Find me a religion?

[desperesperation]

I’m having a horrible time divorcing, ex behaving awfully. I read about how prayer affects the brain recently and thought you know I’m actually ready to pray to god for help, but goddammit why are they all male? I can’t do it. I want no more men in my life, not even god. Can someone please point me to a womens religion?

Buddhism has no deity, but instead basically has the concept of karma, and encourages people to be kind.

Sikhism has one deity, Waheguru, but they believe that the creator is formless and genderless. It teaches teaches complete spiritual, social, and political equality between men and women. It also reveres warrior women from history, such as Mata Bhag Kaur.

Celtic paganism and Wicca are favoured choices of a lot of women, given that goddesses and nature are held in high (if not the highest) regard.

I'm not sure that, given OP's issues with shitty men, recommending Christianity is really what she's after. The major female figure in the Christian Bible is teenage girl who was unconsensually impregnated. Not to mention the stuff with Lot offering up his daughters to be raped, instructions that rapists can marry their victims if they pay the victims father money, that wives should submit to their husbands, that women should be silent in church, and should not be allowed to teach or hold positions of authority over men, etc.

All of the Abrahamic religions are similar in their ingrained misogyny - although admittedly a lot of their modern followers tend to try to ignore the more unpleasant aspects of their good books, I don't think it's what the OP is after.

The rules of all major religions (Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism etc) were created by men and overwhelmingly favour men. Paganism in some form is your best bet really. That's why so many women are attracted to it.

I'm listening to ' Lilith ' by Nikki Marmery and thought of this thread. Im really enjoying it. It's a journey through the Bible from the perspective of Lilith, the first woman. Lots of Goddesses involved too.

You don't need a religion. You need faith.

I found Jesus and my life is infinitely better. I don't follow scripture or call myself catholic or protestant etc. I don't believe the bible is true word for word, I don'tbelieve in Cretaion therory or that Noahs ark was real for example. I believe it is a document, parables and stories written by men that loosly translates how God would like us to live but admit it was written by humans and so is fallible and will have influences of the people it was written by and influences of the era it was written in and some of that may not reflect well in modern times.

I speak a lot to Mary and pray to her and some of the female saints. And Jesus/God of course.

I wear a small cross and it makes me feel protected.

My connection isn't with the church or priests or the bible itself. It's with God Himself and I don't know who or what 'he/she??' may be or think but I know that I am in a much better place having opened myself up to feeling that love and guidance.

Nobody knows Gods will but him. Everything from man is interpretion and any faction pretending to know the answers is false. We do not know, thats why it is called faith. I believe as long as you open your heart, pray and treta people how you would like to be treated then that is all that matters in Faith.

Paganism

If you are witchy inclined, Dianic Wicca

You might take a look at the Quakers. They've always accepted women's religious testimony as equal to men's, and an active role for women in society. It comes from their belief that God exists inside everyone equally, which also means they never accept one group as superior to another, and of course they've always been pacifists. But that same acceptance of everyone has led to many of them saying that if someone thinks they're not the sex that their body makes them, then it's their right to be treated as the other sex. So there is that drawback.

Ancient pagan religions used to do things like human sacrifices, etc.. so I don’t think paganism holds any moral high ground if I’m honest. Modern day paganism in the uk is dressed up as this witchy, fashionable harmless endeavour, but is not so in other counties where practiced.

@Missymoo100

I don't think you can compare the many contemporary pagan religions (in a moral sense) to the practices of ancient pagans.

We are far removed from them in time and and have significant differences in our outlook on what is acceptable or moral behaviour.

Some pagan religions such as Wicca are entirely modern (Wicca is around 70 years old) and so cannot be judged on by what practitioners of a different pagan religion did 3000 years ago.

Modern reconstructions of ancient pagan religions are certainly built upon and inspired by those religions/traditions, but they are still very much products of our modern time and modern morality. Therefore, they cannot be judged, in a moral sense, for the failings of those in the past. They can only be judged on their current practices.

but is not so in other counties where practiced.

Could you give an example of some countries in which this is the case?

Magdalena x

I feel the “new” paganism is polished, romanticised version made palatable to western audiences- Portrayed as being all cute, witchy and magic.

Meanwhile in places like Uganda there have still been recent cases of child sacrifice and still have ritualistic killings.

As you say it’s a broad church so anything and everything can be classed as “paganism” the good and the bad side of it.

I don’t think Humanism is a religion.

@Missymoo100

Ugandan religions and practices do not fall under the category of 'paganism'. They are not pagan religions or traditions. Native, indigenous religions of African countries fall under the category of 'African Traditional Religions.'

There are some commonalities between ATRs and pagan religions, in that they tend to be polytheistic, but it's historically and culturally inaccurate to describe indigenous Ugandan religions and practices as pagan. They aren't, and the practitioners of those religions would not identify as pagans.

As you say it’s a broad church so anything and everything can be classed as “paganism” the good and the bad side of it.

Paganism is certainly very diverse, with numerous religions/traditions, but it's not correct that "anything and everything can be classed as paganism."

Why don't you look within yourself and find your own uniqueness and your own independent thoughts and beliefs you can still meditate and pray that way without following one religion. You need anyone to find something for you to believe in.