Is religion unfair towards women ?

[girlsearching]

In general, yes religion has been sexist and male-oriented for over thousands of years. But all ancient societies were like that once. I personally believe that women in general are always treated as being inferior.

Christianity and a Woman's Value

Does the Bible Demean Women

I wouldn't say that, but there is a patriarchal system that Scripture utilizes that compliments male and female according to their strengths. God made them male and female... When you take away the female gender roles and personality traits you leave only sexual or anatomical differences for individuality. That is more demeaning, lest you consider yourself more valuable displaying your sexuality in such a superficial way in society?

[girlsearching]

Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism all have this misogynistic hatred (towrads women) view. In all cases, women are viewed as property, unclean, temptresses, or generally just inferior to men. many claim that this misogyny is actually 'respect' for women, and that this is honoring and protecting women. But, when you see how these documents are used to justify the forced forced marriages, genital mutilation, honor killings, abuse, imprisonmentagainst women, it is hard to see how they can be seen as anything but misogynistic. I am not just talking about Islam when I name these crimes, they also occur in other religions as well.

Originally Posted by girlsearching

Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism all have this misogynistic hatred (towrads women) view. In all cases, women are viewed as property, unclean, temptresses, or generally just inferior to men. many apologists claim that this misogyny is actually 'respect' for women, and that this is honoring and protecting women. But, when you see how these documents are used to justify forced marriages, genital mutilation, honor killings, abuse, imprisonment, and against women, it is hard to see how they can be seen as anything but misogynistic I am not just talking about Islam when I name these crimes, they also occur in other religions as well.

I'm speaking about Christianity, have you taken the time to read those links? Does this sound like hatred?

Colossians 3:

18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

21 Fathers,[c] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Ephesians 5

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

[girlsearching]

Originally Posted by TeeHee

I'm speaking about Christianity, have you taken the time to read those links? Does this sound like hatred?

I wasn't talking about any spacific relgion. I read those links. I'm talking about treated as equals. men use thier relgion to sometimes supress women and abuse their power.



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Originally Posted by girlsearching

In general, yes religion has been sexist and male-oriented for over thousands of years. But all ancient societies were like that once. I personally believe that women in general are always treated as being inferior.

Unfortunately it is true that most cultures throughout history have been more patriarchal than matriarchal. But it's not always the case - in Ancient Egypt, women had a lot of freedom compared to most societies. For instance women could initiate a divorce for the sole reason of not liking her husband, something rather unheard of in most ancient cultures.
As for religion, yes, it has been a device used to justify misogyny, like the preposterous idea that it's Eve's, and by extension all females fault we've fallen from paradise. Religion is naturally conservative and traditionalist, so it's natural for it to retain some vestiges of the culture's it was formed in, some of them being unsavory to modern people.

Speaking from a Christian perspective, it is sadly the case that some Christians can be misogynistic. But that has more to do with personal issues than something sanctioned by the Church. the Blessed Virgin Mary is venerated as the foremost of saints, and the first Christian. She's given greater glory than all the angels because of her unique role in God's redemption - hardly women oppressive. St. Paul also writes that there is no male or female in Christ, gender is irrelevant to our salvation.
Most people who use Scripture to justify treating women unfairly tend to be unlearned in it to begin with, along with possessing some issues with the fairer sex.

[norseman]

So easy to confuse "religion" with culture !

[psychoslice]

Religion is unfair to all, its just soooo childish.

Mary Magdalene had her own gospel in the Gnostic Gospels. They depict Mary Magdalene as being a key disciple in her own right and that she understood Christ's message better than the male disciple (which would explain Peter's questioning and denouncing of her experience - in the Gospel of Mary).

The misogyny actually happened later when the Church was formed in the 3rd and 4th Centuries. They made her into a repentant prostitute.

Originally Posted by amy green

Mary Magdalene had her own gospel in the Gnostic Gospels. They depict Mary Magdalene as being a key disciple in her own right and that she understood Christ's message better than the male disciple (which would explain Peter's questioning and denouncing of her experience - in the Gospel of Mary).

The misogyny actually happened later when the Church was formed in the 3rd and 4th Centuries. They made her into a repentant prostitute.

Not precisely - while Mary Magdalene is given a special position in the GoM, it reflects a later tradition of gnosticizing (is that a word? well now it is ) that was popular in the second century, that's not necessarily an anathema to more orthodox Christian teachings. In the early church, women had a major role, performing as deaconesses and helping administer their churches, St. Paul mentions highly respected Christian women in some of his letters; in fact one of the critiques that was leveled at Christianity by it's pagan detractors was that a large percentage of Christians were women and slaves, which meant it was a hysterical superstition (from their point of view). Even so, Christianity is a egalitarian religion, but since it is a continuation of a patriarchal religion, Judaism, and defined itself in an even more patriarchal and male-centered society - the Roman Empire of the Mediterranean, it's naturally inherited a few androcentric tendencies, especially in it's manifestation as a state religion.