Moving Beyond the Patriarchy of Organized Religion
By Steve Kinsman, 20th Jul 2012 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutWritingColumns & Opinions
Organized, patriarchal religion is the bane of our existence.
Suppressing the feminine
Most of the world's religions are unremittingly patriarchal. The "God" of most religions is always a male deity, which, frankly, this observer finds ridiculous. God is seen as totally separate from us - in Christianity God is perceived as a male figure, completely separate from us, sitting on a throne, somewhere "up there." This has given rise to an ethic that places more importance on men than on women, and it has resulted in the oppression of women for as long as these religions have existed.
Unfortunately, many Christians take the Bible literally, thinking it the absolute and undeniable word of God, when in truth it is a book written almost exclusively by men, most of whom originated from a somewhat obscure tribe in Israel. It is full of sexist, male-dominated dogma. In fact, Thomas Jefferson reduced his Bible to a total of forty-six pages, mostly the teachings of Christ in the Gospels, believing most of the rest of it to be the superstitious hogwash it is.
Taking a cue from astrology
Astrology, as a way of making sense out of life, is older than any of these religions, and in astrology the forces of the masculine and the feminine are in precise and equal balance. There are six masculine signs of the zodiac and six feminine signs. Moreover, the Moon, which is the archetypal symbol of the feminine, describes a circle, from our perspective here on earth, that is exactly the same size as the Sun, which is the symbol of the masculine. This fact reveals the balance between male and female.
A world out of balance
Because of the myth of male superiority fostered by patriarchal religions, the balance between humankind and nature has been thrown completely off kilter. In some cultures female babies are killed because parents completely devalue girl children and want only male heirs. The doctrine that charges man with the task of having "dominion over the earth" has resulted in our raping of the planet, the fouling of our air, and the polluting of our water. It has resulted, as William Blake so astutely put it almost three hundred years ago, in a world in which "art is destroyed, imagination denied, war governs the nations."
It is time for the great masses of humanity to turn away from the dictates of these religions and start thinking for themselves. Celebrate the feminine. Know its power. The source of the feminine, within humans, is in the heart, not the mind. Our connection needs to be with spirit, not organized religion. When the day comes that we achieve a perfect balance between the forces of the masculine and the feminine, the world - and humanity - will finally be healed.
Links:
It is Time to Dismantle the Patriarchy
Fate and Free Will
Preview image from photobucket.com
Zodiac image from photobucket.com
Kuan-Yen image from wikimedia commons
Comments
20th Jul 2012 (#)
In defense of my belief, if you actually read my Bible you would find a conflicting contrast to what you state in your article to be true, after careful study I have not found any women to have been oppressed but to actually be portrayed as great leaders, don’t know where you are getting that from. As for Astrology, it is clearly warned against throughout the Bible as a device of Satan. As far as I can ascertain, Astrology has not made any sense out of anything and in time will be proven to be the work of the Devil that it is, just had to throw that out there.
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
Well, you take the Bible literally as the word of God, it seems. I don't. Astrology is as old as time. If it did not contain immense truth it would have disappeared ages ago. Satan, my friend, is the figment of the imagination of fearful men. I figured this article would stir up as hornet's nest, which is what I intended to do - to make people think, and question, not blindly accept what they are spoon fed.
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21st Jul 2012 (#)
I agree totally with you Steve on your comments and on this page...I also do believe that in some distant past women ruled and they fell because they did what men have done since...corrupt and destroy in so many ways! (not all men and women though!! there are many good ones here on wiki and a goodly share of bigots too)
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
And Robb, Thank you for commenting. I appreciate it.
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
A question for Robb: If "Astrology is the work of the Devil" how come there are so many examples of Astrology in action in The Vatican Museum in Rome? These huge globes (100s of years old) contain all the astrological glyphs in breathtaking detail, and they were clearly used in an astrological discipline. I feel sure they would not be on display in such a place, alongside Christian imagery, if they were deemed to be promoting the work of the Devil. By the way, these globes are not the only examples of highly visible astrological icons, motifs, etc in Italy. Regards Lewis (PS I'm a former Sunday school teacher ... but I've learned so much more since then).
PPS: Excellent post Steve and thoroughly deserving of its star rating!
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
Thank you for pointing that out out to our friend, Lewis. I appreciate it.
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
Faith constructed = someone else's faith ...
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
Exactly.
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
A great post Steve. Astrology is a much revered science in Hinduism and India.
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
Thank you Madan. I appreciate that.
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
In Hinduism there is no male superiority.Nice write but a bit provoking.jk
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
What is it about Indian society that puts more value on giving birth to boys? Religion is not responsible for the all male chauvinism, but it's a major part of it. Thank you for commenting jkalwaye. I appreciate it.
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21st Jul 2012 (#)
Because it is Dowry .JK
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21st Jul 2012 (#)
Dowry. what an awful reason to want to have boys rather than girls. You would think a modern civilization like India could move past that.
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
Ironically, most embrace the thought of the devil that doesn't exist than that of the god that they are but prefer to exist outside of themselves as a deity. much more a man!
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20th Jul 2012 (#)
...more the thought of the devil...
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21st Jul 2012 (#)
Right you are Buzz. Great to hear from you.
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21st Jul 2012 (#)
Sadly, religion is misused to divide us. I believe if we do more good than others, we should be better off in every way. What is good is prompted from within and such values are universal, above the dictates of organized religions. One is to help those in need. Thanks for a bold take; only you can pull it off, Steve - siva
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21st Jul 2012 (#)
Religion needs to celebrate the spirit within. Thank you Siva.
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21st Jul 2012 (#)
oh Steve you did it again! started a controversy...love it! and as Siva put so succintly only you can pull it off!
you are wonderful...
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21st Jul 2012 (#)
Thank you cnwriter. You are too, too kind.
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22nd Jul 2012 (#)
am not! just honest....
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22nd Jul 2012 (#)
You certainly are.
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23rd Jul 2012 (#)
Interesting focus on the human nature and religion. Thank you for sharing, the issues are sensitive too.
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23rd Jul 2012 (#)
Thank you Md. I appreciate your comment.
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27th Jul 2012 (#)
Excellent post, Steve. Amma always says that religion is like a pair of that cuts and divides, whereas spirituality UNITES.
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27th Jul 2012 (#)
There is a huge difference between religion and spirituality. Thank you rama devi.
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