Critically assess the view that religion opresses women Essays

Critically assess the view that religion opresses women Essays Critically assess the view that religion opresses women Essay Critically assess the view that religion opresses women Essay Womens religious oppression has long been an issue for religious women and sociologists. Much of the evidence to suggest that women are oppressed comes from the sociologist view of feminism. Feminists tend to formulate that women are disprivileged due to the fact that religion is a mainly patriarchal institution where supernatural beings and leaders are overwhelmingly male. However, this is a blanket definition and can be defined in several different branches. Altogether, there are three main denominations. Liberal, Radical and Marxist feminists all approach patriarchal religion with slightly different idea towards religion but essentially aiming for the same thing. Liberal feminists are the most well known of all. Their main aim is to gain religious equality for women by removing their obstacles that their religions put onto them to allow them the right to become priests and other forms of figures of importance. While, radical feminists take a more direct approach to the issue by saying that religion exists solely for the benefit of men. They also believe that the rise of monotheism is a problem due to the fact that it is hard to find a religion where their one and only supreme being is female. In the same light, Marxist feminists also take a very direct method to approach womens oppression. They say that religion is a tool of compensation for women while exploiting them doubly if they are of a lower class and female. As with all Marxist ideologies, their ultimate aim would be revolution. By looking at religion directly it is easy to see how many patriarchal constraints there are over women. Although there are some rising female readers of religion, scriptures were first and foremost written and interpreted by men and it is men that are the head of the churches in Islam and Catholicism. This could mean that many values and ideologies such as the wearing of the Burka, beatings, female circumcision and bans on contraception may have been misinterpreted for mens gain and passed on through generation to generation. Many religious women are still not permitted to become priests or are only allowed to work themselves up to a certain level before they hit a religious glass ceiling, identifying where they want to be but unable reach it due to the constraints set upon them as expressed in liberal feminists interpretation of womens supposed oppression. As a collection, women are often seen in a relatively negative light throughout a majority of religious organisations. Many westernised religions are often found to class women as seductress and the cause of original sin due to the fact that it was apparently Eve who tempted Adam to take a bite from the Apple from the tree of Knowledge. Again this was interpreted from a religious scripture and adopted as a value that is strongly held on to. Others are known to say that women are pollutants while they are menstruating and cannot be allowed to worship during such times, even though this is a natural thing for women to go through. Non-westernised religions have even been known to go as far as to say that men and women must be separated during worship and they must be separate on beaches with people to enforce such values should they be broken. Although there are quotes from Holy Scriptures that suggest these things it is, at times, hard to link the quote to its interpretation. For examp le on the issue of female circumcision and beatings the Quran states that if it must be done it must be done lightly. However, circumcision and beatings are still taking away a womans dignity and men are the ones deciding to do so. Although there is a lot of evidence to suggest that women are oppressed by religion, there are modern changes that would say that women are becoming just as important as men when it comes to religion and working. Some of the newer religions are polytheistic, meaning that there is more scope to have female gods for possible female roles such as fertility and love, implying that women are indeed appreciated for what they do just in a slightly different way than that of males. Although many of the goddesses are of a gentle caring originality, there are instances of stronger goddesses such as Kali the destroyer. Women are also choosing to join paganistic religions like Wicca and other newer religions, appearing to show that women are actually choosing to participate in what they choose to feel is right rather than following the mother, wife role which, again, may have stemmed from an original interpretation of the holy texts. Men and womens visions of God tend to be very different. Where males see God as a larger than life controlling force, womens instinct would see God as a comforting figure who gives love and forgiveness when its due. In a stereotypical world it has always been the women who have stayed at home to look after and raise the children, are given the job of socialising them, teaching them morals that will be socially accepted. Figures would show that although religion vastly headed and publicly practiced by men, it is women that for the majority of the religious population. This may be due to many factors but the clearest of all is the benefit that it may have on their children in the long run. Socialisation as a rule originates from one persons taught values to another. Therefore, if a female is bought up to believe in religion then they are more likely to grow up to socialise their children to do the same than a non-religious parent. Stereotypically women are born with a maternal instinct to want the best for their children and believe that religion is the most likely candidate to provide this for them, depicting that it is possible that women do not see actually see religion as oppressive. To westernised society wearing a Burka looks as though it is taking away identity. However, to a Muslim woman who actually understands, it is not a controlling tool but liberation against judgement allowing them to go through daily life without any limitations. According to the women, there is no actual value that states they must wear it which makes the decision optional. After the 9/11 and 7/7 bombings more Muslim women chose to wear it because they rejected the idea that these terrorists were true Muslims and felt the need to identify themselves apart from others, indicating that they are actually happy to follow their religions teachings and values. Many views that are upheld in the name of religion are not actually stated in any scriptures. This could indicate that it is not actually religion that oppresses women, but society itself.