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Wmen and Religions. Most ancient belief systems placed women near or at
the bottom of the social hierarchy. Women were required to ...
Submitted by kcrisco22 on December 3, 2006
Category: History Other
Words: 1566 | Pages: 7
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Most ancient belief systems placed women near or at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Women were required to follow the rules and responsibilities given to them in order to reinforce established systems of social patriarchy. Not only were they not accepted socially but most of their religions also encouraged them to be hidden away. In Ancient China all the followers of Confucianism believed women should have little or nothing to do with the religion. They should stick to their responsibilities in society and continue to remain faithful to their husbands. The belief in Buddhism allowed for women to have somewhat of an equal chance of enlightment, they were trying to achieve the same goal, Nirvana. In Christianity, men and the emperor did not come first in society. It was God. When this religion came about many women were willing to convert. Women wanted freedom, equality, dignity but most of all respect. They felt they deserved just as much peace, and happiness as their husbands had. All human beings were created equal. They were not put on Earth to be placed into different categories varying from gender and religion to wealth and race.
In China, women lived in a society dominated by men. They were not to take part in political aspects of society; they were to have no say either. Women were placed in Confucian society to bear a son for their husbands. China had a social hierarchy and they believed in a system of the five relations. In this system the father/son, ruler/subject, husband/ wife, elder brother/ younger brother, and friend/friend, all the relationships were to show the superiority of one compared to another. Women were extremely inferior to men. In the Chinese society women were to be kept at home, and even there they were put under many restrictions. During this time of oppression women turned to their faith and when that didn’t support them, they began to write down their feelings, creating compositions to help...
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