Bible Discussion Thread

This is disturbing, it makes me so sick that if a woman was with and man and he died she would be forced to marry his brother!!! I'm sick and tired of women being treated as if all they are good for is making babies

Helena

Your're honesty is appreciated.

That was Old Testament Law, or the Law of Moses, and has no impact today.

That was a different time and the mind set of women back then were not of the mind set of women today.

Helena, in the Eastern/Middle Eastern culture of that time, the right & proper thing to do for the widow was that she was cared for & provided for. She wasn't just a baby-maker, because the unmarried brother was duty-bound to look after his deceased brother's wife. And of course, there was a sense of societal stigma associated with an unattached woman. In other words, in those cultures it would be awful for a woman to be 'left on the shelf'. Refer to the book of Ruth to get the full story: a good example of widow Ruth, a Moabitess lady, who married Boaz, a kinsman-redeemer (also a picture of Christ's redeeming work for those He purchases). In India, amongst Hindus, if a woman's husband died, she could not face the shame of being on her own & unprotected, so while he was being cremated, she would then cast herself alive on the funeral pyre (known as Sati, pron. Sutti). This has been outlawed now, but still goes on in remote parts. I hope this gives you better understanding.