SJP
As a renowned expert on Religions could you enlighten those of us in the darkness of believers on how you would rate the major Religions on their treatment of women -
I will be happy to, Goober. I will consider Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, the three major religions in the world. I doubt if the minor religions (Judaism, Buddhism etc.) are much better.
Christianity regards wife as her husband’s servant, or his property. Thus in the 10th Commandant (I looked it up, I don’t know all the Commandments by heart, just a few of them) it lumps the wife together with servants, ox, donkey or any other things that belong to the neighbour. Thou shalt not covet etc.
Here at least implicitly Bible says that wife is husband’s property. Then of course, there is the advice to the wife, to be submissive to the husband. Man is the head of the household, wife is his chattel. She is expected to obey him. It is very much a master – servant relationship.
In Islam, one man is equal to two women. This irrespective of education, intelligence, upbringing etc. of the man or the woman. Thus, even the most educated, having a well paying job, somebody in position of authority, somebody who may be proficient in several languages, even such a woman is only half the worth of the village idiot, the man.
Islam regards woman as subhuman, only half human, little better than animal.
Hinduism is the most horrible of all as far as women are concerned. In Hinduism the husband – wife relationship is that between God and his Disciple. Husband is the God, wife is his worshipper, his Disciple. Let us consider the implications of this.
In Christianity, wife is husband’s servants. Now, even servants have a few rights. She is entitled to expect food from her husband, she would expect that husband provide for her, not mistreat her or beat her without just cause etc. Also, he cannot ask her to do anything against the Bible, if he does, she is free to disobey him.
In Islam, it is more animal – owner relationship. But even here, while animal doesn’t have any rights, most of us expect that animals should be treated kindly, not abused, not beaten unnecessarily etc. While wife must obey husband in every aspect without question, without hesitation, Islam would not look kindly upon a husband who beats his wife, mistreats his wife without a just cause (we don’t treat animals that way).
However, can God be ever wrong? Can any of his actions be considered wrong? No. Since husband is wife’s God, anything he tells his wife to do, she must obey, because he can never be wrong. Thus, if husband orders the wife to become a prostitute, she must obey. Here there is no question of husband ordering wife to do anything against religion, because husband's word is wife’s religion. That is Hinduism in a nutshell.
Thus, in Hinduism there are detailed instructions as to how a man should behave, how he may achieve salvation etc. To the wife, there is only one Commandment, obey your husband.
Even if wife is committing a sin such as prostitution, murder or whatever, no sin attaches to the wife if she did it in order to obey her husband. The sin will be attached to the husband, but not the wife, she is only obeying her God.
So in Hinduism, the Commandment to obey the husband is absolute, no exceptions.
Let me summarize (perhaps in a simplistic manner) the husband – wife relationship in the three religions.
Christianity: master/servant relationship.
Islam: owner/animal relationship
Hinduism : God/Disciple relationship.
