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Misogyny and Sexism in Religion

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21:02 / 16.04.07

I notice many of those Gentle Christian Mothers in XK's link actually seem to be rebelling against what they were raised was their position, inasmuch as the nonviolence thing goes. Several of the - in many ways kinda horrifying and brainnumbing - testimonials, the happiness seems to come from realizing that the spare the rod stuff they were raised under was not necessarily the only option.

They do lose points for repeatedly misspelling 'wimpy' though. It's not like it's a hard word to spell.

23:17 / 16.04.07

I feel like my point is being lost here.

I think we're exploring some side issues and testing the waters but has it really gotten off course from your POV?

Christians and Pagans Agree, Wicca Emerging as America's Third Religion
(PRWEB) April 21, 2005 -- Earth Day celebrations are seen as a way to recognize the need to save and protect Mother Earth. For some that image is not simply a slogan or phrase but the center of their worship and religious life. Known as Wiccans, aka Witches and Pagans, Nature worshippers are becoming more numerous and their concepts are emerging to challenge traditional rules of society based on biblical law. They are emerging to become a major force in spiritual communities, having increasing number of adherents, and expecting the same rights and privileges as Christians and other faith practices of the United States.

Steve Wohlberg, in his book the Hour of the Witch, was the first to state the conclusion that we are now in a turning point and that Wicca would emerge as the third largest faith in America and would directly challenge Christian ideals of church and state. This is collaborated by leading Pagan leader and researcher, Phyliss Currott stating the Wiccan community is doubling in size every 18 months. That is a predicted future community of twenty million or more members in the United States by 2012. By both Christian and Pagan standards that would be a significant shift in American society.

Again I'm not too comfortable using these statements as reliable facts but it is something to consider.

If Wicca/NeoPagan/Earth-Centric does become that major within our lifetimes the entrenched misogyny and sexism will be called out and examined more readily than in ancient and established dogmas. While the modern earth-centric neo pagan flavors often have better dialogues around gender roles, many of them also re-establish archaic power structures (as MC has pointed out).

So I think many more people see misogyny as not ok and are actively seeking to reform it various religions.

interesting article on:The church's legacy of misogyny: scholar unearths medieval thought behind discrimination - Analysis

00:07 / 17.04.07

How weird is it that all those sources come from the 13th century (with one or two 12 century sources for flavor)? I don't know if that's because that's the period Raming was investigating or if it's because that's the period when all this stuff was codified. ("Congealed" might be a better word.)

Also: I think the ways in which religion makes a virtue of submission is an important element in the way certain kinds of personal injustice are tolerated. I'm convinced, for an extreme example, that I could find theological arguments discussing slavery as a way of teaching heathens the virtue of submission. If you accept submission as a virtue (which I go back and forth on, personally), then it becomes difficult to create strategies of resistance, or even to entertain ideas of equality or imbalance, whether it's between races or genders or nations or whoever. So I'm not sure it's losing your point -- I'm actually trying to illuminate your point.

15:59 / 17.04.07

So I'm not sure it's losing your point -- I'm actually trying to illuminate your point.

Grant, you know, it has been proven that I can be very thick in the head sometimes. As well, it could be that I am just incredibly disenchanted with Catholicism. Claims of a "pro-woman" Catholic Church seem token to me. I will read over this thread again, during the week and respond with more clarity (hopefully!).

I was initially going to separate the eastern and western trads, but decided to approach it this way. I wonder if it would be useful to break things down further, due to cultural influences?

17:41 / 17.04.07

There are theses to be written about gender roles in Chinese religion, but I'm not up enough on the society/religion interface in China to even outline 'em.

16:12 / 18.04.07

I found this really interesting giant blurby. Scroll down the page to the 'Early Modern History' section.

17:12 / 19.04.07

Wow. That John Knox sure did have some... strongly held ideas....

His output at Geneva included his The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, published anonymously in 1558, in which he unleashed a torrent of vitriol against female rulers:

For who can denie but it is repugneth to nature, that the blind shall be appointed to leade and conduct such as do see? That the weake, the sicke and impotent persons shall norishe and kepe the hole and strong? And finallie, that the foolishe, madde and phrenetike shal governe the discrete and give counsel to such as be sober of mind. And such be al women, compared unto man in bearing of authoritie. For their sight in civile regiment is but blindness; their strength, weaknes; their counsel, foolishnes; and judgment, phrensie, if it be rightlie considered.

Founder of Presbyterianism, y'know.

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