The Roles of Men and Women

Transcription

1 The Roles of Men and Women For your exam, you will need to be able to discuss the following: How and why the roles of men and women have changed in the last century; What the different Christian attitudes are to the roles of men and women and why Christians have these different views; What the different Muslim attitudes are to the roles of men and women and why Muslims have these different views. Q: How have the roles of men and women changed in the last century? Q: What has happened in the last century to change the roles of men and women? (Clue: laws) Religious views When you answer a question on a religious view, you should use the following template to show that there is a difference in opinion between people of the same religion: Some [Christians] [Muslims] believe that whereas, others believe that

2 You must show that there is a difference in opinion within the religion you have been asked to answer on. You won t gain maximum marks of you do not do this. Q: Why do you think there is a difference in views between people who belong to the same religion? Past paper questions: Name one religion other than Christianity and explain why its followers have different attitudes to the roles of men and women. (8) Explain why there are different attitudes among Christians to the roles of men and women. (8) In answering these questions you must show: What attitudes there are in the religion; Reasons for having these attitudes; Conclusion, showing that different reasons lead to there being different attitudes. Muslim views of the roles of men and women: Islam teaches that men and women have equal roles in religion and education, but there are different attitudes: Traditional Roles in Islam: Most Muslims believe that men and women have different roles in life, given to them by Allah; God created women to have children and bring them up in a good Muslim home (halal household);

3 The man is expected to support the family financially and protect them; Men are expected to take their sons to Mosque to pray; Women are responsible for teaching their daughters to pray at home; Why do most Muslims believe this? God gave men and women different physiques men are stronger and can therefore go out to work and provide for their family; women were created to have children, unlike men; The Qur an says that men should support women; Supporting quote: Men are the ones who support women since God has given some persons advantages over others. The Qur an says women should inherit half of what a man inherits (this is because the man has to provide the financial support for the family). Modern Roles in Islam Some Muslims believe that men and women should have equal roles; A woman can have a career; Women should worship in a mosque. Why do some Muslims believe this? The Qur an teaches that men and women are equal in religion and education; Supporting quote: The search for knowledge is a duty for every Muslim, male or female. Women worshipped in the mosque at the time of Muhammad; True Islam is about equality Muhammad himself was married to a wealthy and educated woman who ran her own business.

4 Q: Why might those people who are not Muslim think that men and women in Islam are not equal? Make some suggestions. Christian views of the roles of men and women: Christianity has three different attitudes to the roles of men and women: Traditional Roles Men and women should have different roles. They are not equal; Women should bring up children and run a Christian home; Men should provide for the family and lead the family in religion; Only men can be church leaders (vicars etc). Why do these Christians believe this? In Genesis chapter 2 (the 1 st book of the Old Testament) it says that Adam was created first; St Paul said that women should not speak in church and should obey their husbands: Supporting quotes: A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach and have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived. Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.

5 Modern Roles Other Christians believe that men and women are equal; Both men and women can be church leaders (vicars etc). Why do these Christians believe this? Jesus treated women as his equals and had women followers. Supporting examples: Jesus preached in the court of women in the Jerusalem Temple. He treated a Samaritan woman as his equal. He had women disciples who stayed with him at the cross unlike the male disciples who ran away. St Paul said that men and women are equal in Jesus; Supporting quote: There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. In Genesis, chapter 1, it says that God created men and women at the same time; Supporting quote: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female, he created them. There may have been women priests in the early church. The roles of men and women in Roman Catholic Christianity Men and women are equal and should have equal roles in life, but only men can be priests. Why do Roman Catholics believe this? Jesus chose men as his disciples; Male priests followed after the disciples. Supporting quote: The Lord Jesus chose men to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same For this reason the ordination of women is not possible.

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