Religions and women

Are women in all religions treated as inferior?


I was researching different religions for quite some time now, but all of them teach that women are not equal as men and therefore not suitable for any important roles in life, except for giving birth, and of course men get to decide how many children will they have and women aren't even asked for opinion.
But the question is: are there any religions, cults, whatever that traditionally consider women equal as man? Please respond....

 

Hmm...have you researched pagan religions? There are so many with a plethera of taditions and many held women in very high regard. Not all though, I'm sure.

All of the mainstream religions have treated or looked at women as inferior (especially in the past) but I think the world is beginning to move past that. There are still plenty of steps to take in that area, however.

 

In patriarchal religions and societies women have been subordinated to men historically, that's definitely true. It's not to say that some women haven't risen to positions of 'respect', but respect and power/equality with men are very different things. Hence the catholic church, an overtly mysoginistic and male dominated hierarchy, has it's quota of women saints. None of them are much like femminists though!
The same is probably true of other religions too.
In previous epochs of history, 'pagan' times, things may have been different in some places.
To-day, the Anglican church now admits women to the clergy, and I think they now get more women recruits than men. Otherwise, I think the old traditional mainstream religions are as male dominated as ever.

 

What you should be asking is "did all CULTURES treat women as inferior to men?" since religion is a reflection of cultural biases and behavior.


And the answer is no. As someone pointed out, pagan religions often do not, and many primitive hunter-gatherer societies were much more egaltarian, women and men being more or less equal (though usually still divided as far as the division of labor goes). I think Buddhism is supposed to see women as equal to men, but in practice, I'm not sure if they are (culture, again, is the real issue here).

 

Like someone already said, look into various Pagan religions. Pretty much every one (if not all) that I've read about has women being considered as goddesses.... the way it should be.

 

It's interesting that you say that. But I think it could be argued that the reverse is true also - that cultures reflect the underlying beliefs/religion of their members.
In that case, the type of philosophy behind patriarchal religion is whats to blame, as it shapes the cultural practices and attitudes of its adherents.

 

so has anybody read:
_when god was a woman_
?????

 

or maybe:
_drawing down the moon_
?????

 

Sikhism has taught that men and woman were equal since they formed, I think somewhere in the 1400s or the 1500s. Though none of their saints are woman, which I thought was kind of odd.

 

Probably reflects a gap between what is said and what is practiced, as is often the way of things.

 

Yeah, I guess. Sikhism is kind of an interesting religion nonetheless. Kind of like a combination of Hinduism and liberal Islam.

 

Thinkism.

 

True, Thinkism is one of the religions that does not show women as inferior species, but then again, this is new, and this thinkism is called "modern". The old one where women were thought as inferior is called greek philosophy.

 

I don't think the Greeks had any monopoly in their depracating attitude towards women. Later Christian civilization, eastern religions and cultures, even some tribal and 'pagan' cultures have been just as bad.

 

Not the Celts, Bill, or at least the ancients. The women hunted, worked, warred and ruled as equals with the men, whether the Britons, the Gauls or the Kingdoms.

Yes I know, most of that history is lost, but it is backed up by both Greek and Roman historians. Don't want to start that debate again... Contrary to popular belief not all Pagan gods were female. Just the overwhelming majority.

 

Are your humors balanced today?

Personally, I'm feeling a little cold and damp myself.

Nevermind.

 

I question the warring part. The Celts accepted woman soldiers, yes, but they probably weren't as common as male soldiers.

However, when I read a book of Celtic Myths and Legends, it did strike me that they did seem to put as much emphasis on woman as men, which was nice.

 

I specialize in making jokeless jokes ... sometimes its hard for people to actually understand that it is a joke. Hence the name, "jokeless joke".

 

Religion is for children, not women.

Why would women worship God? They should worship their children.

 

Why should women worship their children?

You'd at least think it would be the other way around, if anything...