"I am a strong supporter of male-female equality at the highest levels --- something that seems somewhat absent in the Abrahamic religions."

Actually..... it did exist, that is 'equality' for a period of time. If you look in the two Books of Kings (Kings 1 and Kings 2, wars where fought over that subject and the ones promoting 'equality', they lost. That reformation saw a lot of death and destruction. I am surprised that the 'equality' group was able to accomplish as much as they did and this is verified by Archaeologists and by the Bible.

Male-female equality would be an interesting focus for a thread here.

Could you cite some passages from Kings1 supportive of your point about groups promoting equality in Biblical times ... but lost.

It seems that, at the very least, the Bible is not clear on this point.

https://medium.com/respecting-gender...t-476fcac0857d

The first that comes to my mind is Jezebel and her husband, Ahab, King of Israel. They helped institute, for Yahweh, his consort. They promoted Sacred Poles which got torn down during the reformation. Even today, you can find Sacred Poles in certain cities. They are phallic in nature. A few years ago, a famous star accidentally killed himself while practicing some tantric type act. What people did not realize was behind that hotel was what the natives considered a 'goddess shrine' and was also called a phallic temple by not well informed Westerners. LOL!

Archaeologists have also found Yahweh statues from that time period on the left side of entrances and on the right side, generally was a statute of his consort. Being Jews read from right to left, the right position might have been the 'favored' position. As for Yahweh's consort, 'her' statue generally showed breast but also a 'hanging' appendage between 'her' legs which made her stand out from the consorts of the various Gods of other lands.

If you look hard enough, you can see there was equality between the sexes in that land. It was the wars that put an end to all of that. Remember, those wars are recorded using the victor's eyes. If you look beyond that, you will see what I see.

Still Waters,

It would be interesting but likely might get derailed by specifics. I say this because of the inadequate understanding of the teachings of Jesus. Much of it, in fact, was a veiled message emphasizing non-duality…..where the male-female distinctions are nonexistent. It would be an exercise in futility to expound on this. It is very difficult to go beyond literal interpretations.

Homophobia and misogyny run rampant in all Abrahamic Religions, but what do you expect.... It's passed from generation to generation, but thankfully the times they are a changing for some, although there's a long way to go.

"Homophobia and misogyny run rampant in all Abrahamic Religions" for those thar put their energies in to that 'belief' but not everyone believes that.

11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
1 Tim 2-15 -James...

From the beginning Women are deemed to be naughty :biggrin:
Different Translator's obviously are more misogynistic than others. King James was extremely misogynistic and self centred and it shows.

QOTE 103 EXCERPT:


Interesting points .. but Jezebel and her husband Ahab weren't exactly pillars of spiritualism.

I have to think more about what you wrote.

QUOTE 104 EXCERPT:


Jesus' "I and the Father are One and the same" non-duality statement would indeed indicate that the superficial "male-female distinctions are (essentially) nonexistent".

You raise valid points but nonetheless it might be interesting to start a thread on male-female equality. :D

Remember, First and Second Kings were written by the victors which have a tendency to view the losers in a negative light. As for Spiritualism...... that is a loosely defined expression.

Some might say under Ahab and Jezebel's reign, sexual suppression was at an all time low and some today might look at that as a marker for Spiritualism.