Gender+&+Age


 * Script:**

In most of the world's religions, women are considered the inferior sex. Many women experience oppression and discrimination because of their gender. Even as children, boys are considered better then girls in some religions, causing many husbands to want male heirs and to give those male heir special privileges that their daughters do not get. In Judaism, women have the role of being wives and mothers, while their husbands are considered the providers. In the more conservative Jewish sects, women are required to dress modestly and are sometimes segregated from the men while worshiping. In Orthodox Judaism, men are also required to dress a certain way. Although considered below men, women are still revered and respected because they have and always will be important for the survival of the Jewish religion. Women in Christianity have become increasingly more respected then they originally were. Some christian churches have come so far as to have women as pastors. However, some conservative groups still see woman as man’s helper, not his equal. In these groups, women have a more behind the scenes role in the church than as a leader of the church. Marriage, in this religion, benefits the woman. A man is not supposed to mistreat or harm his wife in any way for any reason. Women are usually thought to be inferior, but people in Christianity still respects them as people with rights. Islamic women are well known for being thought to experience great oppression. Most Islamic women keep their entire body and head covered, although the Qur'an never mentions such a thing. Their main focus is to be a wife and mother. Many people believe Muslim women have no right, but the actually do. They have the right to get an education, to own property, to earn money, to express their beliefs, to negotiate marriage terms, to get a divorce, to get custody of their children and to refuse a marriage. However, they can only do these things if the male in their life, their husband, father or brother, lets them. If a Muslim women does not obey her husband, she is first given a warning. If she continues to disobey she can be beaten, not to inflict pain but to remind the woman not to disobey. The beating is not allowed to leave a mark or bruise on the woman’s body. It is expected of all Muslim children that they will grow up and one day get married. Muslim women are expected to get married and serve their husband. In Hinduism, the laws of Manu state that women are to be subservient to men. Their father or brother is in control of their life in the early years and after they get married this duty is passed to their husband. If a women doesn’t obey her husband or brother she can experience social oppression or scorn. Some texts see women as so inferior that they say women must be born again as a man to achieve religious progress. Because of their gender, women are not allowed to hear certain parts of scripture or participate in certain events. Due to the stereotype that daughters are not as good as sons many Indian girls are sold into slavery or prostitution. Originally in Buddhism, Buddha did not want women ordained as nuns because he thought by doing so he would prevent his teachings from being passed down to future generations. However he later admitted there was no reason why women could not be enlightened. Although Buddha said this, women in Buddhism are still greatly oppressed. Buddhist women are allowed to become Buddhist nuns, and must follow certain rules just like Buddhist monks. Now, Buddhist documents on the enlightenment of women are contradictory. Some documents say women must be reborn as men to achieve Nirvana while others say being male or female is not important. Traditionally, it is believed that women were inferior. Unlike most religions, Buddhist women are not seen as mothers and wives. They are thought to be "lustful temptresses" or "evil incarnates." Buddhism recognizes the importance of marriage, but believes that the more noble thing to do with your life is to become a monk or nun. As Confucianism progressed, the role of women became more as a servant to their husbands than how it had originally been. Books were written to educate women on how to conduct themselves, describing real life stories of women who had conducted themselves this way and were role models for all confucianist women. They emphasized "loyalty and self-sacrificing willingness to do anything to help their husband and his family." It was important for women to produce a male heir because boys were considered better than girls. In Taoism, women represented nature. They are the essence of "matriarchy and femininity." Unlike many religions, women had places as religious leaders. Shamans were religious leaders who performed many rituals and services, and were usually women. Women could also become nuns. Women in Taoism were respected a lot more than most religions respected women. The reoccurring role of women in all of these religions is to be a wife and mother with the duty of caring for their husband and children. It is an important role for the children to be nurtured and cared for so the religion has the best possible chance of survival. Despite the importance of this role, women are still seen as the inferior gender for whatever reason.

