the word "man" here is used as a synonym for humanity. Adam and Eve were also given joint dominion over creation. The role of the man is leadership, while the role of woman is as a source of strength and support. If a person wants to understand the Christian authority of a man over his wife, he must consider how Christ demonstrated his leadership as head over the Church. Primarily, he gave his life for his church, not using force or coercion for her submission. Many people would dispute the Bible's relevance to contemporary thought in general, and in particular to the role of women in worship. If the Bible were not written under divine inspiration, a person or practice is not bound by its teachings. He or she can therefore pick and choose whatever corresponds to his/her point of view. However, if the Bible is of divine inspiration, then a cautious consideration of passages relevant to a particular issue must be undertaken. Traditions and customs, that have arisen after the Bible was written, may thus be carefully scrutinized. Such practices may or may not prove sound after comparison with scripture. If women are not allowed to have a voice or some kind of input, the church could be loosing a valuable resource of wisdom. If a husband does not consider his wives thoughts and ideas as being important or valid, his family is surely incomplete, dysfunctional and doomed to failure. Therefore, as the church strives to realize Gods purpose for women, we must remember the truths of the scripture and apply them to our present day culture. This will allow men and women to present the Christian message to our world in the most powerful way. Feminist ethics has much to offer Catholicism. For one, the main issues that concern feminist ethics are basically the same ones that make up Catholic identity. That is, how women and men define themselves in society, what means are available to them for attaining their ends- in short inter personal and social ...
