Huffing and Puffing
Whew...I'm trying to catch up. Don't know if I ever will! I read up to Genesis 25 today. Man, I hate getting a late start. So while the rest of you are reading Exodus I am pondering the plight of women in Genesis. Perhaps some of you have read "The Red Tent"? I'm not recommending it, and I'm not dissing it either. But it did make me think of the lives of women in new ways. As I read Genesis I find myself wondering how and why the lives of women became so confined, so "ruled" and so perscribed for them...so QUICKLY! How did this happen? How did they allow it, and why? I know what Genesis three says about consequences of "the fall" and how the man will rule over the woman and the woman's desire (turning toward) will be to her husband. I do not believe this was God's plan....but that is another discussion perhaps. Anyway, I am astounded that women became so powerless over their own lives, and the patriarchy became the order of the day. I find the story of Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah and others to be distressing. It didn't used to be. Something has changed in me.
posted by Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) @ 12:02 AM
6 Comments:
P.S. When I click on the SingingOwl link at the bottom of my posts it goes to the top of the post again, instead of to my blog.
What gives???
lol - I noticed that too.
someone more knowledgable than me - anyone really - will be along to help you.
Mine goes to stf - which I guess is good, but I have to go on a detour to be able to blog on this site!
Re having changed - I think that that's good - but it needs time for things to settle again too.
I read a great book for seminary studies in the autumn - it's called Sarah Laughed: Women's voices in the OT by Trevor Dennis - it looks at some the narratives in the Bible from the viewpoint of women I have to return it to the seminary library next week -but one sentence as a taster
"And in all this Sarah remains silent, and is allowed to take not a single initiative" (p56)
and another :)
"She does not share in her husband's glory. She has no chance here or anywhere else in her story to prove herself a woman of conspicuous faith and obdeience. God has made no demands of her, just as he has never given her any promises. In all the chapters we have been looking at, the issue of her faith, her obedience, her righteousness has never once been raised. In these ancestral narratives she is an abused woman, and in the end, after an all too brief moment of joy, a wholly tragic character" (p 61)
The question is - I guess - is the OT portraying it as it exactly was, or is there a male bias in the writing. It depends on how you view the Bible I guess.
Be blessed :)
Oh and cut yourself some slack
I started on Jan 6th so am a couple of days ahead anyway. I doubt it'll stay that way :)
We agreed from the start no pressure and we encoruage each other.
As eija said - If this takes 100 days - so what? Let's allow ourselves and each other a little - or a lot of Grace here.
And plod on.
Somedays will be a grind.
For me yesterday was
Others will be a breeze.
I woke up today thinking I finish Exodus today. Oh no Leviticus next. And at the weekend :(
not inspiring really!!
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In my other post I talked about how oppressive systems make the victims complicit in their own oppression.
You find that going on today. Take the topic of female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision -- a very horrible, life-threatening, body mutilating and soul-killing practice that goes on today in certain parts of northern Africa. Young girls have parts of their external genitalia hacked off in order to preserve their virtue -- the idea being that if they can't experience sexual pleasure, they'll behave and maintain their virginity until marriage. Yes, I know -- it's stupid. (And it's practiced by communities of various religions, all of whom have a handy way of rationalizing the practice according to their religion.) Anyhow, some of the people most resistance to stopping this barbaric practice are...women. Because it's the only way, in their minds, that they can get their daughters into good marriages; it's like insurance that their daughters can be negotiated into honorable relationships and won't wind up as prostitutes or unmarriageable burdens on the family. The older women are the ones who perform the "surgery," for pete's sake (at the cultural behest of the menfolk.) It's enough to make you want to scream at these women, What are you thinking? But they've been subjugated and oppressed for so long that they collaborate in their own oppression.
I wonder too if it's that it happened to them so why not their daughters too?
(it's really horrible and although I think it's being outlawed in some places - it's still very prevalent - as you say women butching women! sigh)
My daughter (13)came home frm school today - all excited about Islam (they are studying comparative religions- She looked at my face and said "Mum the teacher told us they do believe in Jesus as a prophet" sigh as if that makes it ok.
Jesus is the son of God not 'any old prophet'
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