A few men continue to see the religious scriptures in the tightest possible understanding, because a few men by nature have not grown up, they are insecure and earn their false security by keeping women insecure. Its in every society with no exceptions. All we have to learn is not to slap the behavior of the individuals onto the entire population, as the majority does not practice misogyny, its anathema to them to treat mother, sister, daughter and a spouse less than themselves. Mike Ghouse

UK Orthodox shul condemned for letting women hold Torah

Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations slams practice as a ‘Reform-influenced breach’

http://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-orthodox-shul-condemned-for-letting-women-hold-torah/?utm_source=The+Times+of+Israel+Daily+Edition&utm_campaign=57906700ca-2013_11_30&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_adb46cec92-57906700ca-54484009

Illustrative photo: Members of Women of the Wall wear prayer shawls as they read from the Torah and pray at Robinson's Arch, near the Western Wall in Jerusalem March 12 (photo credit: Miriam Alster/Flash90

• British Jews
• Torah
• women's rights

Britain’s umbrella body of Orthodox communities is condemning a London Orthodox synagogue that allows women to hold Torah scrolls.

Earlier this year, Golders Green United Synagogue began giving women an opportunity to handle the Torah scroll on Shabbat mornings and festivals, and the change has been well received by members of the community, according to the shul’s chairman, Benny Chain. The Torah is taken out of the ark by a man and handed to a woman, who takes it around the women’s section before returning it to the men.

Rabbi Ephraim Padwa, head of the rabbinate of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, issued a statement condemning the practice as “Reform-influenced,” the Jewish Chronicle of London reported. Padwa said “breaches of this nature” came “from the influence of the Reform.”

The practice is uncommon but not unheard-of at Orthodox synagogues, and a growing number of American Orthodox shuls allow women to hold and dance with the Torah scrolls on Simchat Torah.

“People have said what an emotional experience it is and that they feel much more involved in the service,” Chain said of his shul’s change.

Misogyny and Gender Pluralism

URL- http://genderpluralismcenter.blogspot.com/2013/11/misogyny-and-gender-pluralism.html

At the Gender Pluralism Center, we will explore if misogyny is religiously sanctioned or men took it upon themselves to make things work for them, and in the process, the un-intended consequence was making a villain out of God and religion.

A few Men tend to be insecure about their own worth compared to women, and devise ways to feel secure by causing women to be insecure. I am not talking about the Taliban in a far off land, but our own Taliban mind set right here in America denying women the right to choose what she does with her body, rejecting her equal pay or expect her to the husband.  

“A woman should behave like a woman” “Her place is home” echo the   conservative religious men from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and other traditions.

Women have put up with this crap from men far too long, it’s time we feel, act and talk like equals. The silence of the good people is considered an endorsement to the right wing views on women. Do the good men give permission to the right? If not, we need to speak up. We need to be good for some good values and not good for nothing people.

A good functional society strives to be just to every citizen, when justness becomes a norm in every aspect of life – be it between spouses, family members, members of the community, town, state and the nation, then people trust each other and mind their own business.

Don’t look to anyone group to blame, look at yourselves first. A sentence that I have been repeating lately is "for every Muslim ass, there is a Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh or other ass" add hole if you need to. 

This blog will make an effort to find the other bad guys for every one projected and blamed in the society.  Eventually we need to realize that individuals must be held accountable for their wrong doing, and not their religion.   

I believe everything on the earth is created to seek its own balance, whether it is matter or individual, family or a nation. Every one struggles to have that elusive equilibrium which goes off balance as regularly as it is desired to be in balance.

For years, Islam has been in the forefront of receiving the accusations, but when I study Islam, it is not the religion, it is the men.  The Christians find it convenient to blame the Old Testament, instead of doing the research and finding what God meant. 

Prophet Muhammad had time and again said, "Justice:" among people, within family, among nations and tribe is the key to building a successful cohesive society where no one has to live in fear of the other. The other word for Islam would be Justice - obviously that is not what you see in the world today. Neither do you see Jesus's teachings practiced by Christians or Jews follow Torah or Bhagvad Gita by Hindus.

To me all religions are equally beautiful and divine; no religion is superior or inferior to any. If any on claims superiority, he or she does not understand the nature of his or her religion. Religion is not about arrogance which kills relationships and balance in the society, but it is about humility, that which builds bridges between people.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam,Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day atwww.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes his work through many links.