I remember that this was one question that I had to grapple with during my deconstruction.
How could it be possible, given religion's history, and even modern practice of subjugating women, that a person could identify as a feminist and still belong to a religion? Isn't religion antithetical to feminism?
Well, I think the obvious answer is that it depends on the religion in question, since all religions aren't exactly the same.
However, even though there are variations within and between religions, most religions have some similarities.
And when it comes to the subjugation of women, most, of not all religions are culpable to some extent.
But I won't be addressing most religions here (since I'm not an expert on religion), I'll only be addressing the mainstream, monotheistic religions; Christianity and Islam.
Both in scripture and in modern practice, the Abrahamic religions are notoriously misogynistic and can't be compatible with feminism. Using examples from Christianity and Islam, I'll be arguing that these two religions in particular are fundamentally opposed to women's equality regardless of what some of their adherents might claim.
I'll start with Christianity; taking 3 passages each from the old and new testaments.
Shall we?
1. The first problematic verse I'm addressing is Genesis 3:16, which says "To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”"
what I really want us to focus on is the second part of this verse, "yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." Here, god curses women by making them subject to men, especially their husbands. According to this passage, god is the one who instituted the patriarchy.
he second passage is from Leviticus 12. This passage gives the process of purification and circumcision of new born babies. It also describes how long women are to be unclean for after giving birth to specific babies (why is giving birth something that's unclean and requires purification to begin with?).
When a woman gives birth to a baby boy, she's unclean for a week (Lev 12:2) and has to continue the process of purification for 33 days.
However, when it's a baby girl, she's unclean for two weeks and has to undergo purification for 66 days (Lev 12:5).
Why? It seems to me that what this passage is implying is that women are inherently unclean, so when a woman births a boy, she carries only the uncleanness of childbirth, but when she gives birth to girl, she carries the uncleanness of childbirth AND of the newborn girl. Because apparently, women/girls are born unclean.
3. The third passage is from Numbers chapter 30. In the entire chapter we are told the procedure for an Israelite who wants to make an oath to god. When it's a man, it's simple and straightforward; he simply makes the vow (Num 30:2).
However when it's a woman, it's a much longer process that requires the approval of her male owner. For example, in the case of a young, unmarried woman, she has to go through her father, and only if her father approves is the oath valid (Num 30: 3-5). If she's a married woman though, then she has to go through her husband and only if her husband approves is her oath valid (Num 30:6-8). The only time a woman can make an oath all by herself is if she has no male owner, i.e if she's divorced or widowed.
But why do women have to go through this process but men don't? The obvious answer is that men are autonomous individuals with agency and women, on the other hand, are not. Women are the property of men; first of her father, then of her husband. This is how the Christian god sees women.
From the new testament...
4. The first passage from the new testament is from 1 Corinthians 11:3 and it goes: "But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the husband is the head of his wife, and God is the head of Christ."
The Greek word in this context means both "husband" and "man", and the word for "wife" could also mean "woman". What this passage is saying is that men are the head over women and husbands are the head over their wives. This was one passage that troubled me a lot as a Christian feminist. We're not given any explanation for why this is, we're just supposed to accept that this is the way god made it (see Gen 3:16 above). But what is it about possessing a certain genitalia that makes one automatically a leader? And why is this the only acceptable way? Perhaps because of mythology.
5. The fifth verse is taken from Ephesians 5 and it goes "Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord."
- Ephesians 5:22. It is here (and in Colossians) that we have the famous submission message. Paul says women should be "subject" or "submissive" to their husbands the way they are to god. Is this supposed to mean that men are so superior to their wives, that their wives should give them the same (or almost the same) respect that she gives god?
She is to make herself small relative to him. Why? Why should there be such hierarchy in a loving partnership?
6. And lastly, we have 1 Timothy 2:11-15.
It starts by telling women to be silent and not teach men and defends this by saying that this is because it's women who were deceived, not men (this contradicts genesis 3, they were both deceived). But he ends by saying that women shall be "saved" through childbearing. What does this even mean? How can you be "saved" through childbearing? And what about women who don't give birth? This is just misogyny, plain and simple.
There are many more passages and verses I left out, because picking out misogynistic verses in a book that's filled with misogyny is not an easy task. I was inundated with choices, but I could only pick 6.
I said at the beginning that religions like Christianity are misogynistic in both scripture and in modern practice. I've gone through the "scripture" part of that, so let's look at examples of Christian misogyny in real life.
Although this is changing, but in many churches women are not allowed to be church leaders. Women in churches usually fill support/subordinate roles such as Sunday school teachers or choir mistresses, etc. Women are rarely in top positions, despite the fact that women are usually more committed to the faith than men are. I was raised in the Anglican church of Nigeria, this church has never had a female Primate or Vicar. Since the establishment of the church till today, all church leaders have been men. All.
