3.7 Equality of men and women in the family

Question 1

What are some Christian attitudes towards the role of men and women in the family?

Answer 1

• Husband is the head of the household
• Wife obeys and supports her husbands
• Wife looks after the kids and runs the household
• Men must love and respect their wives
• Women are the weaker partner in a marriage

Question 2

Why does the Roman Catholic Church maintain these traditional views about gender roles?

Answer 2

• The Church must stay true to the authority of the Bible, we must not change our views to fit modern ideas
• Men and women were created in the image of God but with different roles
• Adam was created to work
• Eve was designed to help Adam with his work

Question 3

What are some arguments against gender roles?

Answer 3

• Everyone was created equally
• Now, wives may earn a higher wage and husbands may stay at home
• Or, couples may both work and share responsibilities for running the home

Question 4

What are some atheist/Humanist views on equality in the family?

Answer 4

• Feminists may argue that traditional gender roles are responsible for the mistreatment & repression of women over the years