Due to the civil war, violence against women in the Congo has been worst than ever. Sexual violence throughout Congo is rampant and rebel groups, the armed forces, and national police are to blame. But does Christianity have any role to play in the atrocious acts? Christianity is the majority religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Eighty percent of the Congolese population is Christian.
Christian influence is to blame for these detrimental acts against women due to the fact that the uneducated inhabitants of the Congo may have misinterpreted the Church’s teachings. It is not that Christian missionaries educated the natives to act this way, but that rather than teaching the moral aspect of Christianity, the missionaries sought to expand the Church by influencing these vulnerable and impoverished people of the Congo. This must have led to misinterpretation of Christianity’s teachings by the Congolese people. Most of the natives of the Congo were tribal and barbaric when Christianity had arrived, so it is reasonable to say that the indigenous inhabitants may have been influenced negatively by the introduction of the religion. Numbers 31:17-18 states “Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.” I am not sure how the Catholic Church interprets this verse, but it seems exceptionally sexist. How can an uneducated inhabitant of the Congo hear of this verse and not be influenced to refer to the idea of committing crimes against women? It seems that it is the command of the Christian “God” to act in the repulsive manner. The connection of Christianity to the abuse of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is evident. I believe religion must take some of the blame for actions of the effortlessly influenced populace of the Congo towards women. - Tim R
Thesis:Christian influence is to blame for these detrimental acts against women due to the fact that the uneducated inhabitants of the Congo may have misinterpreted the Church’s teachings
ReplyDeleteSource of image:http://wericampaign.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/ending-mass-rape-in-the-dr-congo.jpg
Hey Tim, I definetely don't agree with you. I don't think the church is as sexist as you say it is.
ReplyDeleteActually after doing some research to try to probe you wrong I found some interesting passages from the bible that do support your statement. I still do not fully agree. I think when the bible was written "sexism" was normal. It was as much sexism as it was tradition. The women were supposed to stay in the home, raise the children, and help the man.
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." (Ephesians 5:22-24)
This ^^one^^ talks about women being submissive to men, as they should be. But the following one sounds a little harsh, almost degrading women.
"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." (I Corinthians 14:34-35)
I don't think the church changed the view of women in the congo. That type of thing comes from tradition and culutre. Most people in the Congo probably still think of women as inferior, the church's view on women does not play much affect on the Congolese view of women. It might have actually taught them to respect women more.
I have found an ineresting article that describes how women in the congo are standing up for their rites. http://www.sfbayview.com/2010/congolese-women-offer-prescriptions-for-ending-sexual-violence-in-congo/
They want peace and they want to participate in politics. They are fighting for all the women and trying to bring peace to the Congo.
So overall Tim, women in the Congo are trying to stand up for themselves.
source of video:http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7762886013895214572#docid=-1399373354215290463
ReplyDeleteMy argument is not that women are not defending themselves Fil. I am putting partial blame on Christianity for the abuse of women in the Congo. By saying that sexism is directly related to Christian tradition only strengthens my argument. The quotes that you have given show how the Catholic Church has always considered women to be second class humans. This idea is embedded in their doctrines and permeating the minds of male followers, including male Congolese inhabitants. In Christian bibles, there is a plethora of religious laws designed to control women's lives (You have posted examples of this). This evidence of sexism is has been the cause of harmful acts towards women in the Congo.
ReplyDeleteBy saying that sexism is directly related to Christian tradition, you only strengthen my argument.*
ReplyDeleteI don't believe so Tim. Even though the bible might suggest women as a "second class human". Both the Bible and Christian tradition strongly portray strong respect for women especially as childbearers. They play an important role in Christianity. The most famous being Mary, the virgin mary of Jesus, who gave birth to God and raised his only son, only to see him die on a cross. There have also been many matriarchs, usually the wives of prophets such as Moses or Abraham, who have strongly helped their husbands spread the word of god and add a femenist side to the Bible. If this christian outlook on women is permeating the minds of male Congoleans, it is only beneficial for the women. If the Congolese males truly understand the message of God and the Bible they will respect and cherish women with respect and love.
ReplyDeleteHey Tim. I was looking for data that proves you wron and i found some interesting statistics that show the changing attitude of/towarf women in the Congo.
ReplyDeleteIn the last two years, we have expanded our program to reach remote villages and have now served over 24,000 women and 131,581 family and community members since our start. Women for Women International program in DR Congo is working:
88% report having improvement in personal and family health
86% report having improved their economic situation
88% of women expressed increased self-confidence
83% report having a greater knowledge of their rights
88% expressed being more active in their community
87% report being more active in family decision making
(http://www.womenforwomen.org/global-initiatives-helping-women/help-women-congo.php)
You may say that Chrisitianity is making the Congo sexist and against women, but there are groups and organizations out there helping these women.
