Q&A Home > W > Women/Women in the Church

• A Protestant guy told me that the Holy Bible said that women should not speak in church. I told him that it was written at a time when that was fitting. Is that right?
• Are there any reasons given in the Holy Bible (or anywhere else) as to why we do not mention women names in biblical genealogy?
• Could you please explain St. Paul’s verse, "Let a woman learn in silence" (1 Tim 2:11-15).
  Secondly, what happens to women who can't bear children, are virgins, or widows before having children? Where is this addressed in the Holy Bible?
• I am a Coptic woman. I feel very strong about women's rights. I think women are able to do as much as men. I understand that God created men and women with different roles. However, when I see these Bible verses about women—that they should be in silence or like the man is the head of the woman, I get very upset, frustrated, and annoyed, and I think it's unfair, even if it's common in the Middle East that men have more rights then women and the wife is supposed to listen and be obedient to her husband as it is also stated in the Bible. Some men even abuse religion by stating these verses to prove to women that they are nothing. This is very intolerable and very frustrating. These Bible verses also make people want to leave their religion. My beliefs are that I am just as equal to men. However, of course, there are some things that meant for men and some for women. When men think that women belong in the kitchen and the wife has to satisfy him at every moment in time, this shouldn't be right. I prayed about this, but I am against some things. Am I turning against my religion? Why is it frustrating me so much when I hear and see things about men being higher then women?
• I want to know what makes a woman in God's eyes. "charm is deceitful and beauty passing, but the woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised" is my favorite verse, because despite the fact that I know God cares about inner beauty only, it is hard to remember it because of the constant bombardment from society and I know its a weakness of mine. I even find things in the Bible that make me uncomfortable, like the fact that Jacob took one look at Rachel and decided he loved her because of her beauty, although he was a righteous man. And the verse, "Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance", as if that explains everything. Also, if all that is said about inward beauty is true, then why do some women who are godly and are servants in the church wear very expensive things and some wear a lot of make-up? I get thrown off because I sort of look up to them. I just want to be a good woman, how can I do that?
• I would like to hear your views related to the issue "letting women to share in the readings during Apocalypse night (Revelation)." I have been in different States in US and have seen girls read chapters from the Holy Book of Revelation and sections from prophecies and prayers during that night. Recently, in our church, some girls asked to share in reading some of the prophecies, etc, and were not allowed. Actually, while one of them was reading, a deacon interrupted her saying this is wrong and not allowed as St. Paul said in his letters. I felt the girl was offended and two of them left the church that night. If this is a critical issue to some girls (who were born in the States) who think that this is discrimination and may get offended when deacons stop them saying "the voice of women should not...etc. Which is better to let some of them share reading while sitting in their places, or get offended and let them think of the Coptic Church as a church discriminating against women?  Which is better to let some of them share with reading few sections or stop and offend them and even not care if they hate the church and seek other churches with American friends whenever they get the chance to do?
• I'm an American Protestant. While having a discussion with some Muslims from Saudi Arabia, the topic of women covering their hair was brought up. I was unsure whether on the matter. Can you please shed some light on the subject? Is a woman supposed to keep her head covered outside of the church?
• St. Paul did not permit for women to teach in the church. What does this mean?
  1. Not to teach in the Liturgy only or in the church at all?
  2. Teach only in Sunday School? Do some ladies teach at the Theological Seminary in Egypt. Is that right?
• What are your thoughts concerning these quotes, because this is pretty shocking to me? Woman is a temple built over a sewer. – Tertullian, “the father of Latin Christianity” (c160-225) [Women's] very consciousness of their own nature must evoke feelings of shame.– Saint Clement of Alexandria, Christian theologian (c150-215) Pedagogues II, 33, 2 Nor are the women to smear their faces with the ensnaring devices of wily cunning... The Instructor [Christ] orders them to go forth “in becoming apparel, and adorn themselves with shamefacedness and sobriety, subject to their own husbands.” – Saint Clement of Alexandria, Christian theologian (c150-215), The Instructor In pain shall you bring forth children, woman, and you shall turn to your husband and he shall rule over you. And do you not know that you are Eve? God’s sentence hangs still over all your sex and His punishment weighs down upon you. You are the devil’s gateway; you are she who first violated the forbidden tree and broke the law of God. It was you who coaxed your way around him whom the devil had not the force to attack. With what ease you shattered that image of God: Man! Because of the death you merited, even the Son of God had to die… Woman, you are the gate to hell. – Tertullian, “the father of Latin Christianity” (c160-225) For it is improper for a woman to speak in an assembly, no matter what she says,
even if she says admirable things, or even saintly things, that is of little 
consequence, since they come from the mouth of a woman. – Origen (d. 258), Fragments on First Corinthians, 74 Woman does not possess the image of God in herself but only when taken together 
with the male who is her head, so that the whole substance is one image. But 
when she is assigned the role as helpmate, a function that pertains to her
alone, then she is not the image of God. But as far as the man is concerned, he 
is by himself alone the image of God just as fully and completely as when he and 
the woman are joined together into one. – Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo Regius (354-430) What is the difference whether it is in a wife or a mother, it is still Eve the temptress that we must beware of in any woman… I fail to see what use woman can be to man, if one excludes the function of bearing children. – Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo Regius (354 – 430)
• What is the meaning of the verse "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive as the law also says" (1 Corinthians 14:34). How do we apply this to modern times?
• Why are women not permitted to recite any of the Readings in the church?
• Why are women portrayed as inferior in both the Bible and the church?
• Why are women's roles in the church limited (can't be a deacon, priest, read the Gospel during the Divine Liturgy, etc.)?
• Why do we not allow women priests in our church?
• Why do we practice the churching of women? Why do we still practice this? Has not our Lord cleansed us from all defilement? Why must we wait a certain amount of time so we can become pure? Are we not already pure?
• "What reasons did St. Paul give in justifying why women should not teach or to have authority over a man?" In answering this question, I have a problem applying St. Paul’s sayings (1 Timothy 2:13) to our present time, when women are now taking part in all fields including Science, and Technology.