Editing Misogyny (section)

== Religion ==
{{See also|Feminist theology|Gender and religion}}

=== Ancient Greek ===
[[File:Pandora - John William Waterhouse.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|''Pandora'' by [[John William Waterhouse]], 1896]]
In ''Misogyny: The World's Oldest Prejudice'', [[Jack Holland (writer)|Jack Holland]] argues that there is evidence of misogyny in the [[mythology]] of the ancient world. In [[Greek mythology]] according to Hesiod, the human race had already experienced a peaceful, autonomous existence as a companion to the gods before the creation of women. When [[Prometheus]] decides to steal the secret of fire from the gods, [[Zeus]] becomes infuriated and decides to punish humankind with an "evil thing for their delight". This "evil thing" is [[Pandora]], the first woman, who carried a jar (usually described—incorrectly—as a box) which she was told to never open. [[Epimetheus (mythology)|Epimetheus]] (the brother of Prometheus) is overwhelmed by her beauty, disregards Prometheus' warnings about her, and marries her. Pandora cannot resist peeking into the jar, and by opening it she unleashes into the world all evil; [[childbirth|labour]], [[Illness|sickness]], [[old age]], and [[death]].<ref>Holland, J: ''Misogyny: The World's Oldest Prejudice'', pp. 12–13. Avalon Publishing Group, 2006.</ref>

=== Buddhism ===
{{Main|Women in Buddhism}}
In his book ''The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and Gender'', professor Bernard Faure of [[Columbia University]] argued generally that "Buddhism is paradoxically neither as sexist nor as egalitarian as is usually thought." He remarked, "Many feminist scholars have emphasised the misogynistic (or at least androcentric) nature of Buddhism" and stated that Buddhism morally exalts its male monks while the mothers and wives of the monks also have important roles. Additionally, he wrote:
{{blockquote|While some scholars see Buddhism as part of a movement of emancipation, others see it as a source of oppression. Perhaps this is only a distinction between optimists and pessimists, if not between idealists and realists... As we begin to realise, the term "Buddhism" does not designate a monolithic entity, but covers a number of doctrines, ideologies, and practices--some of which seem to invite, tolerate, and even cultivate "otherness" on their margins.<ref name=bernard>{{cite web |url=http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/i7538.html |title=Sample Chapter for Faure, B.: The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and Gender |publisher=Press.princeton.edu |access-date=2013-10-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005011657/http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/i7538.html |archive-date=2013-10-05}}</ref>}}

=== Christianity ===
{{Main|Women in Christianity}}
{{See also|Complementarianism|Christian egalitarianism|1 Timothy 2:12}}
[[File:Maria laach eva teufel.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|[[Eve]] rides astride the Serpent on a capital in [[Maria Laach Abbey|Laach Abbey church]], 13th century.]]

Differences in tradition and interpretations of scripture have caused sects of [[Christianity]] to differ in their beliefs with regard to their treatment of women.

In ''The Troublesome Helpmate'', Katharine M. Rogers argues that Christianity is misogynistic, and she lists what she says are specific examples of misogyny in the [[Pauline epistles]]. She states:

{{blockquote|The foundations of early Christian misogyny—its guilt about sex, its insistence on female subjection, its dread of female seduction—are all in St. Paul's epistles.<ref>Rogers, Katharine M. ''The Troublesome Helpmate: A History of Misogyny in Literature,'' 1966.</ref>}}

In K. K. Ruthven's ''Feminist Literary Studies: An Introduction'', Ruthven makes reference to Rogers' book and argues that the "legacy of Christian misogyny was consolidated by the so-called 'Fathers' of the Church, like [[Tertullian]], who thought a woman was not only 'the gateway of the devil' but also 'a temple built over a sewer'."<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/feministliterary0000ruth_w8e4/page/83/mode/1up?view=theater |url-access=registration |page=83 |title=Feminist literary studies: An introduction |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-39852-7 |last1=Ruthven |first1=K. K |year=1990 }}</ref>

Several Christian institutions exclude women. For example, women are excluded from the [[Mount Athos]] region of Greece and from the governing [[hierarchy of the Catholic Church]]. Some Christian theologians, such as [[John Knox]] in his book ''[[The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women]]'', have written that women should be excluded from secular government institutions for religious reasons.
[[File:Personification of the seven deadly sins, Misogyny, Wellcome L0029327.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.8|Personification of the seven deadly sins, Mediaeval]]
However, some other scholars have argued that Christianity does not include misogynistic principles, or at least that a proper interpretation of Christianity would not include misogynistic principles. David M. Scholer, a biblical scholar at [[Fuller Theological Seminary]], stated that the verse [[Galatians 3:28]] ("There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus") is "the fundamental Pauline theological basis for the inclusion of women and men as equal and mutual partners in all of the ministries of the church."<ref name=CBMW>{{cite web |title=Galatians 3:28 – prooftext or context? |url=http://cbmw.org/staff/ |publisher=The council on biblical manhood and womanhood |access-date=6 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206045217/http://cbmw.org/staff/ |archive-date=6 February 2015}}</ref><ref>Hove, Richard. ''Equality in Christ? Galatians 3:28 and the Gender Dispute'' (Wheaton: Crossway, 1999), p. 17.</ref> In his book ''Equality in Christ? Galatians 3:28 and the Gender Dispute'', Richard Hove argues that—while Galatians 3:28 does mean that one's sex does not affect salvation—"there remains a pattern in which the wife is to emulate the church's submission to Christ<ref>''The Holy Bible'' {{bibleverse||Eph|5:21-33|KJV}}</ref> and the husband is to emulate Christ's love for the church."<ref>{{Cite book |title=Marriage and family in the biblical world |isbn=978-0-8308-2737-4 |last1=Campbell |first1=Ken M |date=1 October 2003 |publisher=InterVarsity Press}}</ref>

