Summary Of The Lottery - 1490 Words

The Lottery 2 Mrs.Samantha walked down to the town square she was ready for the lottery. She was still grieving over the death of her best friend Tessie and was not ready for the lottery again. As she was walking down the street she ran into her friend, Mrs.Juliet and she said, â€Å"I think I might break out crying because the lottery was sacred and Old Man Warner if he was still here would not be happy that we have changed it. I can’t believe that he had died in the winter I guess it was just too cold for his little old body.’’ Mrs.Samantha and Mrs.Juliet were gossiping over the lottery, †Hey did you hear what Kanye said about the lottery, This year they are picking two people to fight to the death.â€Å" Just then Mary walked up and†¦show more content†¦He said, †Alright then let’s get started.â€Å" He started to call the names of the people who are allowed to be in the lottery. He called out † Kanye, Romeo, Jack, Jay Z, George, Antoniâ€Å" they all go get a slip of paper from the box. Now time for the girls †Kim, Mrs Samantha, Mary, Juliet, Jill , Beyonce, Cleopatra.â€Å" They all go get a slip of paper. The men open theirs first then the man who got the black dot has to fight to the death with a woman or a child. Jay Z asked †Who has the black dot?â€Å" Kanye held up the paper and it had a black dot on it. Jay Z told the women to open their slips of paper to see if they have the black dot. The women and children who are 10 or older opened their slips of paper. Beyonce raised up her slip of paper it had the black dot on it. Both Kanye and Beyonce walked forward. Jay Z took them to the arena so they can fight. Something was wrong they looked around and saw there were no weapons to help kill the person faster, so that meant they would have to try to kill each other by their hands only. That took longer and it would probably have a long time suffering in pain or the person could get killed instantly and have a fast death. People were not okay with this new method of the lottery they were confused and scared they didn’t want the lottery any more. They stall that the otherShow MoreRelatedSummary of The Lottery872 Words   |  4 PagesThe short story that this paper will look at is The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. It was first p ublished in The New Yorker on 26 June 1948. It is one of the most famous short stories in the history of United States literature history. This paper is a summary of the story from my point of view. The Lottery is a work of fiction that demonstrates rebellion and conformity while insinuating that a lottery is part of a ritualistic ceremony. The author was born in 1919. She struggled with depression throughoutRead MoreSummary On The Allegory Of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery871 Words   |  4 Pages Shirley Jackson’s story â€Å"The Lottery† serves as an allegory regarding humankinds inherent to be cruel and society’s ability to inure to violence. The author’s use of a third-person dramatic narrative combined with strong themes, symbols and irony clearly supports the lesson Jackson was trying to portray. Jackson’s short story shows how easy it is to be hostile when a group of villagers with a herd mentality blindly follow an outdated tradition an d that evil knows no boundaries. JacksonRead MoreSummary Of The Devil And Miss Prym And Shirley Jacksons The Lottery1182 Words   |  5 PagesPaulo Coelho, writer of The Devil and Miss Prym and Shirley Jackson, writer of â€Å"The Lottery†, both reiterate the idea that a democratic government can be very dangerous if wrong propositions are voted upon by a public. Likewise in both stories, wrong decisions are made by society, and bring conflict and chaos to a village. People are put in a life or death scenario, and little or nothing could be done because society chose to believe that doing wrong was justified morally. In The Devil andRead MoreSummary Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson And The Ones Who Walk Away1384 Words   |  6 Pagesof a society or a community. In the short-stories, â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas† by Ursula K. Le Guin, each display similarities when it comes to sacrifice for better. Although each society believes in the practice, in the story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas† the citizens believes the practice of locking a little boy away in a closest will benefit them to live happily and prosper. In â€Å"The Lottery† a town of people hold a yearly assembly where a personRead MoreCritical Analysis of The Lottery695 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery,† written by Shirley Jackson takes place on the twenty-seventh of June in a small town in the United States. The beginning of the story starts off talking about the local children gathering around and the town square where the lotter y is held. At the square, the little boys begin to gather stones from small to large ones and pile them up. The next people to show up at the village square are the husbands as they are discussing daily life amongst each other, then finally, the wives beginRead MoreThemes Of `` The Lottery `` By Shirley Jackson And The Ones Who Walk Away From 1861-18651553 Words   |  7 Pagesof attempted but failed equality in my final paper. The theme of equality is present throughout many of the dystopian short stories, novels, poems and films we have studied in class. The three stories I feel this theme is most present in are â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut and â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas† by Ursula Le Guin. In these stories society tries to make everything orderly and just. Their methods to promote equality are flawed. The goal in theseRead MoreThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay987 Words   |  4 PagesThe Lottery By: Shirley Jackson Summary: The Lottery happens in June every year in a small village of about 300 people. Its a tradition held annually for well over 80 years and Mr. Summers who oversees several civic activities in the community like square dances, teenage club, and the Halloween program as well as the Lottery. The Lottery normally starts around ten oclock in the morning and is finished around noon, the townspeople gather at the center of the town. A small old blackRead MoreFiction Essay1407 Words   |  6 PagesLawrence and â€Å"The Lottery†, by Shirley Jackson provide two contrasting uses of Setting in a short story which accentuate the importance of the element in a story. One author has the ability to distract the reader, while the other author creates the structure of the story. 