Bible is the Source of Sexism

Yesterday, we celebrated women's day. I know it's quite late but I would still like to greet all the women of the world a belated "Happy Women's Day". Did you have fun? I just hope you did. This is a worldwide event that celebrates women's achievements. And of course, this day once again reminds the world to fight for women's rights.

History

The idea of women's day started in 1908 when about 15,000 women marched through the city of New York to demand  suffrage rights, better pay and less working hours. A year later the first Women's Day  was celebrated on the 28th of February 1909 which was organized by the Socialist Party of America.

 A few years later, in the Russian Empire, a massive demonstration of women textile workers began which covered the entire city. The event ignited to the Russian Revolution. A week later, the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, renounced the throne and the provisional government granted suffrage rights to all the women, The day was then commemorated as an official holiday in Soviet Russia in that same year. They day was celebrated by communist countries and some socialist movement until it was adopted by the U.N in 1975.

Where does the idea of Sexism came from?

Sexism was actually not present in the Philippines before the Spaniards came. Women are regarded with high importance. They are highly respected and adorned. The Philippine folklore "Si Malakas at si Maganda" is a narrative of how the world came to be. In the story, Malakas and Maganda came out of the bamboo tree simultaneously. They have different traits but they are equals. However, this belief is very different from the Western culture. Sexism actually even came from the Bible itself. 

In the book of Genesis in the Bible, Adam was created first by God. After realizing that Adam was lonely, he formed a woman from Adam's rib and called her Eve. Eve was created to be Adam's helper. ( Genesis 2: 18 ESV). And guess what, that's just the beginning. 

Women as Depicted in the Bible

There are several verses in the bible where God proclaimed women as inferior to man. God created women for man. (1 Corinthians 11:8-9) Women must submit to their husbands . Not doing so is going against his own commands. They cannot excercise any authority over a man. (Timothy 2:12, Ephesians 5:22-24, 1 Timothy 2:11-14) They could not even speak in church and they are not allowed to teach. (1 Corinthians 14:34-35). 

Women we're even regarded as properties of their  father or their husband. In the story of Lot, after the angels came to Lot's house, the people of Sodom gathered around Lot's house. Realizing that the mob have a "wicked' intention in mind, he offered them her two virgin daughters to the people. But even after this, Lot was still regarded as an honorable man of God. The idea here is that his daughters are his properties so they can do to them whatever he wanted to. Even letting the people rape them so that the "angels of God" will not be harmed is a good thing in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 19:6-8).

This scenario was even repeated when a certain man offered his daughters to save his guests from a group of drunks. "Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go." (Judges 19:24-25). 

Shocked? I know how it feels. Women are of very low value in the eyes of god and yet here we all are fighting for women's rights and equality. Thank you so much for reading this article. May gender equality be celebrated not only today but for all the days of the year.