30 Comments

• sirpeter | Dec 16, 2011, 10:09 PM EST

  Cahir lol.Excellent trolling article.On a serious note though.Did you get those from the bible or from Sir Thomas More's book Utopia?;))

• Pittsburghkid | Dec 16, 2011, 12:27 AM EST

  Modern Psychiatry is about drug? Many drug addicts never buy street drugs, doctors prescribes then their drug. Famious cases are Alvis, and Micheal Jackson. Boys are being drug for being boys. The Bible said "Spare the Rod, and Spoil the Child." I grew up under those Biblical rules, and I'm gratiful that I was nevered drugged by Doctors on the recommendation of teachers at school.

• stanJames | Dec 11, 2011, 01:55 AM EST

  Seanofmelbourn says..............The bible should be consigned to libraries sitting on the same shelf as the Quran,the gilgamesh and other ancient books ----------------------------------------------- Sean - we need a new spelling for mythology MYTHEOLOGY I think thats a lot closer

• stanJames | Dec 11, 2011, 01:49 AM EST

  You can tell the progressivity or level of dinosaur thinking in a church by how it treats women. the catholic church of the molestation, crusades against the muslims , holy inquisition comes to mind. comes to mind.................. also the southern baptist and lots of evangelical like churches. who gave us slavery, the kkk and segregation, and whose nightmare has come true in a black president................... And I think the Mormon church also. Not sure on that one but the Fundie Mormons marry chidren of age 9 or so in their quest to go to heaven............. All fo the se churches also demonize our gay friends and neighbors.............. Also add the orthodox Jews. some of whom have called for the genocide of gays.

• merefalow | Dec 08, 2011, 12:51 PM EST

  jeepers,if it shuts my old lady up i might become a believer.NOT.

• cillowen | Dec 08, 2011, 12:38 PM EST

  the hold that this book has on morons is staggering not to mention the damage done to mother nature and eve's chillun.

• Keynyata | Dec 07, 2011, 04:51 PM EST

  If I wasn't an atheist,that bible would be my kinda book ;-)

• seanomelbourne | Dec 07, 2011, 04:48 PM EST

  The bible should be consigned to libraries sitting on the same shelf as the Quran,the gilgamesh and other ancient mythology books. They are all outdated and of historical value only.

• eiriamach | Dec 07, 2011, 04:26 PM EST

  Other posters have inspired me to add a few more biblical women to the list. Deborah was no silent stay-at-home; she wielded authority as a judge, spoke as a prophet, and commanded the army. Judges 5, the "Song of Deborah and Barak," celebrates the victory of women over their people's enemies: "Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel.... Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.... Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple." After Jael slew Sisera, Israel had peace for forty years. Let's not overlook the Book of Judith, whose slaying of Holofernes inspired great paintings and statues through the ages, as well as Freud's interest in the symbol of a woman decapitating the general of the Assyrian army. She charmed Holofernes with her beauty; then when he was drunk-asleep in bed, she severed his head with two blows of his weapon. "Then said Ozias unto her, O daughter, blessed art thou of the most high God above all the women upon the earth; and blessed be the Lord God, who hath created the heavens and the earth, who hath directed thee to the cutting off of the head of the chief of our enemies." Just like today, the ancients had their official 'patriarchal' ideology, but also passed along stories of more interesting, if sometimes gory, female activities.

• PiperMac52 | Dec 07, 2011, 03:31 PM EST

  Context is everything my friend. Truth is women played a critical role in the family and in the culture in general. You can not read scripture through a 21st century lens which has been corrupted and debased through modernism/moral relativism. Mary holds a place of importance in that her acceptance of God's plan allowed for the Word to become flesh. The Greek and Hebrew translations do not always adhere to the meaning ascribed by modern day English remember.

• SingleDonald | Dec 07, 2011, 03:02 PM EST

  I agree with the critics of the Bible, concerning women. What I disagree with is the radical feminist approach, which seeks to condemn all men for our natural feelings towards women. Women should be respected by men, and vice versa. Also, deferential attitudes towards women should not be taken as patronizing gestures. We guys can open doors for women, and still have a high regard for their intellect and leadership qualities.

• Collette2 | Dec 07, 2011, 02:28 PM EST

  Poor us, as Catholics, not only do we have this to contend with but a church tradition with a patriarchal system. No wonder it's in such a mess, with little boys playing house.

• eiriamach | Dec 07, 2011, 02:24 PM EST

  In the years following the Second Vatican Council, most Roman Catholic churches discontinued the purification ritual known as "churching" of women after childbirth. Four centuries earlier (1552), the Anglican Book of Common Prayer replaced the purification ritual with "The Thanksgiving of Women after Childbirth, commonly called the Churching of Women." This has evolved into a beautiful ceremony of thanksgiving for the birth or adoption of a child. Since the 1979 edition, it has included prayers "For the Birth of a Child," For an Adoption" (the child and the parents accept each other), "Act of Thanksgiving" (the Magnificat), Psalm 116 or 23, a celebrant's prayer, then "For a safe delivery," "For the parents," "For a child not yet baptized / already baptized," and the service concludes with a prayer to the Trinity, reminding the people that all are children of God. @Towngate, I'm glad to hear the men in your part of the world "are ready, willing and able to cook and serve." And I'm especially delighted that you believe in giving women "free reign." That's a lot better than the "free rein" that some men are willing to allow, and if we ever get "free reign," believe me, we'll know how to use it!