1. Introduction a. A brief summary of the â€Å"The Lottery†, by Shirley Jackson b. A brief summary of the â€Å" The Rocking-Horse Winner’, by D.H. Lawrence 2. Overview of the use of the Setting a. â€Å"The Lottery†, by ShirleyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Lottery By Shirley Jackson784 Words   |  4 Pagesthose groups. Then they came out for him and there was no one left to speak out for him. In the story â€Å"the lottery† by Shirley Jackson it explained how they play the lottery but rather than winning its actually a loss if you win. In the story they have a black box and slips of paper and if you have a black dot on your paper you get stoned to death. In their town it’s a tradition to play the lottery. So they come to the town square they all get called up to get their slip of paper and when everyone getsRead MoreCompare Contrast Fiction Essay794 Words   |  4 PagesCompare Contrast: The Rocking-Horse Winner/The Lottery ENGL 102_B40: Literature and Composition Spring 2011 Michaela Gates L23562144 APA Gambling, whether for life or money, is risky and success is not guaranteed, even if you ‘win’. Two different tales both involving risk. 1. Gambling for something valuable - One for life and the other for money 2. Characters’ Personalities - Paul was hopeful and cared deeply for his

The Historical Critical Method Of Bible Interpretation

Over the years, scholars have been debating the validity of using the historical-critical method in Lutheran seminaries, in the context of Scripture interpretation. Some scholars, who prefer Martin Luther’s grammatical-critical method, are concerned that the historical-critical method creates an environment of doubt and confusion. I will evaluate and review two articles that pertain to this subject, The Historical-Critical Method of Bible Interpretation written by Seigert W. Becker and Higher Criticism and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America written by Richard A. Krause. In addition, I will analyze Timothy Ward’s book Words of Life and Dr. Francis Martin’s contribution to Carl, Scott ed. Verbum Domini and the Complimentarity of Exegesis and Theology, in order to formulate my theology of Holy Scripture. Although, some scholars continue to use the historical-critical method, other scholars believe that it is a failing method, which undermines the authority a nd veracity of Scripture. Becker expounds his views against the historical-critical method. Siegert W. Becker According to Becker, it is undeniable that those who use the historical-critical method do so while believing that men wrote the Holy Scripture in a historical content. Therefore, scholars must study Scriptures with a critical thinking cap to determine whether everything these men wrote are the facts. 2 Furthermore, Becker believed that those who utilized the historical-critical method became theShow MoreRelatedThe Hebrew Bible, By Marc Zvi Brettler1390 Words   |  6 PagesJewish Bible, authored by Biblical scholar, and professor, Marc Zvi Brettler, is an enlightening text, guiding people towards studying the Hebrew Scriptures purposefully. Brettler (2005) reveals his book provides a response to the frustration many readers hold towards the Hebrew Bible, with the conventional tendency of filtering it through the lens of present-day culture. Generally, he argues, as a result, this leads one to misconstrue passages or arrive at the definitive conclusion the Bible holdsRead MoreSolo And Sola Scriptur Two Protestant Positions1461 Words   |  6 Pagesone is infallible in his interpretation of Scripture† (Mathison, 240). When something is infallible it is incapable of making mistakes or being wrong. Sola Scriptura is the teaching that the only infallible thing is the Bible. In both of these Scripture is a main part of the beliefs which is why the way that the Scripture is analyzed is important. Some of the traditions that come from traditions come from history and the origin of the Scripture. The Historical Critical Method is the comparing of textRead MoreThe New Testament : History, Literature, And Theology By M. Eugene Boring954 Words   |  4 Pagesoverview of the New Testament from a historical, literature and theological perspective. As stated by the author, this book does not attempt to work through every point in methodological detail, but from a case to case intends to provide enough specifics to illustrate evidence and argument (xxv). The author argues that the book is intended for the beginning student, presupposing only serious interest in the subject matter, but no prior experience in detailed Bible study (xxv). The author also arguesRead MoreThe Reading Of Christian Scripture Essay810 Words   |  4 PagesAny given Sunday, or anytime a gro up of Christian believers gather together, there is the reading of Christian Scripture. Additionally, there is an interpretation of said Scripture used to edify, guide, and confront the community listening to this Scripture. In the midst of this reading and interpretation, there is the liturgy. â€Å"This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.