Is Religion Good For Women?

Is Religion good for Women?

In the glorious surroundings of St. Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, Level Seven hosted a debate on the subject of ‘Is Religion Good for Women’. Chaired by George Pitcher, curate of St. Bride’s, the speakers included Baroness Flather, the first Asian women to receive a peerage and honorary associate of the National Secular Society, Canon Lucy Winkett, Canon of St. Paul’s Cathedral who writes, speaks and debates on a wide range of issues reflecting on culture, gender and religion, and Rabbi Danny Rich, Liberal |Judaism’s Chief Executive.

It was inevitable, with such an interesting and potentially contentious topic, that the speakers held very powerful views, but all agreed that the answer to the proposition is a resounding ‘No!’.

Opening the debate, Baroness Flather described herself as a Hindu atheist whose passion is women. She began by pointing out that all major faiths were started by male figures, and that female figures were represented in a demeaning role. She highlighted what she called the “breach of women’s human rights” by the Catholic Church and concluded her talk with the comment that “religion is an excuse for oppression and a crutch for the oppressed”.

Rabbi Danny Rich turned the question round to make two points. He said that women are good for religion, enriching and enhancing rabbinates and congregants. Of the 21 Liberal Jewish rabbis, one third are women. He noted that religion is only as good as those who practice it, whether they be men or women. He acknowledged that some of the Hebrew bible did not treat women equally but that did not mean we had to apply all its teaching to contemporary society but rather that we should assess what is relevant to us today.

Reverend Lucy Winkett  said that she is adamant that organised religion of all world faiths is not good for women. But she said that while organized religion may not be good for women, faith definitely is. Her powerful closing point was that as religion becomes increasingly important in our society today, it is too important to leave to an all-male leadership. “The future does not have to be defined by the past. We need to have faith in God and in ourselves”. She stated that the only way religion will change is when women are represented in the organizing structures.