The world has changed a lot in the last 2000 years. Science has developed, astronomy, knowledge of DNA, medicine, and so on.
Views on race and racism have changed. I write this from a Western, white, perspective. We have moved from accepting slavery, black people being owned by white people, to segregation, where black people were supposed to ‘know their place’ and not mix with white people. Eventually ‘civil rights’ came to bear, and black people got the vote. However, there is still talk that the UK police, for example, are ‘institutionally racist’.
I hope our failure to treat black people properly appals and shames you. Discrimination has no place in a civilised culture.
Why is this relevant?
Well, 2000 years ago women were regarded as the ‘second sex’. Not equal to men. And the bible enshrined this attitude (see 1 Timothy 2 12 etc).
Women have been regarded as ‘one of man’s possessions’. Wives subservient to men. Marital rape did not exist as an offence, wives had no right to say no. Women had no independance, didn’t work, didn’t have their own bank accounts.
Divorce was not an option, regardless of how they were treated.
They could not vote.
Gradually things have changed. My mother was expected to leave work upon marriage, that has changed.
The second world war led to much change: not only were women needed in the military, but also to ‘back fill’ manufacturing and other work. Women could weld! It opened the doors to women doing many different jobs. They had income, independence.
Contraception meant they had control over their fertility.
Socially, slowly, the perspective changed. Having the vote meant they had an equal say in terms of policy.. It took time for example to accept that women could be good athletes, in terms of distance running.
There is still a distance to go, but women are much closer to achieving equal status.
However, in terms of religion, much has not changed over these 2000 years. This includes many religions, Judaism, Islam, as well as Christianity.
The men are still living 2000 years in the past, when the world was a different place. They have failed to move with the times. It doesn’t help if you choose to take the bible literally. Not only does it give an unscientific view of the world, but it fails to recognise the rightful changes between men and women, in terms of women’s equality. You can understand why men might like like the status quo, of male dominance. But such selfishness, grasping the power, excluding women, is so wrong. It is in my opinion a sin.
Logically society will leave these men, and their attitudes, frozen in the past. Typically ‘white, male, pale and stale’. Their churches willl slowly become less and less relevant.
I recently attended a Cathedral service. The 15 priests were all male. The women were allowed to hand out the programmes and allocate seats. I was horrified. In years to come this will probably be seen as abuse by the Church. They are like dinosaurs and will become extinct. If churches have any ambition to survive there needs to be rapid change. Young people will not stand for it.
Younger preachers seem to accept the status quo, despite the fact they must know it is out of date and wrong. Some men say ‘but our ladies are happy with the situation’, and of course we treat them as very special…. Patronising rubbish.
Interestingly the Church of England and the Church of Wales have recently appointed female Archbishops. Clearly contradicting the ‘word of God’ as relayed ,immutably, in their Bible.
I would say that the various religions, active in the UK, need immediately to accept the equality of women.
In church this means the full participation of women in services. This needs to apply to all faiths – no more should women have to sit separately for example.
Failure to comply would mean the religion losing charitable status and tax breaks. Male only preachers should be taxed an additional 30% on income this year, likewise with an equal employer contribution – rising next year to 50% and so on.
Church schools should be required to teach boys and girls together, and include statements about equallity. Teachers should be both male and female.
If this is not acceptable to the religion the schools should be closed.
Religions should have high moral standards. You would think that treating people equally, in a modern fashion, would not be difficult. The time has come…….
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