† Whether or not this liturgy is stated, there is an implicit posture that this Scripture read and interpreted is a word toRead MoreEssay on The Historical Critical Method2026 Words   |  9 Pagesand for nearly the same period of time people have struggled for the right interpretation of that what was written in these 27 books and letters. How should one handle a book that is Gods Word? Before looking at the pro and contra of historical-critical exegesis it is necessary to define this method. One of the many textbooks teaching the historical-critical method Methodenlehre zum Neuen Testament by Wilhelm Egger method gives us this definition, Diese Methoden lesen den Text vor allem unterRead MoreThe Truth Behind Exodus 8 Essay example2090 Words   |  9 PagesAt first glance a story of the Bible may appear to be just that, a simple story; however, when one does more than simply read the story, there are a plethora of underlying meanings to be found. Reading the Bible in search of its meanings can sometimes be confusing, which results in several different interpretations and raises many arguments amongst the readers. When reading the Bible, â€Å"it is necessary to apply tools of critical reading to find out what God wants to communicate with us,† (Smith-ChristopherRead MoreThe And Authority Of The New Testament Canon1079 Words   |  5 Pages The traditional interpretation of the development and authority of the New Testament canon is often a topic of debate and scrutiny; however, Dr. Michael J. Kruger provided an excellent, well-written justification of how the New Testament canon came to be the 27 books known today. Kruger is President and the Samuel C. Patterson Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. Other publications include The Gospel of the Savior, The Question ofRead More`` A Theology `` : Is Christian Theology A Pile Of Dead Bones?1011 Words   |  5 Pagesthem as disconnected as ever. The challenges of nihilism and the historical-critical method appear to have severed the historical ties that the Church once had to mainstream culture. Through the modern framework of a divorce of culture and church, Robert Jenson, in his book, A Theology in Outline: Can These Bones Live?, deconstructs and illustrates various theological concepts in an attempt to answ er the greater theological and historical question within his subtitle: is Christian theology a pile ofRead MoreEarly American Children s Literature1490 Words   |  6 Pageseducation. Puritans were one of the first groups to create a large body of children s books, their doctrine of original sin assumed that all children were damned until they were converted to Christianity (Susina ). The Puritans believed that reading the Bible was important to achieving salvation, therefore teaching children to read was a priority for that matter. The New England Primer, An Alphabet of Lessons For Children, was strongly influenced by religion and had the intentions that all the colonistsRead MoreHermeneutics3982 Words   |  16 PagesHERMENEUTICS AS A METHOD OF TEXT-INTERPRETATION Hermeneutics means the theory of interpretation, i.e. thetheory of achieving an understanding of texts, utterances, and so on (it does notmean a certain twentieth-century philosophical movement). It is the art of interpreting. Hermeneutics proved to be much bigger than theology or legal theory. The comprehension of any written text requires hermeneutics; reading a literary text is as much a hermeneutic act as interpreting law or Scripture. Without

Business Strategy Managerial Economics

Question: Discuss about the case study Business Strategy for Managerial Economics. Answer: Introduction This project analyses a business strategy of a mobile service provider. With technological improvement day by day, competition in product market is growing. To keep parity with the current trends, mobile service providers adopt various strategies. There are both advantages and disadvantages of the strategies. Application of Game theory helps to analyse the issues effectively. According to Game theory in market framework, another firm (Manshaei et al. 2013) follows every firms strategy. Therefore, in formulating strategies, every company needs to consider competitors strategy simultaneously. One strategy in competitive market environment of mobile service is using bundling technique. The mobile service provider can provide more than one service in a package to gain competitive advantage over its competitors. A company can use price bundling strategy. In this case, the company can sell multiple services in a portfolio for a lower price than that could be charged for individual selling. These theories are used to analyse the case study. Describing the issues Issue highlighted in this assignment is that what would be possible strategy of the mobile operators in order to increase profit in spite of falling mobile prices. There are multiple options available to the mobile operators. For the service providers, mobile price falling is a matter of concern. As price falls, demand for services increase overtime. Therefore, to deal with this problem, companies offer unlimited voice call service along with free SMS service. This is a strategy of service bundling. This strategy is not enough to compete in the market. Hence, more strategies need to develop for the mobile operator. This is a market of oligopoly, where a few companies operate to provide mobile services. In this market new firms can enter in the market if they have potentiality. In oligopoly market companies can share the total market among them. Direct engagement in price war may result in loss for all the operators (Myerson 2013). One of the main problems that are faced by the mobile operator is rising capacity demand. They need to investment in developing mobile networking. Now the problem is whether all the firms behave rationally or not. Capacity improvement must have some costs such as network maintenance, marketing, technology development etc. If all mobile operators form a