How CAN you be religious if you are a feminist?

[SolidGoldBrass]

Given that misyogyny is absolutely inherent in Christianity, Islam and the rest (even when they try to dress it up as saying they 'revere' women and women are 'special' it;s still about women being defined by men as not quite human), how can a woman follow any of these myth systems without accepting that she's less than fully human and her imaginary friend thinks so too, otherwise why wouldn't it have smashed the patriarchy already?

There is quite a lot of usage of 'her' as a pronoun for God. Some variate between him and her, some use only her, some neither. I find it helpful to think of God as both, but will never be able to explain this fully.
Clarissimo, I studied a similar amount of faiths too, I agree that they all have positive aspects to think upon and we can draw the good from them. However, I have found that Christianity for me fulfils everything I am searching for. Christianity as Jesus taught, and what he did, not necessarily as the church through the ages has interpreted. Like you say, every religion is man made and thus flawed.
I think Quakerism (is that a word???) is interesting and has a lot to be said for it. I am interested by how you describe the listening to the silence. I would say that as a Christian that is an important part of how I practise my faith.
Unfortunately I am C of E and the bloody roof costs do too often get in the way!

Sorry....didn't mean to repeat myself, twas tedious the first time

Madhair- LOL at roof costs.

Quakerism better be a word, I used it often enough in my dissertation without being hauled up over it

I ahve friends who are former missionaries who identify completely with the silence thing also, it is funny really- our ways of explaining what we belive are so different yet when we get together for wedding we can both cry over make me a channel of your peace at weddings LOL (I know I know, but nobody is perfectand frankly I stopped trying long ago)

Vivekananda. One of those books that just spoke to me I guess when I picked it up for 'boring revision'. His stuff on prayer and lilfe story are pretty interesting too.

Christianity didn't wipe out pagan faiths though absolutely it did decimate them (someone I syudied with pre-Uni was a high level pagan, used to run their prioson visitng service and library IIRC). There's an awful lot Christinaity has done that is shameful. Equally there is an awful lot that humans ahve done that is shameful. We don;t write them off in entirety becuase of it do we? Awful as much of it truly was (and is in some places, the use of Christianity to deny condoms to people in high riak HIXV areas is despicable) we must condemn the people that carried out the atrocities- but the excuse thery hid behind>

OK, while I personally have no interest in or need for imaginary superpowered all loving invisible friends why, if you are a woman and intelligent and a feminist who does feel the need for Something Out There, a higher power or a deity, why stick to the sexist clunking myth system you were brought up with, why not work out your own myth system, your own traditions (hey, pirate all the good ones from the pre-existing cultures by all means as that's what Christianity and probably many other myth systems did).
It's not at all unheard of for people to swap myth systems in adulthood, moving from the one they were raised in to a totally different one, and I must admit that when an adult woman who wasn't raised with it adopts one of the abrahamic faiths it shocks me. Why? Why would you, as a functioning adult, adopt a belief system that involves pretty much painting on your forehead 'I am scum, I am property, I am second class'.

It's interesting that the Old Testament had very strong women in it; Bathsheba, Ruth, Esther, Rebecca amongst others.

I don't know whether Jesus was a feminist or not. There was an interesting debate that Mary Magdalen was actually one of his disciples, but that the New Testament is more a reflection of those who compiled it, than the doctrine of Jesus.

Hmm

I am not convinced how much choice there is in heartfelt beleif- in fact I suspect that for some the emasure of a faith is in its extremes- miracles and the like.

ANd I would describe my faith as both Abrahamic and progressive

But I have tocompletely agree with you that trehre are many out there and just sticking with what you know is the easy option. It may be after you read all the other main faith philosophioes that you come back to your starting point but at least you will be more informed about the world in whcih we all live in.

I feel irritated about splitting hairs about whether it is 'our father' or 'our mother'-I couldn't really care less. I have always understood father to mean mother too, in a religious sense. All the strident feminist part of changing something puts me off completely-it isn't important and sidetracks from the important issues.
The more I hear about the Quakers the more interested I become-I think I must give it a try.
(Strong women have always just quietly got on with it-they know they are superior!!)

I think that men must be laughing-while women are discussing petty issues like 'should it be our father or our mother'-it keeps them off topics that are important!

Our guide in Heaven
Hallowed be your name
Your world will come
Your will be done
As it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
Forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive
Lead us not into temptation
Deliver us from evil
The love, the power and the glory

Works for me

Works for me too Clarissimo-way superior to gender.

It's part double think

But in a lot of faiths there is an assumption of dual gender in divinity. So thre may be some sense in it as well.

You see Dittany in my personal understanding changing it to Mother is as abhorrent as having ewverything as father

There is no superior gender, either way

There is one promoted throughout history of course as superior but all that means is that they were )wrong? culturally deluded?)), not that the polar opposite is true/ INdeed, very few absolutes are true. Middle road every time for me

Even in the deepest rooms of the vatican one of the revered women(can't remember who but she was a founding father's mother and has a statue in the same scale and importnace as the Saints) has her title scrubbed out and an attempt to disguise her as a man.

Besides Jesus wasn't a woman was he?

By SGB "Why? Why would you, as a functioning adult, adopt a belief system that involves pretty much painting on your forehead 'I am scum, I am property, I am second class'."

Why would anyone? I don't.

Because that is the polar opposite to what my 'belief system' says about me.

More 'I am loved, I am fulfilled, I am first class.' (said not in a 'look at me, I am wonderful manner - more an amazed thankfulness.)

Going back to the whole Our Father/Mother/Guide in heaven thing. I see what Clarissimo means - changing it to 'Our mother' would kind of be equally as 'bad' as keeping it to Our Father, as neither gender should supercede. Our guide...hmmm. Just doesn't sit right. I guess I am with Clarissimo that saying 'Our Father in heaven' encapsulates all that God is, male and female, although again, this can't be explained logically and reasonably. Faith comes down to that in the end. Copout possibly? Never mind.

Dittabny- LOL, I made that version up as I typed it.

I don;t really say teh Loard's Prayer: that really is not aprt of my faith.