Is Religion Inherently Misogynistic?

I still don't know what you are saying. Coould you dumb it down for me? what I think you are saying is: You perceived females and males were treated equally in your religion.

Gala,

No it is no longer a hygiene issue, unless medically indicated. Its origins are probably from a pagan fertility rite.

The point is that if done for religious reasons then Reform Jews are differentiating between the sexes from birth.

I directly and personally perceived no bias against woman in the context of my Jewish ethnicity, religion and culture in and outside the home.

Now how the hell was that for a mouthful of clarity I ask yah?
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I was going to say the Star O' David, but decided not to seeing as you clearly stated you had no religious upbringing.

Chumly, I meant no religious leanings and you said you are Jewish by ethnic origins only, which means to me you wouldn't care if it were the Star of David or just one of those regular grade school style stars.

Gala wrote:

Chumly, I meant no religious leanings and you said you are Jewish by ethnic origins only, which means to me you wouldn't care if it were the Star of David or just one of those regular grade school style stars.

Interesting point, but because I can separate the ethnic origin from the religiosity, does not automatically mean I do not care which star I would get. I think that Jewish symbols can be looked at as having two facets, one of religiosity and one of ethic origin. Would you not agree?

In another thread, we were discussing abortion, and the rights of a woman. Thinking about it, I realized that many of the religions of which I am aware, have a definite bias against women, especially in the areas of reproduction and sexuality, but not exclusively in those areas.

Apparently, the more fundamentalist a faith, the stronger the bias is against women.

Quote:

Many religions and philosophies contain what could be called misogyny. Paul insisted that women should not talk in church ("women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says." -1 Cor 14:34 NIV). In Hinduism, the Code of Manu makes women incapable of ever being independent. At times in Indian history, it was customary for a woman to be pushed onto the funeral pyre of her husband (see sati). In Islam, some interpretations of Sharia law forbid women to show any part of their body in public except their face, hands or the top of their feet. There is, however, wide disagreement from followers of these religions that these various teachings are misogynistic.

The 16th century Protestant reformer John Knox wrote a book called The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women in which he argued against the ability of women to govern.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misogyny

Have you ever perceived a bias against women in your religion? In what way? Why do you think that this has developed, and why is it so pervasive all over the earth?