BIG PICTURE: MAIN RULES AND CONSEQUENCES. Describe the main teachings of **The Chinese Philosophies: Confucianism and Taoism** pertinent to your issue. What are the consequences (legal, social, spiritual) when the teachings are not followed? In other words, I'm asking you to investigate whether your ethical issue is considered a public matter, with public, legal, and social consequences, or is it considered a spiritual or personal matter, with more private consequences affecting personal relationships and spiritual matters.
 * 12/6 Prompt 9:**


 * Response:**

In Confucianism, it is thought that the original teachings of Confucianism said nothing about the subordination of women. However, over time, possibly due to the influence of other religions and cultures, the views of women in Confucianism changed to that of most cultures. They began to accept the role of women as a servant to their husbands and a mother to their children. Over many years books where written educating women on their role and how to conduct themselves properly.Biographies were written about women who followed these rules and were admired and considered role models for women to follow. They emphasized "loyalty and self-sacrificing willingness to do anything to help their husband and his family." It was important for a woman to produce a //male// heir In Taoism, women represent nature. They are the essence of "matriarchy and femininity." Unlike many religions, women had places as religious figures. Shamans were religious leaders who performed many different services and were usually (but not always) women. Women also had a religious role in Taoism by becoming nuns. For both of these religions, children were important as the next generation to pass down philosophies and information to. They also both participate in rites of passage at certain ages. In Confucianism, on the 100th day of a child's birth a feast is held to celebrate the baby having survived the difficult period at the beginning of its life. If the baby is sick, a feast is not held. The family makes rice cakes and shares them with 100 people, and this is supposed to ensure that the baby has a good healthy life. The 60th birthday is also important in a persons life, because it is considered the end of the "zodiacal cycle" and it is celebrated because not many people lived that long. They are considered very special for having lived such a long time.
 * Confucianism:**
 * Taoism:**

http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/lesson3.html http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/fall99/hundoble/ http://www.theologicalstudies.org/page/page/4368801.htm http://www.koreanculture.org/06about_korea/symbols/23rites_passage.htm
 * Sources:**

BIG PICTURE: MAIN RULES AND CONSEQUENCES. Describe the main teachings of **Buddhism** pertinent to your issue. What are the consequences (legal, social, spiritual) when the teachings are not followed? In other words, I'm asking you to investigate whether your ethical issue is considered a public matter, with public, legal, and social consequences, or is it considered a spiritual or personal matter, with more private consequences affecting personal relationships and spiritual matters.
 * 11/22 Prompt 8:**

Some parts of Buddhism believe that Buddha originally said women could not be ordained as nuns. He thought by ordaining women his teachings would not be passed on to future generations. However, Buddha later admitted there was no reason women couldn't be enlightened and said ,"Women having gone forth are able to realize the fruit of stream-attainment or the fruit of once-returning or the fruit of non-returning or arahantship." Although Buddha said this, women in Buddhism are still greatly oppressed. Buddhist women are allowed to become Buddhist nuns, and must follow certain rules just like Buddhist monks. Now, buddhist documents on the enlightenment of women are contradictory. Some documents say women must be reborn as men to achieve Nirvana while others say being male or female is not important. Traditionally, it is believed that women were inferior. Unlike most religions, Buddhist women are not seen as mothers and wives. They are thought to be "lustful temptresses" or "evil incarnates." Buddhism recognizes the importance of marriage, but believes that the more noble thing to do with your life is to become a monk or nun. Buddhist children are exposed to the religion from birth. They are not forced to learn or do anything and nothing is explained to them while they are young because they are not expected to understand it. They learn how to be Buddhist by being involved in all things Buddhist. It is their choice if they want to be Buddhist or not, and they are not shunned or harmed if they choose not to be Buddhist. Unlike most religions, the children do not have to be molded into the future of that religion. They can do what they want.
 * Response:**

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Buddhism http://buddhism.about.com/od/becomingabuddhist/a/sexism.htm http://www.buddhamind.info/leftside/sumaries/qa-spain/being-is.htm
 * Sources:**

BIG PICTURE: MAIN RULES AND CONSEQUENCES. Describe the main teachings of **Hinduism** pertinent to your issue. What are the consequences (legal, social, spiritual) when the teachings are not followed? In other words, I'm asking you to investigate whether your ethical issue is considered a public matter, with public, legal, and social consequences, or is it considered a spiritual or personal matter, with more private consequences affecting personal relationships and spiritual matters.
 * 11/15 Prompt 7:**

