Okay, let's see if I can get all of my thoughts in order without dropping a bunch. And of course, these are all my own little opinions.
Ann mentioned:
As I said, Terry, it is clear that in the Old Testament evil often emanates from women.
See, that's where the distinction comes in with Christianity. There is a lot of sexism in the Old Testament, but you can't tie it exclusively to Christianity. Both Christian and Islamic religions have their roots in Judaism, which follows the OT exclusively. When pointing fingers at one religion, you might as well point fingers at all three.
Unfortunately, when a culture is set in their ways, it is
really hard to change it, especially when those in charge prefer things the way they are. Jesus came along, preaching love, happiness, and equality, but many people, clergy especially, were going "Whoa, hold a minute, that's not the way things are done!" Those who liked the change readily accepted it, but it was hard to get everyone swayed.
You keep mentioning the religious right, Ann, but you have to remember that they are a very small part of the religious culture in the US. They seem bigger because they are the most vocal, and they just LOVE attention. They preach, they shout, they yell, they point fingers. Unfortunately, though they call themselves Christians, they tend to follow the OT more than the New. Jesus tells us to love and accept one another, and those without sin may cast stones. But though they sin, they find the biggest boulder they can throw. They preach to help one another, but they'll kick the "sinners" out of their clique faster than Superman can fly around the world. Many Christians I know are actually appalled by what the so-called "religious right" preach.
... okay. I think I lost my point again.
Um, now, Terry's point about virgin births. I can't say I recall anything about virgin births, but there's a lot of mythology to troll through. However, there are a lot of stories where a god impregnates a moral woman. Just look at the Greek and Roman mythologies. Hercules, anyone? There are a lot of christian customs that came from pagan customs, however. The Roman Church knew that in order to convert people to this new religion, they couldn't force them to give up all of their old customs. Christmas is the major example, taking place of (mostly) Winter Solstice celebrations.
Where was I again? I think I'd better go find those lost thoughts.
I can't say anything about any christian or church movements about things you spoke of, Ann. I haven't actively participated in a church since I entered my teens. I've found that most churches scare me, but that's just because of my bias against organized religion. Backwards, ain't it? Living in the Bible Belt, I get accosted every once in awhile by people prosellytizing, or see people preaching on the side of the road, and I have to wonder how much they practice what they preach. No, not everyone is like that, but the louder someone is, it seems the more they have to hide.
