Different Christian to equal rights for women in religion

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Catholic Attiudes

Catholic Church teaches men and women should have equal roles in life and society

as far as ministry is concerned, women able to study and teach in theological colleges

women also extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, visit the sick, take funerals in certain circumstances and so on

estimated over 80% of religious teachers and pastoral visitors in USA Catholic Church are women

Over half of lectors and extraordinary ministers in British Catholic Church are women

However

Catholic Church also teaches only men can be ordained priests. teaches that this does not affect equal status of women --> because of special function of priest representing Jesus at the Mass. 

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Different Christian to equal rights for women in r

Teaching is based on:

  • Genesis 1:27 = teaches that God created men and women at the same time and both in the image of God, so Church teaches men and women have equal status in eyes of God
  • Teaching of Catholic Catechism that men and women are equal --> should have equal rights in society and life; Caths should following teachings of Catechism
  • 1971 report, 'Justice in the World': Third World Synod of Bishops called for women to 'participate in, and share responsibility for, the life of society and of the Church'.
  • Teaching of Catechism that only men can be priests as apostles were men. priests and bishops = successors of apostles
  • Teaching of Catechism that only men can be priests because Jesus was a man and priest represents Jesus in the Mass 
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Different Christian to equal rights for women in r

Traditional attitude of Protestant Christianity

Many Evangelical Protestants teach that men and women have separate and different roles in society --> therefore cannot have equal rights in religion

role of women to bring up children and run a Christian home,

women shouldn't speak in church and must submit to their husbands.

It is role of men to provide for the family and lead them in religion

men must love wives as themselves, but only men can be church leaders and teachers 

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Different Christian to equal rights for women in r

They have this attitude because:

  • teaching of New Testament (they believe is final word of God). St Paul teaches that women should not teach or speak in church
  • St Paul also uses story of Adam and Eve in Genesis --> shows men have been given more rights by God as Adam was created first, woman was led astray by Satan and then led man astray
  • although Jesus had women followers, he chose only men as his twelve apostles 
  • been tradition of Church from beginning that only men should have leadership rights in Church
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Different Christian to equal rights for women in r

Modern attitude of Protestant Christianity:

Many Protestant Churches now accept men and women should have equal rights 

they have women ministers and priests e.g. Church of England, Methodist, United Reformed Church and Baptist

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Different Christian to equal rights for women in r

Teaching is based on:

  • creation story of Genesis 1 --> says God created male and female at same time and of equal status as both were created in image of God
  • some letters of Paul --> he teaches in Christ there is neither male nor female therefore men and women should have equal rights
  • evidence from Gospels that Jesus treated women as his equals:

preached in Court of Women in Jerusalem Temple (Matthew 21:23-22:14)
treated a samaritan woman as his equal (John 4)
had women disciples who stayed with him at the cross unlike male disciples who ran away (Matthew 27:55, Mark 15:40-41, Luke 23:27, John 19:25-27) 
It was to women Jesus first appeared after resurrection

  • some evidence there were women priests in early Church: Council of Laodicea banned women priests in fourth century --> wouldn't have banned something that didn't exist
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