Feminist points Flashcards
Women are denied positions of leadership and authority
All major world religions are led by men. Men write the rules that women follow in relation to how they should behave, dress and worship. In this way women are relegated to secondary roles in religion.
Religion is also an instrument of deception as women are told they are equal to men, but yet they are denied equality in all religions. Daly says the subordinate role of women is proclaimed as being ‘God’s will’ in many world religions
Holm studied how women are subordinated and devalued in different religions. She found religion places women in an inferior position as God is always portrayed as a man and as Father eg islamic faith
Armstrong denied positions
says the exclusion of women from the priesthood of most religions is evidence of their marginalisation in religious organisations. Although women may have made significant advances in many areas of life, their gains in most religions have been very limited, despite the fact that women participate more in organised religion than men
Women are taught to be passive and to accept their inferior social position
De Beauvoir says men use religion to control and oppress women. In religion, women are taught to be passive and any sufferings that they do endure will be compensated for in the afterlife.
In a similar way to how Marx explained the role of religion in suppressing the working class, de Beauvoir says religion keeps women under control through fear of God. Religion is a ‘social opium’ which acts to give women a false consciousness. says divine authority supports male dominance.
As religion tells women that change can only come through prayer, women must accept their continued exploitation. Daly says in this way religion helps to create the ‘consent of the victim’ in which women agree that their own subordinate role is right and proper.
Religion views feminine sexuality as a threat to social stability
Women’s second class status is often related to female sexuality. Women are often subject to strict dress codes to hide their feminine appearance.
Muslim women have to be covered up and in some strict Islamic states they have to wear a full burka. Some feminists view the compulsory veiling of women in Islamic states as a powerful tool of patriarchy that takes away the individuality of the women who wear the veil. Burchill describes the burka as a ‘mobile prison’ as Muslim girls and women are not given a choice to dress this way in some Islamic countries.
Hindu women unable to attend family shrines while pregnant or period
Religion supports the family -the main agent of patriarchy- and the domestic role of women
Mary Daly believes that the patriarchal nature of society is maintained through gender role socialisation and religion plays a crucial role in this process.
Girls are taught that marriage, family life and women’s subordinate place within it is normal and natural.
The duties of a mother and wife are prominent in many world religions, with the traditional domestic role of women, raising children, adopting the role a caring mother and wife, being viewed as God given.
Many religions are not accepting of women’s emancipation in society
Marxist feminists say this inequality happens because religion is an ideology working on behalf of capitalists as religion justifies women’s primary role as a mother and this in turn condemns women to part time, low paid work which ultimately benefits capitalists.