In ''Christian Men Who Hate Women'', clinical psychologist Margaret J. Rinck has written that [[Christian culture|Christian social culture]] often allows a misogynist "misuse of the biblical ideal of submission". However, she argues that this a distortion of the "healthy relationship of mutual submission" which is actually specified in Christian doctrine, where "[l]ove is based on a deep, mutual respect as the guiding principle behind all decisions, actions, and plans".<ref>{{cite book |title=Christian Men Who Hate Women: Healing Hurting Relationships |first=Margaret J. |last=Rinck |publisher=[[Zondervan]] |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-310-51751-1 |pages=81–85}}</ref> Similarly, Catholic scholar [[Christopher West]] argues that "male domination violates God's plan and is the specific result of sin".<ref>{{cite book |first=Christopher |last=West |others=with a foreword by George Weigel |title=Theology of the body explained : a commentary on John Paul II's "Gospel of the body" |year=2003 |publisher=Gracewing |location=Leominster, Herefordshire |isbn=978-0-85244-600-3}}</ref>

=== Islam ===

{{Main|Women in Islam}}
{{See also|Namus|Islam and domestic violence}}

The fourth chapter (or ''[[sura]]'') of the [[Quran]] is called "Women" (''[[an-nisa]]''). The [[An-Nisa, 34|34th verse]] is a key verse in feminist criticism of [[Islam]].<ref>"Verse 34 of Chapter 4 is an oft-cited Verse in the Qur'an used to demonstrate that Islam is structurally patriarchal, and thus Islam internalises male dominance."
Dahlia Eissa, "[http://www.wluml.org/node/443#_ftn42 Constructing the Notion of Male Superiority over Women in Islam] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150116153529/http://www.wluml.org/node/443#_ftn42 |date=16 January 2015 }}: The influence of sex and gender stereotyping in the interpretation of the Qur'an and the implications for a modernist exegesis of rights", Occasional Paper 11 in ''Occasional Papers'' (Empowerment International, 1999).</ref> The verse notes men's God-given advantages over women. They are consequently their protectors and maintainers. Where women are disobedient "admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them..." In his book ''[[No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam|No god but God]]'', [[University of Southern California]], Professor [[Reza Aslan]] wrote that "misogynistic interpretation" has been persistently attached to An-Nisa, 34 because commentary on the Quran "has been the exclusive domain of Muslim men".<ref name=issue>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/20/AR2006102001261.html |newspaper=Washington Post |title=Clothes Aren't the Issue |date=22 October 2006 |first=Asra Q. |last=Nomani |access-date=31 October 2017 |archive-date=22 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922033032/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/20/AR2006102001261_2.html?noredirect=on |url-status=live}}</ref>

In his book ''Popular Islam and Misogyny: A Case Study of Bangladesh'', [[Taj Hashmi]] discusses misogyny in relation to Muslim culture, writing:

{{blockquote|[T]hanks to the subjective interpretations of the Quran (almost exclusively by men), the preponderance of the misogynic mullahs and the regressive Shariah law in most "Muslim" countries, Islam is synonymously known as a promoter of misogyny in its worst form.... we may draw a line between the Quranic texts and the corpus of avowedly misogynic writing and spoken words by the mullah having very little or no relevance to the Quran.<ref>Hashmi, Taj. ''[http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/taj_hashmi/Popular_Islam_and_Misogyn1.pdf Popular Islam and Misogyny: A Case Study of Bangladesh] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203082808/http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/taj_hashmi/Popular_Islam_and_Misogyn1.pdf |date=3 February 2014 }}''. Retrieved August 11, 2008.</ref>}}

The economic and social position of men and women was reflected in [[Blood Money in Islam|blood money]] to the family of a victim. The financial loss for a woman was pegged at half that of a man.<ref name=CD>[[Caner Dagli]], ''[[2 The Cow al-Baqarah]]'', [[Study Quran]]</ref>

=== Sikhism ===
{{See also|Women in Sikhism}}
Scholars William M. Reynolds and Julie A. Webber have written that [[Guru Nanak]], the founder of the [[Sikh]] faith tradition, was a "fighter for women's rights" that was "in no way misogynistic" in contrast to some of his contemporaries.<ref>{{cite book |page=87 |title=Expanding curriculum theory: dis/positions and lines of flight |author=Julie A. Webber |publisher=Psychology Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-8058-4665-2}}</ref> However, unconscious misogynistic attitudes in Sikh men have steadily reduced the power of women in Sikhism, such that the Sikh community has been observed to contain [[toxic masculinity]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.fsrinc.org/article/6979/ |title=Reintegrating the Feminine Voice Inherent in Sikh Scripture |last1=Bal |first1=Jaspreet |last2=Daman |first2=Santbir Singh Sarkar |date=2021 |journal=[[Feminist Studies in Religion]] |volume=37 |number=2 |access-date=17 December 2022 |archive-date=17 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217195122/https://www.fsrinc.org/article/6979/ |url-status=live}}</ref>