Just some trivia about Women in the Biblical times and when the Church was being established. When Were Women Stricken From Religious Leadership Roles It was in the 4th century during the Council of Laodicea that women were first stricken from having any type of religious leadership in church. They weren’t allowed to preside or be a reverend, priest or minister over any church. Furthermore women were not allowed to approach the Alter. Later in the 4th century at the 4th Synode of Carthage, it was deemed that any “holy” woman could not teach men in any type of assembly and may not baptize. In 451 CE it was put in the Canon that women under the age of 40 were never to be ordained as a deacon of the church. This was a low blow to women as well because this stopped the progression of deacons to the priesthood. The Bloodline of the Holy Grail The Hidden Lineage of Jesus, Laurence Gardner states: "The first criterion was that the New Testament Gospels must be written in the names of Jesus' own apostles. Matthew was, of course, an apostle, as was John - but Mark was not an apostle of Jesus as far as we know, neither was Luke; they were both colleagues of the later St. Paul. Thomas and Philip, on the other hand, were among the original twelve, and yet the Gospels in their names were excluded. Not only that but, along with various other texts, they was sentenced to be destroyed. And so, throughout the Mediterranean world, numerous unapproved books were buried and hidden in the 5th century. Although many of these books were not rediscovered until the 20th century, they were used openly by the early Christians. Certain of them, including the Gospels mentioned, along with the Gospel of Truth, the Gospel of the Egyptians and others, were actually mentioned in the 2nd-century writings of early churchmen such as Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus of Lyon and Origen of Alexandria. So, why were these and other apostolic Gospels not selected? Because there was a second, far more important criterion to consider - the criterion by which, in truth, the Gospel selection was really made. It was, in fact, a wholly sexist regulation which precluded anything that upheld the status of women in Church or community society. Indeed, the Church's own Apostolic Constitutions were formulated on this basis. They state: "We do not permit our women to teach in the Church, only to pray and to hear those who teach. Our master, when he sent us the twelve, did nowhere send out a woman - for the head of the woman is the man, and it is not reasonable that the body should govern the head". This was an outrageous statement with no apparent foundation, but it was for this very reason that dozens of Gospels were not selected, because they made it quite clear that there were many active women in the ministry of Jesus - women such as Mary Magdalene, Martha, Helena-Salome, Mary-Jacob Cleopas and Joanna. These were not only ministering disciples, but priestesses in their own right, running exemplary schools of worship in the Nazarene tradition. The Church was so frightened of women that it implemented a rule of celibacy for its priests - a rule that became a law in 1138; a rule that persists today. But this rule has never been quite what it appears on the surface, for it was never sexual activity as such that bothered the Church. The more specific problem was priestly intimacy with women. Why? Because women become mothers, and the very nature of motherhood is a perpetuation of bloodlines. It was this that caused such concern - a taboo subject which, at all costs, had to be separated from the necessary image of Jesus. We have all learned to go along with what we are taught about the Gospels " How the Pentecostal Denominations treat to women: "Pentecostalism" espouses religion as a "romantic" philosophy, that the heart of man has reasons which his mind knows not of, and that man's feelings are the highest authority. Pentecostalism believes and teaches that women may participate in leading in prayer, teaching, and preaching in public, and doing the work of an evangelist and teacher. 1. The Holy Spirit contrasted the duties of men from that of women in public prayer. (1 Tim 2:8-15). 2. Women are to learn in silence. (1 Cor 14:34). They are not to teach in any capacity over a man. 3. Women may teach younger women. (Titus 2:4). They may teach a man in private. (Acts 18:25). a. Timothy was taught in private. Apollos was taught in private. 4. Women many not "teach" (deliver discourses). Women are forbidden to preach. (1 Cor. 14:34) From a Woman who quit being Pentecostal and her story and others you can read Ex-Christian: Throwing the Baby Out With the Bathwater Roman Catholic beliefs In an article about Women's rights in the Roman Catholic Church these are the stipulations of what roles a woman has in the church and household. ""As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. . . . what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord." (1 Cor 14:33-35, 37)" *and Paul said that, not Jesus. "Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent." (1 Tim 2:11-12) "Wives, be submissive to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior." (Ephesians 5:22) Women are not to be in a political, police, or a soldier. They are not to teach adult men or have any kind of authority over a man, be it in the home or in the workplace. The article goes on and on and the website even has things such as how a woman is to dress. The Church Of The Latter Day Saints - Mormons In an article by Maxine Hanks, a former Mormon, PERSPECTIVE ON MORMON WOMEN, A Struggle to Reclaim Authority , she states that the roles of women in the Church has changed. Here is some of what she wrote: "Mormon women obtained authority early in the history of the church and then fought a losing battle to keep it. Their concerns were not taken seriously, so men's authority prevailed. Feminism emerged in the struggle, in the energy of women's rhetoric and work and in their resistance to male agendas. " "During the first 20 years of Mormonism, from 1830 to 1850, women received authority for blessings, healing and prophecy; priesthood keys, powers and rituals; and missionary calls. "In 1884, Eliza R. Snow, "prophetess" and president over all women and girls in the church, made it clear that the women's Relief Society, which she headed, was "designed to be a self-governing organization. "If difficulties arise," she wrote, ". . . the matter should be referred to (the) president and her counselors." Later, when men assumed governance over women, they usurped women's authority." Read more about Women in the Bible
