The Old Testament Wrap–up IV: The Bible’s Treatment of Women

Posted on August 30, 2013 by virgowriter

Once in a while, a film comes along that looks so bad it’s probably worth a look. Showgirls is on this list. Sadly, Glitter even managed to disappoint for this purpose. Other bad movies are amusing because they reflect a deep-seeded anxiety, which gave rise to films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (The Russians are coming!), The Blob (Science is out of control!), and The Leprechaun (Bad Ireland?).

And then there was the trailer for 2007’s Teeth, whose central premise is that there’s a monster in a woman’s vagina. Looks like someone has issues with women.

You could also say that the Bible—or the people who wrote the Bible—has similar issues with women, which is why they are treated like trash (for the most part) when they even show up. Now, perhaps the Bible merely reflects the general sentiment towards women during the eras covered.  Given this, it would explain why two women (in two separate stories) are offered to a mob in place of guests.

First, in Genesis, a mob demands that Lot send out his male visitors (who are angels) so they can rape them. Take my virgin daughter and rape her instead, Lot says. Then, in Judges, there is the similar story of the Levite and his concubine.  When they are discovered resting in a town square, an old man finally shows them hospitality and offers them shelter.  Some hostile townspeople hear of the visitors’ presence and arrive at the old man’s house, where they demand that the Levite be handed over so that they can rape him. The old man offers his virgin daughter and the concubine instead.

These two stories alone are enough to paint a grim picture of how women were considered in the Bible. But some prominent women do take center stage, and when they do, their stories are pretty inspiring.

  • Deborah, a prophetess, who, when consulted, devises a successful army campaign (Judges 4).
  • The nameless woman who stabs and kills Sisera (Judges 4:21)
  • Esther, who uses her wits against Persian King Xerxes to protect her people (Esther).
  • Rahab, the prostitute who hides the two Israeli spies so that they can eventually escape Jericho (Joshua).
  • And there’s Jezebel, who, unfortunately, uses her influence for evil (1 Kings).

The disrespectful picture of women is much more prevalent in the Old Testament, but as the above list demonstrates, women could occupy an important position in a story.  Given these types of stories, it’s strange to me that women don’t hold higher positions in a few of the religious organizations who follow the Bible—women can’t be priests, they believe, for example.

Although I understand why they weren’t priests back then—paralleled with status in society—times have changed, and even the positive stories about women demonstrate that females are just as capable as men. Why aren’t these stories discussed more? Perhaps if they were, I would not have had the unfortunate idea that the Bible is completely sexist.

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The Old Testament Wrap–up III: The Stories Worth Passing on

Posted on August 27, 2013 by virgowriter

In my yearly meeting with my boss, he asked what I had accomplished this year, outside the classroom.  I mentioned this project, which intrigued him. “What impact do you think it’s had on your teaching?” he asked.

Now, as I’ve said before, I’m not a religious person, so the Bible has not become the foundation for my belief system or anything like that. And in saying this, I sound, perhaps, dismissive of the Bible. I’m not. Although I found parts of the Old Testament quite boring, I enjoyed other parts more than I thought. If anything, I’ve developed an appreciation for people who have found so much within its pages.

Beyond that, I now have some common ground for students who do have a religious thread in their life.  Although I’m not looking to build this into a class discussion, should the matter arise, I now can suss out their ideas with a bit more respect.

In addition, I now see more references in films and books, and this is one of the greatest rewards. Even if you hate the Bible (or resent how it’s used), etc., you can’t—and shouldn’t—act like it doesn’t exist. It’s not poison, you can read it and still lead a healthy life, even if it changes not one iota of your ideas and beliefs.

Perhaps because—like me—some people already have/had an impression of the Bible, they don’t feel like they need (or needed) to read it. That’s a shame, for although you encounter some of the stereotypical content, you’ll find a lot of interesting, engaging stories.

For example: David’s rise from obscurity to not only slay Goliath but also to be steadfast in his loyalty to King Saul. He does not kill the jealous king when he has the chance, an act that would have taken his own life out of danger.

