I spotted a quote on the internet the other day that made me
stop and think (this happens a lot, but some moments are different from
others). This one was from Elizabeth
Cady Stanton (1815-1902), the historical figure in women’s right to vote. She said:
“…You will find that every form
of religion which has breathed upon this earth has degraded women…”
Upon encountering these words I felt this idea needed more
thinking. In her day Stanton was probably correct. Women were counseled to follow their husbands
in thought and deed. They were to take direction from them and be subservient
to them.
Subservience to the Lord may be in the Bible somewhere, and
many religions may have the same proscription for its followers, both male and
female. However, the cultural context of religious creed did downplay the
leadership role of women. Nuns in Roman Catholicism is a good example. Other
religions, too. But even in 2014 Nuns have assumed a much more active role in
the church. Oh sure the hierarchy keeps Nuns subservient to male leadership but
I don’t think for much longer this will be true.
Cultural context is important in mapping change in
society. Women are a major force in most
leading societies – both in the western world and European milieu. Women may
play lesser leadership roles in other cultures but those, too, are changing –
Africa, Malaysia ,
for example.
Religion and culture are deeply embedded in each other. That
is both strength and curse. The yearnings of the downtrodden will rise to
fulfill their destiny. Women have already done this in America and Europe .
Elsewhere they will rise and share with men the world stage of leadership in
religion, academia and statecraft. We have many examples of this throughout
history. And it is an emergence that will not stop. We in America have
experienced much of the emergence but there is much yet to be fulfilled!
Women are the backbone of most religions. They are the
faithful and the doers. They are leaders in many capacities. They will one day
exceed the balance of power within most creed societies. Rightly so. I hope Stanton would be pleased
to witness these developments.
Will Wheaton
is an actor and atheist. Back in 2006 he posted on his blog this statement:
“I’m so fed up with being told that
I’m a bad person because I don’t subscribe to the same exact narrow views
[Christians] have.”
“I also have nothing but contempt
for the so-called spiritual leaders who prey upon [religious] people for their
own personal financial or political gain.”
There is truth in what Wheaton
claims, but actually that’s not the point of including his thoughts here. My purpose is for religious or political
groups to reflect on how they are perceived outside of their circle of
influence.
Cultures include what is prevalent and believed by broad
numbers of people. That does not make them right or better than others who
don’t believe as they do.
What is important, I think, is that the opposing views brush
up against each other in order that they find a balanced and realistic view of each
other’s position. They just might find points of agreement. They may begin to
see each other’s belief system in a broader context and be sensitive to it.
This is a process that helps us support each other although very different from
each other.
Diplomacy uses this process to understand others. That
understanding can be used to build bridges of peace.
And that reminds me of another quote I bumped into the other
day:
“Be
selective with your battles. Sometimes peace is better than being right.”
~Anonymous
Doesn't that fit well here? Religion, creeds, political
ideologies, nationhood – all offer many points of disagreement. But
understanding a little bit more each day helps us respect those differences and
helps us understand our own views better.
Peace. That’s what we should be aiming for. Not agreement.
Peace. The two are very different.
So I’ll close with: Peace be with you!
September 16, 2014
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