Here is a scripture that tells us how Jesus Respected women and how the Men of his day wish to treat women, and they still do to this day. I find it refreshing to know that Jesus loved and respected women. I don't know how the women got such a bad rap and are continually punished and treated rudely to this day. I mean that if Adam was so duped by Eve to eat that fruit....Adam did have a mind of his own and he had choices. He was suppsed to be the Smart One. Go figure that one out!! Anyway here is the story: John 8Young's Literal Translation (YLT) 8 And at dawn he came again to the temple, 2 and all the people were coming unto him, and having sat down, he was teaching them; 3 and the scribes and the Pharisees bring unto him a woman having been taken in adultery, and having set her in the midst, 4 they say to him, `Teacher, this woman was taken in the very crime -- committing adultery, 5 and in the law, Moses did command us that such be stoned; thou, therefore, what dost thou say?' 6 and this they said, trying him, that they might have to accuse him. And Jesus, having stooped down, with the finger he was writing on the ground, 7 and when they continued asking him, having bent himself back, he said unto them, `The sinless of you -- let him first cast the stone at her;' 8 and again having stooped down, he was writing on the ground, 9 and they having heard, and by the conscience being convicted, were going forth one by one, having begun from the elders -- unto the last; and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 And Jesus having bent himself back, and having seen no one but the woman, said to her, `Woman, where are those -- thine accusers? did no one pass sentence upon thee?' 11 and she said, `No one, Sir;' and Jesus said to her, `Neither do I pass sentence on thee; be going on, and no more sin.' 12 Again, therefore, Jesus spake to them, saying, `I am the light of the world; he who is following me shall not walk in the darkness, but he shall have the light of the life.' 13 The Pharisees, therefore, said to him, `Thou of thyself dost testify, thy testimony is not true;' 14 Jesus answered and said to them, `And if I testify of myself -- my testimony is true, because I have known whence I came, and whither I go, and ye -- ye have not known whence I come, or whither I go. 15 `Ye according to the flesh do judge; I do not judge any one,
Here is what the Catholic Church believes in the role of women... http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/what-is-the-catholic-view-of-women The Catholic view is that men and women are equal in the sight of God. In marriage, each is to sacrifice himself or herself for the other. They are to build a family together through cooperation with each other and mutual respect. There are differences in the roles they naturally play. Women are more natural caregivers for children, and men more naturally work outside the home. Yet women can and do work outside the home and men do act as caregivers for children (changing diapers, feeding babies their bottles, burping them, walking with them when they are crying at night-men do all these things, just as women do). Their roles tend to be focused in one area (caregiving for women and working outside the home for men), but one can fill in for the other whenever needed.
That is fairly new then. They still cannot fill the role of a clergy though and my first post said that. I am marreid to a Roman Catholic and had to go through the Roman Catholic Initiation of Adults. My grandmother's family was also Roman Catholic and so I saw no reason not to through the program. I found that it was not any different than any of the other denominations as they taught the same things. It was 7 years later that I was beginning to see how they taught and it was a contrast to what I was taught in my early life. I grew up Welsh Baptist amd later converted to Methodist when I married my first husband. For myself, I just could not do that and so I just stopped going to church. I could not be in the midst of the contradictories. I was taught Jesus's way of things.
Yes, true about the women can't be priests. Contradictions is one of the reasons I don't understand the bible. There are too many versions of the bible. It has to be interpreted and studied, makes no sense to me. God is the universe.
....and the universe is within us. Our thoughts can and do change water and also does many things. That is why Jesus said for all of us to be very careful with our thoughts. There is good in that Bible and one certainly has to do research in History and such. It i written right in the Bible that Not Everything is in that book. All of the Bibles and translations do not even have the same number of books. The RC has 4 more books in it then the KJV. There is a list and one is able to read those books that have been omitted or not included in the Bible on Reluctant Messenger and I have read many of them and much more there. I could see why they were not included and it was interesting.