By Rebekah ~

I stumbled across this verse in the New Testament...

"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve." – 1 Timothy 2:12-13

This prompted me to ask Chatgpt, "Should women be allowed to speak or lead over men?" The response was...

"Yes, women should be allowed to speak and lead over men if they possess the necessary skills, qualifications, and experience for the job. Women have the same fundamental human rights as men, including the right to freedom of speech, the right to participate in decision-making processes, and the right to pursue leadership roles."

Bible passages are often used to justify men being deemed the head of the house, which means his opinion will always outweigh hers, and he is divinely ordained to make every decision. Many women end up realizing they have very little control over their own life in this system. Through a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible, the only power women are granted when they are stuck in a position like this is to submit to, and pray over him, and not to quarrel. Divorce isn't permitted except for infidelity.

The truth is, there's nothing about men which makes them inherently better at speaking, leading or making decisions. So how did the church get away with making it the norm to exclude women from such important roles in society? Most churches still don't allow women to be members of the board, deacons, pastors, etc.