Dr. Williams says “We must acknowledge our part in this collective failure. The time has come to act to end this nightmare of violence and cruelty, including the most appalling sexual violence against women and children,” I found an article that is supporting one of my theories. I said to myself, "if the Congo is 80% christian, then why isnt the church helping the country?". Well it is.
I still think the church is helping in the Congo and bringing a respectful view of women and children.
Yes Fil you are right. The Congo is now changing for the better. But the fact is that there still is a major problem with abuse against women. You say that the idea of love for women is permeating the mind of the Congolese men. If that is so, how come there are so many reported cases of rape against young girls and abuse of women in general? I assume you say it is a misinterpretation of the bible that has led to this. But it is the fault of the missionaries for not teaching central themes of Christianity to the Congolese. What happened in the Congo was this: the Catholic Church saw a vulnerable country and treated them as a customer to their product. So at that point it was up to the uneducated Congolese to interpret the Bible, leading to a fundamentalist view. And you gave the Virgin Mary as an example of a prominent woman in Christianity.She symbolizes female "virtues" such as obedience, submission, chastity and silence. The "glory" of motherhood is constantly drummed into women with the intent of preventing them from doing anything else. The quotes you gave earlier show the Bible's take on women. You said it yourself, "It was as much sexism as it was tradition."
ReplyDeleteHey guys this is Mark chiming in. The fact is that you both have good points that are sensical. I do believe that the original Christian missionaries could have done a better job in teaching better analysis of the Bible. As you said Tim, there are passages that seem to degrade women, but at the same time there are passages that show respect for women. Perhaps the fact that the Congolese people read both of these types of passages with seemingly no help from the missionaries caused confusion in the interpretation of the Christian message.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the situation is bad, there could be a way to solve it. If Christianity is the cause of the rapes of women and the dehumanization of the general population, then why can't Christianity be the solution. Just look at the video Tim posted on the original blog post. At 2:28, there is a picture of a patient in a hospital bed. Next to the bed, there is a stand holding an IV. Notice how it looks like a cross? The fact that the "cross" is holding up something that is keeping this man alive symbolizes Christianity being there when you need it to keep your heart beating, to be a solution. I believe the Christian missionaries need to go back to the Congo and do their job right. If the Congolese rebels take their religion seriously enough to rape and torture women over a simple passage, then there could be no limit to the good they will do with a renewed view on the same passage.
AJ here. All of you guys make valid points, but I'd have to disagree with Tim on this issue. Though the majority of the country is Christian, I do not believe Christian beliefs and scriptures heavily influenced the high number of rapes within the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
ReplyDeleteIt's true there are verses in the Bible which suggest that women should submit to men. But men in most cultures regard women as lower on the social chain. We can see this even in our own society. Before American women started securing their rights and freedoms, their main purpose was to take care of the children, husband, and the house. If they did anything else, it was usually considered unorthodox. Therefore, you can't say Christian influence is the main cause for the abuse of women in the Congo.
Furthermore, a major cause for the high rate of rapes is the conflict that still exists today in the DRC. As a result of the war, many enemy ethnic groups use rape as a weapon. Thousands of women have been taken from their homes, mutilated, and made into sex slaves. As Mark and Fil have mentioned, Christian organizations have aided the war-torn country by raising money for the poor and oppressed in the Congo and by sending groups to medically treat the Congolese people.
Kristie here! After reading the article, watching the video, and reading your responses to them i have to say that i completely disagree with Tim. Coming from a Christian background and being involved as a woman in the Church, i believe the church has come a long way since the beginning of its time. Woman have more respect and are permitted to enroll in more activities since the beginning of Christianity.
ReplyDeleteTo put the blame of the rape of women in the Congo on the bible is horrendous. I know it says in the Bible that women should submit to men, but to take it to the extreme of rape is rediculous. If 80% of the Congo is Christian, then they should have been informed at one point in time that rape doesn't count as a "woman submitting to a man".
That being said, the war going on in the Congo is, in my opinion, the main reason for rape continuously being a re-occuring issue. With chaos occuring in the Congo, things such a rape are in some peoples eyes the last thing they want to worry about. Aids are being set up, however this is not enough. Men are using their authority in society as an excuse to rape innocent women. They are not raping women for the fact that the bible states something and they are wrongly interpreting it. These men are raping woman for the simple fact that they look as women to be inferior to them.
Wow. To me, both sides are wrong. Christianity is and always will be a mess and we have thousands of years of BS to contend with because of it. As for trying to blame the behavior of savages on this religion, it is nonsense. They have no clue regarding anything other than acting like the animals they are. It is no secret that males rape, murder, start war, abuse and use women on many levels, etc., etc. and even in a so called civilized world would continue to do so if not for laws. Imagine if we all lived them, ignorant and animalistic with an IQ of a retarded level. Same hell would be happening here and everywhere else. Males are simply violent, predatory and controlling. Matriarchal societies do not promote war nor violence so the blame lies in the logical reasoning of gender and ignorance. Pure and simple. Besides, those fools most likely can't read any religious writings no matter who made them up.
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