Women and Religion

It might have been just recently women have been able to be at the forefront of religion, however, women have always and will continue to weave themselves through religion and the culture that fits in that religious conviction. The importance of women is apparent throughout the history of religion not only for the reproduction of people, but the new beliefs those people may bring. Since the beginning of time women have been partaking in religious activities, and as time has progressed so did their involvement. In more recent times, women have started to fight for their own religious freedoms and have taken hold of their religious traditions that were once seen as a man’s characteristic for their own.

In the last seven decades women have been more involved than men in churches (Women More Religious Than Men). Possibly because, women do not see it as an oppressive thing today, as in the past women were traditionally subservient. Now, we have a growing number of female pastors and high priestesses currently serving their God(s)/Goddess. With more women affiliated with a religion than men, we as women should be able to make some of the biggest impacts on religion. Nonetheless, women are still fighting for religious equality, as are the women of the Catholic faith that wishes to be ordained (The Ordination of Women in the Roman Catholic Church). The struggle for the women [and men] that wish to make lasting impacts on their religion can depend on cultural norms and traditions existing in a country or region.

 The Abrahamic religions would be hard to conceive without Eve to reproduce future generations, that later divided into three separate religions. Just as women have impacted religion, religion has impacted women. Religious rituals such as female genital mutilation have effected women for ages. The traditional and religious practice of female genital mutilation, which marginalizes women, is a controversial practice that some people of East Africa and Middle Eastern countries still partake in today. “Mothers who have their daughters operated on seem to share a loving belief that the operation is beneficial and even necessary, just as do western mothers who have their infant sons circumcised (Fisher 54).” This commonality is often the subject of debate between religions, and can be a barrier between a son and daughter. In Holy Scripture it is viewed as unclean to not have a son circumcised, which is a debatable issue in itself. Female genital mutilation has no benefits, plain and simple. The pain suffered by the girl by female genital mutilation is marginalized as she learns that her body does not belong to her but to cruel religious traditions.

 Being raised in a Christian home we attended the traditional church on Easter and Christmas and learned morals of right and wrong. But, we never really had a deep connection with the church during our childhood. My upbringing was not focused on religion but more the understanding of morals and the beliefs of the Christian faith. While some kids went to Sunday school and partook in a religious activity, I would be volunteering with my mom at different organizations helping people. At the time, I didn’t understand that my mom was teaching me what being a Christian was truly about. I just knew that my mom had this obsession with helping people and volunteering our family for different activities. But truly, she was laying down the foundation of the idea that serving others before yourself is a much greater thing to do. In 2008, I was actually baptized into the Christian faith. While growing up I learned the fundamentals but now I was acknowledging my commitment and understanding of the faith.

 Since identifying myself as a Christian in 2008, I have started to gradually step back and really look at different religions. I have learned how diverse religion and the people in those religions are from one another, but at the same time the core believes of good and evil, love and goodness are all the same. But, with those similarities came differences in interpretations. It is worrisome that people’s interpretations can be so misguided that they would truly kill another human being, in the name of religion. The problem with interpretations are how all religions, including Christianity misinterpret their Holy Scripture, and take it to the extremes at time. The label “Christian,” has started to leave a bitter taste on my tongue, because while I love God, I do not wish to be associated with the “crazy Christians.” Those people that are highly judgmental and constantly throw verses at each other, and uses the Bible as a source to condemn other people, I am not one. I choose to believe God is about love and peace, and that is where my religion thrives from.

 As a woman, I believe we [women] should make a lasting impact on religion. A women’s primarily role in a religion should not be to reproduce, but to make changes! As an American Minister, Harry Fosdick said “Christians [women] are supposed to not merely to endure change, nor even profit by it, but to cause it.” Every religion has negative aspects, and if anyone is going to make those changes, why can’t it be a women?