Organized Religion’s Role in the Oppression of Women essay

Judaism

As in many religions, ladies in Judaism are separated from males during synagogue services and considered temptresses of males based on Old Testament. Judaism is a parent of Christianity and Islam and is the eldest of the globe’s monotheistic religions. The scriptures are the Torah and the Talmud or regulations. Judaism interpretation is “the one who fights with God.” Most females consider themselves equal to males in the social order; they have presumed the role as mother and wife, tending to kids and house with pride and without any fight. Even admitting there satisfaction with the societal roles, ladies have started to challenge patriarchy of Jewish religion by becoming rabbi’s and joining males at services. Whether or not it spills over into norms is still to be observed (Walsh, 31-43).

Christianity

The Christian religion adopted the dreadful attitude toward females in spite of Jesus’ teaching. Christianity has 2.1 billion supporters today. It is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, the son of God and born during Roman era. In spite of the initial confrontation by Rome, in 400 AD this religion had become the authorized religion of the Roman Empire via the inquiry. Jesus’ teaching, therefore, centers on faith in God and love of each other. He had females as followers and they had main roles in his living. But the Roman Empire treated ladies as inferior to males, for serving their sexual desires and reproduction aims. Utilizing the Old Testament accounts as proof of God’s will, the Christian religion adopted the same attitude toward ladies. The adoration of Mary the mother of Jesus as distinguished within the Roman Catholic sphere of Christianity may be treated as progress in the position of females within religious context. Many people are trying to construct the words of the Bible gender-neutral in the attempt to depict females and males as more equivalent. However, there are still lots of people who will carry on to subduing ladies and utilizing the Bible as the justification.

Islam

Islam isn’t good for females and the worst in treatment of them. Islam is the religion of almost 1.3 billion people worldwide. It’s the main growing religion in the USA nowadays. It is centered on the revelations obtained from God by prophet Muhammad. The Muslim believes in one God who intercedes in human activities through angels and prophets. They believe entrance into hell or heaven is based on human actions and will be decided on judgment day when the globe as people know it will end. Islamic social order has embraced its conviction and has been ruled by many sincerely religious figures. Females’ rights have risen and fallen based on a leader in power at the time but typically ladies have few rights and males decide their fate. Ladies are veiled in public, if permitted out of the house at all. Marriages are arranged with males having the capability to stop it at any time. Ladies who refuse to comply the regulations are punished more severely than males with death being required for some offenses. Females are not merely subjected by males in Islam, the female members of the man’s family will make the young wife act within a family as a servant. A female who doesn’t please his husband and his relatives is returned back home to the relatives, who don’t wish to accept her (Kirby, 65-74).

Many Muslim females commit suicide to ease their guilt of bringing shame to the family. Koranic verses define which sexual connections are allowed under the religion and the penalty for any transgression outside these restrictions, which is called zena. It is punishable by beating, imprisonment and even death. In justifying Islam, some people explain that there are several movements of Islam. They assert this is not real Islam; they separate Islam to good and bad. However, what is happening to females under Islamic rule is according to Islamic orthodoxy, which methodically oppresses women.

Hinduism

Though Hinduism means the search for freedom, females haven’t discovered it in Hindu social order that is still patriarchic in nature. Hinduism is the 3^rd largest religion in the world and the main religion in India. Hinduism is more like philosophy. Believers are called polytheist since they worship lots of gods but are also considered monotheistic as most think there is one genuine God who is able to feature many forms. This religion doesn’t establish worth based on sexual category but on the caste system. The caste is established by birth and only by existing a kind living will a person be reborn into a higher caste till he or she lastly reaches Nirvana, reincarnation ends and the soul is at rest. Hence, unmerited existence results in reincarnation into the lower caste and lastly, as an animal that marks the finale of reincarnation for the soul.

Buddhism

Females were included in a Buddhist village (the church) previously in Buddhist history, however they were submissive to monks. Buddhism developed in the 6^th century and sprang from refusal of some parts of Hindu religion (the caste system, animal sacrifice, reincarnation). It’s not a religion of God as it worships none but a religion of enlightenment and self-improvement via meditation as initially experienced by Buddha. Certain sects teach us to live a decent life. Others are more compassionate in the efforts to reach out to the average human being nowadays who is also involved in world issues. Buddhists used to permit ladies to become nuns. However, they were still considered submissive to monks and couldn’t advance into leadership statuses.

Conclusion

So, according to the teachings of Hindu, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism, evil exists in women. Thus, they are hazardous and males should control them. Sexuality in all religions is considered as evil. Females earn the grace of God by being celibate. In Islam, females earn God’s grace by obeying the husbands. The message is obvious: males dominate, females obey. According to religious ideas, ladies are just for sexual enjoyment of males and the reproduction. In Islam female sexuality is recognized side be side with a confinement of ladies within the sexual roles.

Based on the assessment of these main religions, female equality is a myth, which will never be obtained. Ladies are inferior and will remain inferior till males and females wish to treat them otherwise. The ladies speaking-up from pews will be the ones, which ultimately will cause alteration within the church. People have to review religious scriptures as they relate to the role and position of females. The socialization part of religion is a crucial part in the effort. Ladies must be included in worship and service to church so they may change the beliefs regarding the position of females learned within the church surroundings. People have to return to the teachings of Jesus which are that all human beings are equal in the sight of God. It’s a shame that believers have lost site of this most significant message. Religion has often been a part of the problem, but it also may be a part of the resolution.