Monotheism, a method of keeping women in their place?

Question

the Jews killed Jezebel and the followers of her religion honoring Baal and many other gods and goddesses because they would not convert to a monotheistic religion. jezebel was the queen of Israel and a very powerful woman who was thrown out of a window and eaten by dogs. the bible explains that it was because she was evil. I maintain she was murdered because she was a woman with power who worshipped male and female deities. She would not submit to Judeism and it's one male god. Her name became synonymous with bad women (did that mean women with decision-making power?) and Mary, mother and wife of god evenually became the dominant figure of a good and compliant woman.

Coes anyone see what I am driving at? Please comment (intelligent, thoughtful answers -PLEASE!)

Answer 1

Great question, really gets one to thinking. It's only been since I started on Answers that I had given any thought to these things. I put them away from me years ago! Now here I am and Of couurse Jezebel got a bad rap. Most women in the bible did unless they would get on their knees, eat sh*t and die!

"When Jezebel was Queen of Israel, sweeping changes in Israel's religious and political power base swirled through the land. For thousands of years the people of that region had observed a religious tradition that involved numerous gods and goddesses. Jezebel's parents were the high priestess and priest of Ashtoreth and Baal in her home in the Canaanite city of Sidon. They represented the goddess and god of an ancient pagan system. In this ancient religion, knowledge, power and property passed down through the mother. It was a matrilineal system in which women had social, political, legal and economic independence. Into this environment came a group of Hebrews, Levites, who taught a new way of thinking. The Hebrews insisted there was but one god, a male god. Convincing people to change their core beliefs wasn't any easier then than it is now, and the Hebrews faced strong resistance from the followers of paganism."

Well, just goes to show you, all the pulpit pounders say she was a whore, who even painted her face to look more attractive ! Then go on to say how she got her husband into a crooked land deal and killed some one. Propably like White Water. Pull out all the stops to nail a woman. Jews wrote the bible, thats like having Ken Starr write the final word on Hillary.

At any rate, the bible was full of bad girls who got punished cause everything was a womans fault. Lilith, Eve, Poor Lot's wife didn't even get a name, Mary Magdelene ( and they white washed Mary by saying that angel visted her) Delilah was a humdinger , Jezebel got eaten by dogs, Sheba eventually left town. And I wonder how many of the apostles had wives and dumped them to follow Jeses from hell to breakfast. I sure as heck know tha Moses didn't pay child support either! Bunch of dead beat dads.

I'm sorry I am not responding in an intellegent manner, I am being thoughtful, and I think women got the dirty end of the deal.

Answer 2

I can definately see your point. After all, men have been intimidated by strong female leaders in the past. However, if I understand the scriptures correctly, she was condemned to death for refusing to worship the GOD of Abraham, which was the official god of the state. At that time religious leaders and state leaders were often in cohorts, if not the same people. Religion is, after all, a great way to control the masses. I also think that by killing the Queen, the King and Preists were also making a very bold statement to the people. If the Queen can suffer such a horrible death, then what of the common peoples? Just my thoughts. Email me if you would like to discuss this further.

Answer 3

The domination-of-women theme found in most patriarchal-monotheistic religions was a very big part of my decision to leave Christianity and find a religion that suited what I knew in my heart, that women aren't less, aren't inherently evil for having thoughts and ideas, aren't terrible for standing up against the bullies that men can become. I was raised to listen to my father, but when my father demonstrated his inability to act in a logical manner according to his own religion, I knew there was something wrong there. The only story from the Christian mythology that I've ever kept liking was that of Esther because she used her brain to get the upper hand (well, and her body too, I'm sure, although they don't like to advertise that one). She was strong. I still like the story of Esther as a good piece of writing, and I've often wondered if it was slipped in by a woman or a man who was sympathetic to women.

Monotheistic religions, whether they are based around a male or a female deity, will always degrade the "weaker" gender, the gender that the followers don't believe their god/dess approves of just because the leaders of the society don't approve. Unfortunately, the Wiccan form known as Dianic is often perceived as acting this way, focusing on women to the exclusion of men as in any way important. While I think that it's more reactionary, based on being stepped on by men throughout the centuries and the fact that we now realize that we were, it's still a sad thing.

Sometimes, I wish that we'd never figured out what sex was really for. I think it was easier for women before men realized that they actually had a part in reproduction, that sex was more than just a few minutes of feeling really good. Wishful thinking leads me to wish that it was still that way. Ah, well, we can't turn back the clock, wish all we might. However, you might be interested in Jean Auel's fictional tales of prehistory, the Earth's Children series. The author bases a lot of her story on archaeological evidence and plain common sense. Her version of a possible religious belief in prehistoric times (I believe about 30,000 years ago, but it may be as early as 10,000 years ago) has influenced my own thoughts on the subject and my thoughts on what it would be like if we were still ignorant of the reproductive process in the entirety.

Answer 4

Okay, it's an example, I can see what you're driving at, but let's face it: Women have been screwed ever since cavemen realized they could club them over the head. Male polytheists didn't exactly elevate women to a superior position, they had them hauling the wine. If you're talking about women issues, religion or no, they're getting screwed. And I truly apologize for this sad state of inequity. What would this world be like if it were ruled by feminine ideology? I don't know, but it's gotta be better than this.

Answer 5

Very nice interpretation!

I hadn't thought through the Jezebel story quite that way, but what you say makes a lot of sense. This whole God-Man man-god scenario is all caught up in the image, as the Jews had no talent for painting or sculpture and therefore bound up their entire visual imagery into their God-Man/man-god. For them, to look at an image of God is simply to look at one another or into a mirror, lake or other reflective surface.

So more than half of the violence of the bible is the story of defending self-worship through insisting on this one God, made in the image of man!

Answer 6

The Baal religion included all kinds of base orgies etc. It was evil. God created women to be very special creatures that are different than males. By insisting that we have to be the same as men cheapens our important roles.

Find out who you are as a woman not what kind of a man are you!

Answer 7

Have you ever seen how Hindi women are treated? I believe they have over a million gods. I really don't think poor treatment of women has anything to do with only worshipping one god. Men who truly worship God know the value of a woman.

Answer 8

Jezebel was killing off the prophets! Did her worsip of Baal give her a desire to kill those who did support HER religion???Multiple gods, multiple craziness. She threathened death and succeeded with those killings.

Answer 9

Have you read the Da Vinci Code? You might be interested to read what Dan Brown has to say on the subject of the Catholic Church's "subjugation" of women.

Answer 10

well all gods, prophets r "men", so i guess u dont expect from a religion made by men and of men to be very tolerant of a woman figure that would threaten the power of men