Laura+De+Jesus

Laura De Jesus The Way Things Work Why do sources only talk about couples when it comes to Religion and Gender?

Religion is the belief and worship of a superhuman controlling power. Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism are three popular religions. The gender roles vary within these religions. Christian and Hinduism are the two with the most commonalities. Although it does not make them the same, just like Christian and Catholic is not the same religion.

Christianity is the religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus, or its beliefs and practices. Christianity is today’s most widespread religion. Over a billion members among the Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox Churches. It is originated from the Jewish; they were the ones who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, or the chosen one. The Christian Church soon became an independent establishment, thanks to the effort of St. Paul. Persecution in the Roman Catholic religion was ended in 313, and recognized as a state religion in 380.

Most Christians believe in the Father, the Son and the Holey Spirit or known as the Three Persons. And that Jesus the Son of God who rose from the dead a few days after being crucified. A Christian hops to attain eternal life, life after death through the faith in Jesus Christ. Hoping to live by his teachings and what we are ‘supposed’ to do as recorded in the New Testament.

Buddhism is a religion with about 300 million people around the world. A complex system of beliefs and history. Buddhism has no creator god and gives a central role to the Dharma. The 'four noble truths' states the existence is suffering. The cause of suffering is desire. The freedom from suffering is nirvana. The 'eightfold' path of conduct, wisdom and mental discipline (meditation). Theravada and Mahayana are the two major traditions.

Hinduism is the world’s oldest extant religion, which makes it the world’s third largest religion. India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal are where Hinduism is practiced primarily. It is a family of diversity of devotional and ascetic cults etc. All sharing in the belief in reincarnation and involving worship of one or more of a large pantheon of gods and goddesses. Shiva and Vishnu, Kali, Durga, Parvati, and Ganesh. Hindu was traditionally based on a caste system. Hinduism has its origins so far in the past that it cannot be traced by any one person. Hinduism is the most unique religion, there is no religion like it. It is a way of life, not something that is practiced like other religions. Dharma that is, the law that governs all the actions.



Christianity and Buddhism are two religions that people tend to compare and contrast. Christians believe that there is one Father, One Savior while in the Buddhist religion does not have a God, they believe that religious ideas and especially the idea of God have their origin in fear. The Bible, the New and Old Testament are the religious books that Christians go by, what is practiced and respected. The Buddhist on the other hand do not have a book or holy text, or one specific theological system. Christian women are not supposed to speak in religious affairs, it is the job of the man, and this is similar to the Pre-Buddhist where women were prevented from performing religious sites. Christian women fit within the category of the 'stay at home housewife', they believe that the man are in charge of the marriage and the women is supposed to go with what he says. The man is not supposed to talk down on the women they are supposed to treat them with respect. Buddhist have a different view, they agree that men and women are both equal neither is of the higher power. Although in the past they begged to differ.

Hinduism and Buddhism that are very different but also very similar. Hinduism is the world's third largest religion, with more than a billion followers. Buddhism is a practice not like a religion, just like Hinduism which is also not technically a religion more a way of life. In the Buddhist religion they practice meditation, it means to change yourself in order to develop qualities. The Dharma is the law that governs the Hindus. Historically the roles of the woman is different than that of a man, it changing to this day, in the Hindu religion. 'The Laws of Manu' govern the females in the Hindu religion. It stated that women are to be honored and cherished by their male members, fathers, brother, husbands etc. Once a women is married in the Buddhist religion their job is to obey the husband and his parents. While in the Hindu religion women are to be honored, not looked down on and looked as a piece of property. In the Hindu religion the man or the husband is the one who is in charge, they are the care takers, they are the ones that handle everything. It is the mans job to make everything perfect, that's the way they were raised. In a marriage the man and woman are equal according to the Buddhist, neither are in higher power. The man does have more rights than the woman does in the religious part of the marriage, the woman isn't allowed to do half of what the man does, they think it the job of a man, the woman just attends the events.

Hinduism is a religion with various beliefs and practices, which makes it difficult to compare and contrast with Christianity. One of the biggest differences is that Hinduism embraces Christianity as a religion, a valid religion where as though the Bible does not. Where as though Hinduism is a religion that teaches tolerance. Both Christianity and Hinduism teach that you are in charge of what you do, if it wrong you are the only one that can fix that. In Christianity the man is in charge of the household, the women, more like chief. It is looked more in the way that the woman is the companion, not a servant or looked down on. Men and women have different roles in society, the man resembles Christ, and the women represents the Church. They are to be groomed differently, act differently, different roles in society and the household. In the Hindu religion, the man and woman represent the two halves of the divine body. Women are never looked down on, they are just as inferior as the men are. The Hindu believe that a marriage is the love of the whole family, which causes everyone to love and prevents break ups. The Hindu women keep their marriage alive and strong due to lust, and not thinking about any other man but their husband. In both Christianity and Hinduism the women begin to change if they suspect that something is going on in their marriage.

Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism are three of the well known religions. They all have commonalities and differences within themselves. Hinduism and Christianity seem to the most similar. The way these religions treat gender are very different. Women are always looked down on, but in these three religions they are given chance. The man is always in the higher power and able to do more, but women are given freedom which once did not exist. Something unheard of.

I learned a lot with this project, I myself am a Christian. Well a Catholic but we follow the same rules and go by the same Holy Books. Also, I learned that in the Hindu religion it is known that women also have power. I always thought it was the same for every religion.

I made connections with real life and the sources. The real life came in with what I knew, and based off of my religion. But I also used the sources for the real world stuff, that are facts and needed.

It is important in today's world because people don't look at the facts behind a religion, they base it off what they hear. Looking facts up makes people want to know.

Citations: . "What is the role of Christian man?." . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb 2012. .

McCallum, Dennis, ed. "Men, Women, and Gender Roles in Marriage." . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb 2012. . (McCallum)

. "Men and Women In Christ." . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb 2012. . . "Basic Buddhism Guide." . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb 2012. . . "Basics on Buddhism." . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb 2012. . . "The Role of Buddhism in Inter-religious Dialogue." . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb 2012. . . "Hinduism: The world's third largest religion." . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb 2012. . . "The Role of Women in Hinduism." . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb 2012. .

. "The Role ofMen in Hinduism." . N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb 2012. .