Equal Treatment of Men and Women
I recently stumbled on these words from St. Gregory the Theologian, bishop of Nazianzus in the 4th century. This comes from a homily on the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 19.
"Their laws are unequal and irregular. Why did they restrain the woman but indulge the man? A woman who practices evil against her husband's bed is guilty of adultery, and for this the penalties of the law are very severe; but a husband committing fornication against his wife, has he no account to give? I do not accept this legislation nor do I approve this custom. They who made the law were men, and their legislation is hard on women. This is not how God acts. He says, "Honor thy father and thy mother," the first time there is a commandment to which a promise is joined: "that it may be well with thee". See the equality of the legislation. There is one Maker of man and woman; one and the same debt is owed by children to both their parents."
"Their laws are unequal and irregular. Why did they restrain the woman but indulge the man? A woman who practices evil against her husband's bed is guilty of adultery, and for this the penalties of the law are very severe; but a husband committing fornication against his wife, has he no account to give? I do not accept this legislation nor do I approve this custom. They who made the law were men, and their legislation is hard on women. This is not how God acts. He says, "Honor thy father and thy mother," the first time there is a commandment to which a promise is joined: "that it may be well with thee". See the equality of the legislation. There is one Maker of man and woman; one and the same debt is owed by children to both their parents."
(Jurgens translation)
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