Thought for tomorrow
I have re-read my dissertation and am consequently pondering the religious arguments surrounding sex and sexuality. It was an English BA, what else was I going to write about?
The more I think about it, the more I view religion negatively in terms of the manner in which it relates to women. Despite the fact that females make up 50% of earths demographic, and are indispensible to the survival of the species, we are treated liek second class citizens by every major world religion. One must as oneself, is this a cultural factor? Or has religion shaped the way different cultures view and treat women? Which is ultimately to blame?
Being a Christian, and having limited knowledge of other major faiths, I must use Christianity as an examplar. The fact of the matter is, Christianity for example, provides views on abortion, contraception and intercourse itself that actively descriminate against females and female sexuality. The past emphasis on female chastity, and the continuing condemnation of sex outside marriage, contraceptives and termination of pregnancy, harm women and female sexual freedom. They are ideas designed to subjugate women and relinquish the control of their bodies up to men.
One of the main problems is that ALL major religions are patriarchal in their nature, so the question is, to liberate herself must a woman choose to break from God himself? Is there anyway one can choose to live by the positive moral influences religion can provide, yet liberate onself from institutionalised misogyny?
The debate continues.
