Equality

Genders

Discussions about gender equality in religion typically focus on empowering and alleviating oppression of women in traditional religions. Feminist theologians in developed nations advocate for gender-inclusive language, equal leadership roles for women, and a celebration of feminine spirituality in traditional rituals. Many religious traditions—Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism—face challenges related to women's leadership and involvement.

One example of the struggle for equality for women in Christianity is the battle over female ordination to the priesthood in Catholicism. Women are allowed to serve as nuns and lay leaders but cannot enter the priesthood. In evangelical churches globally, women are often prohibited from assuming public-speaking roles, preaching, or assuming pastoral roles, though, of course, there are [Page 351]exceptions. Conservative scholars argue that women are equal in value but not equal in function in the Christian church. In China, however, women administer one third of the pastoral roles in registered churches. In Judaism, feminist scholars have advocated for the inclusion of prayers written by women and a reinterpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures to make women more visible within the traditional history.

Islamic practice and laws toward women vary depending on whether the setting is a Muslim-majority or Muslim-minority country. Islamic women in Cairo, Egypt, have for some time worked in professional offices and could choose whether to wear a veil. Women who are faithful to Islam in Iran have fewer legal rights and face increased restrictions in their daily lives. According to Leila Ahmed, women understand Islam from an oral, familial tradition that focuses on equality and mercy, while men follow a textual, rigid interpretation of the same sacred text. There are abuses and violence toward women that exist in tribal areas of Muslim-majority countries that are not consistent with Islam or the teachings of the Qur'an as a whole.

For the global population beyond the developed nations, women are more concerned about equity—that is, fair treatment and access to necessary resources for daily life. Groups such as the Circle for African Women represent the efforts of Third World women to work out feminism in order to address those needs that are most relevant to women in their context. Advocacy by women and for women in their own contexts, such as the Dalit women of India, is becoming increasingly common.

Ecofeminism is a burgeoning movement with strong female involvement. Balance and interconnectedness are words used in this philosophy to represent the concept of equality between people, nature, and all living creatures. Women's organizations in minority religious traditions, such as the Baha'i Faith, have worked to advance equality for women in the areas of education, literacy, and increased skills for income and greater attention to gender roles in indigenous communities.

Races

Equality among races exists to varying degrees in religious traditions and secular society. With the advent of the civil rights movement in the United States, religious leaders had to confront obvious inequalities in racial participation. Christianity, according to the Bible, offers equality to all races under one church, although Christian history does not always typify this principle in practice. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. observed that the 11 o'clock hour for Christian worship on Sunday mornings was the time when Americans were most segregated. Many of the early activists in efforts toward the abolition of slavery were religious persons, driven by theological convictions for racial equality, a theme very important later in the civil rights movement.

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