• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

The Equality of Men and Women

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Great progress has been made over the twentieth century towards establishing the full equality of men and women in most spheres of life where woman rightfully stand alongside men. My country, New Zealand was the first in the world to allow women to vote in national elections and we currently have our third female prime minister.

New Zealand women and the vote - Women and the vote | NZHistory, New Zealand history online

Jacinda Ardern - Wikipedia

It hasn’t always been plain sailing and religious communities have both promoted and impeded progress.

To what extent has your faith tradition or worldview promoted equality?
 

crossfire

LHP Mercuræn Feminist Heretic ☿
Premium Member
In Nevada where women are now in the majority, the legislative agenda is changing https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...n-first-nation-carson-city-may-never-be-same/
snippet:

The female majority is having a huge effect: More than 17 pending bills deal with sexual assault, sex trafficking and sexual misconduct, with some measures aimed at making it easier to prosecute offenders. Bills to ban child marriage and examine the causes of maternal mortality are also on the docket.

“I can say with 100 percent certainty that we wouldn’t have had these conversations" a few years ago, said Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D). "None of these bills would have seen the light of day.”​
Good job, ladies!

Not mentioned in the article:
Southern Nevada backlog of rape kits now 90 percent cleared
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
I am a long-standing supporter of the equality of men and women in just about everything, though I do realize that there are at least a few differences that mere ideology can't quite overcome, but these are all merely physical, and therefore, in my view relatively unimportant.

My family doctor (for me and my husband) is a woman, as was our last family doctor (now deceased), our current and previous dentist, and a lot of the professionals we rely on in our lives. My member of Parliament, whom I have voted for in the last 6 elections since 1997, is a woman. The last premier of my province of Ontario (who I did not vote for, because I don't live in her riding), was a woman. Her party was voted out of power in the last election mostly because the Liberals had been in power for too long, and one really must air out the house, occasionally. Our current premier is a male who I absolutely detest, but who, to be fair, would probably detest me, too.

So except for trying to "fireman's carry" me down a ladder from a burning upper floor (I weigh well over 200), I'm all for women doing any job they'd care to undertake, and qualify themselves for. I sincerely look forward, actually, to a female Canadian Prime Minister. (Jody Wilson-Raybould, who is also indigenous, springs rapidly to mind, but she took on her boss the PM as Attorney General, and was ousted. For being honest, and speaking truth to power. I like that! I wish more men had that kind of gumption.)
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
We have a very long way to go yet. It's still pretty much an old boy's club in politics and in religions. It's interesting that Rwanda, of all places, was the first country to have a female majority of elected officials in their parliament. Still, very few world leaders are female.
 

dianaiad

Well-Known Member
Great progress has been made over the twentieth century towards establishing the full equality of men and women in most spheres of life where woman rightfully stand alongside men. My country, New Zealand was the first in the world to allow women to vote in national elections and we currently have our third female prime minister.

New Zealand women and the vote - Women and the vote | NZHistory, New Zealand history online

Jacinda Ardern - Wikipedia

It hasn’t always been plain sailing and religious communities have both promoted and impeded progress.

To what extent has your faith tradition or worldview promoted equality?

1893. Good job.

Mormon women in Utah had the right to vote from the time the church was founded in 1830, and the only reason Utah isn't the first place in line for women's suffrage is because the federal government disenfranchised the women in 1887, and didn't get it back until Utah became a state in 1896.Utah women were promised that it would be given right back at the state constitutional convention. In fact, fifteen of the then 48 states, every single one of them west of the Mississippi, and every single one of them Republican. In fact, the Democrats, along with being incredibly racist (the KKK was the 'enforcement arm' of the Democratic Party) were dead set against women's suffrage.

My, how they have managed to whitewash their history. It's amazing.

ANYway, congratulations, and good for New Zealand. It took the USA a little longer to get suffrage to everybody, but we had to do it piecemeal and there were a few more obstacles to overcome.

Like the Democrats.
 
Last edited:

David T

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
They are promoting rights and protections for sex workers, not banning them all together. Your world isn’t ending after all.:D
Oh well I am all in on that..not that I am all in on hookerism, but I am not opposed To it either, especially if it's not dangerous for the parties involved. Sexuality is one wierd thing ultimately way beyond all of us. If anyone claims otherwise.... run, they are insane!!!
 

Scott C.

Just one guy
Great progress has been made over the twentieth century towards establishing the full equality of men and women in most spheres of life where woman rightfully stand alongside men. My country, New Zealand was the first in the world to allow women to vote in national elections and we currently have our third female prime minister.

New Zealand women and the vote - Women and the vote | NZHistory, New Zealand history online

Jacinda Ardern - Wikipedia

It hasn’t always been plain sailing and religious communities have both promoted and impeded progress.

To what extent has your faith tradition or worldview promoted equality?

My faith absolutely promotes equality in the sense that men and women are of equal worth and value to God and they should be to all of us. But my faith says that men and women have different primary responsibilities from God. When a man and woman are married and have children, my church teaches that the nurture of the children falls mainly on the mother and providing for the family falls mainly on the father, with both mother and father helping each other in both roles.There may be extenuating circumstances that require adaptation of the principle.

I believe if a mother wants to be employed that is certainly her right and there should be no discimination in the work place. Employers should pay women and men the same wages if they have the same responsibilities, education, experience, and productivity. But I don't believe it's a problem if a high percentage of mothers choose to be stay at home moms. In our society many moms make that choice, more than men. This is not a societal problem and people should not be trying to rectify it. As long as this is the case, there will be more men than women in the workplace. That is not bad.
 

