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                          ����          ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.   ����.    2nd that with the passage of time in almost every case the religion itself settles into yet antoehr system of oppression, supporting those oppressive systems in existence.  In Korea, too, the established religion, coupled with the patriarchal tradition of Confucian culture, have discharged a role of sustaining, rather than eliminating, discrimination against women.
	In Korea the major religions are Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity (Catholic and Protestant), and such indignous religions as Won Buddhism, Chondo-kyo (Religion of Heaven's Way) , and Chungsan-kyo (Regligion of Chungsan).
	There is some argument as to whether Confucianism is a religion at all.  At any rate, Confucian teachings came to Korea by the third century at the latest, and with the founding of Yi Dynasty (1392) became a kind of state religion.  Since the middle of that Dynasty (around the sixteenthy century) Confucianism has taken root as the pervading ideology of Korean culture.  While the extent of sexism in the original Confucian teachings remains debatable, it is undeniable that Confucianism has provided the chief ideological support of patriarchy in Korean society both in the traditional and modern periods.
	Buddhism first came to Korea in the fourth century during the Three Kingdoms period, and since then its influnce on our traditional culture has been so large as to make it impossible to think of the latter apart from Buddhism.  Its doctrine emphasized equality, but from the very beginning its monastic regulations were highly discriminatory against women.  It must be pointed out, too, that in the course of adapting itself to the Confucianinst Yi Dynasty the patriarchal elements in Buddhism became even more deeply entrenched.
	Catholicism, which came to Korea in the latter half of the eighteenth century, had at first an emancipatory function, particularly for women and for the chung'in class, with its teaching of the equality of human soul before God.  But at the same time there were strong sexist elements in the dogma itself, with male monopoly of priesthood presupposed, so that it was also well suited in many ways to a role reinforcing the patriarchy of Confucian society.  These elements combined with the Church's efforts for adaptation after the period of persecution to turn it into an institution contributing to the preservation of sexism in Korea.
	Protestantism came to Korea much later than Catholicism, toward the end of the nineteenth century, but its membership increased very rapidly.  Especially to those young women who felt deprived of the opportunity for education and participation in public life for reasons of gender, Protestantism with its female foreign missionaries and its establishment of the first institution of higher education for women appeared as the way of liberation for their sex.  In other words, to a considerable extent it was the possibility of women's emancipation rather than the doctrine as such that enabled the Protestant churches to achieve such rapid success in their missionary work.  But as the missionaries mostly adhered to a fundamentalist theology oriented toward dualism and imperialism, the Protestant churches soon came to lose its emancipatory force by an easy compromise with the status quo and alliance with Confucian patriarchy.
	The indigenous religions of Korea, Chondo-kyo, Chungsan-kyo and Won Buddhism, founded during the last days of the Yi Dynasty or the early years of Japanese Colonial Rule, raised the slogan of hunchon kaebyok or a radical transformation to open a new 'later era', and advocated the general abolition of social inequalities including oppression of women.  In fact, these new religions not only challenged class distinctions between the gentry (yangban) and the commons, and between the 'legitimate' and 'illegitimate born' (the latter meaning children by concubines but of legally recognized lineage), but carried out specifically feminist reforms such as allowing remarriage of widows and forbidding concubinage.  Among them Won Buddhism has provided a largely exemplary solution to the problems faced by previous religious establishments, both by its progressive doctrine (see Appendix) and through actual institutional measures accomplishing considerable sexual equality.  But the newer religions, too, have a tendency to be more and more coopted by a sexist society, rather than transforming it, as they concentrate on multiplying the number of believers and thus often prefer to avoid friction with existing social norms in their proselytizing work.
	The chief problems of the major Korean religions todady may be summarized as follows.  (confucianism is not included in this list because it lacks the organizational structure of a religious order and also, as mentioned above, it has become an element of everyday life as the universal ideology of traditional Korean culture. )
	Catholicism: Foremost issues are male monopoly of priesthood and exclusion of women in policy decisions of the Church.  Moreover, with the interpretation that a priest of Christ needs to become physically one with Him and thus cannot be female and that the original all-male disciples of Jesus indicate a decision by Christ to exclude female elergy in principle rather than a particular response to given historical circumstances, the barrier remains at the level of dogma as well as of policy.
