Is Religion Inherently Misogynistic?

If you mean my ethnic origins as a Jew and it's religious underpinnings then no.

I'm frankly surprised that you need to ask the question. Although the Abrahamic religions are the most virulently misogynistic, many other religions make "second class" citizens of women, and even those which most benignly view the world are usually retreats into meditation which ignore and trivialize the daily struggle for existence that women face for themselves and their children.

In answer to the titular question--oh Hell, yes.

Bias against women is almost non-existent in the Western culture today, which is possibly connected to the rise in nontheism. When I used to attend church there certainly was no bias against women, other than the fact they couldn't be a priest. I don't believe in the church anymore, as in organized religion, but I must say that I believe somewhat in an afterlife or a God. Who knows? I don't think a guy who goes yelling that he's the son of God (Jesus) would still be so popular that he dictates our lives 2,000 years later (i.e. - Christmas, AD/BC dating) if he was Lying. So, who knows? But again, in Catholicism I haven't seen any bias against women at all.

Oh, I already know the answer. I just wanted people to explore the issue, in the interest of consciousness raising.

I should provide a caveat to my above response (before I get crucified) in that I meant directly and personally which is how I took it when you used the phrase "perceived a bias".

Besides that, Mrs. Lincoln, How was the play?

But men can't be nuns either, so that equalizes any suspected bias.

I agree with Set.

I must disagree with you Chumly, though no expert on Judaism, and it may, for all I know, be more enlightened than some other eligions...but:

"In another part of the Hebrew literature which is found in the Catholic Bible we read: "No wickedness comes anywhere near the wickedness of a woman.....Sin began with a woman and thanks to her we all must die"; (Ecclesiasticus 25:19,24).

Jewish Rabbis listed nine curses inflicted on women as a result of the Fall: "To the woman He gave nine curses and death: the burden of the blood of menstruation and the blood of virginity; the burden of pregnancy; the burden of childbirth; the burden of bringing up the children; her head is covered as one in mourning; she pierces her ear like a permanent slave or slave girl who serves her master; she is not to be believed as a witness; and after everything--death." 2

To the present day, orthodox Jewish men in their daily morning prayer recite "Blessed be God King of the universe that Thou has not made me a woman."; The women, on the other hand, thank God every morning for "making me according to Thy will."; 3 Another prayer found in many Jewish prayer books: "Praised be God that he has not created me a gentile. Praised be God that he has not created me a woman. Praised be God that he has not created me an ignoramus.";"



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I would not think that religion HAS to be misogynistic, just that so far it generally has been.

And I would further argue that, since it is a projection of mainly patriarchal societies, and has been largely about control, that the stuff re female sexuality is no accident.....that it is in the interests of males throughout nature to control female sexuality, (so that they have a chance of knowing THEIR genes will continue...and I think this goes some way to explain male ambivalence about women, too, sicne we are always likely to be able to frsutrate this desire..) and males of various species have tried various methods...amongst humans these have included religion. Amongst honeybees it has included an exploding willy that lodges in the queens' reproductive organs...(which she has now evolved a special technique to dislodge.....)


So it goes.





I do not, by this, imply that ALL of religion can be reduced to this, nor that religions do not have other things to offer, but I do tend to think that this partly explains the frequent stuff demonising female sexuality, and hence females, to some extent, and seeking to control it.

But think of the role that many nuns play in the service of the church. Often they assume the role basically of servants to the male officials in the church.

If you must, you must, but did you miss my above caveat? I was going to edit my original post but things got way out of hand so fast, oh my! I would argue with you just for the hell of it, if I thought I had a fighting chance

Bobbles is living in fantasy land--contraception is forbidden, divorce is forbidden--the only freedoms a woman enjoys within catholicism she enjoys because they derive from a a secular source. Talk about burying one's head in the sand . . .

I really don't understand why you think the more fundamentalist one is the more they are biased against women.

Let me ask a question? Can't one be against abortion but yet for the woman and/or the child? It has to be either or or you are considered biased? If one can be neither for nor against God, as I have been told, I don't see why they can't be against abortion but not be against women. I'm not biased toward women. I am one!

How did you find that? I had been searching for that quote since I wrote the thread. Actually, it was those words, that I learned as a child of about eight in Hebrew school, that first started my questioning the place of religion in my life.

As far as Orthodox Jewish women are concerned, they are as covered up as any Muslim woman in a burka. They may be quite a bit more fashionable, but the intent is exactly the same. The woman needs to be "modest", to cover up any part of the body that might express her sexuality. Instead of a hood, the Orthodox married Jewish woman wears a wig.

1 Corinthians 14:34
women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says.

From your 'divinely inspired' bible. A fundamentalist will take the above scripture, found in the new testament, at face value. Which means you'll kindly sit there and shaddup in church.

Doesn't sound biased against women to you?

Questioner,

The problem is, some will credit ALL with the behavior and that's just not the way it is.

That's your opinion. I believe the original statement made by Phoenix was:

Whether or not some will credit ALL with the behavior is immaterial to the point being made. I would further submit that since you are so leery of that label being applied so liberally that you too have noticed a grain of truth in the statement.

?? This is tongue-in-cheek, yes?

Amongst Hindus, suttee was an accepted funeral practice. The widow would throw herself on her dead husband's funeral pyre.

http://www.bartleby.com/65/su/suttee.html

Questioner Wrote:



Actually Questioner, no, I haven't noticed a grain of truth in that statement. What I have noticed is that those that profess to either not believe in God or don't know if there is a god, etc., seem to have no problem pointing out to those that do just what it is that WE believe. I just can't figure that out.