Religion and women

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all originated in the greater Middle East. The most fundamental believers of each of these religions treat women as second-class citizens. Why? 

During most of the time that humans have existed, there was no formal education process. Most people were illiterate. There was no science to investigate the cause of disease or anything else. People could only believe, and they certainly did. In the book Encyclopedia of Gods, Michael Jordan cataloged 2,500 gods that people have invented and worshiped. People believed that those gods caused the good things and the bad things that happened to people. People believed that those gods were the explanation for famine, earthquakes, disease, and good fortune. Belief is deeply embedded in our nature. Belief is easy. It requires no rigorous academic learning or scientific investigation. People still hold beliefs, and evidence or reason does not easily change our beliefs. When unreasoned belief is applied to our political processes, it can nullify the benefits of democracy.

Fundamentalist (ultra-Orthodox) Jews expect women to dress modestly, i.e., wear long skirts and sleeves, high necklines and, if married, some form of head covering. Segregation by gender is expected in public places. The ultra-Orthodox Israeli Jews and the more secular Israelis differ, significantly, on roles for women. The ultra-Orthodox want Israel to be a religious state rather than a democracy.

Gender and sex are aspects of Christianity. The original Christian church (Catholic) has had a male-only hierarchy since it was founded. That is a significant statement about gender. The members of that hierarchy vow abstinence from sex with females. Traditionally, the Church has opposed the use of modern contraceptive devices or medication and has adamantly rejected abortion. Anti-abortion views have also been adopted by fundamentalist Protestant Christians. Female reproductive issues have been politicized by courts and legislators and now constitute a divisive political issue in the United States. The most recent example is an Alabama State Supreme Court decision declaring that a frozen embryo is a human being. The courts and legislatures making these decisions for females have male majorities. They deem their beliefs superior to medical science.

Fundamentalist Muslims also practice gender differential. Fundamentalist Muslims expect women to be shrouded and accompanied by a male family member when in public. Some do not allow women to drive automobiles. The fundamentalist Muslims prefer that females remain uneducated and lead a very domestic life. In 1978, the Russians sent advisors to Afghanistan. One of Russia’s objectives was to modernize Afghanistan. The Russian-advised government required girls to attend school. That policy triggered a rebellion that spread across the country. Russia sent its Fortieth Army to Afghanistan to maintain control. There is an ongoing gender role debate in some Muslim countries where fundamentalists favor a government instructed by religion while others prefer a more secular government.

A little more than half of Americans are women. In the U.S., nearly 60 percent of college degrees are earned by women. Women hold fewer than a third of the seats in our 50 state legislatures. Women hold fewer than a third of the seats in the U.S. Congress. The U.S. Supreme Court is majority male. Discrimination against women has endured for a long time — too long.  

Jack Stevenson is a retired infantry officer, civil service and private corporation employee who now reads history, follows issues important to Americans, and writes commentary from his home in Pensacola, Florida.