In Beyond God the Father, feminist theologian Mary Daly detailed the psychological and political ramifications of father religion for women. "If God in 'his' heaven is a father ruling his people," she wrote, "then it is the 'nature' of things and according to the divine plan and the order of the universe that society be male-dominated. Within this context, a mystification of roles takes place. The husband dominating his wife represents God 'himself.' The images and values of a given society have been projected into the realm of god and 'Articles of Faith,' and these, in turn, justify the social structures which have given rise to them and which sustain their plausibility."
Philosopher Simone de Beauvoir was well aware of the function of patriarchal religion as legitimater of male power; she wrote, "Man enjoys the great advantage of having a god endorse the code he writes; and since man exercises a soverign authority over women it is especially fortunate that this authority has been vestred in him by the Supreme Being. For the Jew, Mohammedans, and Christians, among others, man is Master by divine right; the fear of God will, therefore, repress any impulse to revolt in the drowntrodden female."
From "Why Women Need the Goddess" by Carol P. Christ in The Politics of Women's Spirituality ed. by Charlene Spretnak
3 comments:
While my own religion (Christianity) has a lot to answere for for repression of women please try to remember that not all of us are sexist/racist/homophobic etc.
What I think needs to happen is that those that live by a given religion understand some of its theology and in that case it means that God is neither male nor female but something else entirely.
it means that God is neither male nor female but something else entirely.
Then Jesus wasn't god. Either Jesus was god, and thus Christians believe god is male, or Jesus wasn't god, and god is neither male or female.
I'm not saying all Christians think this way (though having grown up Catholic, I'm all too familiar with sects that do)--however, your religion does have that logic--you can't get away from it. Woman is blamed for "the Fall" (repeatedly, I might add), and it's a man who redeems it. The whole Abrahamic system is misogynistic to its core, and those who don't see it are like fish in water.
"Then Jesus wasn't god. Either Jesus was god, and thus Christians believe god is male, or Jesus wasn't god, and god is neither male or female."
If God took human form then he kind of gets a choice, male or female. If he doesn't take that choice then he couldn't become human because humans are either male or female.
And I use the term "he" simply by convention :-)
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