While today's Hindu women have more rights, they still suffer much oppression. In Hinduism, women are regarded as the inferior sex. The Hindu Laws of Manu say that women are to be subservient to men. Women are controlled by their father or brother in the early years of life and after they get married their husband. Women are not allowed to hear certain parts of scripture read and are not allowed to hold any positions of authority. Some texts say women must be born again as men to achieve religious progress. However, in Hinduism their are many goddesses that depict strong women. Most of these goddesses depict motherhood and marriage. But the various personas of goddesses lead people to acknowledge the importance of women in the world. These teachings come from Hindu texts, so they are considered spiritual matters. For not obeying her husband or father a woman can experience social oppression or scorn.
 * Response:**

Like most religions, people of Hinduism believe that adults are more experienced and wiser than children. There are not many issues with children, except young girls. Young Indian girls are often sold into slavery or prostitution.

http://www.patheos.com/Library/Hinduism/Ethics-Morality-Community/Gender-and-Sexuality?offset=1&max=1 http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduwomen.asp
 * Sources:**

BIG PICTURE: MAIN RULES AND CONSEQUENCES. Describe the main teachings of **Islam** pertinent to your issue. What are the consequences (legal, social, spiritual) when the teachings are not followed? In other words, I'm asking you to investigate whether your ethical issue is considered a public matter, with public, legal, and social consequences, or is it considered a spiritual or personal matter, with more private consequences affecting personal relationships and spiritual matters.
 * 11/8 Prompt 6:**

The Islamic tradition is very well known for having much oppression when it comes to women. They believe the rights of women come from a spiritual source. If women do not follow the rules their can be consequences for them. Today's Muslim women must keep their entire body and head covered, although in the Koran their is no mentioning of women or men covering their heads. Some less traditional Muslim women do not cover their heads. Women are usually considered as inferior to men. Although they can get jobs outside of the home, their main focus is to be their household and doing what their husband says. While most people think Islamic women have no rights, they actually do. They have the right to get an education, to own property, to earn money, to express their beliefs. to negotiate marriage terms, to get a divorce and to get custody of her children and to refuse a marriage. However, they can only do these things if the male in their life ( i.e. husband, father, brother) lets them. If a woman does not obey her husband, she is first given a warning, if she continues to disobey, she can be beaten. It is said that the beating is not to inflict pain but to remind the women not to disobey. Also, the beating is not allowed to leave marks on her face or body. This thought is said to have come from Muhammad, so this consequence is a spiritual matter. With the issue of age, there are not any issues in the Islamic religion. Like most religions and societies, children are just supposed to "respect their elders". Muslim people go through rites of passage as they age such as a naming ceremony and marriage. It is expected of all Muslims that they will one day get married.
 * Response:**

http://www.submission.org/women/index.html http://www.themodernreligion.com/women/w_rights_summary.htm
 * Sources:**

FINE PRINT: DIVERSITY AND NUANCE. Are there different rules for different people/sects within Christianity regarding your ethical issue? What about differences in the way consequences are applied? This week, concentrate on the similarities and differences between Catholics and Protestants on your topic.
 * 10/18 Prompt 5:**

The catholic church believes mostly in scripture AND tradition, whole the protestant faith relies on just scripture. Not much is said about how women and men are treated. One of the few differences is the gender of spiritual leaders. In Catholicism, priests are men and women are nuns. They have separate roles and purposes. In protestantism, pastors can be men OR women. However, I know of more traditional protestant churches that do not except women as pastors. Traditionally, Catholics had a worse view of women than protestants. In the late fourth century St. Augustine thought women were made second by God to be inferior to men. Women could never represent the image of God, and instead represented the body and material world. Since women did not represent Christ they could not be ordained. Therefore, priests are men.In the Catholic church, if you went against there beliefs by becoming a priest( being a women) they would not except you. The worst thing they might do is kick you out of their church. Both churches views on children are similar. Children are raised to be the next generation of the religion. It is honorable for a child to grow up and become a religious leader in the church. Beyond that, nothing much is said about children.
 * Response:**

http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/catholic_protestant.htm http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/topics/reform/documents/2006womenreproductiverightsandthecatholicchurch.asp
 * Sources:**

