[Serious] PSA: Rape Apologetics

[Abaddon_ire]

This thread is odd. Atheists are condemning rape in all forms, but the god botherers are falling over themselves to defend it because why? What is up with that? Why are the religious in favour of rape?

[Mermaid]

This thread is odd. Atheists are condemning rape in all forms, but the god botherers are falling over themselves to defend it because why? What is up with that? Why are the religious in favour of rape?

Women are a man's property.

[Abaddon_ire]

This thread is odd. Atheists are condemning rape in all forms, but the god botherers are falling over themselves to defend it because why? What is up with that? Why are the religious in favour of rape?

Women are a man's property.

As a bloke, I find that creepy. I have never owned any woman, girl, child, infant and would not want to. And would have no right to do so.

In fact, my eldest is 19 next month. What I think does not matter. My youngest is 16 next month and does not care anyway.

Somehow, the religious think that I have some right to dictate to both.

[tackattack]

I neither think women are property or defend rape and I believe both those mis characterizations are exactly the type of straw meaning that leads to further communication problems and mischaracterization of atheists as a whole

[Rev. Rye]

I neither think women are property or defend rape and I believe both those mis characterizations are exactly the type of straw meaning that leads to further communication problems and mischaracterization of atheists as a whole

For many mainstream Christians, you are right, but there are some sects that do seem to believe exactly that. Or maybe they say they don't, but it follows more or less directly from both their beliefs on women's rights and their interpretation of Mosaic Law and its applicability to modern life. For the record, I'm not saying you're one of them, and, indeed, the blog post was written by a Christian (a former follower of Bill Gothard, and [at the time he wrote it, at least until Evangelicalism got swallowed into the Trump cult and his disagreements with Evangelical culture hit critical mass] an Evangelical Christian.) He also argues that the Mosaic Law was not God's ideal for what society should be, but His compromise with the mores of the culture of the Levant. You may agree with him or you may disagree, but, frankly, even if it is just as a Watsonian approach reconciling the unchanging word of God to the moral zeitgeist (as opposed to the Doylist approach of just accepting that systems of morality tend to evolve as the human race keeps going on), it at least makes sense.

[The Architect Of Fate]

Plenty of Evangelicals think of women as property or at least speak as if women are property, And plenty are willing to show horrific levels of lenience toward members of their church that have engaged in sexual violations.

[Mermaid]

I neither think women are property or defend rape and I believe both those mis characterizations are exactly the type of straw meaning that leads to further communication problems and mischaracterization of atheists as a whole

US-centrically, the very core of our culture lies with the multi religion foundation that a woman is meant to serve men and have their babies. Women are culturally meant to be ornamental (don't get fat!), cover up (Temptress! You could get raped!) and to shut up and sit quietly with our hands folded and not make waves (Shrew!). We can't sleep around (whore!!!), can't get abortions (murderer!!!) and the Catholic church jury is still out on birth control, even now (Sluts!). We are lesser-than as a result and still make less money than men. We couldn't even get credit or birth control pills without our husbands' approval until like 40 years ago. Rapists are almost never punished, and the highest court in the nation contains one man who badly sexually harassed his employee (Hill was waved off as irrational and crazy) , and another had a very credible sexual assault accusation (Ford also waved off as irrational and crazy). 

This cultural shit is all based on religious principles. 

So yeah, this is not a mischaracterization.

[John 6IX Breezy]

This cultural shit is all based on religious principles. 

Feminists, such as Sandra Bem, attribute what you described in your initial paragraph to androcentrism—the privileging of males and the male experience. I think it would be more accurate to say that androcentrism can infect religion like it can society, rather than the reverse relationship you're suggesting. Consider, for example, that androcentrism can be removed from religion with relative ease, as in the case of woman's ordination, but that removing religion from society does not put an end to androcentrism. Hollywood is regarded as a secular environment, it often clashes with traditional Christianity, yet you can find androcentrism there: movies are often directed for the male gaze (a trope associated with objectifying or sexualizing) rather than the female gaze.

[tackattack]

The mischaracterizations that “the religious are in favor of rape” or that “ women are men’s” property are factually incorrect as a us centric religious tenant , and an exaggerated straw man to vilify the religious.

I agree that some men see women as their property, and that drich seemed to indicate acceptance of rape. Neither of those views stem from a religious doctrine. They may be a part of culture that needs to be addressed , but lumping that with xx religion/ religious people you have beef with is a fallacious way to start an argument and easily disproven as anti-religious bias. You’re entitled to your opinion, no matter how shitty, just like the religious on this Forum.

[Rev. Rye]

I agree that some men see women as their property, and that drich seemed to indicate acceptance of rape. Neither of those views stem from a religious doctrine. They may be a part of culture that needs to be addressed , but lumping that with xx religion/ religious people you have beef with is a fallacious way to start an argument and easily disproven as anti-religious bias. You’re entitled to your opinion, no matter how shitty, just like the religious on this Forum.

It's true that there's nothing inherent in Christianity (or, as far as I can tell, any religion with the possible exception of some cults) that forces people to see women as property or rape as excusable, and that, at its root, it's probably more due to a cultural issue. That said, in some cases, their idea of religion is (for reasons that are honestly batshit) inextricably tied up in their desires to maintain the old patriarchal systems. Admittedly, I can see how you might see, for instance, The Duggars or the Quiverfull movement, as being not so much Christian, as a strange mix of the trappings of Christianity and rationalisations for Patriarchy, but the fact remains that they see their religion (as much as it may have completely missed the plot) as demanding that women keep to a Kinder, Kueche, Kirche role and that anything less is Satanic. And if one of their own rapes a woman, it tends to be treated like it's not as big a deal as most of us would think it is. Feel free to argue that they've gone completely off the grid. I'd agree with you, honestly. That doesn't mean there aren't a shockingly large number of people who actually think that way and use the Bible as their proof-text. And many probably live pretty close to you.