[davidsun]

Originally Posted by CrystalSong

Ah the time honored tradition of demonizing women....

All too often, peeps who subscribed to Oneness as a philosophy (idea-relating-to-Reality scheme) can't handle the idea of equality (equal importance) of both parts in a dance between 'polarities' (i.e. dual interrelated functionalities) like 'positive' and 'negative' or 'masculine' and 'feminine', ..

... so they postulate that one of them must be 'lesser' and hierarchically subordinated to the other. It 'discombobulates' their thinking (about their philosophy) otherwise and so 'threatens' their sense of 'order' (their 'security blanket') in the universe.

Hence 'light', 'whiteness', 'maleness' etc. being (irrationally!) 'glorified' - angels are portrayed as being 'white' and 'God' is portrayed as being supremely 'male' - and 'darkness', 'blackness', 'femaleness' etc. being 'demonized' as 'bad', at least not as 'good', and relegated to 'second class' status.

Its not just 'women' and 'femininity' that are experienced as 'threatening' and so demonized (that is, if they don't 'stay' in their 'places' - the kitchen, the nursery, the bedroom, etc.) in other words.

The arenas of (ideational) Oneness, Non Duality, Monotheism, etc. are riddled with a huge number of absurdities stemming from such irrationality.

Me thinks only a philosophy based on the concept of panentheism, if and as adopted and promulgated to the point where it become the preeminent in people's (in general) thinking, will deliver us from such foolishness.

This involves much more than what are called '(human) civil rights' or 'women's rights'. The entirety of Nature is involved. We who would take 'humanity' to a 'higher' level must at all times actively speak and relate in ways which don't simply 'respectfully' 'honor' but rather thoughtfully challenge) mindless and/or illegitimately propagandistic uses (abuses! really) of labels and slogans such as Oneness, Non Duality, God (singular), Christ, Allah hu Akbar, etc. because these will otherwise just continue to be co-opted and misused by 'simple minded' and 'fear hearted' folks!

Even seeming non-sexist advocacy of what is called 'selflessness' and 'egolessness' (wherein 'self' and 'ego' are in effect 'demon'ized) may be propagandized and misused in such fashion by 'elitists' of all sorts (who are often 'wolves wearing sheep's clothing disguises' in this regard).