cartel, they can maximize industry profit and individual profit. However, the success depends on rationality of the individual firm. If one firm betrays, the cartel may break down (Rapoport 2012). The factors affect the demand for mobile services are accessibility of the network services by consumers, different choices of consumers for broadband services etc. As attractive packages are offered by mobile operators, demand for mobile data plan services are rising. Due to acquire more profit, companies try to offer more data plan. Increasing supply reduces the price of mobile plan. As there are multiple mobile operators in the market, market is shared among them. Therefore profit margin tends to fall (Manshaei et al. 2013). Figure 1: Demand and supply of mobile data plan (Source: created by author) Approaches for mobile operator Describing different approaches: Figure 2: Different approaches for mobile operators (Source: created by author) Bundling theory Bundling technique is strategy, which is applied by different organizations. Company can use service bundling or price bundling. In service bundling, mobile operator company can choose to offer various services as a package. Value added service or cross selling may also be done. This strategy attracts more customers. This strategy is mainly followed in special season. Price bundling is more attractive to the customer. It offers the package of variety services at much lower price than the consumer might have bought those services individually. Bundling strategy is profitable if marginal cost of using this strategy is low (Chung et al. 2013). Game theory Game theory is a model, which depicts market strategy of several existing competitors in the market. It is a useful tool in decision making. Using game theory, one mobile operator can choose strategy after consider other operators strategy in business operation. Nash equilibrium in game theory can be achieved if there is a dominant strategy for each company. Once the company reaches at Nash equilibrium, it would not want to deviate from the chosen strategy. The strategy achieved at Nash equilibrium I optimal solution for the mobile operator. This solution gives best possible utility given opponents decision (Derdenger et al. 2013). In game theory, the mobile operators are said to be rational if they try to maximize their own payoff with the available information. If all players behave rationally to maximize their profit, the decision making would be easier. In order to forming a strategy in game theory, first step is to identify the game element. The mobile operators can choose price, service, cost or capacity improvement in plying game (Kang et al. 2012). If there is imperfect information available to the operators regarding other companies, the game may be continued for several steps to reach equilibrium. The information required for a mobile operating company is performance of Competitor Company in the industry, pricing strategy, marketing strategy, financial performance etc (Trestian et al. 2012). Strategies available to the mobile operators are as follows: Figure 3: Profit maximization strategies by mobile operator (Source: created by author) Possible Solutions Possible solutions of the identified problems can be presented as below. Bundling strategy in game theory for mobile operators in order to increasing profit is as follows: Figure 4: Bundling strategies (Source: created by author) If the mobile operators choose to use bundling techniques, they have options represented in the above table. If the mobile operator chooses to provide multiple service packages, they can offer it at lower price. There is no package available for single service. To increase revenue, the firm can sell single service at higher price. Selling single service at lower price cannot generate much profit. However, in competitive environment it is good policy (Shi et al. 2012). However, this strategy may not be effective. If one firm charges low price for single service, other firm may follow this operator and tend to reduce price of any service. Direct engagement in price war would benefit no firm. Continuous reduction in price would reduce both industry and individual profit. Therefore, offering single service at low price is not a useful strategy for the mobile operator. In order to maximize revenue, the mobile operators can offer multiple services at high price. For the success of this strategy, it is required to take strategy evenly by all firms. It can be done by forming cartel. Cartel can be formed among several mobile operators by negotiating among themselves. If cartel can be formed, all the mobile operators can act as a monopolist in the market. Combined strategy would be to sell single or multiple services at higher price without government regulation (Stucchi et al. 2012). If there is no government intervention, mobile operators can charge price freely. They can set price like a monopolist. They can charge uniform rate for data plan. The charge would be higher. The quantity of service is determined at the point where MR intersects the marginal cost curve. When they act independently, they charge price according to the equilibrium point of intersection, which is lower than monopoly price. As they act like a monopolist, they charge price according to average revenue, which is higher than competitive price. At this price, mobile operator can provide service at higher price. The can make sufficient profit, as the consumer have no other options than to buy service at higher price. They cannot find any other alternative options in the market. There is a chance to maximize industry profit. Figure 5: Pricing strategy of Cartel (Source: created by author) They can offer single service at higher price. In this case also consumers are compelled to avail service. The profit of the individual firm depends on marginal cost of production. If the cost of production