Crysostom believes the woman's role is of little importance: Paganism has entered the Church P/2

                                                      Read Part One HERE

In this post I will compare a statement from the pagan Greek philosopher Aristotle with a statement from Roman Catholic Church Father John Crysostom.

Aristotle has said the following:

The male is by nature superior and the female inferior, and the one rules and the other is ruled.

John Crysostom has said the following:

God maintained the order of each sex dividing the business of human life in two parts and assigned the more necessary and beneficial aspects to the man and the least important, more inferior matters to the woman.

My comment:

From the above statements we can learn that Roman Catholic Church Father John Crysostom's thinking was very like that of the pagan Greek philosopher Aristotle when discussing the roles of men and women. It is very obvious, therefore, that John Crysostom was very influenced by past cultures in his understanding of the word of God when it is related to that particular subject, which in turn would have influenced the view of the Roman Catholic Church on the roles of men and women.

Read Part Three HERE

Aquinas believes men are wiser than women:Paganism has entered the Church P/1

In the next few posts I will compare a statement from the pagan Greek philosopher Aristotle with a statement of one of the religious leaders I have posted statements from.

In this post I will compare one of Aristotle's statements with a statement of Roman Catholic Church father Thomas Aquinas.

Aristotle has said:

The male is by nature superior and the female inferior, and the one rules and the other is ruled.

 
Thomas Aquinas has said:

Good order would have been lacking by the human family if some were not governed by others wiser than themselves. So by such subjection woman is naturally subject to man, because in man the discretion of reason predominates.

My comment:

From the above statements we can learn that the Roman Catholic Church Father Thomas Aquinas' thinking was very like that of the pagan Greek philosopher Aristotle when discussing the subject of the roles of men and women. It is very obvious, therefore, that Thomas Aquinas was very influenced by past cultures in his understanding of the word of God when it is related to that subject, which in turn would have influenced the view of the Roman Catholic Church on the roles of men and women.

 

Read Part Two HERE

Aristotle believes women lack the proper form: Equal, BUT P/13

Read Part One HERE

In this post I will focus on the Greek Philosopher Artistotle who lived during the period 384 B.C. - 322 B.C.

He has made the following statements:

"The male is by nature superior and the female inferior, and the one rules and the other is ruled."

"The male is the proper form and the female is a mutilated male or a deformed male."

Plato believes women show courage when they obey: Equal, BUT P/12

Read Part One HERE

In this post I will focus on the Greek Philosopher Plato. He lived between 429 B.C. - 348 B.C.

He has made the following statements:

"The one gender is far superior to the other in every sphere."

"The courage of a man is shown in commanding, of a woman in obeying."

 

Read Part Thirteen HERE

Devout Jewish men are grateful they are not females: Equal, BUT P/11

Read Part One HERE

In this post I will focus on devout Jewish men.

Throughout the centuries Orthodox Jewish men have made the following statements:

"Rather should the words of the Torah be burned than entrusted to a woman."

"Whoever teaches his daughter is like the one who teaches her obscenity."

"A daily prayer is:
I thank God that I am not born a Gentile. I thank God that I am not born a slave. I thank God that I am not born a woman."

 

Read Part Twelve HERE

Thomas Aquinas believes something went wrong when God formed the first woman: Equal, BUT P/10

Read Part One HERE

In this post I will focus on Roman Catholic Church Father Thomas Aquinas. He lived from 1225 - 1274.

He has made the following statements:

"The female is a misbegotten male."

"Females are inherently subordinate to males and this subjection existed as part of the created order even before sin. Their subordination is for their own benefit and good."

"The essential value of her creation is for the generation of the species."

"Good order would have been lacking in the human family if some were not governed by others wiser than themselves. So by such a subjection woman is naturally subject to man, because in man the discretion of reason predominates."

Read Part Eleven HERE

John Chrysostom believes women are not fit to evangelise: Equal, BUT P/9

Read Part One HERE

In this post I will focus on the Roman Catholic Church Father John Chrysostom who lived from 346 A.D. - 407 A.D.

John Chrysostom has said the following:

"Woman taught once and ruined all (Genesis 3:6)."

"Our life is customarily organised into two spheres: public affairs and private matters, both of which were determined by God. To the woman is assigned the presidency of the household for God maintained the order of each sex dividing the business of human life into two parts and assigned the more necessary and beneficial aspects to the man and the less important, inferior matters to the woman."

"To preside over the church or to undertake the care of souls is so exalted, all women fail to qualify."

 

Read Part Ten HERE

Augustine believes women's sole purpose is to have children: Equal, BUT P/8

Read Part One HERE

In this post I will focus on Roman Catholic Church Father Augustine. He lived from 354 A.D. - 430 A.D.

Augustine has said the following:

"The woman together with the man is the image of God, so that the whole substance is one image. But when she is assigned as helpmate, a function that pertains to her alone, she is not in the image of God, but as far as the man is concerned, he is by himself alone the image of God, just as fully and completely as when he and the woman are joined together into one."

He has, furthermore, said:

"If it were not the case that the woman was created to be a man's helper specifically for the production of children, then why would she have been created as "helper" (Genesis 2:18)? I cannot think of any reason for a woman being made a man's helper, if we dismiss the reason of procreation."

 

Read Part Nine HERE

Martin Luther believes that women's salvation is in having children: Equal, BUT P/7

Read Part One HERE

In this post I will focus on the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther. He lived from 1483 - 1546.

His comments on 1 Timothy 2:11 15 are as follows

"Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness."

"A woman must be completely silent in the public assembly of the church because she should remain a hearer and not become a teacher. She should refrain from teaching, from praying in public. She has the command to speak at home. This passage makes a woman subject. It takes from her all public office and authority."

"She is not allowed to teach."

"Paul does not entrust the ministry of the Word to her."

"To have authority."

"She ought not to take over for herself the heritage which belongs to a man."

"For Adam came first."

"God has ordained that the principal role belongs to the man. Adam was first. Therefore, the greater authority lies in the man rather than in the woman. Secondly this situation stands not only because of what God intended but also from the history of Adam and Eve."

"And Adam was not deceived."

"God Himself has so ordained that that man be created first - first in time and first in authority. Because of God's work, Adam is approved as superior to Eve, because he had the right of primogeniture. Not only has God's wisdom ordained this, there was more wisdom and courage in Adam. Paul thus has proven that by divine and human right Adam is the master of the woman."

"But the woman was deceived and became a transgressor."

"Paul has written quite carefully how Satan treated the fearless person (Adam) and attacked the weak one, just as he does does today."

"There are three arguments here:

Adam was formed first,
He was not deceived.
It was not he but the woman who brought on transgression."

"Paul used the argument which we have in Genesis 3:16
"Because you have done this, you will be under the man.
In punishment for your sin and transgression you must be subject to the man and suffer the pains of childbirth."
Thus that ordinance of God continues to stand as a memorial of that transgression which by her fault entered the world."

"She shall be saved in child bearing."

"It is a very great comfort that a woman can be saved by bearing children. That is, she has an honourable and salutary status in life if she keeps busy having children. We ought to recommend this passage to them. She is described as "saved" not for freedom, for license, but for bearing and rearing children."

 

Read Part Eight HERE