Muslim Leaders Condemn Beheading of Woman

American Muslim leaders have been quick to condemn the beheading of a woman
by her Muslim husband in Buffalo, saying it has nothing to do with religion.
Is there a connection between religion and domestic violence?

Yes, religion in general and Christianity in particular has denigrated women and has been the force behind cultural patterns that prohibited women from university educations, from voting, and from leadership in churches, including ordination, for centuries. The religious leaders have called this "sacred tradition" when, in fact, it was nothing more than sexist prejudice. Women were precluded from power and, as we have learned so often and with much bitterness, in human society powerless people are always victimized people.

Today the two largest Christian bodies of the world, the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox tradition, consider women unfit for ordination. Churches have counseled women throughout history to stay with abusive husbands because "marriage is sacred." Abuse, however, is always wrong. We Christians have much to repent of in the way women have been treated and unfortunately the abuse of women by various parts of the Christian Church still goes on today - to our great shame. Misogyny is encouraged by religions and religious leaders need to face that fact.

By John Shelby Spong  |  February 26, 2009; 3:05 PM ET
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