How can women still be religious when most religions say women are inferior to men and they discriminate?

Question

Just to clear it up, I do NOT agree with the fact that religion use discrimination against women. I am a feminist and I just don't understand how women can still be religious when religion treats them so badly.

I am aware that there are certain religions that do not discriminate, but MOST religions discriminate.

Kelli K, I agree, but doesn't it sound irrational to just judge the WHOLE race because of ONE individual? That doesn't speak of love to me.

I mean religion is based on LOVE right? Women are the source of love in today's societies, everyone knows that. Religion says love's the only thing that matters.

Men are known for being less agreeable, less emotional and having other similarly negative features.

that's why religion sounds like a big lie to me.

Jackal's answer proves my point. Men, the 'superior' race are the opposite of kindness. And religion supports love.

Hah! That's all a big contradiction!

Robinson0120, but isn't taking credit for someone else's work unfair. That's just another sign of discrimination for me.

Taylorrr, if that's pretty exist of me, look for the source if sexism in men. I'm just exposing some facts.

Answer 1

Historically, this has been unbalanced, but feminism is quite alive in the Catholic religion. We have "ENDOW" which is an acronym standing for Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women. (Colorado, California, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas, and Wyoming).

Through small study groups, ENDOW facilitators take groups of women through an intellectual journey on what it means to be a woman under the new feminism as described by Pope John Paul II ("Encyclical to women"*, & "Mulieris Dignitatem" - Dignaty & Vocation of women).

"Feminism is about us as nurtures. Our strength, grace, and joy. We bring forth life. That is where the new feminism is ... in a world with so much suffering, sadness, and conflict, ENDOW is a tool for women to find peace, hope and joy" McCullough)

Pulling from the "Nurtures" ... historically, women have been and still are the nurtures. We nurture new life ... growth and development ... marriages ... our siblings ... our aging parents ... and in today's society, we must nurture our careers too. Yes, we can take the woman out of the family enviroment, but you can't the the nuturer out of the woman. So, ENDOW, brings women together to brainstorm how to manage this juggling act and find the beauty of being a woman and tools to manage her nurturing aspect instead of supress this.

Additionally, the men are now starting to form groups like the "Band of brothers" which also help them find the balance they need as a man in today's society. I have high hopes that together yet separately these groups will bring men and women together to work for a common good instead of the focus of old feminism to make each other compete against each other.

Answer 2

Why women are still religious when it's offered them NOTHING in return??? I couldn't tell you. I certainly don't buy in to religion. I think it's complete bunk made up entirely by men. During those times, strength was in the back, not in the mind and most livings were eeked from the land. Because women are not as physically strong as men, might made right and women were deemed inferior. In societies where women are"equal" , notice how western civilizations prosper. You can also see how middle eastern / eastern and african countries are still third world. It all has to do directly with the status of women. There is alot of truth behind the saying: Educate a man and you educate a person. Educate a woman and you educate the world.

Answer 3

It's actually pretty simple.

I've asked my mother similar questions time and time again, and the answer tends to be the same- "That's just the way it is."

There are a lot of people out there that are willing to accept that "That's just the way it is" when it comes to a LOT of arguably meaningful issues. All manners of broken logic and denial can be used in the process.

I'm starting to realize that it's just not worth it to bother someone else and argue ideologies. They aren't going to change their minds, and they probably want you to "understand" as much as you want them to.

To clear something up, a lot of those women don't believe the religion is treating them "badly;" again, they figure, for example, that the priesthood is a male-only profession because "That's just the way it is." This doesn't mean, however, that they think they are subservient and inferior to men- just that they have different roles. The whole idea of females "ruling" through association with the supposed "rulers" tends to fit in also.

There are lots of ways to look at lots of subjects. The Bible may say that women are worth less "shekels" than men, but it also notes that they are equal in the eyes of God. To a lot of religious women, that's what matters- the eyes of God, not temporary status or role differences.

