You
make 75 cents on the dollar compared to males doing the same job.
The glass ceiling is firmly in place with very few exceptions, and
it's nearly impossible to break into the boys club of senior management
and the Board of Directors - not to mention the U.S. Senate, the
House of Representatives, and your state legislatures, where you
are also disproportionatey under-represented and where your so-called
representatives demonstrate daily how far out of touch they are with
your day-to-day concerns. Do you ever wonder why? Are you sure you
really want to know the answer?
Here
it is: It's because the culture of our nation is a musky, grisly
stew of Judeo-Chistian tradition and docrtine. In fact, every "sacred
text" of the three major world religions consistently teaches
that:
1)
a woman belongs at home,
2)
she was literally created for the purpose of serving, submitting
and sacrificing herself to a man, preferably while bearing his
children, and
3)
a woman is forbidden under any circumstances to hold a position
of power or authority over a man.
Whether
we would like to admit it or not, these ideas are deeply rooted in
our nation's traditions, laws and social customs, and so, not surprisingly, in
the business world, where pay and power inequities
exist not because women cannot do the job
of a man, but because of the influence of traditional biblical doctrines
that say they should not. After all, "Thus
saith the Lord."*
For
another illustrative example one need only look at the power structure
of the Catholic church. There will NEVER be female priests, bishops
or archbishops - positions of tremendous influence, power and authority
over vast sums of wealth and huge segments of the population - because
this would be in direct opposition to every single biblical teaching
on the appropriate roles for women (in particular #3 above). Thus
being vastly overrepresented in the heirarchy of the clergy of every
major world religion, men have always benefitted far more than women
from religious tax subsidies.
To
put it bluntly, feminism is entirely incompatible with the three
major world religions. There is not one single positive portait of
a woman equal to a man in power or authority in any of these religious
texts.yet these organizations are by far the most subsidized
by our taxes.
So
take a good look at your next pay stub or tax return, and then
consider exactly what your taxes are subsidizing.
Of course one of the things we love most about our country is that
people have the right to follow whatever faith they wish - but
not on your hard-earned dime.
Remember,
no one is suggesting that you abandon your church, or more particularly,
your faith. However, when religious institutions are paying their
fair share of taxes like the rest of us, your own tax burden will
be significantly lessened, and consequently you will be better able
to contribute financially to whatever institutions you wish to support.
The
next time Congress is looking for an extra $20 billion a year to
finance another war, tell them to look no further than an income
tax on religious payroll. Better yet, tell them today, and let them
know you intend to VOTE accordingly.
*Interestingly,
this was not always the case. Despite church efforts to eradicate
it for a few thousand years, evidence abounds that in many ancient
civilizations, women routinely held positions of power and authority
as judges, priestesses, even generals - particularly in societies
where female deities were worshipped. But hey, that's for another
web site...-Iris