Feminism and Religion

Just as the Goddess is beginning to re-enter the public conscousness, there are some groups who's methods of practice are causing confusion, and threatening to undermine our progress. I'm referring to those feminist Goddess groups who foster the misconception that the religion of the Goddess is for women only, or is oriented towards women specifically. There is absolutely no historical basis for any such claims.

Some feminist groups are very militant and blatantly hostile towards men, while others proclaim a very warm and loving philosophy, and only reveal their restrictive gender policy in the fine print. Yet no matter how this sort of discrimination may be presented, I feel that it is a serious problem within our movement, which requires some discussion.

I'm sure most people would agree that after centuries of abuse by various patriarchal entites, women do have many justifiable complaints. Certainly feminism has a great deal of social and political validity. Yet we must ask ourselves if that agenda is appropriate or helpful, when combined with the revival of the religion of the Goddess, and the work that we are trying to do on Her behalf.

Our history, as followers of the Goddess, demonstrates that patriarchy is not a natural condition of mankind, and that there is nothing inherently wrong with men. Prior to the Kurgan invasion they clearly lived in peace, and coexisted with women in a very egalitarian way. The problems facing women today, and that now threaten the Earth and our very survival, have arisen from the greed, violence and immorality which have become institutionalized in our social and political systems... strongly supported by the patriarchal religions which serve them. Men are, in many ways, as much a victim of these faulty social paradigms as women are... although in different ways.

If we are to return to the sort of just and equitable lifestyle that our ancestors once enjoyed, then we must begin by changing the fundamental paradigms that have come to dominate our world. One way to do that is by helping people to realize the truth about their history, and restore to them the gift of a truly spiritual dimension in their lives, through an awareness of the Goddess, and Her message of peace and cooperation. If that is our goal, and if we are to succeed, then men as well as women must be part of the process.

Unfortunately, many modern Goddess groups fail to present a proper understanding of our religion. One of the more obvious problems is the portrayal of the Goddess as an alternative to the patriarchal male god. Let's be clear about this... the Goddess is the only genuine deity that exists. There simply is no male god. History clearly demonstrates that it is nothing more than the self-serving invention of some greedy and immoral people, seeking to manipulate others. Regardless of how many people currently identify as followers of this god, it is unworthy of comparison to the Goddess, and the Goddess should never be portrayed as an "alternative".

Another serious misconception is the idea that the Goddess is literally female, and therefore should appeal directly to women. In truth, deity has no gender. The peaceful Neolithic Goddess cultures envisioned deity as female, while the violent barbarian warlords who later invaded most of the ancient world envisoned deity as male. Of course neither was correct, but it was from their definitions of deity that Goddess religion and war-god religion came to be established.

When we speak of deity as a Goddess, what we are truly embracing is the definition of deity as a peaceful and benevolent entity, as opposed to a violent and jealous one. No physical gender is actually involved, and therefore this understanding of deity should be equally appealing and acceptable to all people, whether they happen to be male or female.

Yet another problematic concept is the idea that the physical aspects of being a woman are a sacred experience. This often involves linking the menstrual cycle to the phases of the moon, or the idea of a "triple-Goddess" portrayed as maiden, mother, and crone. These devices simply aren't grounded in any sort of historical precedent, and I feel that they distract us from a proper spiritual practice, as well as presenting unnecessary obstacles to the involvement of men in the group.

Next, many feminist groups have made it clear that they don't regard transgender women as genuine women, some even referring to them as "surgically altered males" and the like. This is in contrast with modern psychiatric beliefs, which tell us that a person should be regarded as being of the gender that they are psychologically (and I might add, spiritually) aligned with.

If we examine our traditions, we find that transgender persons often served as Priestesses in ancient times, and indeed in many other cultures found all over the world, prior to the coming of the Abrahamic religions. After that, their popularity and talents were seen as a threat, and they were persecuted and demonized. Therefore, I feel that discrimination against transgender persons is very much in opposition to our history and our spiritual wisdom.

Finally, I've heard some members of women-only Goddess groups say that they have nothing against men, but they need a safe place to discuss "their issues". I feel that they are obviously bringing some very inappropriate baggage with them, to a Goddess-oriented function. Although I'm sure a Priestess could provide them with some private counseling, we must remember that the primary purpose of a Goddess group is spiritual... it is not a domestic violence support group.

Those who are involved with the modern Goddess movement should consider what sort of goals they wish to pursue. If those goals pertain to women's issues, then they need to find a proper venue for that... but if their goal is to serve the Goddess, and bring Her message of equality and cooperation to people, then we must recognize that the practice of gender discrimination within a temple, coven or other religious group is completely inappropriate, morally wrong, and very harmful to our cause.

Historically, the religion of the Goddess has always been known for it's compassion and humanity, and for it's unconditional acceptance of people of all types. That philosophy of embracing diversity is what kept it strong and vibrant, and enabled it to survive so long, in so many different places. It's a heritage that we can be very proud of, and although a few small things may have to change for the modern revival, I don't think we should ever lose sight of those fundamental qualities which made our religion one of the most important in the ancient world.