Ellen Brown

Well-Known Member
Where people get confused is that good leaders are few and far between. Gen. 3:16 sets women up to look to men for leadership. In the Quran Surah 4:34, it is substantially the same. I'm not adept at Jewish doctrine on the matter, as frustrating as that is.

Sadly, there are men who believe those passages allow them to treat women badly. What Jerks.

I was raised by a mean, abusive man, so even in my dotage, the minute a man's voice gets an edge, out come the claws. It is a secondary defense mechanism. Fortunately, I have met some very nice men in my life...
 

RedhorseWoman

Active Member
So except for trying to "fireman's carry" me down a ladder from a burning upper floor (I weigh well over 200), I'm all for women doing any job they'd care to undertake, and qualify themselves for.

Not to worry...a woman could easily drag you to the window and then sliiiiide you down the ladder. You'd be surprised what an enterprising woman can do when she tries. Hey...I'm in my 70s, but I can still heft a 50 lb bag of horse feed or a bale of hay (not that I can heft too many of them at one time, mind you...gone are the days when I could manage the 100 lb bags of horse feed...thankfully, they don't make those any more!) :p
 

RedhorseWoman

Active Member
Unfortunately, many religions treat women like second-class citizens and use the Bible to "support" their misogynistic beliefs. As a JW, we were taught that men were the only ones who could hold any positions of authority in the congregation and women were always to be in submission to men.

If a woman found herself in an abusive relationship, she was generally counseled to "be more submissive" so that her husband wouldn't feel the need to abuse her. The onus was always put on the woman when there were any relationship problems.

A baptized male was always considered to be in a higher position than any woman. For instance, if a group was meeting for field service and it included several mature baptized women and a twelve-year-old (or younger) baptized male, the young boy would be the one in charge. HE would offer the prayer before the group set out and HE would determine how the car groups were to be assigned.

Women were not even allowed to carry a microphone at the meetings, and although they were required to participate in the Kingdom Ministry School, they weren't allowed to give a presentation to the congregation, but had to create a scenario wherein they would present material to another sister.
 

Ellen Brown

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, many religions treat women like second-class citizens and use the Bible to "support" their misogynistic beliefs. As a JW, we were taught that men were the only ones who could hold any positions of authority in the congregation and women were always to be in submission to men.

If a woman found herself in an abusive relationship, she was generally counseled to "be more submissive" so that her husband wouldn't feel the need to abuse her. The onus was always put on the woman when there were any relationship problems.

A baptized male was always considered to be in a higher position than any woman. For instance, if a group was meeting for field service and it included several mature baptized women and a twelve-year-old (or younger) baptized male, the young boy would be the one in charge. HE would offer the prayer before the group set out and HE would determine how the car groups were to be assigned.

Women were not even allowed to carry a microphone at the meetings, and although they were required to participate in the Kingdom Ministry School, they weren't allowed to give a presentation to the congregation, but had to create a scenario wherein they would present material to another sister.

The Mormons are that way though perhaps to a lesser extent.
In the 70's at a Baptist church I attended, a woman was not allowed to be on the pulpit mount unless a man was present.

These days if a man tried that with me, he better be prepared to defend himself against lethal force.
 

Scott C.

Just one guy
The Mormons are that way though perhaps to a lesser extent.
.

As a man who was born and raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), I can honestly say that perhaps the strongest, most frequent, and most seriously treated subject that I have been taught over the years is that men are not superior to women, the abuse of a spouse is one of the ugliest sins on earth, sexual predation or taking sexual or other advantage of a woman or girl is one of the greatest abominations around. These abuses render a man's priesthood "authority" null and void and leave him in great need of repentance.But yes, in my church there is a role distinction. Men hold the priesthood where women do not. Women speak, teach, and pray in church and lead many things. But ultimately a man, the Bishop runs the local congregation. Women sit in council with the highest leaders of the Church, the Apostles and the First Presidency. But yes, ultimately it's a man with the priesthood who runs the Church. But women have a lot of influence and are taken seriously in their council. So, I believe a loving God established a plan with different roles for men and women. But, the marriage relationship is not the same as in the church. There is no hierarchy at home between man and woman. While there are different roles, they are equal partners with an equal say in marital and family decisions. The husband can't pull rank.
 

Scott C.

Just one guy
snippet:

The female majority is having a huge effect: More than 17 pending bills deal with sexual assault, sex trafficking and sexual misconduct, with some measures aimed at making it easier to prosecute offenders. Bills to ban child marriage and examine the causes of maternal mortality are also on the docket.

“I can say with 100 percent certainty that we wouldn’t have had these conversations" a few years ago, said Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D). "None of these bills would have seen the light of day.”​
Good job, ladies!

Not mentioned in the article:
Southern Nevada backlog of rape kits now 90 percent cleared

Everything in my religious and conservative ideology says sex trafficking is a revolting practice and the strongest legislation and punishments should be in place. I don't understand how a liberal or a woman would be more likely to oppose the practice.
 

crossfire

LHP Mercuræn Feminist Heretic ☿
Premium Member
Everything in my religious and conservative ideology says sex trafficking is a revolting practice and the strongest legislation and punishments should be in place. I don't understand how a liberal or a woman would be more likely to oppose the practice.
Ending this brand of slavery just hasn't been a priority for law enforcement or legislators. They have "more important" priorities, I guess.
 

oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
.................... the full equality of men and women in most spheres of life where woman rightfully stand alongside men.

Your mindset still needs some adjustment, I think.

When the balance is level women won't 'rightfully stand beside men'. Neither will 'men rightfully stand beside women'.

Men and women will just have self determination and equality.
 
Top