The Role of Women

Role of Women at Home (This is a part of the Conceptual Framework used by EVSU students working on their thesis) Let us take some Biblical verses to reconsider them (roles) and evaluate the socio-psychological perspective and traditional behaviours of families and communities are whether they are Christians or they are becoming deviants deceived by Satan who uses Biblical verses as well. Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. A wife should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over her husband ; she must be quiet. (1 Corinthians 14:33-35,1 Timothy 2:9-15) The verses cited may be the cause of women’s silent attitude that constructed the culture of silence. The verses however do not teach applicable to all situations but in churches which means the discussions are concern of the church pertaining to spiritual growth and dynamics of the followers. The verses have nothing to do with the freedom of women to teach husbands in any other spheres of life---like how cook, how to change the diapers of their baby, operate appliances or the profession of the wife as accountant, nurse, lawyer, computer or in any other things that a wife knows which the husband has no idea at all. Other verses for considerations, "To be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ..that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers (work at home in other versions), good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house (work at home in other versions) , give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some have already" turned aside after Satan. (Titus 2:5) Women accepted their role and by the community that women should stay at home and do the household chores and child rearing as the Christian teachings emphasized on women to be “working at home”, “homemakers”, “managing the house.” It must be understood however that the verses never outlined neither enumerated the specific chores for women at home and never prohibit women to work outside for economic means of the family as help to their husbands’ meager income. It should be noticed that the instruction to work at home or manage is a caution to avoid any reviling against the word of God. A woman who stays most of the time in any others house, a busy buddy and gossipers are not acceptable to Christian standards of behaviours. Bearing or rearing children means loving the children. This is not exclusive for wives or mothers but also the responsibilities of husbands or fathers. The economic provisions are not exclusive for men and do not prohibit women to engage in work outside their house. “(W)omen were helping to support them out of their own means. “ (Luke 8:3) Women’s personality and character of caring can be attributed to Christian values as well. “…caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. (A woman) is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people (part of Jewish culture, but considered as metaphor for it is mentioned that those who bathed should wash feet only which means that there is no need to reiterate the words (water) of God but to remind (not teaching) insertion by Agustin), helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows. ( 1 Timothy 5:16, 1Timothy 5:10) The role of women inside the house as children is more soft and thoughtful than men. It can be rooted to the teaching of Christ through Apostle Paul: “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.” (1 Timothy 5:4) The attributes of Filipino women characters are most likely the legacy of the Spanish conquistadores who spread the Christian teachings in the Philippines. These include the role of women as wives. “But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians11:3) The falsely taken patriarchal upbringing with its machismo and a touch of misogyny came uplater with the Spanish colonization. In the early Philippines there had always been an egalitarian relationship not only between husband and wife, but also in the upbringing of offsprings. The early Filipinos gave equal importance to both male and female offsprings (Titgemeyer, 1998). ‘Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives.” (1 Peter 3:1). The quietness of wives as required by Christ is misinterpreted to silence or passiveness. Culture of silence among women is is almost perpetuated due to lack of understanding. Silence or passiveness is never a proper conduct or exemplary behavior but worsen the problem. If a husband is irresponsible, nagging or violent behavior as worse as silence and passiveness will never solve the issue. Showing the husbands how things are done may move him to share responsibilities as well. The morality on marital life of couples, women are more moral or conscientious of avoiding extramarital affairs. Even the husbands are into womanising or other vices wives remain in union to their husbands. This is also may be rooted Christian teachings. “To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11New International Version (NIV)