From the Amazon sales page:
This book documents the bible's punitive rules and attitudes toward women. Exposes the bible's harmful stereotypes about women as sin-inciting temptresses and their treatment as male property. Examines biblical teachings about about women's "nature," prostitution, sexual assault and incest, so-called uncleanliness, marriage, motherhood, divorce and adultery, grooming, abortion, and homosexuality, as well as "macho" standards for men. A timely warning that the bible is a handbook for the subjugation of women, and that the only true barrier standing between it and women is a secular government.
From the back cover:
"A concise, uniquely informative, easy-to-read book by Annie Laurie Gaylor, Woe to the Women – The Bible Tells Me So will challenge your concept of the bible as "a good book."
In fact, the bible is a handbook for the subjugation of women.
The Old Testament consigns women to their place as sin-inciting temptresses, male possessions, and war booty.
The New Testament treats women as biblical doormats who are to be ruled over by men.
Women in the bible are cursed, castigated, humiliated, demeaned, and even executed for violating the biblical double standard.
Woe to the Women – The Bible Tells Me So contains a valuable compendium of more than 200 sexist verses, and documents the continuing threat posed to women's rights by biblical edicts."
My thoughts:
Woe to the Women – The Bible Tells Me So lists the many scriptures that describe how women were thought about and treated. And it is not pretty. I often wonder how anyone can preach or believe that the bible is the "word of God" and that this is a model for living our lives. Seriously? We who are born female are only here to cater to men? To be ruled by them?
What about that first creation story? The one we don't hear about in church? The one in the first chapter in Genesis? "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female he created he them." Both were to have dominion over the earth.
Then, in chapter two, is the version we do hear about. That woman was created as a "help meet" from the man's rib.
The bible tells of females being bought, sold, and raped. And it seems men especially liked young virgin girls.
In this 1981 book by Annie Laurie Gaylor, she states this in the prologue: "An understanding of the bible's attitude toward women will prove invaluable in comprehending why religionists are still in the forefront of opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion, birth control, and programs to aid women. In reading the bible we can begin to understand where the roots of our patriarchal heritage lie. The Mosaic law pertaining to women and gospel teachings about women's place are truly the bedrock upon which so many of the Western World's present laws rest."
Now, 43 years later in 2024, women have fewer rights than they did when this book was written. Row v Wade was overturned in June of 2022. Some states are now going after birth control. Women who have pregnancies that go wrong are forced to wait until they are near death's door to get medical help. Doctors fear going to jail if they intervene too soon.
Women are losing more rights all the time and if the far right extremists get their way women will have no rights left. They will be completely ruled by men, and they'll call it "God's will."
I've heard recently that some even want to take voting rights from women.
I do not understand how anyone can care so little for others. How can any man who cares about a woman vote to take her rights away? Put her in danger? What about the women in their own lives? Mothers, sisters, daughters? Would they be okay with someone close to them dying from a pregnancy gone wrong? It would seem so. But maybe they haven't considered that. Maybe they don't care.
After all, the god of their bible doesn't care much about us either.
We are told that God loves us, but what kind of cruel, twisted idea of love would it take to treat women this way?
Or create a place of eternal torture for people who fail to 'get it right'?
Buy the book. Read it, Think about what it would mean for you and your loved ones if the religious fanatics manage to get more and more of their beliefs made into law. They are gaining ground, obviously.
Let's get this stopped while we still can.
Highly recommended.
Available from Amazon
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