Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Etc.

Submitted by Shefali (United States), Feb 27, 2009 at 03:13

It's a valid point to mention that in India, Hindu families also have issues - there were a spate of bride burnings over there, for example. And in Europe during the witch trials, women (and some men) were burned at the stake. Reading the OT, the Jews weren't always the nicest people, either.

However, in modern times, Hinduism is rapidly evolving. There are many Hindu cultural and religious things that give support to better treatment of women - for example, every Hindu God has a Goddess that complements him. Just this inclusion of feminine deities in the Hindu pantheon gives women a voice that is denied in Islam. Traditionally the dowry given to women in India was for the support of the wife in case something happened to the husband, though this was corrupted. Now, as Hindu women embrace Western culture, most Hindus are modernizing. It is only a small remnant in a few places that is fighting this. While traditionally Hindu women were treated as inferior culturally, there is nothing innate in the religion to prevent women's progress, and it is happening now in India.

In Christianity, the NT never says that men are to beat their wives. Men are called instead to love their wives like Christ loved the church - and Christ suffered and died for His church. In Judaism, in the OT stories - women are constantly praised. Sarah is Abraham's partner, and God promises not just to create a race from Abraham's seed, but through his seed implanted within Sarah. God hears the prayers of Hannah, or Ruth, even the prostitute Rahab is honored. Deborah is a judge.

In China, culturally women were treated like slaves, but now, they are making good progress as well. I don't know much about Chinese culture, but it seems that, like Hinduism or Judaism or Christianity, there is nothing to prevent the long term emancipation of women.

However in Islam, as long as the Koran is considered the final authority, there will always be a final authority that can be used to back up the enslavement of women.

The problem is not that many Islamic cultures, like many non-Islamic cultures, are backwards. The problem is that there are actually impediments to emancipation within the Koran that are not found in other religious documents.

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