> it is sad when an open minded perspective is considered extreme. On a
> somewhat similiar tangent, are very many of you religious? In my
> experience, organized religion is a very patriarchial and constrictive
> environment, which I would imagine, would put off most people here. Is
> there a near mutual exclusion between open minded women (or men) and the
> church?
In my personal experience, no. I would consider myself a deeply
spiritual person, and Christian. My partner and I have frequent discussions
on the nature of God as female, as well as the ties between Christianity and
Buddhism. In the Old Testament, the male component of God the Father had an
equal female component called Wisdom. She is "replaced" by the Holy Spirit
in the New Testament, reflecting the politics of the time more than anything
else. For anyone interested in such things, the book of Wisdom is
fascinating reading, though you won't find it in a "typical" Bible.
That being said, I find it hard to be involved in the Church these days,
and am frequently angry at either the non-inclusive language or the
exclusions of gays and lesbians from the ministry. It is unfortunate,
because my partner and I deeply believe in the philosophy and theology. It
is dumbfounding to me how a belief that stresses love for others above all
else can cause so much suffering and blind hatred. The recent attention and
pandering to Bob Jones University by political types lately sickens me. In
my opinion, the Christian Right is neither.
Hmmm, it's like you hit a nerve or something.
Jeramia
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