Religion: Effect on Women's Progress

2009-06-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

The pictures from Iran in the last 2 weeks show a huge number of women in the crowds protesting the rule of the clerics. This is further evidence of the repression they have experienced since 1979.

On a different subject, my new book is a memoir about my mother: A Girl Called Lysbeth. Hope it will be published soon.

After this, I plan to publish a second edition of Gender and Religion. ----
Barbara Crandall M.D., UCLA geneticist, is author of Gender and Religion, a work of non-fiction that explains the effect religions have had on women's progress.

2008-12-09T08:53:00.000-08:00

Well done New Hampshire with more than half of your state senators now female.----
Barbara Crandall M.D., UCLA geneticist, is author of Gender and Religion, a work of non-fiction that explains the effect religions have had on women's progress.

2008-12-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

An editorial "What would Mary do" appeared in the LA Times on Dec.4 2008 in response to threats by the Vatican to excommunicate a Georgia (US) priest for participating in the ordination of a woman. The Times notes that most Christian religions deny priesthood to women, citing biblical texts or other excuses. These are analyzed in my book Gender and Religion. It is interesting that all the major religions started out with less or no gender discrimination and then retracted from their founder's goals. Time to change. ----
Barbara Crandall M.D., UCLA geneticist, is author of Gender and Religion, a work of non-fiction that explains the effect religions have had on women's progress.

women's progress and the influence of religion

2008-08-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

Women and Math skills. A study reported in Science(Culture, Gender and Math, Guiso et al.320. 2008) compared girl's and boy's skills in math and reading and found both were culture related. The old adage that boys are superior in math was wrong. In countries that were gender neutral (Iceland, Scandinavia) girls scored the same or even higher but were lower where girls were treated as inferiors. Girls always scored higher in reading but did even better where they were treated as equals.

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Barbara Crandall M.D., UCLA geneticist, is author of Gender and Religion, a work of non-fiction that explains the effect religions have had on women's progress.

Miracle in the legal system

2008-01-27T13:45:00.000-08:00

Since Title IX women graduates from US law schools have increased to over 50% since about 1973

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Barbara Crandall M.D., UCLA geneticist, is author of Gender and Religion, a work of non-fiction that explains the effect religions have had on women's progress.

Women's progress and the influence of religion

2007-11-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that women have only been able to vote and run for elective office since 1920, 87 years! And now about 17% of our Congress is female and a woman is a serious contender for president! Why did it take so long? And why do we still hear "I will never vote for a woman president"?

The long period of research and writing which finally allowed me to write "GENDER AND RELIGION' led to the conclusion that religions have been a major deterrent to women's progress. Their scriptures explain why women are inferior and, being sacred, they cannot be changed.

Progress was finally made when mostly secular governments passed legislation which allowed women to have specific civil rights. We still have a long way to go!

I would be interested in your opinions and experiences,