is high, that firm would make less profit compared to other firm. This strategy would be successful if all operators behave rationally. If any firm thinks that, it will charge lower price than cartel charge, at short run, it can make huge profit as consumers will move to the firm, which charging lower price. Nevertheless, in long run, this policy cannot sustain. In game theory, irrational actions are chosen by firm; if it thinks that its action would not followed by other firms. This perception is wrong in competitive market. When other firms realize that one firm is behaving otherwise, they start to play independently and try to take random strategy (Katsoulacos and Ulph 2013). If other existing mobile operators tend to reduce price of data plan, this would break down the cartel. In the price conflict, when the price is down below firms individual marginal cost, nothing but loss occurs. Therefore, trust is primary criteria for success of cartel. If strategies of two firms are considered the pay off matrix can be as follows:1st mover Figure 6: Pay off matrix (Source: created by author) In the above pay off matrix, different strategies of profit maximizations are shown. If it is assumed that the mobile operators have chosen three strategies such as minimization of cost, capacity maximization and collusion. The analysis is made for two rival mobile operators in the market. One company is first mover, which chooses decision first. At the time of taking strategies, the first mover takes decision of other firm into consideration. It is also assumed that both the mobile operator behave rationally. If the first mover thinks that 2nd firm may chose to minimize cost in order to the competitive advantage, the best available strategy for 1st firm is capacity maximization. It may happen that the first firm incurs higher cost compared to 2nd mover to provide lucrative data plan services or unlimited phone cal services. In this case, to get competitive advantage over the competitors, it would be strategic to improve capacity. Improvement in data plan, network services, reduction in call drop etc can give first firm a competitive advantage. This strategy would give first firm highest payoff. If both the firm chooses cost reduction strategy, this would give same utility to both the firms. Collusion cannot be formed without consent of other mobile operator; hence, this strategy would give nothing to the first firm. If the second firm chooses to maximize capacity, the first firm would definitely choose maximize capacity, as this would give both the mobile operator equal pay off. It is the optimal strategy for first firm. If the strategy of second firm is to make collusion with first firm, the first firm has two options. One is to agree with the first firm and make the cartel, which gives both the mobile operator highest payoff. Another is making decision independently and choosing capacity maximization strategies. In the latter case, the first firm gets maximum profit and second firm gets nothing. This decision depends on the objective of the firm. If the first mobile operator does not rely on cartel o does not have trust on second mobile operator, it may choose to maximize capacity. Capacity maximization would be optimal solution as it is profitable in long run. If firm can invest in improving mobile services and capacity improvement, it may get cost advantage in future for the expansion of business. Capacity maximization strategy gives the first mover dominant strategy. It is the optimal strategy for the first mover mobile operator. Even if both the firm takes simultaneous decision to maximize payoff, the Nash equilibrium would be the payoff 5 for both the firm. This will benefit both the firm. Therefore, it can be inferred that for all the mobile operators, capacity maximization along with bundling technique would be optimal solution. Conclusion The project analyses the optimal strategy of the mobile operators, who suffer from falling mobile plan price. With increasing demand for data plan and other services such as unlimited free call or SMS service. By providing such benefits to the consumers cannot make sufficient profit in long run. Low price discourages the mobile operator to provide service in long run. Therefore, it would be optimal to take decision for capacity improvement, which can help the mobile operator to provide better service in the market in long term. References Chung, H.L., Lin, Y.S. and Hu, J.L., 2013. Bundling strategy and product differentiation.Journal of Economics,108(3), pp.207-229. Derdenger, T. and Kumar, V., 2013. The dynamic effects of bundling as a product strategy.Marketing Science,32(6), pp.827-859. Kang, X., Zhang, R. and Motani, M., 2012. Price-based resource allocation for spectrum-sharing femtocell networks: A stackelberg game approach.IEEE Journal on Selected areas in Communications,30(3), pp.538-549. Katsoulacos, Y. and Ulph, D., 2013. Antitrust penalties and the implications of empirical evidence on cartel overcharges.The Economic Journal,123(572), pp.F558-F581. Manshaei, M.H., Zhu, Q., Alpcan, T., Bacar, T. and Hubaux, J.P., 2013. Game theory meets network security and privacy.ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR),45(3), p.25. Myerson, R.B., 2013.Game theory. Harvard university press. Rapoport, A. ed., 2012.Game theory as a theory of conflict resolution(Vol. 2). Springer Science Business Media. Shi, H.Y., Wang, W.L., Kwok, N.M. and Chen, S.Y., 2012. Game theory for wireless sensor networks: a survey.Sensors,12(7), pp.9055-9097. Stucchi, T., 2012. Emerging market firms acquisitions in advanced markets: Matching strategy with resource-, institution-and industry-based antecedents.European Management Journal,30(3), pp.278-289. Trestian, R., Ormond, O. and Muntean, G.M., 2012. Game theory-based network selection: Solutions and challenges.IEEE Communications surveys tutorials,14(4), pp.1212-1231.

