Spirituality Women Have Been Systematically

Spirituality

Women have been systematically oppressed and excluded from participation in political, social, economic, and religious life. In some situations, violence against women has been ignored or even condoned. For less than a century, females have been able to vote, participate in the workforce, and serve in positions of power. Organized religion is only one of many social institutions that has fostered the oppression of women.

Women had at one time and in some cultures been able to serve as spiritual guides. Priestesses and other female roles have and still do exist. However, most of the world's major religions continue to exclude women from their power structure. The Catholic Church, for example, forbids females from entering the priesthood. Without female representations in political power, the role of women is restricted severely. The status of women is also relatively low compared with men. As a result, female worshippers do not have access to feminist perspectives of the world. Women have come to accept the patriarchy that is shoved down their throats. When sexism is institutionalized, changing the status and role of women in the society is nearly impossible.

Part Two

Organized religion has had a neutral effect in my life. I was not raised in a religious family, and so religion was never used as a means to control how I think about myself or the world. However, I have witnessed ways in which religion has had effects on others. Those effects are mostly negative, although I do feel that in some ways religions provide ways for people to socialize with one another. For example, I know couples who met at church or other religious institutions. The religious institution becomes a way for people to interact with each other. When a person moves to a new place and joins the local church or synagogue, that is one way of making new friends and becoming active in the community. These are some of the positive functions of a religion.

In other ways, religion has a negative impact on the individual and society at large. Some people become obsessed with religion because they find it easier to block out opposing points-of-view than to accept plurality and uncertainty. Instead of seeking rational solutions to problems, some people turn to the irrationality of religion. A person can be spiritual without being religious, which is one reason why I feel that organized religion is unnecessary. I have also noticed the ways that people use religion as a means to segregate themselves or create divisions in the world. Religion has undoubtedly caused more problems than it has solved.

Part Three