Re: Within neopaganism does feminism exist at the expense of male neopagans?
Gardenia hit the nail on the head with the "squeaky wheel" analogy. To act like most feminists are sitting around reading Solanas' SCUM Manifesto and pricking voodoo dolls with penises is just ludicrous. Some of the largest movements that might identify with feminism include Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and various other groups focusing on women's health and equality. Radical feminism was a very small, and largely ignored group in the various waves of feminism. The first wave was about suffrage, the second about employment equality and reproductive rights and the third wave is about sexual liberation and media images of women along with working in race issues and issues of social class in feminism (I'm over-simplifying I know, but this is a forum not a symposium on women's studies).
Feminism is not man-hating. Gloria Steinem adored her partner who died tragically of lymphoma (I think it was lymphoma), Planned Parenthood and reproductive rights benefits both sexes and many of the goals of feminism are the same as the goals of humanism (a quote right from Steinem, the archetype of second-wave feminism).
The vast majority of the world's religions are incredibly male-centered. Even when female images are in a religion they tend to be not so empowering. The Virgin Mary is praised for being submissive to the will of God (think of the Canticle in Luke's Gospel) and for being ever-pure and untouched, at least in Catholic and Orthodox theology. The same denominations that value the Virgin Mary still have male-only priesthoods and the Vatican has released a statement that even though God is not corporeal he should still only be thought of as "Father" and never "Mother." Shakti Hinduism may celebrate the divine feminine but it is much smaller than the Saivite and Vaisnivite sects and sex discrimination is a huge issue in India. Orthodox Jewish males say a prayer every day that includes the words "Thank you God for not making me a gentile or a woman." So one small religious movement like contemporary Paganism and Wicca/witchcraft celebrate women in a central place and all of the sudden it's "Whoa whoa, this is crazy!" Puh-lease.
Gardenia hit the nail on the head with the "squeaky wheel" analogy. To act like most feminists are sitting around reading Solanas' SCUM Manifesto and pricking voodoo dolls with penises is just ludicrous. Some of the largest movements that might identify with feminism include Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and various other groups focusing on women's health and equality. Radical feminism was a very small, and largely ignored group in the various waves of feminism. The first wave was about suffrage, the second about employment equality and reproductive rights and the third wave is about sexual liberation and media images of women along with working in race issues and issues of social class in feminism (I'm over-simplifying I know, but this is a forum not a symposium on women's studies).
Feminism is not man-hating. Gloria Steinem adored her partner who died tragically of lymphoma (I think it was lymphoma), Planned Parenthood and reproductive rights benefits both sexes and many of the goals of feminism are the same as the goals of humanism (a quote right from Steinem, the archetype of second-wave feminism).
The vast majority of the world's religions are incredibly male-centered. Even when female images are in a religion they tend to be not so empowering. The Virgin Mary is praised for being submissive to the will of God (think of the Canticle in Luke's Gospel) and for being ever-pure and untouched, at least in Catholic and Orthodox theology. The same denominations that value the Virgin Mary still have male-only priesthoods and the Vatican has released a statement that even though God is not corporeal he should still only be thought of as "Father" and never "Mother." Shakti Hinduism may celebrate the divine feminine but it is much smaller than the Saivite and Vaisnivite sects and sex discrimination is a huge issue in India. Orthodox Jewish males say a prayer every day that includes the words "Thank you God for not making me a gentile or a woman." So one small religious movement like contemporary Paganism and Wicca/witchcraft celebrate women in a central place and all of the sudden it's "Whoa whoa, this is crazy!" Puh-lease.
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