Issues concerning equality relate to how women, people of other races and people with disabilities are treated. This answer will focus on gender equality and argue that Christian attitudes towards equality of the sexes is outdated as women are still treated differently and not given the same opportunities as men in most Christian churches.
The Catholic Church is the most unequal of the Christian churches towards women. There have never been female popes, cardinals, bishops or priests in the history of Catholicism. This attitude is derived from Scripture. Starting with Genesis 1 and 2, Eve was created from taking one of Adam’s ribs, and she has the role of being a companion for man. It is Eve that is first tempted in the Garden of Eden to commit the original sin by disobeying God and eating from the forbidden tree of knowledge. She is a bad influence on Adam. As a result, women have been seen as those who tempt men. The Bible also describes patriarchal societies, where men are the head of the household. Men can divorce women, but women can’t divorce men in such societies. God is also described as a he. Jesus had no female disciples. The women in Jesus’ life had domestic roles only. The most misogynistic of all biblical figures was Paul, who wrote about women being subordinate and inferior to men. It was also Paul who recommended celibacy for the most devout and avoiding contact with women, except in a religious advisory capacity. Paul’s is probably the most influential of attitudes towards women that has rubbed off on the Catholic Church and why they have never considered women for clerical roles.
Some Catholics may argue that they do place women in high regard. The Virgin Mary is one of the most revered women in the Catholic Church. They also celebrate the works of female saints, such as Saint Agnes from the fourth century or Saint Teresa of Avila from the sixteenth century. However, these examples of female saints are of women who never married and who are admired because of their subservience to men. Mary is admired because she was chosen by God – considered to be male – to give birth without her say, to another male, Jesus. Perhaps if Mary had given birth to the daughter of God, people, particularly men, wouldn’t have listened. Jesus was exceptional in his time for his equal treatment of women. Although he didn’t have female disciples, he did stand up for women. For example, he stood up for the woman who had committed adultery and was about to be stoned to death by telling those throwing the stones, ‘if any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her’ (John 8). However, the fact remains that even now, when women are slowly being treated as equals, women are still not given a chance in the Catholic Church to show they are something other than mothers or temptresses. Jesus’ forward-thinking attitude towards women seems to have been forgotten.
Most of the Protestant churches have similar attitudes towards women to the Catholic Church. Although Lutherans don’t go as far as to think that women should stay at home and take care of children, as Martin Luther thought, they do still object to women becoming ordained as pastors. For example, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod rejects the idea that women can be ordained. Other Protestant churches, some other Lutheran churches included, are increasingly ordaining women into their churches. The United Reformed Church, the Baptist Church and more recently the Church of England have introduced women vicars and ministers. These examples show that Christian attitudes towards women are changing, and that Christianity is essentially a religion of equality. However, the ordination of women has not been without a struggle, especially in the Church of England. There have been members of the Church of England who have objected to this and some have left to join Catholicism instead. This is surprising considering vicars are allowed to marry, unlike in the Catholic Church. Even the reasons for marrying are suspect: it is so that vicars can understand the married life. Christian attitudes will never be consistent with secular attitudes that treat women fairly and equally.
Secular attitudes towards women are evident as early as the nineteenth century with key figures such as John Stuart Mill fighting for the equal treatment of women. tfe fought for women to have equal rights in social and political fields. Women’s right campaigner Elizabeth Cady Stanton in nineteenth-century America, inspired by Mill, criticised Christianity for its attitudes towards women that led to women being oppressed. Unfortunately, she had her own prejudices against blacks. However, secularists have been more open to these attempts to treat women equally as they tend to be liberal and give everyone equal opportunities. The foundation for this is Mill’s harm principle, which states that the only reason for exercising power over someone is to stop them from harming another. Christian churches do not have such a principle at their core – they promote subjugation and obedience. As a result, some are given the privileged position of being the ones who others should be subjugated to and obey, i.e. men.
Liberal Christians would argue that they don’t promote this at all. They focus on the figure of Jesus as someone who treated everyone equally as we are all made in God’s image (from Genesis 1:26). However, liberal Christians are in the minority and some of their members have even objected to this approach.
Liberal Protestant churches also don’t have a woman as their highest representative. In conclusion, therefore, it is clear that Christianity has a backward attitude towards women and that this attitude needs to change if women are ever to become completely equal to men. It would also be advisable for Christianity to keep up with the times and change this backward attitude towards women and give them equal status so that Christianity can be seen as a peaceful religion and not one that promotes prejudice.
Evaluating the credibility of ethical and religious concepts of equality in resolving issues of gender is a complex task that requires a nuanced understanding of both ethics and religion, as well as their intersection with gender issues. The concept of equality is central to both ethical and religious thought, and it has been used to justify a wide range of positions on gender issues, from promoting gender equality to justifying gender inequality.
