Women's roles in religion
How barriers can be broken and the problems with cultural interpretations
Melissa S. Hayden
Issue date: 3/18/07 Section: Features
Are interpretations of sexuality and gender differences creating a struggle for women's equality in religious roles?
"Women and Religion," part of the "Conversations and Controversy" series sponsored by the Catholic Newman Center, was held last Tuesday in room 313 of the Millennium Student Center at 1 p.m.
The event was a conversation with religious leaders from the Catholic, Lutheran and Muslim faiths during which the leaders discussed the role of women in their religion.
M. Waheed Rana, professor of the Center for Anatomical Science and Education at St. Louis University's School of Medicine, said Muslims follow the scripture of the Koran "without any question."
However, he said the equality of the genders in the Islamic religion is not represented properly by what is seen on television."Whatever they show you on TV is totally cultural," he said.
Rana said, according to the Koran, all mankind needs to equally be conscious of their "lord, be conscious of Allah," and demand their rights from one another. He said women who are seen being mistreated in the public eye are not aware of their rights.
"These people doing these things don't let the women know what their rights are," he said.
According to Rana, the treatment of women was that of equality when he was growing up in India.
"The women were all the same," he said, which came from local traditions. Although the Muslim cultures differ greatly in their followers' treatment of women, he said, "the people take these [traditions] very rigidly."
"The local traditions sometimes overshadow the religious factors," Rana said.
Local traditions and interpretations of scripture have also plagued the roles of women in the Catholic and Lutheran religions."It's not easy, God speaks through scriptures and also through community," said Rev. Karen Scherer of Unity Lutheran Church in Bel-Nor.
Scherer said interpretations can "all get mixed up" and from a Lutheran perspective, the scriptures of the Bible are not taken literally.
"Women and Religion," part of the "Conversations and Controversy" series sponsored by the Catholic Newman Center, was held last Tuesday in room 313 of the Millennium Student Center at 1 p.m.
The event was a conversation with religious leaders from the Catholic, Lutheran and Muslim faiths during which the leaders discussed the role of women in their religion.
M. Waheed Rana, professor of the Center for Anatomical Science and Education at St. Louis University's School of Medicine, said Muslims follow the scripture of the Koran "without any question."
However, he said the equality of the genders in the Islamic religion is not represented properly by what is seen on television."Whatever they show you on TV is totally cultural," he said.
Rana said, according to the Koran, all mankind needs to equally be conscious of their "lord, be conscious of Allah," and demand their rights from one another. He said women who are seen being mistreated in the public eye are not aware of their rights.
"These people doing these things don't let the women know what their rights are," he said.
According to Rana, the treatment of women was that of equality when he was growing up in India.
"The women were all the same," he said, which came from local traditions. Although the Muslim cultures differ greatly in their followers' treatment of women, he said, "the people take these [traditions] very rigidly."
"The local traditions sometimes overshadow the religious factors," Rana said.
Local traditions and interpretations of scripture have also plagued the roles of women in the Catholic and Lutheran religions."It's not easy, God speaks through scriptures and also through community," said Rev. Karen Scherer of Unity Lutheran Church in Bel-Nor.
Scherer said interpretations can "all get mixed up" and from a Lutheran perspective, the scriptures of the Bible are not taken literally.
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Milton Martinez
posted 3/19/07 @ 8:59 PM EST
1 Timothy 2:12 states: I do not permit a woman to teach or to excercise authority over a man but to be in silence.
As Jehovah's Witnesses we do not permit a woman to teach from the podium. (Continued…)
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