Have all modern religions evolved from patriarchal cultures or have they simply been exploited to supplant the ancient matriarchy? Is this one of those chicken and egg debates? I can't say but I do know that all patriarchal religions have distorted and dismissed the role of women both culturally and historically. This is not a static process, either, as we are now witnessing in countries around the globe. Question is, just what is it we are witnessing? Is it patriarchal extremism or religious extremism?
Below is an article I was going to post the other day but decided against it as I thought it might appear OT for HoF but given our current discussion I think it provides an example apropos of the continuing de-evolution of women's status and roles in patriarchal religions.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/who-was-mary-magdalene-prostitute-sinner-apostle-of-the-apostles-1.1873591
Who was Mary Magdalene, ‘prostitute’, ‘sinner’, ‘apostle of the apostles’?
First to encounter the Risen Christ yet named ‘penitent’ until 1969
Tue, Jul 22, 2014
In a recent letter to The IrishTimes on the subject of mother-and-baby homes, Dr. Mary Mullaney wrote: “I visited the chapel [of Seán Ross Abbey] where the girls would have prayed daily. Over the altar is a stained-glass image of Mary Magdalene, the prostitute and sinner. But who was the real sinner?”
Indeed, who is the sinner? Today, July 22nd, is the feast day of Mary of Magdala, St Mary Magdalene. She is mentioned in all four canonical Gospels as discovering the empty tomb on her own or with other women disciples.
John’s Gospel also shows the Risen Christ sending Mary of Magdala to announce the good news of his resurrection to the other disciples (John 20: 10 to 18). Because of this, the early church called her “the apostle to the apostles”.
However, gradually and for a variety of reasons, the memory of Mary Magdalene changed in the western church, and became distorted from that of a faithful disciple and first witness of the resurrection to that of a repentant prostitute and public sinner.... MORE
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