• Murph46 | Dec 07, 2011, 11:43 AM EST

  So Queen Maeve should have stayed home and baked cookies? Seriously now!

• joan1954 | Dec 07, 2011, 11:28 AM EST

  Someone told me once that women in Ireland after Childbirth were "churched" something I never heard done here in the US. Talk about wierd and I know the women in my family would have never put up with that here. And they were from the Irish side of my family!!!!

• jamieLM | Dec 07, 2011, 11:08 AM EST

  @CaptainCon - the focus of my faith is the Apostle and Nicene Creeds, not the Jewish law of the OT. "Churching" is also a non-issue. In 2011, there are thousands of things and people "polluting" the world. I read what Jesus said and did and don't obsess over what some of the disciples had to say about women almost 2000 yrs. ago. So, yes, I admit to being "selective."

• jamieLM | Dec 07, 2011, 10:45 AM EST

  @hollabackgurl - probably because, like all humans, Christians are flawed. I don't use Bible passages to "beat anyone over the head" over anything. Everyone has prejudices, but using Bible passages to justify discriminatory acts is unChristian, in my opinion. @IAPRINCESS - you're so right about the important part women played in establishing Christianity.

• colkelley | Dec 07, 2011, 09:55 AM EST

  You forgot about being able to stone women to death for infidelity. The differences for the treatment of women in the Bible and the Q'uran are too close for comfort for most people.

• hollabackgurl | Dec 07, 2011, 09:50 AM EST

  Thank you for clarifying that Christians are allowed to cherry pick the Bible's pronouncements and commands, Joycean. That'll come in handy the next time we see some God Hates F*ags lunatic with a clapboard or a Family Research Council bigot on CNN.

• crny925 | Dec 07, 2011, 09:49 AM EST

  YOU'RE A LIBERAL EEJIT! EACH AND EVERY DAY BASHING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH! Think about those priests and others that have done good for the people. STOP BASHING THEM AND START BASHING THE RELIGIONS THAT ALLOW MEN TO STONE THEIR WIVES TO DEATH OR MUTILATE THEIR DAUGHTER'S GENITALS!!!

• Portia777 | Dec 07, 2011, 09:46 AM EST

  Typical patriarchal thinking written by men in dresses- need we say more.

• joycean | Dec 07, 2011, 09:37 AM EST

  Christians may not abide by these practices, but some Orthodox Jews do.

• IAPRINCESS | Dec 07, 2011, 09:32 AM EST

  In the early Christian Days, men ran everything and thus the bible is based on one side. Read the Gnostic Bible and you will see that women had an important part in forming Christianity. Rome or the apostles chose not to use the Gospel of Mary Magdaline which is wonderful but discarded!

• Towngate | Dec 07, 2011, 09:08 AM EST

  eiriamach: Preaching sedidition against the Word of JC on IC!! It's the Fiery Coals for you, my dear! ~ JC clearly said: "Martha! Shut up whinging and moaning about everything and get back in the kitchen and stay there; and stop being so jealous of other women who have cushy jobs, like Mary,who only has to adore and listen to me all day" --- Btw,Eiri, I don't know what world you inhabit, but men are ready,willing and able to cook and serve - and the only women still 'chained to the kitchen sink' are those who use their 'Marthadom' to control their husbands and families!

• CaptainCon | Dec 07, 2011, 08:34 AM EST

  jamieLM- 'christian gentiles' are highly selective about what they take from the bible and that is certainly true. Care to take us through the reasoninhg for the practice known as 'churching' where a woman who has given birth is accepted back into the church after the 'pollution' of childbirth? Not many women think about that one either. If they were aware of the thought processes behind that one the catholic church would be down a lot of adherents in fairly short order.

• eiriamach | Dec 06, 2011, 06:55 PM EST

  And what did Jesus say about women in the home? According to Luke 39-42, "And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His Word. But Martha was encumbered with much serving, and came to Him and said, 'Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.' And Jesus answered and said unto her, 'Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'" There we have it in Jesus' own words, so let's get out of the kitchen, ladies, before we get crazy like Martha; it's time for the guys to take their turn cooking and serving. As for the men who wrote the NT texts Cahir quotes, they needed some centuries to figure Jesus out (some are still working on it).

• hollabackgurl | Dec 06, 2011, 06:13 PM EST

  If Christians aren't required to follow Leviticus then why do so many Christians quote Leviticus to condemn gays?

• Towngate | Dec 06, 2011, 06:12 PM EST

  It must have worked, it seems they took notice of the instruction ~ as I can't see any quotes from women! ~~~ Btw: I am glad IrishCentral is enlightened enough to give women free reign.

• jamieLM | Dec 06, 2011, 05:50 PM EST

  @CaptainCon, you're referencing Old Testament Jewish laws of the time in Leviticus, one of the 5 books in the Torah. Christian Gentiles aren't required to follow OT Jewish personal and dietary laws.

• CaptainCon | Dec 06, 2011, 05:13 PM EST

  Try explaining to women that the Bible says women should be kept separate from the household while 'unclean' for those few days each month. If Christian men attempted to install that biblical advice christianity would end in a ferocious clang of pots and pans in fairly short order.