A Christian friend recently found herself once again disapointed with her own faith after sitting through a misogynistic ceremony at a wedding, and started pondering the prospect that Chrisitanity is founded on a strong woman- hating basis. These are some of her thoughts and mine on the subject:
Firstly, I can't go past the following as a good start to exploring the subject: http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/articles/women-bible
There is much obsession in these texts of women being objects, possessions or not having a right to self-determine any activities, especially if they are related to their sexuality. An extreme example of this is:
But if this charge is true (that she wasn't a virgin on her wedding night), and evidence of the girls virginity is not found, they shall bring the girl to the entrance of her fathers house and there her townsman shall stone her to death, because she committed a crime against Israel by her unchasteness in her father's house. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst. (Deuteronomy 22:20-21)
So not only if a woman is not a virgin, but if she cannot prove that she is a virgin, she will be deemed guilty (of what? being raped is apparently still considered committing adultery if you're female) and killed. So what does this teach us- that the only value a woman has is a disused vagina? Apparently so:
"Have you allowed all the women to live?" he [Moses] asked them.... "Now ... kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man." Numbers 31:1-18 (NIV)
Despite all these Biblical quotes, however, the Bible as a text was written largely 1500+ years ago, and has undergone edits, modifications and translational changes, but reflects the society at the time. Many Christians view it as that- the historical interpretation of "God"'s teachings, in the context of society at the time. Others do not.
What's interesting is to see what effect Christian teachings have on current-day attitudes. One such example online is the recent "Modesty" survey.
http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/
This survey contains items such as "The way a girl walks can be a stumbling block", with 50% of respondents agreeing, and 24.9% strongly agreeing. Open ended statements included "True. I have seen girls walking in a rather titillating way, but I would have to say that this type of immodesty can only be deliberate. It is more the obvious intention that gives the effect." and "Manner of walk can appear seductive, though most girls who walk in such a fashion probably do it intentionally.".
Have these people not considered:
a) that the wider hip angle caused by the change in bone structures in puberty caused by being female will alter a woman's gait involuntarily
b) some things just are, they are not done for or directed at you
c) you're a dirty bastard who can be turned on by anything and that is YOUR problem, not that of every female on the planet.
Another survey item: "The lines of undergarments, visible under clothing, cause guys to stumble.". The deference of responsibility in the way this is phrased (and the whole survey) is on two premises: - that males are not capable of controlling themselves, nor should they be expected to; and,
- it is the way a woman moves, acts, dresses, speaks or exists that causes the "problem".
I am not trying to label all Christians as woman haters, or all segments of Biblical teachings as wrong, but the discussion is worth opening up and exploring further as it's far from being baseless.
As a parting thought, I leave you with some Richard Dawkins on the topic of gender bias: http://boingboing.net/2011/06/18/richard-dawkins-sex.html
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