From: "Sandeep Heble" <sandeephe...@gmail.com>
Fr Ivo wrote:
Can you mention just one? Are there "many" priests who are, according to
you, "treating the nuns like servants" using the Bible?
You are already attributing an error to the Bible, namely that the Bible
"demeans women". Do you want me to teach you the biblical statements on
empowerment of women in the Jewish society? What was Jesus' attitude
towards women?
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My response:
A quick Google search directed me to several links. Here are just a
couple of them which could answer your queries though I cannot vouch
for their authenticity.
http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/womenbible.htm
http://www.nobeliefs.com/DarkBible/darkbible7.htm
Books like the Bible (and those of most other religions) were figments
of human imagination written in times when male society was highly
dominant treating women like inferior citizens. Concepts like equality
were obviously alien in those dark ages. Some of them were even
political doctrines intended to subjugate and conquer other races.
When science has grown by leaps and bounds, why then does religion
stagnate and refuse to grow and evolve? We need to stop taking our
holy books to be the infallible words of God. There is a need for a
scholarly research of all the religions of the world. The scriptures
need to be purged of all instances of hate speeches, irrational
thoughts and discriminatory verses. A modern liberal society needs to
undertake this kind of an exercise. This is the least it owes to
posterity.
***As you already admit, you "cannot vouch for their authenticity", when you
are
directing us to several links provided by Google search and expecting
answers from them.
A random Google search cannot answer our quest for God.
Let us be critical. I am answering you from the Jewish-Christian
perspective,
since we are discussing
about the teaching of the Bible on women.
1.Bible is the Word of God. God has made in history a covenant with the
people of Israel
and with the whole humankind. Bible is infallible as far as the saving truth
is concerned.
It is guiding the world even today. I have no doubt about it.
2.Scholarly research on biblical exegesis, history, archaeology,
hermeneutics is going on in the Universities throughout the world.
3.Scriptures have to be interpreted, not "purged of all instances of hate
speeches, irrational thoughts and discriminatory verses"
that you may find there with your lenses. (As you admit, you will not be
able to vouch for the accusing statements).
4.It is Christianity, not Science, that has empowered women, wherever
society was enslaving them, including in India.
It was a gradual process. Christianity (for that matter also other
religions, to some extent) has enlightened the
Barbarian hordes and has given us today
a place where we can live in a human, rational way, where Science can evolve
freely, responsibly and ethically.
5.In the links provided by you there are several basic errors about the
Bible and quotations from the Bible.
The quotation attributed to the biblical scholar,
Father Roland de Vaux, does not give the teaching of the Bible, but the
situation of the women in the Jewish society,
which was also in the rest of the world. In India there were (and
unfortunately there are) worse crimes against women and children...
6."Male chauvinism" has always been there. It is there also today. But there
is a transformation through Gospel values throughout the world.
It is being translated in international laws and declarations of human
rights. Jesus has been a Revolutionary in the empowerment of women and
ostracised people. The Church continues the work of her Master. I do not
know what you have to say about it. I shall need more space to comment on
the links that you have provided.
India has a lot to do in this field. Religions should help us to do that
work.
Science cannot provide ethical values to the world. Reason is already
enlghtened by Faith, that is what should continue...
This is what we are leaving to posterity.
Regards.
Fr.Ivo
