly is...LOL Oh, the Bible doesn't mention the Goddess side of the Godhead...She, too, was humanly disposed of in the edit process...hmmm...go figure!!! It doesn't mean She does not exist, because She most definitely does. There were female followers (Apostles), yet, these were omitted as well...still doesn't mean they weren't there.

Again, I will stress the point...if it reflects love--it's God Stuff, if not--it's human stuff...take your truths from there...and as always...Good Journey!!!

Answer 3

Anything that involved possible contact with blood made a person unclean. This I believe was more an attempt to prevent the spread of disease then putting women down. Contact with a dead body is another example of a person being unclean. The lack of medical knowledge and especially the reproductive systems is somewhat difficult for society today to grasp because its common knowledge but I would assume at that time it was a frightening experience.

Answer 4

When the first man and woman were created by God, they were pure and undeflied. After the fall, the condition of uncleanness came about for both men and women. This may not necessarily pertain to the internal or spiritual condition of the women, but it may have something to do with her physical or monthly periods.

In your redeemed or glorified body, everybody will be pure because God creates perfection without blemish.

Answer 5

I especially like Glitter Girls reply. But to answer your Q. God didn't say this, some guy writing a passage in the Book of Leviticus said this. In the ancient world--and this was true of other cultures, not only the ancient Hebrews--that a woman bled once a month was a strange, mysterious, and even sacred thing and certain rites and observances had to be observed. In some cultures, "sacred" eventually became "taboo" or "scary" or "icky." In cultures that became particularly partriarchal, this thing was turned around to imply that there was something lesser and icky about women and women's cycles. We find this in certain early eras of Judaism, in Christianity and in Hinduism among other religious systems although women and their "mysteries" were elevated in certain forms of Gnosticism and in certain forms of Hinduism.

Answer 6

The Bible says..There is neither man nor women, Greek nor Jew ..all are children under God. That is not sexist or bigoted. It is a hygiene matter. Think about the days before hygiene products..You would have felt in need of a bath too.

Answer 7

Imagine life without tampons, pads, antibacterial soap, and things of that nature. Try explaining to me how a menstrating woman in those conditions is not unclean.

Answer 8

Men wrote the bible.

Back then they didn't have tampons, toilet paper, showers, body wash, baby wipes, and all of the stuff we have to keep us clean and smelling nice.

There ya go. Women were probably pretty gross during that time. Hence the dirty quip...

Answer 9

God did not write the bible, men did! Therefore, those that were considered elders, the pious and theologists, set the standards. Women were considered 2nd class citizens and had no real rights.

Answer 10

anyone who touches blood is unclean for a certain period of time in the "old law'" however; similar beliefs were abolished with the appearance of the messiah jesus christ