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Should Feminists Criticize Abrahamic Religions (more than they do)?

icehorse

......unaffiliated...... anti-dogmatist
Premium Member
It seems to me that both Christianity and Islam are frequently used in misogynistic ways. Examples include:

1 - Restrictions on birth control
2 - Restrictions on abortions
3 - Limitations on voting rights
4 - Honor killings
5 - Limits to employment opportunities
6 - Pay inequities

And so on.

In case after case, we hear religious justifications for such practices. It's true that we occasionally hear feminists criticize religion, it strikes me that what we *should* hear is a much louder and persistent avalanche of criticisms of religion coming from feminists.

Why don't we?
 

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
It seems to me that both Christianity and Islam are frequently used in misogynistic ways. Examples include:

1 - Restrictions on birth control
2 - Restrictions on abortions
3 - Limitations on voting rights
4 - Honor killings
5 - Limits to employment opportunities
6 - Pay inequities

And so on.

In case after case, we hear religious justifications for such practices. It's true that we occasionally hear feminists criticize religion, it strikes me that what we *should* hear is a much louder and persistent avalanche of criticisms of religion coming from feminists.

Why don't we?

You make some valid points in that some in the Abrahamic religions fall into this category, but its just too big a blanket statement to apply to all who adhere to one of these faiths. There are some who call themselves Christian, Muslim or Jew who are very liberal concerning your 6 issues.
 

MysticSang'ha

Big Squishy Hugger
Premium Member
It seems to me that both Christianity and Islam are frequently used in misogynistic ways. Examples include:

1 - Restrictions on birth control
2 - Restrictions on abortions
3 - Limitations on voting rights
4 - Honor killings
5 - Limits to employment opportunities
6 - Pay inequities

And so on.

In case after case, we hear religious justifications for such practices. It's true that we occasionally hear feminists criticize religion, it strikes me that what we *should* hear is a much louder and persistent avalanche of criticisms of religion coming from feminists.

Why don't we?

Well I tend to share my thoughts often on various religious and cultural practices. Typically, the response is that my feminist lens is hateful, extraneous, Marxist, worthless, bull****, and man-hating.

This is a first that someone has suggested that somebody like me should be critiquing more often. Well done. :D
 

crossfire

LHP Mercuræn Feminist Heretic ☿
Premium Member
It seems to me that both Christianity and Islam are frequently used in misogynistic ways. Examples include:

1 - Restrictions on birth control
2 - Restrictions on abortions
3 - Limitations on voting rights
4 - Honor killings
5 - Limits to employment opportunities
6 - Pay inequities

And so on.

In case after case, we hear religious justifications for such practices. It's true that we occasionally hear feminists criticize religion, it strikes me that what we *should* hear is a much louder and persistent avalanche of criticisms of religion coming from feminists.

Why don't we?
You don't have to be Abrahamic to be a misogynist, nor does being part of an Abrahamic religion make you misogynist.

To a misogynist, any tool (be it religion, specious reasoning, pretzel logic, or whatever) will do.
 

Ingledsva

HEATHEN ALASKAN
It seems to me that both Christianity and Islam are frequently used in misogynistic ways. Examples include:

1 - Restrictions on birth control
2 - Restrictions on abortions
3 - Limitations on voting rights
4 - Honor killings
5 - Limits to employment opportunities
6 - Pay inequities

And so on.

In case after case, we hear religious justifications for such practices. It's true that we occasionally hear feminists criticize religion, it strikes me that what we *should* hear is a much louder and persistent avalanche of criticisms of religion coming from feminists.

Why don't we?

"Should Feminists Criticize Abrahamic Religions (more than they do)?"

They should criticize patriarchy, which many religions, and movements, are founded under.

*
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
The odd thing is that reforms which ameliorate or remove patriarchal ideas from religions seem to simultaneously make the religions both more palatable for some folks and less palatable for others. You just can't please everyone.
 

amorphous_constellation

Well-Known Member
I would think that to some degree their degree of theism should be independent.
Yeah, but how does that really work anyway. I mean, which one is informing which in the hierarchy they place it in their minds. A lot people don't discuss certain subjects like religion, and feminists aren't excluded from that.
 

icehorse

......unaffiliated...... anti-dogmatist
Premium Member
Yeah, but how does that really work anyway. I mean, which one is informing which in the hierarchy they place it in their minds. A lot people don't discuss certain subjects like religion, and feminists aren't excluded from that.

So that could be one answer to the OP - that lots of people give religion a pass - regardless of how activist-oriented they are in other domains. Too bad that.
 

icehorse

......unaffiliated...... anti-dogmatist
Premium Member
Wouldn't that be a men's issue as well? Men also use birth control.

Indeed, and often the church denies birth control to men as well. But of course, birth control failures weigh far more heavily on women than on men.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Indeed, and often the church denies birth control to men as well. But of course, birth control failures weigh far more heavily on women than on men.
Tell that to guys who get stuck with unwanted child support payments (in Americastan anyway).
But back to the topic.....
Who is to tell feminists to what extent they should criticize religions?
Tis up to all of us to criticize things we find wrong.
 

icehorse

......unaffiliated...... anti-dogmatist
Premium Member
Tell that to guys who get stuck with unwanted child support payments (in Americastan anyway).
But back to the topic.....
Who is to tell feminists to what extent they should criticize religions?
Tis up to all of us to criticize things we find wrong.

Who are we to pretend there are no right and wrong answers to moral questions?
 

icehorse

......unaffiliated...... anti-dogmatist
Premium Member
Revolting,

A less snarky answer: According to most definitions, we ought all be feminists. One does not have to be a female to pursue this:

Feminism is a range of movements and ideologies that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve equal political, economic, cultural, personal, and social rights for women.
 
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