Reply #16: Chicken or Egg [View All]

[iamjoy]

yes, men created religion - I mentioned that. Man created religion and then used it to oppress women. Why was man able to do this? Why didn't women create religion and use it to claim equality? I think the oppression of women preceded Abrahamic religions. These religions just made it a lot easier. Now men had an excuse that sounded good.

Furthermore, as for ancient cultures, women couldn't own property in ancient Greece, either. Ancient Rome had the "Vestal Virgins." It sounds like a lofty position for women, but it extolled chastity and obedience in women - much as the "myth" of the Virgin Mary does in Christianity. For one of the ancient Roman priestesses to disobey or have sex was punishable by death. In that regard it doesn't seem ancient Pagan religions were much better than mono-theistic ones.

There are studies to indicate that women in Egypt had an equivalent legal status to men, but Ramses still had multiple wives and concubines - a freedom I doubt those women themselves had.

Because I believe men wrote the bible and men created religion, I also think the oppression of women pre-dated religion.