How Religion Might Influence Rape Culture [View all]

[trotsky]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kimberly-carfore/how-religion-might-influe_b_10625418.html

...You may have heard the term “patriarchy” thrown around a lot lately. Patriarchy is defined as a social and economic system where men hold the power. In order to understand how this works, think about the United States’ political system where men hold most of the leadership positions. Also, to think about patriarchal social organization, think about current marriage practices where women take men’s last name.

Historically, women have made a lot of progress fighting against patriarchal oppression. Consider the three women who currently hold positions as secretary of state as well as women who are choosing to keep their maiden names. While these achievements are laudable, patriarchy has been around for about 6,000. It takes a long time for a system to catch up after humans make changes to undo practices of domination. In addition, patriarchy is not simply the political, social, and economic order of the United States, but the majority of the globe.

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So how does this all relate to religion? Early political leaders were patriarchs, holding both religious and political power. Consider the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt who ruled from around 3100 BC - 30 BC. Their words taught people how to live and relate to each other. While this might seem completely irrelevant to issues we face in the year 2016, it is not. Ingrained in our ways of thinking is the intertwinement of politics and religion which stems back to these intertwined power structures.

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While religion in the past has taught us how to live ethical lives and be moral people, it seems as though society is going through some sort of transition. When that which used to keep us safe begins to perpetuate violence, it is time to reevaluate these systems. The problems and promises of religions are most worthy of thought and consideration.