DARING QUESTIONS

Questions are good. If you choose to believe in something then you have the responsibility of investigating and testing those beliefs. The whole book of Job is questions upon questions. I admit, I struggled for a very long time with the role of women in scripture and how the CHURCH presented that role. It was not Jesus who subjugated women. Could he have stopped all of it in an instant, certainly but he gave his children free-will to choose their own paths. In the old testament, God lived among his children but the people wanted a human king instead of God being there among them so God gave them their human king and mankind has spiraled downward ever since. I have studied the scriptures at length and researched upon research because I could not come to reconcile the way women were treated. I have come to understand that Jesus did not condone the treatment of women; instead, there are several instances in which he stood up for women in scripture. That was against the major cultural beliefs of the time and even his male apostles had the nerve to criticize him for showing mercy and favor to women who were considered to filthy and unclean. There was the woman at the well who was a known prostitute who he spoke to at length even asking her to draw water for him. This was a huge no no back then. As you said, he stopped another from being stoned, praised another for showing him honor when everyone else criticized him for doing so. He healed a woman from constant bleeding and he did have several female disciples. The book of Ruth is contained in the Scriptures. No, it was no God or Jesus who degraded and subjugated women it was mankind. In my research I have found time and time again instances where men manipulated the scriptures, misinterpreted their meanings, and outright lied about Jesus’ words and instructions in order to keep women subservient. God never intended any of his children to be bound to slavery to another. Humanity broke his perfect plan and all of us have been paying for the consequences ever since. Do not buy into what humanity presents as God, or Christ because they have manipulated it to serve themselves and not others. God loves all his children and his anger is kindled against those who hurt or abuse another for their own selfish pleasure or profit. These people will stand accountable for the evil they have helped to spread and promote the decay of creation. It took me decades to find peace concerning the issues between women and God until I realized there were no issues that existed between the creator and his daughters. Instead, the issues, problems, crimes and heinous behavior existed between men and women. Men who wanted to maintain control of women used scripture as a bat to bludgeon the women into submission and they will answer for that. So many have misused scriptures and claimed to be “doing God’s work” to propagate evil and death and the gender issue is among the most long lived throughout all of human history. I understand all your questions, for they were my own and my anger seethed against God in my youth until I learned the truth. Cecilia, keep asking questions, continue to explore your beliefs because God can handle it. He created us with inquisitive and curious minds so he expects us to ask questions. Those who dare to thrust criticism at you for this behavior had better read how God handled Job’s critical “friends”. There is a very steep price to pay when humans choose to use God or his scriptures to hurt another of his children.

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