Or there’s Moses, who undertakes the impossible by confronting Pharoah and leads the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity (and deals with a whole lot of BS along the way).

Or Nehemiah, who returns to rebuild Jerusalem (post-Babylonian exile) and encounters so much resistance (but still succeeds). He even makes sure that the oppressed have their burden lessened.

And of course Job, who even in the face of evidence that suggests he’s been abandoned by God, holds true to his faith.

The women who stand out deserve their own post.

Last but not least is the symbolism behind the dove and the rainbow from Genesis.  As I mentioned in my post devoted to these two symbols (http://wp.me/p31Xsr-s), I wonder how many people realize the origin of these two often-used symbols.

The sad part is that people who avoid the Bible because of their preconceived notions of what it contains will miss these stories.

Next up: The Old Testament’s Treatment of Women

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The Old Testament Wrap–up II: Learning by Rote (Biblical Repetition)

Posted on August 25, 2013 by virgowriter

When I was a kid, I dreamed of two life-path pursuits: being Luke Skywalker and being in Duran Duran. Because I was a pretty mature and reasonable kid, I figured early on that being Luke Skywalker was a pipe dream, so I channeled my dreams into music. In high school, I had the pierced ears, the long hair, the flannel—But I needed to learn an instrument.

My senior year of high school, I had the sheer luck of seeing Metallica on the Black Album tour from the small pit in the middle of the stage. Three nights in a row. Being in the epicenter of the band’s energy, I had to be a part of that.

I bought a bass guitar the next day. The next week, after a few days of plucking out-of-tune strings, I signed up for lessons.  I was hoping this would go quickly, as my bass heroes made playing look so easy.

What I learned quickly was how un-easy learning to play is, in part because—unless you are blessed with being a prodigy—you have to drill the fundamentals.  For bass, this meant learning and then playing scales, an exercise that familiarizes you with the fret board and instills the shapes of the arpeggios (from which you will play your notes).

Learning by rote was a pain, but a few things sunk in. Had I not drilled these things over and over, nothing would have, and that’s because we learn best by rote.  This probably explains why a number of things are repeated in the Old Testament. Over and over and over.

I was prepared to find tons of contradictions within the Old Testament (one book says this about divorce, another says something different, for example). I found some—shunning violence but praising (and encouraging) slaughter of enemies, for example—but not a lot.  If anything, the parts that could be considered contradictory might be better read as points that were revised (God’s laws, for example). If anything, this is one of the things I appreciated about the Bible, as it suggested that rules shifted to better reflect the times in which they applied.  I wish this were discussed more, actually.

What stood out to me most in these pages was the amount of repetition.

We learn by rote.  That’s why hitters take batting practice, musicians run through scales, and language learners repeat words and phrases over and over until they sink in. And in a work of literature, often, authors repeat some of the important elements of the text that he or she wants to the reader to pay attention to.  The repetition is like a flashing arrow, indicating: hey, pay attention to this!

In speeches, people repeat the points they want to stand out in the audience’s mind. You can’t remember everything so emphasize the most salient points for your purpose.

Since a lot of the Bible’s audience contained people who had the Bible read to them (or excerpted), repetition was probably a useful tool. But by this standard, what are the most salient point in the Bible?

  • God is pissed.
  • You worship the wrong gods.
  • You are about to be destroyed.
  • Here is what you have to give to God (in the way of offerings).
  • The future will be wonderful.

Are there other significant parts of the Old Testament? Of course. But the above list comes up so often, you might think this is what the Book really has to offer.  And if you were sitting listening, you might get the impression that the Bible—or at least the Old Testament—is really dark and, no matter what you do, you’re screwed.

Maybe this is the impression the shapers of the Bible wanted to achieve? For fear is a great power to wield over someone.  Still, it’s a shame, in a way, for there is so much of the Bible that strays from this negativity.  It’s a shame that these details were not repeated more often. But, perhaps, the times were darker back then and there wasn’t enough hope to sustain happier stories.

Up next: The Stories Worth Passing on

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