Why you can’t go to church during menstruation?.
There is an opinion that women are forbidden to visit the church during menstruation. Let’s try to understand the reasons for this prohibition.
So why you can’t go to church during menstruation? The fact is that the weaker sex during monthly bleeding is considered “unclean”. So, in the Indian tribe among women it was customary to leave the society of people. Men were strictly forbidden to touch the beautiful half of humanity until the menstruation ends.
What does the Old Testament say?
There is an opinion that a woman defiles the temple if she appears in it during menstrual bleeding. This is evidenced by the Old Testament, identifying blood with death. Menstrual discharge contain dead cells of the inner layer of the uterus, which in itself symbolizes death.
In addition, monthly bleeding in women remind of the original sin of Adam and Eve, as they were sent as a punishment. This natural feature is considered a sign of deprivation of the life of the human embryo and refreshes in memory the fact that all people are mortal and weak.
In the Old Testament, you can find other restrictions when visiting the temple. For example, it was not allowed to go to church with pathological discharge, patients, as well as women in childbirth in the first 40 days after the birth of a boy and 80 days – after the birth of a girl.
New Testament: “For” and “Against”
The New Testament contains much less restrictions. Here is a story about a menstruating woman who received healing after touching the clothes of Jesus. Thus, Christ makes it clear that he not only does not reject it, but also accepts everything natural, created by God-Father. All the apostles also adhere to a similar opinion. There is not a single mention of the “impurity” of a woman.
Nevertheless, the prohibitions of the New Testament include visiting the temple with women during the period of critical days and after childbirth.
What is the church motivated
One can call one, really important, the reason for the ban on visiting the church during menstruation. The fact is that in ancient times everything rested on the impossibility of proper observance of hygienic norms. In this regard, there was an opportunity for menstrual blood shedding on the floor. Accordingly, the temple did not allow such negligence and forbade women to enter the room.
In addition, employees of the Church, who were responsible for cleaning the territory, really did not want to wash the floor from dried blood. And it’s not even disgusting. The bottom line is that any touched blood was considered a sinner. Protection funds were not previously provided for.
Today the problem is solved by the variety of hygiene products presented. Therefore, no one will have to wash the temple from the blood, and the woman will not be able to defile anything.
Church these days
It is necessary to enter the Holy Temple, first of all, with spiritual purity, which is an order of magnitude more important than physiological. The modern church recognizes this and removes irrelevant restrictions. It is not forbidden to go to the temple during menstruation, it is impossible only to confess and conduct a baptism ceremony. As for the prayer and ignition of candles, no restrictions exist.
Thus, the church does not impose strict prohibitions. Pregnant women are allowed even to conduct the sacraments. But among women there are still a large number of those who adhere to the old rules and do not risk going to church during the period of critical days and after childbirth.
Of course, everyone chooses for himself and does not impose someone else’s opinion to anyone. It is important to remember only one thing: the walls of the temple must be crossed with a pure heart and good intentions.