Does the Bible Advocate Discrimination Against Women?

It is commonly held that the Bible encourages viewing women as second-class citizens. Religious views and select Bible texts are often cited as reason for treating women with less dignity than men. Does the Bible really say this? Regardless of your religious beliefs or how religious you are, being informed on what are the actual Biblical texts pertinent to women will make you more informed on an important aspect of humanity and allow you to make your own decision as to the Bible's view of women.

The Historical perception of women

As a historical background, while select cultures have allotted civil rights in various degrees towards women, such as the ancient Egyptians and Native American tribes, in many cultures women hold few or no rights. Since women are a majority of the population and do two thirds of the world's labor, the reason they do not hold more liberties demands justification. So for centuries, women have been portrayed as naturally sneaky, dishonest or as the temptress. The theologian Tertullan described women as "the devil's gateway." Since theologians express such views, many people believe that the Bible must discriminate against women. It was not until the Victorian age that women were portrayed as inherently good, naturally godly and spiritual. They were presumed to infuse this goodness into their families, making them good mothers and wives. It was commonly held that men had to prove themselves "worthy" of the women they married. While an improvement over being viewed as evil instigators, women were still held in a secondary class in all other matters unrelated to being a wife and mother. 19^th century women's rights advocates in the United States felt religion and the Bible verses used by some religious entities degraded women. While no longer portrayed as evil, women were still essentially being held responsible for men's actions, but were now viewed as being able to have a positive impact. Women were socially still not held equal to men.

While many "modern" countries have afforded women the right to vote or own property, the underlying notion that women are lower than men still exists in various degrees, and the Bible is at times cited for this belief.

Women in the Hebrew Scriptures

Genesis 3:16 has often been cited as proof that women being treated inferior was God's plan. But a closer look at the context of the entire chapter shows this was one of the pronouncements God made of things that were the consequences of their actions. Not because God wished it, but because they made a choice to disobey God and no longer fall under His direct protection in the Garden of Eden. God could reasonably see the "butterfly effect" of their actions, and knew it likely that If women, specifically in this case, the first woman Eve, was to choose a man over following the law outlined by God, that men would be in a position to abuse and take advantage women. Reading the context of Genesis chapter three indicates consequences not just for the woman but for the man - Adam - as well, however these are rarely mentioned when one seeks to justify viewing women as lower citizens. Reasonably, if Genesis three is to be used to justify the maltreatment of women, an inclusion of the pronouncement towards Adam as related to men would need to be equally considered, as one gender is not held to more or less account for their actions in this passage.

It is also worth comparing what God stated about women before the Genesis 3:16 pronouncement. Both Adam and Eve received the same mandate from God to become fruitful, fill the earth, and subdue it. They were to work together as a team, neither dominating the other (Genesis 1:27, 28).

Some believe that since the Bible tells of some events where women were mistreated, that the Bible itself must condone this behavior or the men who fostered it. While the Bible does report Biblical events that women are not treated equally or were even abused, these are often without direct commentary as to God's opinion of the event, and when commentary is given, poor treatment of women was not approved of. The Mosaic Law code held numerous laws that protected and mandated the kind treatment and provisions of mothers, wives, widows, (See Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 14:28, 29; 24:17-22) elderly women and children, requiring them to be provided for and protected. Harm to a pregnant woman or her unborn child was held to an accounting (Ex. 21:22-25). When unmarried women wanted to inherit land and the Law has a provision for that circumstance, the law was adapted to allow them an inheritance. (Numbers 27: 1-5). The Mosaic Law condemned rape and prostitution. (Leviticus 19:29 and Deuteronomy 22:23-29). Reasonably, while some historical events in the Bible demonstrate that women have been treated unfairly for centuries, these events do not carry God's backing, as a human's failure to show respect for these laws was there own fault, not God's (See Deuteronomy 32:5). To state that because the Bible reports an event means the Bible approves of it is equal to stating a newspaper approves of any event reported therein.

The scriptures indicate God hates all forms of exploitation and abuse, whether directed at men or women. (Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 27:19 and Isaiah 10:1,2) Rather than discriminate against women, the Mosaic Law elevated and protected them from the rampant exploitation common in the surrounding nations. A capable Jewish wife was a highly respected and esteemed individual, she held a job, had her own money and made financial decisions on her own without having to consult her husband for permission. (Proverbs 31:10, 28-30) The failure to follow God's laws on showing respect for women was the fault of the individual human, it was not God's will. (Deuteronomy 32:5) Ultimately, while the Old Testament records many acts of unfairness that occurred towards under-protected classes such as women, reading the end result of those committing these atrocities often documents that God judged and punished them for their disobedience or behavior, indicating the accounts of such abuses were viewed seriously by God and not acceptable to him.

The Bible also documents how Jesus consistently treated women with respect. He refused to follow the discriminatory, anti-female traditions that were common in that time. For example, Jesus talked to even non-Jewish women when other religious leaders often did not speak to women, even their wives, in public. (Matthew 15:22-28, John 4:7-9) He taught women when others viewed religious matters as "over the heads" of women, deeming them too simple to grasp such topics. (Luke 10:38-42) He protected women from being abandoned. (Mark 10:11,12) He spoke kindly to women-even those of ill repute. (Luke 7:44-50) Moreover, Jesus was pleased to help women who had health problems (Luke 8:43-48). Perhaps the most unusual proactive step towards viewing women as equal to men for the time was that Jesus accepted women into his inner circle of friends. (Luke 8:1-3)

The Bible speaks highly of several women, citing them by name as examples of hospitality, generosity, compassion, and courage. (Acts 9:36-41; 16:14, 15; Romans 16:3, 4) Similar to the Mosaic Law code, early Christians were to show women respect. The apostle Paul, of whom many anti-female assumptions are assigned, wrote to treat "older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity" (1 Timothy 5:2).

The Bible gives many examples of individuals being given adjustment and instructions as to their behavior within the Jewish Nation and the early Christians, both to men and women. Often a comment or instruction given in a select scriptural circumstance is applicable to that issue or case, not a mandate for all dealings with women in all matters. If there are scriptures in the Bible that you feel are intended to set women as a lower class, or that they justify women being treated as lesser than men, read these passages within their context of the chapter or chapters to see the circumstances in which such comments were made in order to assess if they are indeed an indication of women being viewed as a lower class than men.