I'm doing research on misogyny in religion and it's really becoming a passion for me.  It all started with my main character who is an outspoken atheist author in my new book.  So, as an author, I had to come up with what she would be writing about.  It's kind of an odd double life.  I feel as though she has the courage to tackle non-fiction in a way that I could only hope to do.  I am so grateful for my education at Augustana College at this point though.  I'm taking hours researching and trying to look into all of the angles because that's what I was taught to do.  Many of you know that I am agnostic, until there is proof, I cannot abide on faith alone.  It's done too much damage to our modern world.  However, I remember that some of the courses that I enjoyed the most in college were my religion courses.  It's a strict Lutheran college that demands that you take 2 religion courses.  Of course, I was always the devil's advocate.  I remember arguing that a person could seriously make so many connections between Bush's (Jr) presidency and his use of religion and Hitler's rise in Germany using religion.  They denied some of the sources that I wanted to use, but my professors enjoyed the fact that I read everything they gave me.  Had it not been for them I would never have studied Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a deeply religious man who was killed because he was involved in a plot to kill Hitler.  He had such a beautiful soul.  I remember reading his letters to his wife, Maria, while he was imprisoned and I just sighed.
The one thing that I love about research is that it takes you places you never thought you would go.  Whoever thought that I would agree with a Rabbi quoted on Jezebel.com who advocates that women and their dress, and the perception of male weakness is a falsehood.  Men should control their lustful thoughts, no one is "asking for it".
Also, I never knew that the theories of L. Ron Hubbard included one sentence in which women should not be allowed an active role in politics or business as that would be "detrimental to society".
I feel grateful that I now have the time to research these gender issues and would welcome any comments or suggestions on further readings on these topics.  Until then, I'm signing out to research!  ;)