Oi! Catherine Elliott is writing our book.

[T]he term “Christian feminist” is an oxymoron; it’s a glaring contradiction in terms on a par with “compassionate conservative” and “pro-life anti-abortionist”. Christianity is and always has been antithetical to women’s freedom and equality, but it’s certainly not alone in this. Whether it’s one of the world’s major faiths or an off-the-wall cult, religion means one thing and one thing only for those women unfortunate enough to get caught up in it: oppression. It’s the patriarchy made manifest, male-dominated, set up by men to protect and perpetuate their power.

You’ll have noticed that male clerics like to say that they’re terribly sorry but it’s an absolute rule of their outfit that women can’t be clerics because you see it has always been that way and therefore it is heresy to change it now. Convenient but not convincing.

Since men first conceived of the notion of a single omnipotent creator, that divine being has taken the form of a man: no matter what name he answers to, be it Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, or just plain God, what’s not in doubt is that he’s a he. His teachings and his various holy books reinforce the message that this life exists for men, while the best women can hope for is some kind of reward in the next one; as long as we do as we’re told of course, without questioning our lords and masters, and as long as we manage to remain pure of heart and mind while we prostrate ourselves at their feet.

And crank out the babies and cook the food and grow the crops – don’t forget that part. Oh and close the legs or open them as commanded by their owner.

It’s in the name of social cohesion that the Archbishop of Canterbury now expects us to quietly accept the inevitability of Sharia law in this country: one rule for us and another for our Muslim sisters. Well I’m sorry archbishop but no, there should be no ifs or buts on this one; we’re either equal under the law or we’re not. We should be no more prepared to sell out Muslim women in the name of religious tolerance than we are Christian women.

Quite. See Chapter 6, passim.