Womens Roles in Religion Essay Example

Womens Roles in Religion Essay Contemporary women are faced with oppressive traditions that restrict their roles in world religions, but notable women are taking steps to promote a more egalitarian future. Nick Maki Historically, women have held prominent and influential roles in several religions, but women have been deprived of these roles as the majority of religions have become increasingly institutionalized. In this analysis, I will review women’s roles in Indigenous Religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to highlight how androcentric cultures have led to women’s diminished religious influence. I contend that women have been ostracized from religious hierarchies based on ancient cultural beliefs. Therefore, I will show that many misogynistic religious traditions have arisen primarily out of fear of female biology and subsequent attempts to control what was not understood. I believe that our collective human knowledge has advanced far beyond these early superstitions, but many religions still obstinately cling to these primitive traditions because they clearly benefit the ruling male hierarchies. First, I will give brief overview of each religion, and then I will discuss some of the notable women that are challenging these archaic traditions in order to attain equality in these religions. In order to understand the affect that culture has had on several of these â€Å"Great Religions† it is necessary to first examine the roles of women in non-institutionalized religions. These religions are often referred to as â€Å"Indigenous Religions,† however there are many other terms used to describe this vast group of disparate religious beliefs, practices, and oral traditions (Eller). We will write a custom essay sample on Womens Roles in Religion specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Womens Roles in Religion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Womens Roles in Religion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Therefore, â€Å"indigenous religions† is merely â€Å"a catch-all term encompassing all remaining cultures, generally tribal, in which local religious practices and beliefs are still alive, usually in close relationship to the land upon which the people live† (M. P. Fisher 35). In these cultures, â€Å"[r]eligion and everyday life are often so intertwined that the people may have no word for ‘religion’ as a thing apart that occurs only sometimes in temples† (M. P. Fisher 35). Women in these cultures have traditionally held socially powerful roles and â€Å"[m]any Native American groups were apparently matrilineal† (M. P. Fisher 37). Furthermore, women in these cultures have often held considerable political power as well (M. P. Fisher 37). I believe that women in indigenous religions generally have more influence and power since most of these religions do not have religious texts. Instead, these religions are typically passed on orally and these cultures tend to rely on simple subsistence methods of survival. As such, these small tribal cultures must depend heavily on the equal cooperation of every member of its group for survival and I believe this has resulted in more egalitarian traditions. Paula Gunn Allen, a Native womanist believes that: ‘gynocracies’ by which she means ‘woman-centered tribal societies,’ in which matrilocality [the tradition by which the husband lives with the wife’s community], matrifocality [households consisting only of the mother and her children], matrilinearity [kinship traced through the mother’s side], maternal control of household goods and resources, and female deities of the magnitude of the Christian God were and are present and active features of traditional tribal life. . Some distinguishing features of a woman-centered social system include free and easy sexuality and wide latitude in personal style. This latitude means that a diversity of people, including gay males and lesbians, are not denied and are in fact likely to be accorded honor. Also prominent in such systems are nurturing, pacifist, and passive males (as defined by western minds) and self-defining, assertive, decisive women. . . (M. P . Fisher 38). Therefore, based upon many of the traditions of various indigenous religions, there is strong evidence to support the view â€Å"that the more religion is an integral aspect of life, rather than something institutionalized and separate from daily life, the more women are likely to be involved in it† (M. P. Fisher 39). As such, the lack of religious texts in indigenous religions has helped to prevent the androcentric interpretations that are ubiquitous in many of the institutionalized religions. Hinduism is considered an institutionalized religion, yet it â€Å"is not a ‘single’ unified tradition,† but rather a diverse group of beliefs that have primarily evolved from the Vedas (M. P. Fisher 64). While it appears that women were respected in ancient India, this respect has been slowly eroded (M. P. Fisher 67). As Hinduism evolved, male babies were increasingly favored due to the overwhelming burden of the dowry system. Around 400 BCE to 100BCE it is believed that Brahman men’s influence was threatened and previously independently worshipped goddesses were transformed into the wives of gods (M. P. Fisher 68). Further evidence of the erosion of women’s roles is found in the Upanishads, the latest of the Vedic writings, which advises â€Å"that if a wife refuses her husband’s sexual advances, he should try to persuade her by coaxing, then by gifts, and finally by beating her with his fists or with rods† (M. P. Fisher 67). However, there are contradictory views in the Laws of Manu that assert that â€Å"where women are honored, there the gods are pleased; but where they are not honored no sacred rite yields rewards† (M. P. Fisher 67). Therefore, since