Friday, February 17, 2012

Jehovah's Witnesses and the place of women


The Jehovah's Witnesses believe that men are supposed to rule over women because it is what God had originally purposed. This is why women are limited in what they can do in the ministry. However, that isn't so. Eve was created to rule alongside Adam in the Garden. She was not supposed to be under him. Woman is a companion to man, and was created as an equal. What brought the whole man over woman thing into existence is the Fall.Genesis 3:16 states: I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." This is from the New International Version. This is still the way of the world today. However, when claiming to be in the world, but not of it, shouldn't we strive to be as much like we were truly intended as possible? I believe so. Women as capable of presenting talks and presentations as the men are in the congregation. Women can travel to others and give talks as much as men. Women can go out and witness, they can give small presentations, they can comment, be pioneers, but that is about it. They cannot do the reading of the materials, they cannot highlight on scriptures, they cannot even give a talk on Sundays. This goes against the original purpose of women and keeps us in the ways of the world. Women in Christianity can do more than these women. I do not know if it is because of the view of our original purpose, but we have more freedoms than the women of the Jehovah's Witnesses. We teach Sunday School, lead the choir, we may even be the head pastor of the congregation. The Witnesses believe they believe the truth, but what kind of truth is it where women are not equal to men? the truth is we are supposed to be equal to men, and when Christ returns things will be that way again. However amongst our faith, we have to make it that way now. If we do not have equality for all in our faith then why should we expect equality when Christ returns? The answer is that we shouldn't. We do not deserve equality when Jesus comes again if we cannot give our brothers and sisters in Christ equality now. This just touches base on the limitations of women in the Jehovah's Witnesses, but it gives us a clear picture on how they view the truth and what the truth really is.

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