I read The Red Tent by Anita Diamant and I recommend it for women to read and for men who know themselves ....I think it should be included in the Bible as the Book Of Dinah. It reads well, meaning it feels as authentic as anything else in the Bible and has a powerful message that the Abrahamic religions are 100% against women; were not created for women at all; and the lot of women's lives have been ruined because of these religions. Of course anyone who disagrees with me will be shown the door unless they can show why I am wrong.
I started out as one who enjoyed the whole church going thing, sunday school, the whole nine yards until my questions were dismissed by the teachers and my desire to be a minister was laughed at as impossible....note this was decades before the first women were let into this profession.
I changed religions search for something that did not make me feel bad for just being female...some sorta luck not even that was not enough since none that I found, looked at, dabbled in were the least bit spiritually satisfying to my needs and I had needs...all went unmet and I circled around the bad bits and one day after years of thought, prayer, meditation, writing, I came to the conclusion that my prayers were not answered because not that god was mean, not because god didn't care, not because god was too busy but because there was simply nothing there listening to me except the neurons in my head when I think. So the idea of a nasty bitter weight of the mean god was lifted off my chest and I was able to walk out of the religion prison since I had the key. It was liberating to say the least. I then began to resent all the time I spent in the rituals which I sincerely followed. I had to fill in the times I set aside for prayer with something productive. I wrote in my journal, read books, played with the cats, pulled weeds in the garden or watched TV...all time well spent. It did take some time to get over the resentment of taking my time and making me feel bad because I was born female. So much wasted time for nothing. I am not even agnostic at this point ...if there is something, not not even if. There is nothing of any religion that says welcome to me.....so I created from all the reading and the common sense and yes there are passages in every "holy" book that are useful in life to help a person see right from wrong....Love is the answer to everything. All I see is the hate of each religion what they do not do when they should and what they do do when it is expressly forbidden in their own holy books. So religions are a made up thing in favor of men and to keep women in physical and psychological bondage. All the Abrahamic religions are thousand even the newer cults are thus also. So read this novel, it needs to be in the bible to give women a voice. since not everyone can handle their lives with out their religion and god...this freedom is not easy at first and if you are weak you need the support of your religion. I gained strength when I left it behind no everyone can survive the truth. Peace and love one another. Wish what you want for yourself for others. And love .