Quick Edit: Furthermore, what Dr. Bob said is also right. Women have been ruling just about hand-in-hand "behind the scenes" for millenia. It's the men that are preoccupied with status, not the women- the idea is to let men go around and assume they have the power while just about everything they do they do for their wives and families.

Answer 4

Women In Islam
http://www.jannah.org/sisters/women.html

Answer 5

Usually its the only game in town, that they can see...

But men and women as individuals, are NOT EQUAL!
Men ARE NOT SUPERIOR! WOMEN ARE NOT SUPERIOR!
Its apples and oranges here people!
WE ARE DIFFERENT! And individual ability CROSSES AND NEGATES THE STANDARD MALE AND FEMALE DOMAINS!

We are NOT equal as groups either, once we had domains of power, and each started attempting to "take over" the other's authority...The men were in charge at church and political field, but guess who runs the household and the town...AND ALL THE MEN?!
Women!
The "masculine dominant" view of religions makes it less of a hassle for women to get on with daily activity, because it gives the men SOMETHING TO DO, earn money and keep the domestic situation in order, as well as deterring other males from harassing the women, which without possesive husbands around WHO CONSIDER THE WOMEN AS PROPERTY, they will do all day long...It can be hard to go about your business with every dude in town breathing down your neck...It would sound like a convenient free labor force, but they break out into fights too much...So women continue to "let the men think they're in charge," its a time saving technique they've been using for eons...I just wonder why all of the sudden they stopped realizing it was just for show...

Answer 6

In my opinion, religions, at least not the Christian religion, do not treat women badly. Women are suppose to be the supporter, nurturer, and care taker of a family. Men are suppose to be the spiritual leaders and bread winners of a family. I don't see this as being a bad thing, I just think women and men are given certain roles by God. The way society has changed though, has transformed the order of things, so it seems negative for a women to be submissive.

Actually in the Holy Bible, women of God are praised and honored.

Answer 7

I am going thru a problem where I run a business and I feel I am very religious God knows me and I love and respect God
But I have a group of guys who pull I am not to lead or that I am not a good good woman by having the power I have. They the guys have tried to put me down so many times I started to believe what they had to say

However I read the BIBLE several times (over and over) no where do I find as a woman I cannot lead or I cannot have a strong job. what I understand and I love about what I have found is that I stand by my man , love my children and cherish the time I have with them...and I do love leading my company to success..(.I design Muscle Cars by the way )

What I am trying to say is you go girl the men putting you down are not putting you down because they are or think they are more religious they are insecure and trying to stop you in the way they tried to stop me ..
I will pray for you not to get in the trap I was in for several months that you become strong, you will always love God
and you understand Be a true Christian believe and let the talk go off your ears to dirt under your feet and you my friend will be find

Answer 8

I believe that such women are religious despite the double -standards and contradictions of their religions, simply because it is the basis of many of their lives. Religion touches not only the individual but also the family, community, and social infrastructure. So if she were to ignore the section detailing that women are inferior to men everything else would (somewhat) fall into place.

Answer 9

I've always wondered this myself. Most all the popular religions are patriarchal. I have attended a few church (Baptist) services with my mother, and it seems that the minister doesn't preach directly out of the Bible. It seems that sermons are based now on what seems to be right or the gist of it all, so that women don't get the raw end of the deal as long as they don't read the book.

Answer 10

Women are religious because they believe in love.

I know in some religions women are treated inferior, but in today's modern world a women as has many rights as a man.

I believe in marriage and all it sanctifies, don't believe in divorce, it's not the religion which treats them badly, it is the people who they live with.

If we go back to Jesus, he treated women with kindness, preached about love, being a good neighbour, that is what being a Christian means being compassionate with each other.

Women make the best of a situation, it's because we have to be compassionate towards others, we have to nurture our offspring, it's hard being a women, for we have a great deal to achieve in our lives, some women are subservient to men, I'm not sure this makes them inferior, it's a form of respect to their husbands, we can't judge other peoples ways or beliefs,
we all live in this world, we all need to be love.