The Church and sexism

dilbert2

I've seen today that there is a protest in Italy of about a million women on the streets protesting against sexism. Now as you may well know, Italy like Ireland has been somewhat of a bastion of Catholicism for centuries and as a result its approach to women can often seem to only give women a secondary role to men as opposed to an equal one. In everything from (a) abortion, (b) refusing to ordain women priests, (c) scolding women twice as bad for the same supposed "sin" as men - example locking women up in laundries, but doing nothing about the fathers, (d) justifying domestic violence in marriage, or sweeping it under the carpet because for a woman to divorce would be considered a sin, (e) sexism toward women in general, seeing them only as baby producing factories and servants to their husbands.

One only need look at countries in let's say Scandinavia where secularism has been a force in politics and society for decades - as opposed to catholic societies such as Ireland and Italy, and the level of equality and respect for women is clearly visible there. This is opposed to Ireland where women make up a small percentage of the seats in government, and in Italy where women in politics are treated as sex objects - women are respected and valued as equal in Scandinavian society and politics, and in some places nearly make up half of the seats in government.

Would it be fair to say that the absence of the influence of Catholicism in Scandinavia has led to a more egalitarian and enlightened approach to the relationship between the sexes, as opposed to countries like Ireland and Italy - where despite our supposed progress, women still take the backseat to men in many respects.

dilbert2

dilbert2 wrote: »

Would it be fair to say that the absence of the influence of Catholicism in Scandinavia has led to a more egalitarian and enlightened approach to the relationship between the sexes, as opposed to countries like Ireland and Italy - where despite our supposed progress, women still take the backseat to men in many respects.

I don't think the absence of the influence of Catholicism in Saudi Arabia/Yemen/etc has done the women much good

Duggy747

bluewolf wrote: »

I don't think the absence of the influence of Catholicism in Saudi Arabia/Yemen/etc has done the women much good

Nonsense, I hear their women are always getting stoned, bloody hippies...................eh.....................wait a minute.............oh....

Links234

bluewolf wrote: »

I don't think the absence of the influence of Catholicism in Saudi Arabia/Yemen/etc has done the women much good

No, but they live under Islam, which is also deeply sexist.

Gunsfortoys

bluewolf wrote: »

I don't think the absence of the influence of Catholicism in Saudi Arabia/Yemen/etc has done the women much good

Good point.

It isn't just women that have been oppressed by catholicism either OP, this religion has had a hand in a lot of oppression against men and women.

We are lucky we live in such an equal society compared to the above countries bluewolf mentioned. There are plenty of opportunities for women to enter politics and other jobs.

Links234

Links234 wrote: »

No, but they live under Islam, which is also deeply sexist.

Right, but blaming catholicism for the world's evils is not accurate


All that said, I would be one for a secular society, I think it's fairest for everybody

Hail 2 Da Thief

dilbert2 wrote: »

Would it be fair to say that the absence of the influence of Catholicism in Scandinavia has led to a more egalitarian and enlightened approach to the relationship between the sexes

Scandanavian countries are notorious for their high rates of atheism. It's not really about the absense of Catholicism but religious belief in general!

Links234

bluewolf wrote: »

Right, but blaming catholicism for the world's evils is not accurate


All that said, I would be one for a secular society, I think it's fairest for everybody

bit of a red herring though isn't it? the thread isn't blaming catholicism for the world's evils, it's pointing out the effects of it in this country and in italy.

dilbert2

Hail 2 Da Thief wrote: »

Scandanavian countries are notorious for their high rates of atheism. It's not really about the absense of Catholicism but religious belief in general!

That's a fair point, although I was pointing out catholicism because I was discussing Ireland and Italy (where the protests are taking place).

Celly Smunt

bluewolf wrote: »

I don't think the absence of the influence of Catholicism in Saudi Arabia/Yemen/etc has done the women much good

probably not but they sure do make a mean halal sandwich!

FatherLen

"sexism"? what the hell is that?
bitches be crazy!

Celly Smunt

FatherLen wrote: »

"sexism"? what the hell is that?
bitches be crazy!

give that bitch sexism,bitches love sexism.

Up-n-atom!

I heard about this too, OP, but as far as I know this was against Silvio Berlesconi and his brand of sexist rule rather than Catholicism (sleeping with underage prostitutes, lady politicians being expected to 'sleep' their way to the top etc). There was a cross-section of people in the crowds, from nuns to militant feminists. Obviously Catholicism has a knock-on effect on society in Italy but that wasn't what people were complaining about.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/women-hold-nationwide-anti-berlusconi-protests-say-italy-is-not-a-brothel-85269

biko

Religion and sex = I approve

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU8JrC3kC6Q