From an ethical standpoint, the concept of equality is widely recognized as a central tenet of many ethical systems, including utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Utilitarianism, for example, asserts that the moral worth of an action is determined by its ability to maximize overall happiness, and this can be interpreted as requiring equality in terms of access to resources and opportunities. John Stuart Mill, the famous utilitarian philosopher, wrote, "The equality of human beings is a social and political truth, grounded in the nature of man as a moral and rational being." (On Liberty, 1859). Similarly, deontology holds that all individuals should be treated with dignity and respect, which can be seen as implying a commitment to equality. Immanuel Kant, the famous deontologist philosopher, wrote, "Justice… requires that the same laws hold for everyone, that one person’s rights do not depend on another’s good will, and that there be a fair distribution of goods, privileges and duties." (Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, 1785).
Virtue ethics, another important ethical system, also places a high value on equality. Aristotle, the famous virtue ethicist philosopher, wrote, "The equal is that which is equal in accordance with the appropriate standard." (Nicomachean Ethics, c. 350 BCE). Aristotle believed that all human beings had the capacity for reason and moral virtue, and that these capacities were the basis for equality. He further argued that the highest good was to achieve eudaimonia, or human flourishing, and that this could only be achieved through a society in which individuals were treated as equals.
Religious concepts of equality can also be a source of support for gender equality. Many religious traditions, such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all human beings, regardless of gender. For example, the Bible states in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." This passage has been interpreted by many Christians as a call to equality and has been used to support the equality of all people, including women. Similarly, in Islam, the Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said, "Women are the twin halves of men." This statement has been interpreted by many Muslims as affirming the equality of men and women.
However, despite these positive religious teachings on equality, there are also religious teachings and practices that have been used to justify inequality and discrimination against women. For example, some interpretations of Islamic law have been used to justify the subordination of women, and similar arguments have been made within other religious traditions. The role of women in religious institutions has also been a source of controversy, with some religious leaders denying women the right to hold positions of authority or to participate fully in religious rituals.
The credibility of ethical and religious concepts of equality in resolving issues of gender can be evaluated by examining how these concepts have been used and applied in practice. On one hand, there are many examples of ethical and religious concepts of equality being used to promote gender equality and to challenge gender-based discrimination and oppression. For example, the feminist movement has used ethical and religious concepts of equality to challenge patriarchal systems and to call for greater rights and opportunities.
In conclusion, both ethical and religious concepts of equality can play a role in resolving issues of gender. While these concepts can provide support for gender equality, they can also be subject to interpretation and manipulation, and it is important to critically examine how these concepts are being used and applied.
References:
Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill
Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Immanuel Kant
Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle
Galatians 3:28, New International Version Bible
Issues concerning equality relate to how women, people of other races and people with disabilities are treated. This answer will focus on racial equality and argue that Christian attitudes towards racial equality are forward thinking.
Some people may consider Christianity to be racist because of some sections of the Bible that are racist and talk about slavery. Exodus 21 in the Old Testament, for example, talks about slaves being an owner’s money and Ephesians 6: 5-6 talks about how slaves must obey their earthly masters. Even Jesus talks about slavery as the norm. These examples from Scripture allowed Christian slave owners in the past to justify their actions. However, this is the wrong way to understand Scripture and especially Jesus’ teachings.
When Jesus talked about slavery, he meant it as an analogy. He was using it as an analogy to our relationship with God. Jesus promoted equality as we are all made in the image of God (as stated in Genesis 1:26). The parable of the good Samaritan (Luke) emphasises racial equality: it was someone from a different race – a Samaritan – who helped the Jew who lay by the roadside dying. Most Christians also accept that any Old Testament references to slavery are outdated and that slavery was a custom in those days when tribes fought against each other and took the losers as their slaves. This is also what most Christian churches, both the Catholic Church and the various Protestant churches, preach. Some churches are renowned for actively fighting racism, such as the Catholic Church during the reign of Pope John Paul II in the 80s and 90s, who campaigned against the abolition of apartheid in Africa, or the Quakers who did not allow any of their members to be slave traders or owners back in the eighteenth century. One of most famous figures who was successful in fighting racism in America was Martin Luther King, who was a Christian Baptist minister. This shows how Christian attitudes are against racial inequality.
However, there are also plenty of examples throughout history that show that Christians were involved in racial inequality. This might persuade some that Christianity is racist. For example, devout Christians invading Africa and South America to take indigenous people there captive. This is an example of direct racism. In some cases, missionaries were brought over to convert natives to Christianity and force them to see their own practices as heresy. This is an example of indirect racism. Other examples of indirect racism include the Catholic Church never having a black Pope. This may also be an example of institutional racism: within the Catholic institution – blacks never get promoted beyond Cardinal. Many Christians and Christian churches, however, accept that these actions of Christians in the past were wrong and that this is not what Christianity stands for. Catholics would probably explain that the reason why there hasn’t been a black Pope yet is because the majority of Catholics are white and so God’s representative on Earth should be representative of those who would follow him.
