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THE QUESTION
Elders vs. Patriarchs: Who Speaks for Women?
Former President Jimmy Carter, writing this month on behalf of a dozen world leaders including Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, condemned "the male interpretations of religious texts" that have "provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal rights . . . This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions."
Carter and his fellow Elders issued this statement: "The justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable."
What's your reaction to these statements? Are 'male interpretations of religious texts' to blame for the 'deprivation of women's equal rights?'
Posted by
David Waters on July 14, 2009 5:12 AM
FROM THE PANEL
If Male is Sacred, Female is Devalued
So if our only images of the sacred are male, and all positions of spiritual authority are held by men only, inevitably women will be devalued.
Posted by Starhawk, on July 26, 2009 8:20 AM
Fighting Religiously-based Misogyny? Just a Start
In the way women are treated globally, religion plays only a part--sometimes greater, sometimes less, depending on location--in a larger culture where secular and ethnic traditions, economics and political ideologies are also significant shaping forces, and often far from liberating ones.
Posted by Gustav Niebuhr, on July 23, 2009 3:44 PM
Sorry, President Carter, this Argument Falls Flat
He makes claims about the Bible that are reckless and irresponsible and historical claims that would make any credible church historian blush.
Posted by R. Albert Mohler Jr., on July 23, 2009 9:06 AM
Sacred Traditions Should be Gender Blind
Most Hindus see their religion as a living one, a faith whose revelatory power did not end millenia ago, but continues to this day. The modern spiritual masters, scores of whom are women, attest to this vivacity.
Posted by Aseem Shukla, on July 22, 2009 9:40 PM
Rethinking the "Sacredness" of Scripture
In the Dharma Traditions, especially Hinduism and, to some extent theistic Buddhism, the issue of the Divine's gender is quite different.
Posted by Ramdas Lamb, on July 22, 2009 8:42 PM
Unfair to Paint All Religions with Same Brush
So please don't confuse Christian teaching with the offensive practices of other faiths (Islamist discrimination against women, for example). Interestingly, for the last several centuries, campaigns for equal rights for women have largely been led by Christians.
Posted by Charles "Chuck" Colson, on July 22, 2009 1:38 PM
Muslim Women Reclaiming Their Rights
Though patriarchy, legitimated in the past by religion, remains very much alive as an ideology and value system, in many Muslim countries it is progressively challenged by women, also in the name of religion as well as economic realities.
Posted by John Esposito, on July 22, 2009 1:05 PM
Time for a Women's Jihad Against Violence
In the Qur'an, God granted women increased protections against abuse, financial vulnerability, and societal marginalization, just to name a few. Yet many later Muslims ignore these provisions.
Posted by Daisy Khan, on July 22, 2009 11:15 AM
A Text of One's Own
The issue is not if religious texts of old carry weight but whether or not we use religion as a thinly-veiled cover for misogyny, just as it's used today to support violence.
Posted by Erica Brown, on July 22, 2009 8:51 AM
Male Truths, Female Consequences
In the Muslim world, religious patriarchy has intersected with social conservatism, political and theological totalitarianism, and reactionary resistance to political, economic and cultural colonialism to create devastating consequences for women's lives.
Posted by Pamela K. Taylor, on July 22, 2009 8:29 AM
Does God Ordain Machismo?
Truth be told, there are passages in the biblical narrative that if taken out of context seem to reinforce the notion of God ordained Machismo or secondary status of women.
Posted by Samuel Rodriguez, on July 22, 2009 4:12 AM
More Courage Needed
To attribute discrimination to the way we interpret texts has some justification. But surely there is also discrimination not because of the way we interpret, but because of the texts themselves.
Posted by David Wolpe, on July 21, 2009 8:28 PM
Women's Rights & Religion
As we promote justice, equality and human rights we must also respect religious teachings and traditions that specify gender roles within the practice of faith.
Posted by Leith Anderson, on July 21, 2009 2:49 PM
Biblically Sanctioned Oppression Not God's Will
The misguided and self-serving theology of men has caused women to suffer immensely as they have wanted to do the "will of God," which was really the will of men.
Posted by Susan K. Smith, on July 21, 2009 2:38 PM
Blaming Men is not Good Theology
Blaming "male interpretations of religious texts" for the lack of women's equal rights is flawed theology, at least within the context of Baptists of the South.
Posted by Robert Parham, on July 21, 2009 2:16 PM
When God Was a Woman
Women's second-class status in the world's major religions is not primarily a text problem, it's a God problem.
Posted by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, on July 21, 2009 1:55 PM
Jimmy Carter and the Elders
The Elders have much to learn--and to teach. While they pursue this cause we picture them not settling for the rocking chair or the souvenir books, but finding other themes.
Posted by Martin Marty, on July 21, 2009 12:39 PM
Male Authority Posing as Divine Authority
The Christian Church has for far too long attempted to perfume sexist discrimination against women under the name of "Bible-based, Sacred Tradition." I wonder what part of the male anatomy bears the divine image?
Posted by John Shelby Spong, on July 21, 2009 12:19 PM
Jimmy Carter Apparently Thinks He's Jesus, Moses and Muhammad
By making statements equating his own understanding of religion with the will of "Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions", Jimmy Carter continues his well-established tradition of making outrageous statements to justify legitimate concerns.
Posted by Brad Hirschfield, on July 21, 2009 11:31 AM
Can Women Get God on Their Side?
There are no magic formulas here. Education, consciousness raising, and individual claims to power are tried and true steps if women want to attain equality.
Posted by Deepak Chopra, on July 21, 2009 11:24 AM
Mr. Carter's Own Interpretations
I have spent most of my adult life arguing against gender discrimination within the Christian community, but Mr. Carter's declaration makes me nervous.
Posted by Richard Mouw, on July 21, 2009 10:13 AM
Male Problem or Millennial Problem?
is it any surprise that holy books, written some 2000 to 3000 years ago, contain many vile portions that reflect the misogynistic and patriarchal culture of the time?
Posted by Herb Silverman, on July 21, 2009 9:36 AM
Carter's Fundamentalism
Carter has a fundamentalism of his own. As I read his letter, it strikes me that Carter still wishes to affirm the inviolability of scripture.
Posted by Mathew N. Schmalz, on July 20, 2009 6:08 PM
Laws Should Honor the Mutual Superiority of the Sexes
Excluding women from leadership in religion violates the essence of religion
Posted by Willis E. Elliott, on July 20, 2009 4:38 PM
FEATURED COMMENTS
RevMarkHoelter-UU: At root it's not a text problem. Freud got it partly right but turned around when he named it "penis envy." I believe rather it is womb en...
