Recently in our intro philosophy class and readings we have been talking about if morality exists because of God or if it is independent of God. An example we have often talked about are the atheists: why would atheists be moral if there is no punishment or reward for them in the afterlife? However, today I do not want to talk about how atheists have morals, but about religious people’s morals. The statements I am about to make take into account that not all theists are the same/believe in the same God.
There was a religious protest on the Oval this week, claiming that God commands women to be submissive to men and to not further their education, since they were only made to reproduce. I have attached a photo of the poster that they used to endorse this idea. Not only were women upset with this view, but men defended this inequality as well. This event made me think of the Divine Command Theory versus the Divine Independence Theory, and also about the evolution of morals. Do some theists believe that women should not be treated equal to men because God commands them to? In this situation, I believe the answer to this is yes. These theists not only tell women what roles they need to play, but also cite in the Bible where God has commanded so.
But what about the theists that do not believe this? Their morals are slightly different than these theists on the Oval; perhaps because of Divine Independence Theory and also the evolution of our species in the moral sense. Slavery was once thought moral, however now it is illegal. The Romans used to cheer and watch as they sent people to their deaths in the Colosseum, nothing like this happens in the United States nowadays. So if morals have developed to realize this treatment of other human beings is wrong, then why is the role of women constantly being argued? Why is equality still an issue?
Your post hit very close to home. I saw the protest and the poster as I walked to class, and it made me furious. I don’t understand how people can still think that women’s roles are to stay at home, reproduce, and look pretty after seeing all the contributions women have made to the world. Some moral values have changed over time, such as slavery, and women’s roles have also changed. It’s time for the old-fashioned theists to accept that women aren’t going anywhere and will continue making strides until we have the equality that we deserve.
I think that your post highlights a very legitimate concern with religion. Most people would agree that limiting women to the role of giving birth and caring for children is immoral; yet, these people were using religion to give validity to this view. The Bible may contain the world of God, but how it is interpreted can vary in many ways. So although people may claim that God is backing their view, in fact, they may be mistaking or misinterpreting his message.
Women were equal to men when we were hunter gatherers. It is not so much religion but the invention of property that came about as we began to farm the land and settle down as a result. A problem with equality in modern times is due, in my humble opinion, to the fact that women carry the vessel. When it comes to morality in the area of sexuality women must be more responsible than men since they are the ones who offer their body or nor, as the case may be. And the children we have in the modern era, as ever, men must safely feel that the infants they are helping to rise carry their genes. This does not only apply to men for I am sure that grandmothers too would agree with that!!