I have been reading with interest everyones thoughts on religion. I am about to start writing an essay on feminists views of the church and bible being patriachal and thought it might be interesting to get some views on it.

Do you think the church is male dominated? Is it rightly so? Why do you think this?

I look forward to hearing what everyone thinks.

The Church of England appears to be a little more relaxed on women in the Church.......

But then you have the Catholic Church - my conspiracy theory is, that there are BIG secrets kept in Vatican City (think Da Vinci Code etc for the type of secrets), and they wont let women in there because we would have to tell everyone what they are......:D although I did hear on the grapevine that my paternal Aunty plays an active part in the Mass Service on Sundays at my childhood church.....

In Christian Religion, women are not, as far as I can see, put in any sort of power position......with the old boys network keeping them down in the ranks.....

Becks - I am licensed by the Bishop of Lindesfarne to be a Lay leader of services and I am a woman. So I have a great interest in this subject.

My experiences firstly. I was brought up a Catholic and as you will be aware, there is no place for women in the Catholic Church, they are second class citizens, they are not fit to become priests. I shall shut up about that faith as it inceneses me too much.

I was embraced by the Church of England, not long after my Father died, by an ancient but kindly Vicar. I knew nothing of the ways within the Cof E - but my ancient and kindly Vicar was open, forward thinking and just marvellous.

Anyway back OT - I don't like to think of myself as a feminist [but I think probably I am really, if my values were disected], I suppose I have to say that as a starter for 10.

In answer to your first question - YES of course the Church is dominated by the males, and is it right? Up until now I would have to say yes. But there is a major upheaval, not only in the Church, but in politics, life, careers, medicine etc etc - where women play not only equal roles but often superior roles [superior is not the word I wanted but can't think of it offhand].

I think men are, at last, appreciating women for the roles they can undertake with equality, knowledge and succour. I think that had this upheaval happened 100 years ago [in the same way it is no] then we would have far more female clergy than we do now. It is the same in a lot of professions, the police, politics, fire service, civil service, medicine - women can and do play extremeley valuble roles in al walks of life.

I think the Church are unwillingly cottoning on to this fact - but seriously think that the female role in religion will take an awful lot longer than it has in other walks of life.

The Bible is 'holy grail' of Christian religion - and in it women were not seen in the same light as men - and the Bible has been in existence for 2000 years - the Church now is not going to change in 10 or 20 years - it is going to be a slow and gradual process.

Do you think the church is male dominated? ...Why do you think this?.

Pretty much so. THe male church figureheads probably represent traditional male authority, to the extent that 'Pope' = 'Papa'.

It wouldn't surprise me if the male fear of the feminine is to be found throughout the church, resulting in active repression of all things female, unless we look to some Eastern religions where the yin/yang (male/female) principle is revered.

I would like to add that the outward visual and inner politics and corruptions appear to be dominated by the male members of the church. Women in their enclosed orders or through lay preaching appear to be the backbone of the churches. The only scandal I have heard involving women/church/religion is in Ireland where a more intense issue has emerged.
The catholic church, in my opinion, is dominated by layers of bureaucracy and I would separate very clearly organised religion and spirituality.

This is a difficult one.
Despite believing that women should have as many choices and opportunities in every other sphere as men (I think a lot of women would love to stay home and be mothers and homemakers but are too scared to admit it), I do have a problem with female ordination and certainly with women becoming bishops.
This usually amazes people who know me as I come across as a typical baby-boomer generation feminist.
However, whilst not actively opposed to the ordination of women (I am a practising Anglican, heavily involved in my church and actually have a female friend who is in an ordination programme - she will become a priest), - I have to confess it makes me feel very uncomfortable.
I would not want to be married by a woman priest or confirmed by a female bishop and I certainly don't want a woman to celebrate the Eucharist. If that happened I would stay in the pew during communion, if I could bring myself to attend at all.
Yes, it sounds pathetic doesn't it?
I really cannot give a valid reason why, it's just a gut feeling.
Possibly early brainwashing, I don't know but that's how I feel. It makes me uncomfortable but it also makes me uncomfortable admitting it!