Another example is Christians, especially men who resist or fight against gender equality specifically because they think it goes against "god's design".
And another example is the mere existence of sites like Biblical gender roles and The transformed wife.
Let's go to the Quran.
We'll start with the verse about witnesses in court.
"And call two witness from among your men, two witnesses. And if two men be not at hand, then a man and two women." - Quran 2:282
According to the Quran here, one man's witness is equal to that of two women.
A man can stand alone to give witness, but a woman can't.
Does this mean that a woman is worth half a man? That seems to be the point in Chapter 4:176, which says:
"unto the male is the equivalent of the share of two females."
So the Quran agrees in at least 2 separate passages that women are half as valuable as men.
This is similar to the Bible passage we saw earlier about women being doubly unclean if they give birth to girls.
We're not done yet. The Quran in Chapter 4, verse 34 says: "Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them."
According to this passage, men are in charge of women (sound familiar? Genesis 3:16), Allah made men to be better than women and women are to be obedient to men. If a woman attempts to be rebellious, admonish her, then deny her sex, then beat her into submission.
Also in the Quran, there are a number of passages for men seeking to divorce their wives (Quran 65:1-6, 2:232, 2;229- 230, 65:4), but virtually none for women wanting to divorce their husbands. Are men the only ones who can initiate divorce? Does this mean that a Muslim woman can't get divorced if she wants to? Apparently, she'll have to get the permission of her husband.
These passages and many others show the sexism that is ingrained into Islam.
Something I also noticed was how many of the misogynistic passages in the Quran parallel those in the Bible. Christianity and Islam are honestly quite similar. As for examples of Islamic misogyny in our real world today, they are abundant.
When we take a look at the list of worst countries for women's rights, almost all countries in the top ten are Muslim majority countries.
Also, here in Nigeria, sometime in 2021, a gender equality bill, brought up to give women more rights was rejected by the house of senate, why? Many of the (Muslim) senators argued that it went against their Islamic beliefs. The very idea of women being equal to men "infringes on the Quran".
Just as I mentioned above when discussing Christianity; Islam, and most Muslims are opposed to the idea of gender equality.
It is for these reasons discussed above that I don't think it's possible to be a serious feminist and still be religious. Because how do you reconcile your misogynistic scriptures with your feminist cause?
How is it that you care about women's rights and equality when your god apparently does not?
One could argue that there are "good" passages about women in these holy books, passages where women are exalted or seen as equal. But firstly, the existence of passages which apparently exalt women does not nullify or invalidate these other passages that are insulting to women. These misogynistic passages still exist (and outnumber the purportedly "pro-women" ones) and they have to be seen for what they are. Secondly, the fact that someone makes positive statements about women does not mean that they're not misogynistic. Lip service is a thing and people do it all the time. It's not uncommon to hear misogynists or racists say that they "love" women or black people. It's a known tactic used to avoid taking responsibility for their sexist (or racist) actions or statements or to prevent people from labelling them a misogynist or racist.
So the Bible or Quran containing some "pro-women" passages does not mean that they're not misogynistic, especially since the majority of comments about women in these books are insulting, not positive. If an all-knowing, perfectly loving god wrote/inspired a book, then he would have known better than to allow any misogyny/sexism to get into it.
In light of all this, a quote by Annie Laurie Gaylor is especially relevant, "Organised religion has always been and remains the greatest enemy of women's rights."
And she was far from wrong. Indeed, empirical research has shown that religiosity is directly correlated to sexism.
Both on an individual and national level, the higher the religiosity, the higher the sexism.
Religions are the greatest sustainers of the patriarchy and this is especially true of the Abrahamic religions which have and which continue to oppress women and restrict our rights.
Obviously, there are many women who belong to these religions and who also identify as feminists. But while it is possible to identify as a Feminist and belong to an Abrahamic faith, I think it requires an unhealthy amount of compartmentalization and cognitive dissonance.
I know this because I've been there.
Sources:
The Anglican church of Nigeria and women -
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Nigeria (see "primate" and "ordination of women")
Women are more committed to the faith than men
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2016/03/22/the-gender-gap-in-religion-around-the-world
Senators opposition to gender equality bill
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/12/olujimi-withdraws-gender-equality-bill-as-religion-ethnicity-sentiment-split-senators/amp/
Worst countries for women's rights
https://www.concern.net/story/worst-countries-for-womens-rights
Religious people and countries less likely to support women's rights
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305750X10002482?via%3Dihub
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