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Ordination

 

            The role of women in the church has been a significant and debatable issue for many years. As the world changes and becomes an equal and fair society the church still feels it adequate to discriminate against women, as it is seen as justifiable in some denominations to deny the right of a women's ordination. By looking at Bible readings, church traditions and the actions of certain organizations the question of women's ordination can be discussed. The aim of the essay is to so prove that denying a women's ordination is unjust and discriminative of the church .
             An individual's interpretation of the Bible may be that it was women's fault that sin was brought in to the world due to the fact of Eve eating from the tree of knowledge. Therefore, women are considered to be in a state of punishment for sin. Women are held responsible for bringing original sin into the world, and being a continuing source of seduction. The biblical creation stories are interpreted as having put women in a permanent state of submission to men, by way of punishment. So obviously it would be wholly inappropriate for such "sinful creatures" to be chosen as channels of God's grace i.e. to be teaching the scripture.
             However, it must be stated the Adam also ate from the tree of knowledge. Both fell in to sin but retained the same amount of responsibility towards God and the world. Both still remained in the image of God despite this sin and at no point did God revoke his statement that men and women were equal. Genesis 1:27 it states "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" the quote states that men and women are equal and it emphasizes that both men and women are made in the image of God. So if God represents both the image of man and women why can't both men and women represent God by becoming ordained priests? .
             Priests are viewed as a symbol of Christ who re-enact the sacrifice.


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