Alpha Male Alive and Well

I am going to be a little controversial now, please no one be offended, I am publishing my thoughts on a subject as I see it.

Religion! That and politics should not be discussed by a Lady! So my dear Father said. Here lies the problem.
For some time now I have been coming around to the idea that all religion on this Earth actively encourages and promotes male dominance.

When I think of religion and consider which faiths people choose to follow, it seems obvious that geography plays a very important part, rather than faith itself. The western World is predominately Christian and people follow one of many religions under that umbrella. Catholic, Protestant, Baptist.... And so on, why so many different ones though, I thought in Christianity 'One God Fits all!' If you are born in India or Pakistan you would probably follow Hinduism or be a Sikh, other areas maybe a Jew or a Muslim, I could go on. All I am sure very fine faiths to follow and probably with very similar values as our own Christianity. At the end of the day faith unifies a community.

I choose to follow Christian values and morality, which means I try to treat people as I would wish to be treated and try to be as kind and loving as I can to all I come in contact with. As a human however, I have been known to fail miserably at times. I don't beat myself up about it but try harder next time! I don't however feel able to be a full and complete Christian in the eyes of the church kind of dogma.

Now the biggest problem I have as I said earlier is this Male dominance thing, twice in the last week I have seen smack in the face examples of this. First the Scientology ethos on childbirth where crying out in pain or accepting pain relief is considered detrimental and traumatic for the child's future life. Who decided on this course of action, not I presume God, but the leader of the Cult. Now the best remedy to this is that the Father of the child is put into a vice for the duration of the birth and it should be tightened a notch at each contraction the Mother has. No crying out Guy's and no, you can't have a parachuting! I don't think most guy's would get past the third or fourth contraction before this rule was quickly abandoned!

Today I was talking to a lovely Indian girl, a Hindu, she was on a day of fasting from sunrise until the moon rises. I guessed wronly it was Ramadan but no! It is a religious day in her calendar where young married women fast completely in respect of their Husbands, and to give them long life. I asked when the day was when the Husbands did the same for their wives and guess what! There isn't one! Now I totally respect this girl as she took time to explain why she is happy to do it (her husband is very good to her, but I take it she is an excellent wife as well) she is very serene and has grown up in India with this being common practice. In fact it is a chance for young Indian women to gather at a house with friends and have the equivalent of a 'girlie day' as apparently they don't get out very much otherwise. Male Dominated!

As for young Muslim women covering themselves from head to toe in case they inflame passions, I can't even go down the road of what I feel for their oppression (read 'The bookseller of Kabul')

Even in our Christians religions it is very top heavy with male ethos, just look at the fight to get women priests, easier to become a priest if you are gay! (nothing wrong in that by the way)

I have been to three Baptist weddings in recent years, all people I love and respect dearly, my own beloved Sister was one of these. I did,however, have a problem with the reading and address which promoted wives deferring to their husbands at all times. I think the line goes 'wives submit to your husbands'. Now the problem I have with this is:

• Always read by a man
• Its 2005 guys!

Surely this day and age marriage is an equal partnership, all items should be up for discussion and a joint decision made. I am a voice of experince having been married for 32 years! My Sister chose to 'obey' in her service, which although I hold her decision in high regard I feel its what you get dogs to do not wives! I have had long discussions with her on this matter but we beg to differ. She is the best person in the World to have as a Sister and I think she is the most kind hearted and loyal friend, wife mother, sister any one can have! The very best thing is we can have these wonderful discussions, come to different conclusions and remain completely loyal to one another and go on and discuss the latest exploits of our offspring which is usually many and varied ( the exploits, not the offspring!)

So this is why I find religion a very strange thing, surely God see's us all as one, Ok I know he did not send his 'daughter' to save the World, but maybe he could have another think on that for the 'second coming' now he can see what men have done!

By the way I am not a man hater, my best freind is a very fine one, with on odd taste in jokes and his own made up langauge :-)