Religious Attitudes to Equal Rights for Women JHC

Christian There are three main Christian attitudes to the roles women should play in religion. Different Christians have various reasons for these attitudes. JHC

Women should have different rights from men. Some Christians teach that women should not be religious leaders. They believe that the role of a woman in religion is to raise a family in a Christian way. Women should be silent in church, which means they cannot be ministers or priests. (Traditional & Roman Catholic) JHC

Women should have equal rights in religion. Other Christians teach that women can be religious leaders. They believe that the role of a woman is the same as a man. Women can teach in church and be ministers or priests. (Modern, NOT Roman Catholic) JHC

Women should have equal rights but they re different from men. Some Christians, including Roman Catholics, believe that women are equal to men but have different roles. Although they cannot be priests, women can join a religious community as nuns and they have a variety of roles in the church such as reading, serving and leading children’s services.(RC) JHC

APOSTLES CREATION STORY St Pa4ul Why women should have different rights from men. Why women should have equal rights in religion. Why women should have equal religious rights but they are different fro men. Jesus only chose men to be his apostles Jesus had followers both male and female. Only men were apostles because of the culture of the time. Jesus chose only men to be his apostles. If he wanted women as leaders he would have gone against the custom of time as he did with other things. In Genesis, God created man first and made woman to be a companion to him. Men and women were both created ‘in the image of God’ Men and women were created to be different from each other. This is shown in the book of Genesis. St Paul taught women should submit to their husbands ‘Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord’ (Ephesians 5:22) St Paul taught that ‘There is neither…male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28) Jesus was a man; the priest represents Jesus in the Mass. APOSTLES CREATION STORY St Pa4ul JHC

Muslim There are two main attitudes to equal rights for women in Islam. Both are based on the idea that all Muslims are equal before Allah so all people, male and female are equal. One is not better than the other. JHC

Women are equal but different so have different roles to play. Women are equal and can have equal religious roles to men A woman should have a family and care for children as this is how she was created biologically. (T) There is evidence that the Prophet allowed women to lead prayers in a household which contained men and women. (M) Women should be protected by men as they are physically weaker. (T) In early Islamic history, a few Muslim groups allowed women leaders, so why not now. (M) Traditionally men, not women, have always been imams. (T) It is written in a Hadith All people are equal (M) JHC