Mithmeoi

Over the centuries men have used the Bible as an excuse, misquoted it or twisted the meaning of a certain passage so they hear what they want, and often that is to oppress the “weaker sex”. Some have said that the Bible states women are not equal to men and that they should be viewed only as property, as a servant or slave. That women have gotten the raw end of the deal from day one and it is because the Bible gives men the excuse to use and abuse them. There is, in fact, no place in the Bible that belittles women; in fact it does just the opposite.

God created woman to be a helper and a companion.

^{But for Adam [ h] no suitable helper was found.
21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;
and while he was sleeping,
he took one of the man’s ribs [ i]
and closed up the place with flesh.
22[ j] he had taken out of the man,
and he brought her to the man.
Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman, [ k] ‘
for she was taken out of man.”}

“The Bible condones men having multiple wives and viewing them only as breeding stock”. At the time the Bible was written Polygamy was a common practice in all societies, even within the Israelite culture. However, it is not something God intended for; the Bible says a man shall be united with his wife, not a man shall take many wives.

^{24 For this reason a man will
leave his father and mother
and be united to his wife,
and they will become one flesh.}

“Women were cursed to always long for their husbands position and men will always rule over them.” Yes, women were cursed. It was the punishment because Eve was deceived by the serpent and she broke God’s rule which was she and her husband were not to eat from the tree of knowledge. However, men were also cursed at the fall. Adam willfully ate the fruit Eve offered him knowing full well what he was doing was wrong.

^{17 To Adam He said,
“Because you listened to your wife
and ate from the tree
about which I commanded you,
‘You must not eat of it,
‘cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”}

There are many places in the Bible that extol women. The books of Ruth and Esther are just two examples in the old testament. If the Bible was for treating women poorly, these books would not have even been written. Also, had the Bible been written only by women, or focused mainly on women, the cultures in past times would not have given it credence as most every culture was male dominated.

The Bible has been and is still being misquoted countless times. Its true meanings have become twisted and mangled to fit personal or goup agendas. In a true Christian church women are viewed as equals, not property. Oppressing women is not Biblical.