the Vedas are comprised of a multitude of various additions, there is no singular religious canon that comprehensively defines the religion. I believe that this religious subjectivity has resulted in traditions that are based as much on prevailing cultural practices as on any specific religious texts. As such, Hinduism is open to a broad variety of interpretations that have generally been defined by the ruling, Brahman class. Nonetheless, Hindu women have begun to take progressive steps to overturn these misogynistic cultural traditions. Perhaps one of the most influential of these contemporary female leaders is Sri Mata Amritanandamayi. She is an extremely popular guru who suggests that women must simply â€Å"wake up† and assert their roles in religion (M. P. Fisher 89). She further suggests that women have merely been conditioned to believe that they cannot overturn these outdated hierarchies. Amritanandamayi teaches that women and men can attain the state of universal motherhood which is a â€Å"love and compassion felt not only towards one’s own children, but towards all people, animals and plants, rocks and rivers—a love extended to all of nature, all beings† (M. P. Fisher 91). Therefore, she believes that women must simply awaken from centuries of conditioning in order to once again express their powers of the â€Å"Divine Mother. † (M. P. Fisher 91). Buddhism is an institutionalized religion that is based on the â€Å"Four Noble Truths† (Eller). These truths state that all suffering is caused by human desire; by overcoming human desire it is possible to end all suffering and become enlightened (Eller). Unfortunately, the Buddha never wrote down a comprehensive outline of his teachings. Therefore, his teachings were passed down orally for centuries. As any player of the â€Å"telephone game† can attest, the retelling of even simple information can lead to outlandish and entirely incorrect interpretations. Furthermore, if you consider the multiple language translations that were necessary, it becomes even more likely that there were at least minor discrepancies between the Buddha’s original teachings and the subsequent writings of the memorized texts three hundred years later. â€Å"In other words, as soon as the Buddha—who had apparently made it clear that women and men were spiritual equals—passed on, culturally-based negative views of women became apparent among the monks† (M. P. Fisher 104). It is written in the texts that a senior Theravedan monk destroyed a stupa dedicated to a revered sister (M. P. Fisher 105). The monk claimed that it was distracting him from his meditations, but I believe that jealousy was the more likely culprit. Also, the Thai nun Dhammananda points out that many of the weaknesses of women are actually the weakness of the men. She asserts that monks have subjugated women because they cannot control their own sexual desires (M. P. Fisher 118). Therefore, Buddhism, in its purest form, should not make any distinction between genders. Professor Gross states that â€Å"gender roles and gender privilege are matters of worldly thinking, not of enlightened thought. If ‘egolessness’ is the goal, then there is no argument supporting male dominance over women† (M. P. Fisher 119). Of course, this hypocrisy has been noted by women since the inception of the religion and many notable Buddhist women are striving for greater equality. Although there will not be a woman Dalai Lama anytime soon, it is important to note that Buddhism teaches that enlightenment is available to anyone regardless of gender (M. P. Fisher 119,123). I agree with the Venerable Tsultrim Allione, a Tibetan Buddhist nun, in that we are in a transition and we must facilitate the groundwork for those who follow (M. P. Fisher 120). As such, significant structural change within the Buddhist religion may take a long time, but some diligent women are currently laying the foundation for future changes. Judaism is considered an â€Å"ethnic religion† in that it is based as much on tradition as it is on scriptures (Eller). Therefore, Judaism is an epitome for how religions have been molded by culture. For example, it seems likely that early Jewish cultures were fearful of the female form because it was not fully understood i. e. pregnancy, childbirth, menstruation, sexuality. These fears resulted in misogynistic traditions, such as mikveh, that equate these natural processes with impurity. Furthermore, women were discouraged from studying the Torah so they could attend to other household duties (Eller). This resulted in deep-rooted, patriarchal, male-based interpretations of the Torah that have served to suppress female participation in religious ceremonies. Nonetheless, contemporary Jewish women are taking promising steps in gaining equality, such as â€Å"the right to be called up to the Torah, to be counted in the minyan, to initiate divorce, to have equal rights in carrying out the commandments, and to be rabbis and cantors† (M. P. Fisher 174). As such, â€Å"[w]omen are becoming active participants in midrash—the ongoing process of interpretation of the bible† (M. P. Fisher 177). This is a critical step toward long-term, structural changes in the religion, because female interpretations of the Jewish scriptures are finally being acknowledged and studied. Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Nuemann, who was ordained in 1982, believes that â€Å"there was always an attempt to minimize the differentness and the newness of what it meant to be a woman rabbi† (M. P. Fisher 184). However, she embraced these differences because they introduced a new and refreshing perspective to the religion. These new perspectives will provide a reassuring light for the next generation of Jewish women to follow in this religious evolution. Christianity is perhaps one of the most institutionalized of the â€Å"Great Religions. This has been a result of numerous divisions and a multitude of differing perspectives. For example, there are striking contradictions between the original teachings of Jesus Christ and the practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Mary Pat Fisher, author of Women in Religion, explains that: The movement that developed around [Jesus Christ] was unique in its outreach to people from all levels of society, especially those considered unclean by the Jewish temple priests and rabbis, who placed great emphasis on ritual purity and moral piety. These marginal people included the very poor, the physically handicapped, those suffering from skin diseases, the socially despised such as tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes, slaves, and women. Women had been considered impure because of their bleeding during menstruation and childbirth and were thought of as possessions of men. Collectively, Jesus referred to them all as the ‘poor. ’ He invited them all to eat together at the same table, as brothers and sisters in a community that excluded no one from God’s grace and recognized no hierarchy. However, the Roman Catholic Church is explicitly hierarchical â€Å"with traditionalist, male-dominant policies, such as its stands against birth control, divorce, and abortion, its resistance to liberation theology, and denial of priesthood to women† (M. P. Fisher 215). Further explicit misogyny is contained within the Malleas Maleficarum, a document that justified the torture and execution of millions of women who did not conform to church expectations. However, feminist biblical scholar, Phyllis Trible, believes that Christian sexism and faith are so deeply intertwined that few ever question it (M. P. Fisher 211). Contemporary women in Christianity â€Å"have tried to redefine the interpretation of Christianity so that it is true their understanding and experiences—not necessarily as historically interpreted by men† (M. P. Fisher 221). This shift toward theological feminism coincided with the feminist revolution of the 1960’s, and it focused on â€Å"re-evaluating the patriarchal language and patterns of power, as well as making their voices heard on other ethical issues (M. P. Fisher 222). These female interpretations are aimed at re-defining the patriarchal languagewhich portrays God as an aggressive male ruler—in favor viewing God as a loving figure. Sallie McFague, an American Christian Theologian, views â€Å"God as a lover, a mother, a friend,† while Dorothee Soelle, a German Theologian, argues â€Å"that a concept of God as male ruler supports oppression and violence by men against humanity† (M. P. Fisher 223). Islam is perhaps the most feared and misunderstood of the â€Å"Great Religions. † Ironically, Islam shares similar qualities with its rival, Christianity. First, both religions were founded by a prophet who had relatively enlightened views about equality between the sexes. Muhammad, like Jesus, shared many of his private revelations and visions with women, specifically his wives Khadija and A’isha (M. P. Fisher 237, 240). As such, these women were originally revered and celebrated with temples, but these temples have since been destroyed (M. P. Fisher 238,241). Second, the religion of Islam sustained a massive division early in its development i. e. Sunnis and Shi’as, similar to the split of the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox sects. The foundation of Islam is based on the Qur’an, but many of Islam’s anti-female traditions have been enacted by different legal schools (M. P. Fisher 243). As such, the Qur’an actually serves to protect the rights of women, yet cultural interpretations have taken it out of context in order to support cultural biases (M. P. Fisher 244). Islamic studies Professor, Riffat Hassan, believes that the Qur’an is inherently â€Å"open† and â€Å"strongly guarantees all fundamental human rights, without reserving them for men alone,† but, unfortunately, many Muslim cultures have chosen to â€Å"regard the Shari’a [the code regulating all aspects of a Muslim’s life] as fixed† (M. P. Fisher 245). Muslims form the majority in 44 different countries, and there are as many variations in the Muslim practices. Some cultures enforce very strict rules and regulations, such as the Taliban and Deoband reform movement, while other Muslim cultures have adapted a fairly liberal lifestyle (M. P. Fisher 253,254). Therefore, the religion of Islam does innately regard women as inferior, but various cultures have hijacked the Qur’an to further their own cultural beliefs. As you can see, nearly all religions have been molded by the cultures in which they have arisen. Most of these religions wish to convey absolute truth, but it is impossible to ignore how these truths have been molded by prevailing cultural biases. Therefore, I contend that culture and religion are intrinsically intertwined. These primary components of the human experience do not exist in a perfect vacuum. Therefore, they are not exclusive of each other. It is important to note that women have gained significant levels of equality in many cultures, but they have yet to attain comparable equality in any of the institutionalized religions that I have analyzed. I believe that misogyny is still prevalent in these religions, because we have been conditioned to believe that religion perfectly iterates the natural laws of the universe and that it is not overtly affected by prevailing cultures. However, religions are always evolving and I believe that as human cultures become progressively egalitarian, religion will eventually reflect these changes, too. Works Cited Eller, Cynthia. (2004-2011). Revealing World Religions 4. 0 [computer software]. Thinking Strings LLC. Electronic. Fisher, Mary P. Women in Religion. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. , 2007. Print.