Is Woman inferior to Man?

The Christian Influence to establish the equal dignity of Man and Woman In the story of creation: To understand the meaning of the word of God in Scrpitures, one has to go back to the language it was written in, and the expressions used in the culture at the time the word was written. So in Genesis God says “It is not good that man should be alone. “I will make him a helpmate” (2:18). A helpmate or a helper in English may seem of some lower order but the Hebrew translating word ezer is used frequently for God as our mighty helper and so certainly implies nothing inferior or secondary. “So from the soil God fashioned all the wild beasts and all the birds of heaven. These he brought to the man to see what he would call them. The man gave names to all cattle, all the birds of heaven and all the wild beasts.” (2:19-20) For the Hebrews, to give something a name meant two things - that they had power over the thing to be named and that they understood its nature fully. These two conditions are fulfilled with man’s relation to animals. However since “no helpmate suitable for man was found for him” God made man fall into a deep sleep and took one of his ribs and built it into a woman (2:21-22) The idea of a rib may refer to a Sumerian word ti which means life. The idea is that it is life of man that becomes the woman. On seeing her, Adam exclaims “This at last is bone from my bone and flesh from my flesh. This is to be called woman, for this was taken from man”(2:23). The Hebrew word for man used here is ish and for woman is ishsha. These are not two different words, but the same word with masculine and feminine endings. It means that the man cannot name the woman but only call her by his name! He cannot name her firstly because he has no power over her as he has over animals, and secondly his knowledge cannot penetrate to her being, for the spirit of life that came from God is within her and he can never fully penetrate this. She is his equal and he finds fulfillment in her. How Christianity influenced civilization to establish the equal dignity of Man and Woman: 1. a brief history From early and primitive civilizations (c.a. 7000 years B.C.) to Middle Ages, woman was considered a property of man. This can be clearly demonstrated by referring to the development of marriage. Here is a brief outline on the development of marriageMarriage went through development from tribal levels to more advanced societies:Tribal marriage: Through offspring, it is a source of power for labour and war.- Group family: a family group is made up of husbands of all women of another family group.- Marrying-in (endogamy): new kinship within the tribe to strengthen the tribe. Incest was not allowed. Since brothers and sisters grow up in the same family-tribe, this leads to indifference in their marriage relationship. - Marrying-out (exogamy): outside the tribe for expanding it.Restrictions on individual choices in primitive marriage:- Daughter can be disposed off- Woman is not a person but a property of her father or after him, her eldest brother- Transfer of possession meant purchase of women Types of sexual union:A- Monogamy: unreliable since it lacked the respect for the woman’s dignity B- Polygamy: - polygyny (one husband and may wives – sometimes one wife is set as chief among wives upon husband’s preference). Still exists in some Islamic countries such as Iran and Pakistan but at a very low percentage (2%)- polyandry (one wife with many husbands): rare and found only among low primitive tribes – e.g. man accepts sharing his wife out of povertyc - Concubinage: concubine is a mate but has no right to inheritance and other legal rights as a wife. Even though it was uncommon in the Judeo-Christian tradition, polygamy existed in Biblical times (Abraham, David and particularly Solomon), in early Western society at the royal level (Charlemagne, 8th century), and in China for the rich class.The Manu Law in India as well as the Law of Moses required the woman to turn herself to the brother of a deceased husband if they were childless in order to provide an heir to the dead brother. 2. The Christian Influence to establish the equal dignity of Man and Woman:As Christianity permeated the pagan world, it gradually changed the older norms of the relationship of man and woman and influenced also the legal code. Here is a brief list: - Christianity exalted the ascetic perfection so marriage became a channel for procreation and propagation of children rather than sexual pleasure using the woman body as an expanded property. - The Church elevated marriage to a sacrament – a means of God’s grace. - Christianity venerated women, especially in view of Christian veneration to Mary, the mother of the Savior. Many women saints and martyrs were raised to the altar. More recently the Church bestowed on 3 holy women the title "Doctor of the Church" i.e. teacher of the church because of their spiritual insights that contributed to Christian spirituality. - Christianity infused respect of women for their moral worth, as they are also created in the image of God: women are no longer segregated as in non-Christian societies or in old Athens; since the 9th century women are no longer veiled in Christian society. - Man’s concubine or mistress is no longer legal as it was in ancient Greece (Hetaera). - Father possesses no absolute family power (called Patria potestas in ancient Greece), and neither does husband retain absolute power over his wife even though he is the head of the family. Each has his distinctive and respected role. - Father is not permitted to sell his daughter to her husband (ancient Roman norm: Coemptio) - Christianity condemned abortion and infanticide (killing of unwanted/weak babies especially girls). - Under Christian influence, monogamy (one man and one woman) became the only acceptable marriage thus elevating woman's dignity to man's. - Child bride marriage is no longer permitted in countries with Christian influence. - Christianity discontinued the horrible penalty of burial alive. - Respect for individual choice for marriage gradually superseded the old family and group dictation. - Foot binding of young girls in China became outlawed in 1912 under Christian influence. - The Sati (or Suttee) was banned in India by the British under Christian influence (1829) – The Sati required burning of surviving wife along with her dead husband as an act of loyalty to him. - Christianity condemned and outlawed clitoridectomy (mutilation of female genital still common in Muslim countries) Although there are still cultures opposed to the equal dignity of men and women, the Christian spirit continues to permeate them without forcing them to embrace it.