Christianity is a religion of racial equality. There have been a few instances in the past and some biblical references that suggest otherwise, but these need to be put into the context of the times. Christianity has fought hard to stand up for equal rights and these fights represent the attitude of a Christian who promotes the idea that everyone was made in God’s image.
The opinion that secular perspectives of ethical concepts of equality are successful in resolving issues of gender is a complex and controversial one that is hotly debated in academic, political, and social circles. While it is true that secular perspectives of equality have been instrumental in advancing gender equality in many ways, there are also limitations and challenges that must be taken into account when evaluating their success.
One of the strengths of secular perspectives of equality is that they are based on universal principles that are not tied to any specific cultural or religious context. This allows them to be applied in a wide range of situations, regardless of the cultural or religious background of the individuals involved. For example, secular feminist theorists have been able to build a powerful case for gender equality using concepts like human rights, dignity, and autonomy. These concepts are based on universal principles that are not tied to any specific cultural or religious tradition, and they can be applied in a wide range of situations to support the rights of women and to challenge gender-based discrimination and oppression. Martha Nussbaum, Women and Human Development (2000): “The idea of human dignity, in its universalist form, provides a powerful basis for advancing the cause of women’s rights.” This quote emphasizes the importance of universal principles, such as human dignity, in advancing the cause of gender equality. United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948): “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” This declaration sets out a secular principle of equality that has been widely adopted and used as a basis for promoting gender equality. The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (1979): This international treaty sets out a comprehensive framework for promoting gender equality and combating discrimination against women. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gender Bias Study (1985): “Women’s rights are an essential part of the overall human rights agenda, trained on the equal dignity and ability to live in freedom all people should enjoy.” This quote from the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg emphasizes the interdependence of women’s rights and human rights, and the importance of treating women with equal dignity and respect.
One of the quotes that illustrate this is from Simone de Beauvoir, a famous secular feminist philosopher, who wrote, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” (The Second Sex, 1949). This quote highlights the importance of social and cultural constructions of gender and the ways in which these constructions can limit the opportunities and freedoms of women. By focusing on the social and cultural aspects of gender, rather than on biology or religion, secular feminist theorists have been able to build a powerful case for gender equality that transcends cultural and religious differences.
Another advantage of secular perspectives of equality is that they are based on empirical evidence and rational argument, rather than on religious authority or tradition. This allows them to be more responsive to changing circumstances and to evolving understandings of gender and equality. For example, secular feminist theorists have been able to draw on a wide range of empirical evidence, from studies of women's experiences and roles in society to data on gender-based discrimination and violence, to build their case for gender equality. This evidence-based approach allows secular feminist theorists to be more flexible and adaptable in their approach to gender equality, and to respond more effectively to changing circumstances and emerging issues.
However, there are also limitations and challenges to the success of secular perspectives of equality in resolving issues of gender. One of the main challenges is that secular perspectives are often seen as being in conflict with religious beliefs and practices, and they are therefore met with resistance by those who see their religious beliefs as being under attack. For example, many religious leaders and communities reject the notion of gender equality, arguing that it is incompatible with their religious beliefs and practices. This can create significant barriers to the implementation of secular perspectives of equality, particularly in countries where religion plays a central role in social, political, and cultural life.
Another challenge is that secular perspectives of equality can be limited in their ability to address the specific cultural and social dynamics that contribute to gender-based discrimination and oppression. For example, secular feminist theorists may focus on the role of laws and institutions in promoting gender equality, but they may not fully address the underlying cultural and social attitudes and norms that contribute to gender-based discrimination and oppression. These underlying attitudes and norms are often rooted in religious beliefs and practices, and they can be difficult to address through secular approaches alone.
Finally, it is worth noting that the success of secular perspectives of equality in resolving issues of gender is also shaped by broader political, economic, and social factors, such as the level of political stability, economic development, and social equality. For example, in countries with high levels of political stability, economic development, and social equality, secular perspectives of equality are likely to be more successful in resolving issues of gender.
In conclusion, while secular perspectives of ethical concepts of equality have been successful in advancing gender equality in many ways, there are also limitations and challenges that must be taken into account when evaluating their success. The success of secular perspectives in resolving issues of gender is shaped by a complex interplay of political, economic, cultural, and social factors, and it is important to approach this issue with a nuanced and critical understanding of these factors.
References:
Martha Nussbaum, Women and Human Development (2000)
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (1979)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gender Bias Study (1985)
4 Evaluate the view that secular ethical perspectives on race are more convincing than religious perspectives. (30)
4 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of perspectives on equality from one religion. (30)
4 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of secular perspectives on equality. (30)
4 Evaluate the view that religious perspectives are significant for resolving one area of disagreement in debates about equality ’ (30)
4 Evaluate the relevance of one key relevant example of disagreement in debates about equality. (30)
4. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the work of one leading figure in the fight for equality. (30)
4 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the work of Martin Luther King in the fight for equality.’ (30)
4 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the work of Joni Erkson Tada in the fight for equality. (30)