Women's rights in the Bible:

 

Hussein Tirmizi

 

We often hear some Christians badmouth Islamic views on women, because of their own deluded perspectives. They claim that Islam teaches that women are worth half a man, a man may beat his wife into obedience, a man may rape his slave girl and other such nonsense (see my response to these absurd claims).

 

But what about there own Bible. What does that have to say about women? Let's just have a brief look from both the Old and New Testament.

 

Old Testament:

 

  1. The pain of a woman during childbirth is God's curse because of Eve's transgression (Genesis 3:16).
  2. A man can sell his daughter and she must not go free as male slaves do (Exodus 21:7)
  3. A woman who saves her husband from an attacker, but touches the private parts of the attacker, must be shown no pity and have her hand amputated (Deuteronomy 25:12).
  4. The daughter must receive inheritance if there is no son (Numbers 27:8)

 

New Testament:

 

1.      Women must never teach or have authority over a man, because according to the Bible, Eve sinned first and not Adam (1 Timothy 2:9-14)

2.      Wives must obey their husbands, like they obey God (Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18)

3.      Women are to be silent in church as it is forbidden for them to speak in Church and they must be obedient. If they had a question they must ask their husbands because it is a shame for women to speak in Church (1 Corinthians 14:34-35)

4.      Men are the head of women just as Christ is the head of man (1 Corinthians 11:3)

5.      Women must cover their heads in prayers and if they do not they must shave their heads (1 Corinthians 11:5-6)

  1. Men are the image and glory of God, while women are the glory of man (1 Corinthians 11:7)

 

Based on Biblical teachings, which Christians see as divine teachings, Christian women shouldn't teach men, they must be submissive, must obey their husbands like they obey God, be quite in Church, pray with their head covered or have it shaved and receive no inheritance, if there is a male child in the family.

 

I remember having a conversation with a supposed ex-Muslim Christian woman, who claimed to be half Saudi, half British. She was complaining about women having half the inheritance of the male (which is discussed here) and after I told her about Numbers 27:8, allowing women inheritance only if there is no male, she said that they had more rights when Jesus came, with no proof at all.

 

I told her that Jesus said that he only fulfilled the teachings of the Old Testament but did not destroy them (Matthew 5:17-18), but she just completely ignored it and then started saying that ?man should submit to women' and all this stupid nonsense.

 

I then gave her verses from the New Testament commanding women to submit to man, but she just ignored them completely and started badmouthing Islam and the Holy Prophet Mohammad (SAWW) and praising her Lord Jesus.

 

From my experience with this person, I find it impossible to think her an apostate, because apostates usually leave for a specific reason (she claimed to have left because of Islam's "bad" treatment on women), but after I showed her the Bible's teachings, she did not leave Christianity.

 

Is she really an apostate? Yeah right. A lying hypocrite would be a more accurate word for her.

 

Why don't Christians look at their own Bible's view of women before judging Islam?

 

Verily Allah (SWT) knows best.

 

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