BIG PICTURE: MAIN RULES AND CONSEQUENCES. Describe the main teachings of **Christianity** pertinent to your issue. What are the consequences (legal, social, spiritual) when the teachings are not followed? In other words, I'm asking you to investigate whether your ethical issue is considered a public matter, with public, legal, and social consequences, or is it considered a spiritual or personal matter, with more private consequences affecting personal relationships and spiritual matters.
 * 10/4 Prompt 4:**

In Christianity, the treatment of women is considered a personal matter. There aren't really consequences if you treat women "wrong". Throughout history the roles of women have become more open and positive. For example, women are more accepted as pastors in many christian churches than the where 20 years ago. However, some people cling to the biblical belief that woman was made as man's helper, not his equal. Some of these churches will not except women as lead roles in the church. To them it is a spiritual matter, because the bible says so. Women have had an important role throughout history in the church, although it has been a "behind-the-scenes" role. Women as wives and mothers sculpt the next generation of the congregation-their children- into spiritual leaders. In Christianity, marriage benefits the woman, not the man. A man is not supposed to mistreat his wife or harm her in any way, emotionally or physically. A couple with a marriage problem must try and work it out, using divorce as only a last resort. There really aren't age issues in Christianity. children are suppose to be the next generation, so they are taught by the older people, who by experience are considered wiser. Children are treated with love and care because they are the future.
 * Response:**

http://www.religioustolerance.org/lfe_bibl.htm http://www.fnsa.org/fall98/terwilliger.html
 * Sources**:

FINE PRINT: DIVERSITY AND NUANCE. Are there different rules for different people/sects within **Judaism** regarding your ethical issue? What about differences in the way consequences are applied?
 * 9/27 Prompt 3:**

There are 3 major sect of Judaism, Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. The Orthodox movement is the most strict, and believe the laws come form God and cannot be changed. The Conservative movement is more lenient. They accept the binding nature of the law but believe it can change. The most liberal, the Reform movement, believe the law was inspired by God and one can choose which laws to follow. Gender roles are strict in Orthodox Judaism.The men always keep their heads covered and are the laborers of the family. The woman's role is strictly to be a wife and mother. The women do not have many roles spiritually, like the men can be rabbis or read from the Talmud, the women do not do these things often. Men are considered superior. Conservative Judaism is a mix of both Reform Judaism and Orthodox Judaism. While women are supposed to be in the home, it is not strictly forbidden. Also, most conservative groups believe in gender equality, except for some, mostly in Canada. Reform Judaism is the most liberal sect. They were the first denomination to ordain women as rabbis and cantors. Since the mid 20th century, Reform Judaism synagouges have believed in the total equality of men and women.
 * Response:**

All sects of Judaism believe in having bar mitzvahs as a celebration of a boys coming to age, however, it is not required for the boy to be considered jewish. The equivalent for a girl is a bat mitzvah, although in Orthodox judiasm, bat mitzvahs are not very important because of the womens mediocre role in the church. Bat mitzvahs are just small parties in Orthodox judaism, while bar mitzvahs are large ceremonies. The Reform Judaism movement developed the idea of a confirmation. They did not think someone 13 should be considered an adult. The Conservative movement adopted the idea as a way to further a Jewish teenagers education.

As for the way consequences are applied, the Orthodox movement would be the most strict. Nothing is really said about how they punish people for doing wrong.

http://www.patheos.com/Library/ http://www.jewfaq.org
 * Sources:**

BIG PICTURE: MAIN RULES AND CONSEQUENCES. Describe the main teachings of **Judaism** pertinent to your issue. What are the consequences (legal, social, spiritual) when the teachings are not followed? In other words, I'm asking you to investigate whether your ethical issue is considered a public matter, with public, legal, and social consequences, or is it considered a spiritual or personal matter, with more private consequences affecting personal relationships and spiritual matters.
 * 9/20 Prompt 2:**

