Skip to main content

Does the Bible say women are lesser than men?

 


Does the Bible say women are lesser than men? It is a very controversial topic and it's essence can often be lost amidst toxic masculinity and pseudo feminism. People tend to think that the Bible portrays a picture where women are lesser than men, especially in a marriage.

 The verse usually quoted for this is 1 Peter 3:7, where a woman is referred to as a 'weaker vessel'. Two things are failed to be noticed here. One, people don't consider the whole verse - the few words before 'weaker vessel' are literally '...giving honour unto the wife...", so it does not give a husband or a man to mistreat his wife or a woman respectively. Two, weaker does not necessarily mean lesser. It shows the physical ability in which man and women were created, and it could also refer to Eve when she gave into temptation first. 

Even when it comes to physical ability, one can't say one is better and stronger than the other, be it a man or a woman. Biologically speaking, women have a lot of pain receptors and high pain endurance than men. In other words, even a small pain for a man can be very sharp for a woman. Whereas long term pain like menstrual cramps and labour pain, can be handled by women better. 

When men are not given the right to mistreat women, it goes likewise in the case of women as well. Yes, a wife is asked to submit to her husband. Now submission doesn't go to show being a slave. 
As Matthew Henry, explains, "Women were created from the rib of man to be beside him, not from his head to top him, nor from his feet to be trampled by him, but from under his arm to be protected by him, near to his heart to be loved by him..." 
Moreover we read in Galatians 3:28 of the Bible,
 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is *neither male nor female*: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

This can be taken for any matter, not just among men and women. Be it a friendship or marriage, generally, mutual respect, and consideration for the other is needed from both sides. 

Equality is different from equity, which is something one needs to remember. We have different roles and abilities however it does not mean anyone is less valuable. We humans are codependent beings and respecting one another, being affectionate and empathetic leads to a better and peaceful society, no matter what  situation it may be.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isn't the city so pretty?

 Many of us love to talk about the countryside and how we enjoy the fresh air and simple lifestyle there. However today, I want to talk about the city. Don't get me wrong. Rural areas are important and wonderful in their own way and this in no way a blog post to put down villages or rural areas.  For the major part, cities are mentioned for their job opportunities. And yes, that is a notable thing about the cities. Another thing that can be mentioned is the diversity that cities. Though not very authentic, one gets to catch glimpses of different cultures and try various cuisines.  Like anything else, cities have their downside too. The air and water can be polluted. The traffic and high number of vehicles can increase the emission of greenhouse gases and so on. We can try our best to, if not stop it then try and reduce  it.  Personally, I prefer the city to the village. I like my city. The beauty of cities is unique, especially during late nights and early morni...
Post a Comment
Read more

Don't sweat it!

 'What if this happens? Oh what if everything goes wrong?' Are your thoughts constantly like this? Then, I guess you worry a lot. Many of us worry over things too much. It is not just worrying, but over thinking as well.  We tend to assume the worst thought we don't know the results for sure. The saying goes, 'Hope for the best and prepare for the worst'. We often tend to leave out the first part.  What use is it to worry? There was this picture that I happened to see. It had a mind map sort of structure that said something in the lines of, 'Can you take control of the problem and change the solution? If yes, then why worry? If no, then why worry?' So basically, if we can or cannot control the our circumstances, there is no point in worrying. It gets us no where but only makes us demotivated and depressed.  I know, we can't just simply stop worrying. There is this nagging anxiety that keeps coming up. However we can analyse the situation and find ways to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Count your blessings!

 Life can seem difficult, tiring and unfair in a lot of ways. And this tends to leave us not only questioning but also comparing our lives with others.  We overlook one thing while doing so. We compare other people's happiness to ours. We compare and see how great their lives are and how ours isn't. What we do not see is their sorrows. The pain behind their smiles, the problems hidden away deep in their hearts, we do not see this because we are focused on our issues.  It is not a crime to feel sorrow but we often overlook how blessed we are. This needn't be something grand or big. It could be in the little things in our lives like a home cooked meal or food to eat in general, a bed to sleep in, a roof above our head, etc.  All of us are not the same. While our problems differ, so does our blessings. What we have others don't.  So this post is just a reminder to be thankful for what we have and try to share with others what they lack as well.
Post a Comment
Read more