Enlightened rants...

[Mystic]

No.  A book that places men in a position of authority over women, 

As far as I understand Quran, the only ones who possess authority over anyone including women are the chosen guides and leaders appointed by God.

If you mean Qawimoon which often is translated as men having authority over women,  I know for certain this is not true, it means they are to uplift women,  and this is true vice versa as well, we both need each other and need uplift each other.  This is just a way to say, we are meant to degrade one another but support one another and uplift one another.

Because God graced men with things above women and grace women with things above men, we are meant to uplift each other, not try to be the same but appreciate each other strengths and God's grace on both.

Our strengths should not be a cause of degrading women but uplifting them.

and that considers the value of a woman half the value of a man,

Where does it state this or are you putting too much interpretation into the witness for things, as for financial, it was due to the situation of that time where women barely worked and didn't read and didn't get to exercise their mind, and as for sexual crimes, it is simple, who usually likes to spread rumors about these things? Maybe in this time, women are not like this but during that time, women had a lot of time and time breeds rumor spreading and story planning - and so it was all act of precautions.   These days you can collaborate testimony with physical evidence of blood and other means so these laws are really meant for a particular time to prevent something that was really common back then.

 A book that advocates killing non-believers should be classified as hate speech.

Good thing Quran teaches peace primarily and only allows fighting in special circumstances where peace is threatened or people are trying to force a people to a creed.

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I would translate "men regarding women are to be uplifters" and this is true vice versa.