In the Jewish teachings, a woman's place is a spiritual issue. In traditional Judaism women are considered equal, but separate. Women just have different roles then men, which are equally important. The primary role of a woman is to be a wife and mother. However, in history this role is seen as very important. In the Torah, women had important roles. For example, Miriam helped free the children of Israel from the Egyptians. In the ten commandment, children are told to respect their father and their mother. For many years Jewish women in the eastern cultures had better rights than the Jewish women in western cultures. They were allowed to buy,sell and own their own property and make contracts, something western Jewish women were only allowed to do recently. Because of the mothers spiritual influence, the child of a Jewish woman and a Gentile man is considered Jewish. There isn't really a consequence if these teachings aren't followed, except for criticism from other Jewish people. For example, if a Jewish woman were to put her occupation before her family, it would be looked down upon, because her primary role is as a mother. Jewish men are considered providers. There is less conflict and issues with Jewish men then Jewish women.
 * Response:**

At certain ages in the Jewish religion people go through certain rites of passage. These are spiritual matters. A Jewish automatically becomes a bar mitzvah at the age of 13, a girl (bat mitzvah) at the age of 12. This is also, by Jewish law, the legal age for marriage. A party is usually held to celebrate this sort of coming of age. The main purpose for the party is to say a blessing, but over time a bar (or bat) mitzvah party has become much more than that. Confirmations were developed in the reform movement. It was created as another coming of age ceremony because some people believed 13 was to young to be considered an adult. The age for this ceremony was between 16 and 18. The confirmation ceremony never replaced the bar/bat mitzvah, but was just added on in some conservative synagogues as a way to further the person's Jewish education. Having a party for these events is not considered mandatory, so there is no punishment if they are not done. It is just something nice to do to celebrate.

http://www.jewfaq.org/women.htm http://www.jewfaq.org/barmitz.htm
 * Sources:**

Define and describe your topic as an ethical issue and identify the controversies and dilemmas within the issue. Seek to do general background reading to understand the main issues inherent in your topic.Identify at least two opposing positions often taken on your ethical issue, and explain the main arguments (2-3) supporters of each side use to state their case.
 * 9/13 Prompt 1:**

The issues of gender and age discrimination are different in many cultures. In some, women are treated as lower than men, while in others they are considered equals. Some cultures think older people are wiser, while younger people are incompetent. The controversy within this topic is whether all people should be treated equal or if there is a certain gender or age that deserves to be on top. In the united states there are laws against gender discrimination in the workplace. Sine the law prohibiting gender discrimination has been passed, the number of woman working outside of the home has increased. Although gender discrimination is illegal, it is still done. Through the history of the US women have fought for equality and won. Today's women can vote,receive equal pay and have more independence. The United Kingdom also has laws against gender discrimination. According to ehow, the unfair treatment of women in the workplace is unacceptable. If an employer bases job applications, raises, promotions or job cuts on a persons gender it is considered a federal offense. These countries think women are entirly equal to men. However, in many middle-eastern countries women have no such rights. These countries believe women to be inferior. Women are not allowed to drive, mix with men in public or leave their homes without a black cloak that covers their bodies. Without written permission women cannot travel, get an education or work. Nowhere in the Muslim world are women treated as equals. In the United States we also believe that children are vital to our countries success. Children are the future. Young people are usually treated fairly well, although sometimes their opinions or statements are overlooked because their age makes what they have to say unimportant. Adults are considered wiser because they are older. In some countries, children are considered disposable. The use of children as war instruments is a large issue in the middle-east today. In Palestine, soldiers fire their weapons from amidst a crowd of civilians, mostly children, because the Israeli soldiers would not risk firing back in fear of hitting a child. Lebanese Islamic terrorists use Arab children as human shields. Other children are raised to be nothing but a killing machine. They are taught to hate their enemies and to kill them. While more western countries treat children with care, these more eastern countries find them to be war resources.
 * Response:**


 * Sources:**

http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/caregiving.html#male http://www.ehow.co.uk/discrimination-law/ http://www.middle-east-info.org/gateway/womenchildabuse/index.htm