What do you say about how your religion treats women?

I am Pagan. most Pagan religions, I can't speak for all of them, as I haven't studied all of them in depth, as paths that honour the force that creates life, respect that both male and female has it's place in this, and that it's the female body where life begins.

I am wondering which is your religion? I am glad that it respects women. Thanks for sharing here.

My appologies for being a bit intense and ungracious in my last response to you. Thanks for posting here. I know it is not easy for you to get such a reaction as I gave to your post. I must admit that I do have some questions about some of the things that I have heard from some of the people who practice your religion... Yet if you will read on to look at what I have written to others... It is not just your religious tradition that I have a bone to pick with or have some disagreement in the area of male/female relations. I would not switch to belong to any religious tradition that I do not presently align with so please refrain from taking that comment of mine about your religion personally... It is though true that your belief that women would only choose to be something other than Muslim if they were lied to is rather odd to me. as it does not go along with my experience or belief and was in fact so odd to me that my response to you was a bit more forceful and blunt than I would otherwise have been.

Thanks for sharing about Hinduism. I am aware of the male/female aspect... Shiva/Shakti(Durga/Kali/Parvati,etc.) Krishna/Laxmi(Rahda,Rukmini, etc.) and I am very aware that many women in that religious tradition in practice do get treated like servants. It seems that in the Matriarchal societies both men and women get treated well but in the patriarchal ones the women and children do not get as well treated. I am glad your side of the family treats women well. I am sorry for the women on your husband's side of the family.

I agree with you that there are "good" people in all religious traditions... and that many people do in fact treat women nicely. I thank God for those people who do. I too am glad for the interconnectedness of all people which forces those who are sexist because of their religious beliefs and because of their culture to rethink their position and which helps women stand up for the better treatment of themselves and their daughters.

Oops... forgot... I meant to thank you for posting. Thanks for Posting here. Best wishes to you.

Thanks for bringing out the difference between religion, culture and behavior. I was given the name of Rukmini and am familiar with the worship of the God and Goddess. I am aware of the Rakhi Day which causes brothers to protect sisters. It is a noble tradition. I am sorry that rapes continue to occur there. It seems that they occur all over the globe. It is a pity that men and women of all religions and cultures do not treat each other better more as equals with more love of each other.

Yes, it does seem to be the culture that is very important to look at. And if the culture devalues or values and appreciates women, the women in the religious tradition that springs out of that culture will likewise feel devalued or valued. It seems that women often are the ones who prop up religions as they often are the ones to teach the children about their religious traditions... I wonder sometimes why they do not teach their sons better to appreciate them and all women. I do in fact value religions yet still would like all women and children to be treated better than they often are by people who practice religions.

Hi Cet1987, It does seem to me that the Muslim religion is not exactly pro women in its application especially when Muslim Sharia Law is imposed... It could be that it is a cultural thing that I am seeing. I have talked with one Muslim women who believed this was the case. But the question that comes to my mind is why don't the religious leaders seem to speak out against the maltreatment of women publically? And why don't they speak out against other wrongs? They seem to keep quiet and to even encourage what most people would consider barbaric treatment against women. Why is it that Muslim men under Sharia penalize women for getting raped when it is the men who do the crime by making it almost impossible for her to get redress for her injuries. Why is it that men are allowed to throw acid on women or to hit them in the square with sticks for not wearing the clothing that they approve of or for otherwise not living up to family standards... I must admit to getting angry when Muslim men come to my country and to other countries and carry out these practices here. They deserve themselves to be victims of the same barbarism that they inflict. I am a peaceful person typically but frankly do feel angry at these people who do this... I know that the majority of Muslims do not do these things but it seems that a fair amount of Muslim men are guilty of these wrongs and do not ever seem to pay for them. I know other religious traditions are guilty of maltreating women. I was in fact mentioning all of the religious traditions but I have to admit that when I see how women are treated by many Muslim men, I wonder why any woman would ever want to be Muslim.

I was talking about your religion but also others... It seems that in some families the true nature of the religion is practiced and in others it is not... In your's it seems that perhaps it is yet I have met women who have been abused by Muslim men who believe that their religion gives them the right to abuse them. It may be a cultural thing ... One women I met seemed to think so but it does seem to be a wide spread thing. If a woman is not considered passive or traditional enough, if she dares speak up and say that perhaps the men should cook, perhaps the men should have to bear some of the weight in the household, perhaps just perhaps she should have help if she works outside the home and even brings in more money than the man because she is better educated than him, she is abused by her husband and her in laws will give her reproach and abuse her too rather than scolding or punishing her husband and they will all say that she is going against her religion even though she is a devoted and good Muslim woman. I have heard this too many times to believe that all Muslim women are treated well. It seems to me that many are indeed not. I know that the same thing occurs in other religions. I am far from picking on just the Muslim religion in my complaint about the maltreatment of women.