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I don't know, man. Consider 1 Corinthians 14:34-35: Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as th

I don't know, man. Consider 1 Corinthians 14:34-35: Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

marrs 11y ago
Examining religious scripture in isolation like this is a pointless exercise. It's like trying to imagine what it's like to eat at a banquet by tasting a single ingredient you pinched from the kitchen. You taste salt and you think the meal was salty, you taste sugar and you think it was sweet. In reality it contained elements of both, but tasted nothing like either.
jorangreef 11y ago
The 2 verses you quoted have a specific context in chapter 14 and in the rest of the letter to the Corinthians, within which they must be understood (not speaking/reading/praying in general). If anything, the Bible has always been counter-cultural in promoting the equality of men and women, and the countless greetings and references to prominent women in the early church in the various letters reflects the critical contribution they made.
- kenbellows 11y ago
  I've read it in context, thoroughly, and it doesn't help. And really, in what context could this become okay? As for the claim that the Bible has "always been counter-cultural in promoting the equality of men and women", that is a very limited viewpoint on history; it has been used toward both oppressive and egalitarian ends since it was written. And if you mean that the early Christian writers like Paul were especially egalitarian for their time, this too is controversial at best in scholarly circles. The mere mention (even praise) of certain women does not demonstrate a culture of gender equality; Roman society at large is also known to have venerated certain female figures in the same way, so this was hardly a counter-cultural practice.

marrs 11y ago

Examining religious scripture in isolation like this is a pointless exercise. It's like trying to imagine what it's like to eat at a banquet by tasting a single ingredient you pinched from the kitchen. You taste salt and you think the meal was salty, you taste sugar and you think it was sweet. In reality it contained elements of both, but tasted nothing like either.

jorangreef 11y ago

The 2 verses you quoted have a specific context in chapter 14 and in the rest of the letter to the Corinthians, within which they must be understood (not speaking/reading/praying in general). If anything, the Bible has always been counter-cultural in promoting the equality of men and women, and the countless greetings and references to prominent women in the early church in the various letters reflects the critical contribution they made.

kenbellows 11y ago
I've read it in context, thoroughly, and it doesn't help. And really, in what context could this become okay? As for the claim that the Bible has "always been counter-cultural in promoting the equality of men and women", that is a very limited viewpoint on history; it has been used toward both oppressive and egalitarian ends since it was written. And if you mean that the early Christian writers like Paul were especially egalitarian for their time, this too is controversial at best in scholarly circles. The mere mention (even praise) of certain women does not demonstrate a culture of gender equality; Roman society at large is also known to have venerated certain female figures in the same way, so this was hardly a counter-cultural practice.