Religion and Beliefs: Feminism

Religious Organisations are mainly male dominated, despite the fact women normally participate in them more than men e.g. Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism forbids women from becoming priests.

KAREN ARMSTRONG: Women's exclusion from the priesthood in most religions is evidence for marginalisation and segregation.

In most types of Church, men are the leader.

• Segregates sexes and marginalises marginalises women.
• In Mosque's and Synagogue's men and women sit separately- men occupy central and more sacred places.
• Women's participation may be restricted e.g. cant preach or read from sacred texts.
• Taboo's regarding menstruation, pregnancy and child birth as polluting may also may restrict women.
• ISLAM- Menstruating women can not tough the Qur'an.
• HOLM- Devaluation of women in contemporary religion.

• Largely feature doings of Male Gods and Prophets.
• Usually interpreted and written by men.
• Stories often reflect anti- female stereotypes e.g. Eve who in the Judaeo- Christian story of Genesis, caused humanity's fall from grace and expulsion from the Garden of Eden
• HOWEVER Jesus goes against this and treats men and women equally for the time.

• Give women fewer rights than men e.g. access to divorce, number of spouses,decision making and dress codes.
• Religious influences on cultural norms are unequal.
• Many traditions legitimate and regulate women'sdomestic and reproductive roles e.g. Catholics ban abortion, IVF and contraception. 
• WOODHEAD: Exclusion form the Catholic Church and priesthood shows unease about the emancipation of women and generally. 

• Biggest source of conflict & inequality in gender.
• Religion is used as an instrument of of domination.
• Religion is a product of Patriarchy rather than capitalism.
• KAREN ARMSTRONG
• HOLM
• SIMONE DE BEAUVDIR: Religion is used by men to oppress women, it deceives women into thinking they're equal and teaches the they're different and rewarded in heaven. Religion maintains a status quo in which women are unequal.
• NAWAL EL SAADAWI: Egyptian feminist trying to change women's rights in Arab world, she says men distort religion so it serves there own interests e.g. Arab girls become victims of sexual aggression. 

WATSON- VEIL:

• Seen as oppression by Westerners.
• HOWEVER  Muslim women see it as a way to cope with religious oppression and male oppression.
• Symbol of commitment to faith and culture.
• Protection against lurching men.

WOODHEAD:

• There are ways of women using religion to gain greater social freedom and respect e.g. bible groups or church groups.
• Muslim women use the veil as a way to escape confines of own home and enter employment and education.
• Women can have a religious influence over men, alter their behaviour, insist "practice what you preach."
• Religion can empower women.

STRENGTHS:

• There is obvious oppression e.g. Synagogues.
• It gets us to question practices that are accepted as norms in some societies (female circumcision.) 
• Shows how religion is used to oppress women and shows feminism is a valid theory.

WEAKNESSES:

• Outdated theory, religion is important to all people.
• Functionalist's argue religion gives people a sense of identity.
• Feminists assume all religions are sexist. (Hijab allows women to escape family.)
• Marxists argue social class is the biggest source of inequality.