Religion in Society Essay -- Essays Papers

Religion in Society Miriam, Deborah and Huldah all are names of prophets from the Bible; they also all happen to be women. There are even two books in the Bible about women, Esther and Ruth. Psalm 68:11 reads, "The Lord gives the command; the women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host." With all of this support for women, why are they treated as the inferior sex in the church? The article, â€Å"Women and Gender; Reading the Bible through the Eyes of Women,† states that it is â€Å"crucial that women have the same opportunities and freedom of expression as men in the Church, so that the entire community may benefit from their contribution.† However, many churches do not allow women to play a role in the services, and most do not allow there to be a woman priest or pastor. Lori Beamen points out that fact that, â€Å"Although women frequently do the same work as men, they are denied the authority that accompanies those tasks when performed by men.† Statistics even show that 69.9% of women attend church more often than once a year opposed to 58.2% of men. So how can women put in so much time and do all of this work, and still be denied authority? Even though there are instances in the Bible that support women, many people use the Bible to limit women’s roles in the church and to show women are inferior in general. Some feel that since Adam was created first, and it was Eve who was responsible for the eating of the fruit, men are superior. However, the Women and Gender article notes that â€Å"When God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, He did not talk to Adam alone. He addressed the two of them together as two equals, to whom He gave a common task. And that is exactly what partners are: two people who are equ... ...r verse. Paul writes in Galatians 3: 28-29, â€Å"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.† The role of women was enhanced by Christianity and faith in Christ transcends differences and makes all believers one in Christ. Nobody is more superior than the other and if we all remember that, the better the church will function as a whole, no matter if the teachers are male or female. Bibliography African Church Information Service (2003, December 1). â€Å"Women and Gender; Reading the Bible through the Eyes of Women.† AllAfrica, Inc. Beamen, Lori. Introduction. (2004) Sociology of Religion. Wallace, Ruth A. â€Å"The Social Construction of a New Leadership Role: Catholic Women Pastors.† Sociology of Religion, p. 136.