The Persecution of Women in the Church

[SDG]

Originally Posted by crazyhomie

Early church fathers left us with a difficult heritage; evidenced by the continual denegration of...women in particular. Originally Christianity was quite positive for women, (Jesus treated them equally) but by the time of Augustine, women were regarded as responsible for the fall of man. The letters of Jerome teem with loathing of the female almost to the point of sounding deranged. Tertullian had castigated women as evil temptresses, an eternal danger to mankind:
"Do you not know that you are each and Eve? You are the devil's gateway; you are the unsealer of that forbidden tree; you are the first deserter of the divine law; you are she who persuaded him whom the devil was not valiant enough to attack. You so carelessly destroyed man, God's image. On account of your desert, even the son of God had to die."-

Augustine agreed; "What is the difference," "whether it is in a wife or a mother, it is still Eve the temptress that we must beware of in any woman."
As a matter of fact Augustine is puzzled that God should have made the female at all, "if it was good company and conversation that Adam needed, it would have been much better arranged to have two men together as friends, not a man and a woman." "Early church fathers regarded a womans only function as "childbearing which passed the contagion of original sin to the next generation, like a veneral disease. -"

Western Christianity never fully recovered from this neurotic misogyny, which can still be seen in the unbalanced reaction to the very notion of the ordination of women. - a history of God, pg.124, karen Armstrong.

My personal view is this: Satan's attempt to destroy Eve in the garden was a direct attack against her seed. A man is never greater than his mother. It's been said 'behind every good man is a better woman". Truthfully, this is usually his mother or grandmother.

The persecution of women in the church is still evident today. Catholicism teaches that women are to blame for original sin and should be avoided; thus the doctrine of celibacy. A holy man cannot be defiled by a women.

Is it possible that much of what women have had to endure relationally with regard to the church is a carryover of this wicked and insidious spirit to destroy the women, thus destroying their seed?

An angry mother produces angry children. An offended mother produces offended children. A bitter mother produces bitter children.

God's fundamental law of creation is this; "everything reproduces after its own kind."

Women, now is your opportunity to be liberated! You should love me for this!

Originally Posted by Felicity

Can also add to the above.......

3. a program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate a people because of their religion, race, or beliefs: the persecutions of Christians by the Romans.

Actually though the word wasn't defined by the author of the thread and I'm not sure the dictionary definition was what he meant by using that particular word.

How can you say this based on his original post?

[Scott Hutchinson]

You women are too intelligent to be persecuted.
Us guys are basketcases without our wives.

[SDG]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

It irritates me that it is assumed that since I abide by fairly conservative Apostolic views, that I must not do so of my accord, that it has been foisted off upon me, and either I am too stupid to know that I have been duped, or too brain-washed to care.

I find that point of view to be the arrogant one.

It is also irritating that my husband is viewed as abusive, simply because he believes that he has an authoritative role in our home, a role which is supported by scripture.

Someone causing me offense is NOT the same as persecution. If it were, there are a few women here who are guilty of persecuting me.
Someone disagreeing with my views or being unsupportive of my views and lifestyle is NOT persecution. If it were, many here would be guilty of persecution.

I don't think the original post said anything about your husband ... it did speak about attitudes and policies throughout Church history often placed placed upon women based on sexist interpretations of scripture.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

I don't think the original post said anything about your husband ... it did speak about attitudes and policies often placed placed upon women based on sexist interpretations of scripture.

Are you under the false impression that there is only one post on this thread, and that it is the only one responded to or talked about?

[Scott Hutchinson]

MissBrat I know this is off topic but how is your singing sister doing these days ?
She really has talent.

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

How can you say this based on his original post?

I already explained. When I see the word persecution I automatically think of it the way I and others have already explained.

[SDG]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Are you under the false impression that there is only one post on this thread, and that it is the only one responded to or talked about?

No .....but it took a vicious turn when some the Ultra-sensitive among us automatically equated it to an attack on Apostolicdom ....

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

It irritates me that it is assumed that since I abide by fairly conservative Apostolic views, that I must not do so of my accord, that it has been foisted off upon me, and either I am too stupid to know that I have been duped, or too brain-washed to care.

I find that point of view to be the arrogant one.

It is also irritating that my husband is viewed as abusive, simply because he believes that he has an authoritative role in our home, a role which is supported by scripture.

Someone causing me offense is NOT the same as persecution. If it were, there are a few women here who are guilty of persecuting me.
Someone disagreeing with my views or being unsupportive of my views and lifestyle is NOT persecution. If it were, many here would be guilty of persecution.

Dear Sister, the church and the home should be the safest place on the planet. The kingdom of God should be offense free. The Holy Spirit is offense free. Jesus said "woe be unto the man by whom they come through." as a pastor, its my responsibility to take care of and feed the flock of Christ, not as an abuser or Lord over God's heritage...

1 Cor. 9:18
18What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

19For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

MissBrat I know this is off topic but how is your singing sister doing these days ?
She really has talent.

Which one?

I know...I know...PJ...she's fine...well...she did break her foot this summer...LOL...and then, hobbling around on crutches, she broke a toe on the other foot. But...I think she is doing better now. Still singing as always.

[JaneEyre]

Here are some thoughts on what I think of as how we typically view "persecution" in general, not necessarily how it may be thought of on this thread:

Persecution is persistent mistreatment of an individual/group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution. Persecution is not recognized as such by persecutors, only by their victims or outside observers.

Persecutors see no wrong in their actions, or rationalize it as a small or short-term wrong to counter what they see as a larger, more serious wrong, as in "The ends justify the means". Most commonly, this is expressed as seeking to protect themselves or their families or society from what they see as the harmful influence of the persecuted. Persecuted groups or individuals are often labeled using pejorative terms, which reinforce their social alienation. Use of such terms with strongly negative connotations allows individuals to avoid examining the true nature of their relationship with the persecuted.

For almost anything, which could be cited as an example of persecution, there will be those who claim it is legitimate, personal or social self-defense. Throughout history there have been many examples of the destructive or senseless use of political power. This happens most frequently when too much power has been concentrated in too few hands, without enough room for political debate, public criticism, or other types of correctives.