[QUOTE=Becks]
Do you think the church is male dominated? Is it rightly so? Why do you think this?

QUOTE]

By 'The Church' I take it to mean the Christian Church in general. The various denomonations of the church have different viewpoints on the role of women within it. It seems the more 'established' the church, the harder it finds acceptance of women in its leadership - Catholicism being the main objector.

In the C of E there are the more anglo catholic factions who are very anti women priests and have 'broken off' ,in some respect, from the main church after the general synod agreed to female ordination proper - although it will be many years before female bishops or archbishops are common place. I used to go out with a Vicar [for 4 years] and I got to see the undercurrent of male domination whilst he was in training. There are however more relaxed sections of the C of E which do not see any problem in the ordination of women.

I also worked for the diocese of London for 9 years and got to see what goes on behind the scenes. The Bishop of London is very anti women and gay clergy, so nothing much will change while he is around. It was a real juggling match keeping all the factions together and united, we lost whole churches to the catholic faith when women were first ordained and there are still some priests who object quite vocally even now.

I myself belong to a freechurch, these are often more forward thinking where women priests are concerned, we have had female preachers for many years. Methodists etc also have ordained women.

Overall though the 'Church' could rightly be seen as male dominated, I personally do not think this is right, it is a persons spirit and soul that should call them to ordination and not their sex.

I myself have been brought up in the a methodist home, so female ministers are not uncommon.

The main reason I have found is that Jesus had twelve male disciples and therefore if a man that brought about a social revolution (ie everyone is equal, jew/ gentile, prostitute/ roman governor) would not have women in his inner club then why should the church. I found it an interesting point about societies progression. If Jesus came in 2005 would he have called women to be his disciples?

When I started going to my local church we had a trainee minister who was female and she was just lovely. She eventually got her own parish in Dundee. The Moderator of the General Assembly for Scotland is a woman, Dr Alison Elliot, the first time ever a woman has taken this role and it was very well received.

A neighbouring church to me has a female minister and many of the roles within my actual church are held by women.

When I started going to my local church we had a trainee minister who was female and she was just lovely. She eventually got her own parish in Dundee. The Moderator of the General Assembly for Scotland is a woman, Dr Alison Elliot, the first time ever a woman has taken this role and it was very well received.

A neighbouring church to me has a female minister and many of the roles within my actual church are held by women.

I suppose its a sign of the times - most congregations are largely elderly women and so they need to take on roles within the church.

If Jesus came in 2005 would he have called women to be his disciples?

Becks I think he would have to have a token male - purely for political correctness!!

Becks I think he would have to have a token male - purely for political correctness!!

yep pc would be the buzz word (pardon the pun)

Is it male dominated? Generally, yes.

Should it be so? Definitely, no.

I've been proud and happy to support two female friends in their struggle towards ordination in the Church of England. The C of E is a big mixed bag, of course, with opinions and prejudices ranging from embrace-everything-dizzy-liberal to forbid-everything-stern-conservative.

I'm not really a churchgoer anymore. I used to be very active in music, worship leadership, and intercession - but my spirituality has developed in a mystical direction over the last decade, and I'm now something of a hermit as far as members of my local congregation are concerned. One of the catalysts for my change was witnessing a degree of bigotry - uncomfortably close to home - regarding the ordination of women. I'm not talking here about merely differing views, you understand? I'm talking about really unpleasant bullying.

One of the many things I admire about Celtic Christianity is its deep respect for femininity and the equality that women enjoy within it.

Why do we do this to one another though? Is it fear? fear of what? the control freak in us? or the power drive? or just spiritual belief?

All I keep coming up with is more questions with this essay I am trying to write. Glad I started it early.