Pauls Contradiction?

Hi,First time to post on this site, maybe some of you EvC members can shed some light on a query I have:Paul states in 1 Cor.11,5 "Any women who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame upon her head, for it is one and the same thing as if she had her hair cut off" (women in biblical times who had their hair short were usually less honoured citizens,eg: prostitutes)Then in 1 Cor.14,34-35, Paul says " As in all the churches of the holy ones, women should keep silent in the churches, for they are not allowed to speak and should be subordinate, as even the law says. But if they want to learn anything, they should ask their husbands at home. For it is improper for a women to speak in the church." (Strangely enough,this is not in context with the rest of the this passage...)Also here Paul states 'as even the law says',yet he writes over and over in Romans that we are dead to the law.My big dilemma on both of these scripture quotes is that they seem to condradict each other. On one hand it's ok for women to speak out in church if the head is covered, and on the other,they can't talk at all in church!I'm confused-help!!This message has been edited by AdminPhat, 11-30-2005 04:22 AM

Thanks guys.While not dismissing the head covering issue mentioned,it is not important to my query at all.(Should have pointed this out in original message). Nor do I have a problem acknowleding that women being silent was in line with the times.
What I don't understand is how on one hand it is ok for women to prophesy and a few chapters later they are told to be silent. Why this change of heart? The audience hadn't changed, so why did the teaching ...This message has been edited by karen, 11-24-2005 05:24 PM

Iano writes:
It seems to indicate that the discussing and decision making was for the men and not the women. Men leading and women following? Difficult that...This, I'm sure, was not so difficult then as it is now.Bit like going back to when women couldn't vote.For us now it is difficult to accept that this was once the case, but then was quite acceptable.Or, as in Victorian times, children sent up chimneys to sweep them was the norm, wheras now we shudder at the thought of such a thing!All of this does not change Gods word, but it is our interpretation of it which changes.Afterall,'Slaves obey your masters' is(at least in the western world),obsolete.Does this change the word of God? No, but rather, it is not applicable in our times.And I still don't get where Paul's coming from with his 'as the law says' bit.As far as I was aware, Gods law is written on our hearts...