Religion has existed for as long as man has. Both men, and women believed in a superior
being to explain the existence of life. Now with the different varieties of religions,
men and women play different roles that are permitted by each one of them. Men are
allowed to do as they please in the church as far as the worshipping of god is concerned,
but women have been and still are restricted from performing some of the same task.
Women are expected to follow and obey the word of God just as much as men are, but they
still are denied the privilege of spreading the word of God.
The male gender has dominated the world for the past hundreds of years, but times have
changed and women are seeking equality. Even in the church, men are categorized as
superior to women. Since it is difficult to actually know what God wants from his
followers, the Bible is one source that has been used as reference to determine
superiority of genders in the church. "Jesus was a man who chose 12 male apostles to
carry on his work, therefore only men could be priest" (Connel A1), is a common
reference used to the scriptures found in the Bible. This attitude labeled tradition is
still around today and is being taught today throughout the world, basically in the
Roman Catholic religion. The Bible states "Let your women keep silent in the churches:
for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience
as also saith the law" (I Corinthians 14:34). When a person receives the calling,
whether man or woman, it usually means that God is asking to become one of his disciples
and spread his word. Women receive this calling just like men, but because women have
been denied that privilege for so many years, they have no choice, but to serve only
between the boundaries that have been given to them.
Since many churches have finally given in to allowing women into the ministry, they now
believe that God does not have a gender, and there are a number of ways God can be
addressed without calling God a he or she. Another argument is that Jesus asked his
followers to "take up your cross, deny yourself , and follow me" (Ostling, 55): he did
not say whether it should be man or women. Supporters of women's ordination believe that
what is important is that Jesus came to earth as a human, not a male. One more argument
stated stories that Christ was a carpenter, which dictate that only those skilled with
hand tools shall be called to the priesthood. Besides a numerous amount of evidence in
favor of women's ordinations, there are plenty of church officials, and religions that
do believe that women should not remain in silent prayer. Others feel that women
ministers would be more nurturing and caring.
Many religions have given into the argument of women's ordination. The Catholic
religion is one that still stands firm in its decision. It will keep recognizing women's
gifts and full spiritual equality but wants to preserve distinct roles for each gender.
Catholic schools and hospitals are run by women. Because of the 1983 revised canon law
and Vatican II, women are allowed to lead music and read parts of the Bible during
parish worship. They can also serve as extraordinary eucharistic ministers. This means
only after the male minister has blessed the bread and wine, they can distribute it.
Women are not allowed to give the actual mass or allow any sacraments to be performed,
such as confession, matrimony, or anointment. Women find the responsibilities given to
them are inadequate; they feel they can do much more to serve there God.
The Catholic women have felt the need for preaching so much that they are driven to
convert to other religions. For some women, who feel irresistibly called to do more,
the only choice is to find a vocation outside Catholicism. There are those who still
have hope that women will be ordained in the catholic religion. The grandniece of the
famous Susan B. Anthony says, "There will always be people who oppose women in any type
of spiritual role. But I believe women will be ordained-maybe not in my lifetime, but
someday. I am just as sure of it as my great-aunt was sure that women someday would gain
the right to vote" (Davis, 3E).
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