Richard Lederman
Unfortunately, the dirty little truth about gender in
western religion is tied up with the entire question of patriarchy in western
civilization. And the dirty little secret about patriarchy is the issue of
power and authority. The so-called “patriarchs” in the Bible, like the men in
all patriarchal societies, seem mainly concerned about inheritance. They must
have a male issue to inherit whatever it is that they consider their “portion,”
be it money, property, or God’s promise. Of course, in order to do that, women
must be controlled, especially women’s sexuality. Unless women’s sexuality is
controlled, men can never be sure of their true patrimony—and that’s bad!!