Christian women?

Question

If you look at answer 9 here
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArHAvKdOYGyDYY858rX4aMEgBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20071118040729AApGvum

According to this, women are not allowed to speak out in the christian faith. If it is true, how many christian women can say they do follow this - and if they do speak out will they go to hell? does that mean more women will be in hell as today - society has gone away from christianity?
Just wanting to know if this is a contradiction or if its false. Thanks

Answer 1

No, this is not true. This example was given by someone who has not studied the bible in depth. The example given there is said by the apostle Paul. You need to understand the context of the statement for it to make sense.He was speaking to women of that time and culture. At the time, women were seated separately from their husbands in church. It was disruptive to the meetings because women were calling across to their husbands seated far away from them, so Paul said to them "Ask your husbands at home". Paul did not mean for women to never speak concerning religious issues.

Answer 2

The exact answer to this depends upon the denomination and culture of the Christian involved. Typically marriage to a non-Christian is discouraged but not banned. There are Biblical passages about living a righteous life so as to convert the non-Christian spouse. Also, if a believer is married to a non-believer and the non-believer wants a divorce the Bible says to let the non-believer leave. There are only two officially recognized reasons for divorce: sexual infedelity and being married to a non-Christian. Do be aware that according to Christianity any children born to the marriage must be raised Christian. Do know also that some cultural practices common in Muslim countries are banned by Christianity. You may have cultural as well as religious problems.

Answer 3

My short answer - God created men and women as equals - if both men and women remembered this - we would all be much better off.
The scripture you speak of is written for the Corinthian church, which Paul started -- Paul actually planted these churches - and he knew what sort of ppl attended them - he knew their culture - so he wrote this letter according to what he believed the congregation needed. There were some loud women but also women who wanted to learn - so they were shouting across at their husbands asking questions and Paul was trying to keep some sort of order - hence the letter he wrote. It's been misrepresented since - and used as a tool to keep women in 'their place' so to speak -- entirely wrong in my opinion. There are many female teachers, prophets, and ministers, today who are respected and appointed by God. It's sad that a lack of understanding of God's word can cause so much contention - even today, among the body of Christ.
Hope this helps answer your question.


well said good tree

Answer 4

In University I addressed this same issue... I believe you are referring to 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. I analysed one perspective of interpretation, because there are nine levels of interpretation of the Bible. Most people however, do not fully understand these different interpretations and read the Bible as is without investigating the historical concepts. I examined this passage with a historical analysis of the Bible.
I will summerize, as my findings were fairly lengthy: What I had learned was that the culture back then did not educate woman, so woman were not knowledgeable in those times. Paul did not want the woman to speak out because he wanted them to learn. If the woman were constantly talking,, then they were not listening and thus not learning. Paul actually saw women as more then most people then in that culture. He thought that their being silent would allow them the opportunity to learn for themselves, thus they can make their own decision rather then relying on men to do so for them.

Answer 5

There were many women prophets in the Bible. Including the NT. Philip had 4 virgin daughters that prophecied.

The idea is often misrepresented by men to abuse women.

The Bible says God poured out his spirit on both men and women to prophecy and speak tongues in the first century.

The general idea is simply that men should oversee the congregation IF there were men to do it.

In modern times, men have often been imprisoned for their neutral status in war/violence, plus the Bible forbids a man who is a "new convert" from serving an office of oversight...so women have to do it at times. And they can speak if it is not to instruct men with the proper training.

In my faith, women answer questions, read scriptures and also give student talks to practice teaching unbelievers. They only serve as elders if the need arises and they are appointed and trained by men just as men would be if there are no men available to do it.

Debbie

Answer 6

The answer given is a compete abuse of biblical principle. Where Paul the Apostle says women should keep silent in church he is saying that the need to stop talking amongst themselves and pay attention to what is being said and done. Don't forget that Judaism seperated (and still seperates) men and women and the early church simply continued the practice 'cos it was so normal for them then. Paul is not saying women should not be allowed to teach or preach or perform any other task. He was just saying that they should not yak to each other. There are many excellent women teachers, preachers and evangelists doing great work for God.
Beware of unloving, judgemental legalists in the church. There be too many.

Answer 7

Ah, but this is in the first letter from Corinthean, (or to Corinthean, I can never remember) but it's a letter, somebody's opinion - sorry, I think it's Paul, but not sure.
The bible is actually pretty FOR women, if you read it you'll find that women were encouraged to be earning money and you'd get women prophets and female land owners, and if a man had no sons then he could pass on his property to his daughters after he died. The perfect women in Proverbs (can't remember the number, but it was the very last chapter in proverbs) is described as one that can not only keep her family healthy, keep the house clean, mend clothes etc but also earn money and keep independance.

Answer 8

Did you know that Christians refused to bury women who died in childbirth on holy ground, blamed women for being raped, stoned single mothers, and considered the act of baring a daughter a sin. Read your Bible, look up old Christian laws and customs, read about the way women were treated. It will appall you. I do not understand how any woman can stand to be a part of a religion that has such disrespect for her. Seems like madness to me.

Answer 9

We covered this in my church on sunday. Basically, at that time, there was a form of worship (for a false God) that encouraged people to shout out and be noisy, so the writer was simply addressing this. Nobody seriously believes that God intends women to be silent in church, as evidenced by the amount of women in the Bible who were prophetesses, leaders and disciples.

Answer 10

This is a false premise. Women are not to preach in the congregation above men, but that does not mean they are not to take part in the congregation or in the preaching work. Indeed, many fine women in the first century shared in the ministry alongside men. The difference was only in inside the congregation, they were not to be preaching to otherwise dedicated and baptized men following the outline of headship in the congregations.