Free Term Paper Women in Religion
of God the moral way through The Bible. The Koran is a book that tries to
guide believers in the right direction, because they decided that the Jews and
Christians disobeyed God's commandments by dividing themselves into sects. In
result, they tried to differentiate themselves by learning their true religion
of Islam, absolute submission. By reading more and more of the Holy Bible and
the Koran I have seen mostly similarities which was not the goal of the Koran.
One of the largest similarities between the Koran and the Holy Bible is the
portrayal of women. The role of women in Ancient Israelite and Early Islamic
concepts show how women are a substandard to men.
In the Holy Bible, the
point that women are inferior to men is clearly identifiable. In Genesis 3:16,
it says, "To the woman he said, I will greatly increase your pangs in
childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be
for your husband, and he shall rule over you." In the Bible there are many
quotes that explain that men are above women or that they have authority over
men. In the Koran it says, "Men have authority over women because God has made
the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain
them.
Women are also looked at as objects or not equal human beings. The
Holy Bible, Exodus 20:17 says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you
shall not covey your neighbor's wife, or male of female slave, or ox, or donkey,
or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Why is the wife, let alone the
slave, put in the same category as objects and animals? This looks like women
are a type of property. The Koran supports this bizarre idea that women are like
animals and says, "Keep aloof from women during their menstrual periods and do
not approach them until they are clean again; when they are clean, have
intercourse with them whence God enjoined you." It even goes as far as this,
"Women are your fields: go, then, into your fields whence you please. Do good
works and fear God." The words of the Holy Bible and the Koran seem offensive
towards women, but hopefully the harsh words are just used to better describe
the situation.
A small difference that is evident within the rights of women
is how they cover themselves. 1Corinthians 11:3-6 says, “And every woman who
prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head...If a woman does
not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off…” The Holy Bible says that
a women must wear something on her head while she is praying and if she doesn’t,
it’s a disgrace. In a more extreme case the Koran says that women “ should not
display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof;
that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their
beauty” (24:31).
Generally, the Holy Bible and the Koran present similar
ideas for the role of women. One of the texts may go deeper into a particular
topic while the other may just touch on it. The differences are very rare,
proven above with the example of how women should cover themselves.