The issue of Gender parity in Religion has been a strong point of argument. Even within Christianity there have been varying viewpoints depending on the particular Orders. For instance, orthodox Catholicism did not accord an equal status to men and women, while the later Protestant Orders attempted to change this disparity. However, both the Old and New Testaments are full of passages that clearly demarcate gender roles and place men on a higher pedestal. A similar outcome is seen in Islam as well where women are further reduced to a degraded state of existence. This essay will examine the roles of women in Christianity, Islam as well as Judaism and argue that of these three religions both Christianity and Islam have different conceptions of gender parity as compared to Judaism, which is relatively progressive.
Christianity
There occur several lines in the Bible that prove the unequal status accorded by the Scripture to both genders. For instance, the Lord God creates a Man first and then from the ribs of the Man creates a Woman so that she can be his helper. “She shall be called a Helper because she was taken out of a man.” (NJB, Genesis 2:27) In common parlance, a helper is always inferior compared to the master. The same stand appears again in Corinthians 11:7-9, where the passage again mentions that Woman was made out of Man that required women to have a sign of authority on their head (veil). This particular instance in the Bible certainly tends to highlight the role that a Woman played as subservient to that of a Man who was the original creation as compared to a Woman. Further “Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over Thee.” (NJB, Genesis 3:16) This is another sentence that clearly outlines the demarcation in gender roles and shows that the Scripture does not hold both Men and Women in equal terms. Since the Bible had a skewed interpretation of gender roles at its very base, even Church Leaders and Commentators until the 20th century too held similar views of gender roles. Whether it is St. Augustine or St Hippo, all of them warn against the wicked nature of women and ask men to be cautious of them lest they fall from the high pedestal.
Islam
The gender roles in Islam are largely guided by the writing in the Quran as well as various Hadiths as interpreted by Fiqh (Islamic Law). This essay will quote a couple of lines from the Quran to highlight the roles that women would ideally be expected to play in Islamic Society. “Men are the maintainers of women . the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion [committing a religious sin], admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great.” (Quran 4:34) This verse from the Quran clearly amplifies and highlights the extreme atrocity that men can commit against women on mere suspicion or whim. Clearly, one can see that this verse goads on the devout in the name of God to consider women as mere articles of possession, possibly even as slaves. Further, in case of Zina (sexual intercourse – both consensual and forced), the Surat An-Nur dictates that even a rape must be witnessed by at least four eye witnesses for it to be valid or else the accuser is held for defamation that would be punishable by flogging or prison sentence. (Quran 24:4) Such a condition makes it extremely easy for men to commit heinous crimes against women and get away with it, particularly in those Islamic countries where Sharia Law is still prevalent. Further the same passages does not even consider any kind of sexual act against a non-Muslim by a Muslim as an issue that is even worthy of trial. The Quran is full of such inherently skewed laws that are highly partial to men. The religion expects women to be highly subservient and of second status to men wherein their roles are restricted to child bearing and home duties.
Judaism
Judaism is far less constrained with respect to assigning roles to women. While early Judaism did have very stringent rules against women, the later forms of Judaism became more accommodating towards women. The earlier rules of Judaism used to favor men, but from the times of the Talmud, the balance swung in favor of the women. The Talmud praises women for their judgment, cleverness of speech, their tender heart and other virtues. (Auerbach) The book further lays down the laws that govern the role of women in an ideal Jewish society.
In fact, the Talmud is extremely ahead of its times and advocates widow remarriage as well as fair marriage settlements. However, in certain parts it is regressive, for instance it places great emphasis on a woman’s virginity and, in fact, lays down the rules for the violation of a woman’s virginity. It also gives a suitor the right to question his bride’s virginity. In cases of adultery, the Talmud lays the blame on the perpetrator rather than the woman. (Auerbach)
Analysis
Having examined the view of these three religions, this essay would process to analyze and reflect on the evolution of the image of the woman.
In case of Christianity, one can see that the Bible certainly draws very strong lines between gender roles for both men and women. In doing so, it almost certainly places men at a higher pedestal as compared to women. However, most of the present day societies do not enforce such an orthodox view that discriminates against women and their role in Society. It is true that while most Latin American societies as well as Catholic societies do have a conservative approach towards women’s freedom, this thought process is undergoing a change. Today most Christian countries are much more accommodating today than they were formerly, partly because religious authorities such as the Pope have attempted to stand for equal roles between men and women. From the above, one can understand that the image of women in Christian societies have changed significantly to a role with a better parity.
Likewise, despite minor flaws in the allocation of gender roles, most of Judaism and its principles are not only liberal when it comes to gender roles, but in certain cases the Talmud accords an elevated status for women. However, Orthodox Judaism is not as accommodating. It is probably for this reason that the moderate Talmudic religion and other liberal Jewish orders are more prevalent in the world rather than the Orthodox order which is only prevalent in Israel and certain parts of Europe such as Belgium. Therefore, the Jewish world view of the image of women has always been progressive.
As for Islam, the religion remains the worse when it comes to the position of women in Society. One gets to routinely hear women being stoned or whipped for being raped. In such cases, one can surmise that the one-sided laws in these countries completely skew the balance in favor of men leaving women in marginal roles and with marginal rights. It is for this reason that the image of women in such societies is probably the most regressive as compared to all other religions.
In conclusion, one can understand that while the holy books of a particular religion have shaped the beliefs of the followers in that society, it is the modernity of thought and the will to progress that have led societies towards an equal role for both men and women. However, certain societies (such as Islamic societies) have not been as accommodating when it comes to gender parity in various roles. Therefore, one can see that both Christianity and Islam have radically different conceptions of gender parity as compared to Judaism. However, it is Islam that is most regressive and the religion that refuses to acknowledge parity in gender roles across walks of life.
Works Cited
The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB). Ed. Susan Jones. New York: Doubleday, 1985. Print.
The Talmud. Ed. Leo Auerbach. Sacred Texts. 2014. Web. 19 Feb 2016.
The Quran. (Trans. Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagment) University of Southern California. 2015. Web. 19 Feb 2016.
