Why do religions treat women so badly?

Not being able to be priests is just the tip of the iceberg.

None of the other posters have any true validity in their statements. Deena speaks of saudi arabia, yet since when is saudi arabia a bastion of human rights- for anybody? In islam, marriage requires the acceptance of the daughter as well as parents. This is why in Islamic weddings, the daughter is the first person asked if she accepts the marriage; then the parents. The quran speaks of how women and men are equal under their lord. In fact, the muslim women I know are far better off than the nonmuslims. It is not because of the religion that a woman will be treated badly, it is because of how the child is raised or how he is taught. In fact, America has one of the highest domestic abuse rates in the world. Before you read an article about 'honor killings', keep in mind that there are over 1.5 BILLION muslims, and that one family doing something evil and abhorrent is in no way an accurate portrayal of the rest of us. Thank you.

Women can't become priests because the Bbile says that women should be silent in the churches. and also because Jesus chose men as his apostles, not women.

But it is not true to say that Christianity in general treats women badly. the Bible also emphasises the importance of husbands loving their wives, and makes clear that women are of equal importance to Christ spiritually. it says that in Christ their is 'neither male nor female, Jew nor Greek, slave nor free' In other words we all matter equally.

In fact, women were among the most enthusistic converts to Christianity in the early centuries. There are many stories about Pagan husbands being persuaded to convert by their Christian wives for example.

Why would women want to be priests anyway? Like Alice thomas Ellice wrote "it looks like bossy womankind won't trust men to do anything right.'

its unfortunate that the religions that have become prevalent in the modern centurys are male-dominated and personify their deity as male. not all religions take this view, and many are making the shift towards the views of the post-civil rights movement generations as they become the new leadership in those religions.

in christianity you have sects slowly by surely conforming to the current view of women being equal to men, allowed to become pastors and priests.

this is unsuprising as the "chruch" has changed stance on many topics to avoid alienating the future generations of their followers and to keep form being ridiculed out of existence. they will continue to change slightly behind the curve of modern culture as ...i said before the young raised with already progressed civil rights see it as a norm and become the members of the church later and demand change.

I don't think you should just regard this to religion only, women were treated badly in non-religious situation in the old days as well.

Because treating women like crap was the norm up until the 19-20th century, which was when these religions were founded. It reflects the norms of the society at the time.

It's not unfair, it's rational!

Seriously, Jesus himself was very positive about women. He first revealed his divinity to a woman. It was women who stayed by him when the apostles fled at his arrest. It was a woman who first saw the risen Christ, and He included women in his wider circle of disciples. This was very much against the tradition of the day, where women were considered rubbish. Men were not allowed to speak to women in the street, not even their wives. The testimony of a woman was not considered valid either.

The early church had women leaders and prophets. In my church, women can teach, preach, prophesy, whatever, and if it was believed that God had called a particular woman to be a church leader, it would be treated the same as if she were a man.

Having said all that, headship is male. Men are responsible and answerable to God, it's a way of protecting women, and I am happy with that, even as a former fierce feminist!

The three "great" monotheisms were invented by men for men, obviously. They are heavily patriarchal and misogynistic, with Islam being the worst of the three. Other than fear of death for apostasy, I wonder why so many women embrace the ideologies of a murderous, tyrannical, warrior pedophile and the contents of the "holy" book that justifies all his perverted carnal pleasures. It's a "mystery."

Women are to obey their faithfull husbands just like the men are to obey the Lord. This is submission and there is nothing wrong with it. Keeping in mind that the men obey the Lord and are faithful. And children are to obey their faithful mothers. It's a line of superior but all leads to the Lord.

Bitter old men started religions and wrote the silly books. Any they hated women.