	Protestantism: Except for a limited number of denominations, female ministry (ordination) is not allowed, and in numerous cases women are excluded from policy-making process.
	Buddhism: Buddhist doctrine postulates that both monks and nuns, equally as secular followers, are pursuers of Buddha's Way rather than a priesthood with special powers.  But in practice, nuns are heavily discriminated against in terms of both disciplinary rules and power within  the hierarchy.
	Won Buddhism: Among the new indigenous religions Won Buddhism probably wa most successful in institutionalizing its doctrine of sexual equality, so that female clergy predominates in number and even members of the Supreme Council, the highest policy-making body of Won Buddhism, are equally divided between the sexes.  But the advancement of male clergy to administrative positions is favored and sometimes even taken for granted, so that there is a dangeer of reinforcing the patriarchal structure of the outside world and of restricting the improvement of female clergy's qualifications and experience.

	These problems occur essentially because religion, instead of becoming an active agent in working for fundamental changes in the given society, tends to assume the role of helping preserve the status quo, in its eagerness to multiply the number of its followers by accommodating itself to the ways of the world.  Also, religions usually teach the need for self-abnegation and-sacrifice for a life in accordance with God's will or Buddha's law.  But this could also lead to the misconception that the most human of desires, the aspiration for human liberation, is an individual's illegitimate desire, and to attempt at silencing it.  As a result we often find religionists much less active than nonbelievers in the efforts for true human liberation.
	In the case of Korea, such general problems are compounded, and the suffering of both men and women arfurther aggravated, by the additional shackle of national division.  The ruling forces of Southffering of both men and women are further aggravated, by the additional shackle of national division.  The ruling forces of South K                                                                                                                             orea which, thanks to the division, have managed to preserve their privileges since long before the Liberation of 1945, have a thoroughly sexist outlook.  While under their continued dominance Koreans of both sexes have suffered from dictatorships and from encroachments by foreign powers, women have endured the additional burdens traditionally assigned to the female sex, such as restrictions on public activity, unequal rights and pay in labor, and discriminatory treatments within the family.  On the North Korean side, women's participation in public life is reported to have been insitutionalized to a considerable extent, but functions such as domestic work carried out by women in traditional patriarchal societies are still mostly assigned to them.  Also, while the ideology of the regime, which emphasizes family-like cohesion and universal obedience to a supreme male leader, may be understandable in the context of national division and military confrontation, the patriarchal aspect of such an ideology can hardly be overlooked.
	If the ultimate aim of religion is human liberation including the abolition of unjust discriminations, and the humanity to be liberated includes women, overcoming sexism must be an active agenda for all religions.  And if religion seeks to save not humanity in the abstract but living men and women, Koreans of whatever creed must actively pursue the goal of reunification, if only to improve the lot of women suffering from national division.  In order for religion to fulfill its essential task, it must remain ever open and awake, alert to the danger of its becoming rigid and conservative, and must recover its prophetic role of accomplishing human liberation in the concrete tasks of reality.

	We the members of the Subcommittee on Religion, cognizant of above facts, resolve upon the following as guidelines for action.
	1) Since all religions share human liberation as their true aim, we refuse any action that erects barriers between religions.
	2) Agreeing that human liberation is impossible without the abolition of patriarchal social institutions, we join in the efforts for such abolition and refuse any collusion with unjust state powers.
	3) Knowing that women are the subejcts in the task of bringing about a free and egalitarian society, we endeavor to place trust in and promote the growth of women's capabilities.
	4) Wherever oppression of women is found, including the banning of female ministry, we refuse to recognize it as an instance of true religion, and regardless of different religious beliefs, shall unite to take measures to bring an end to such oppression and discrimination.
	5) Women, as producers of life for all humanity, shall endeavor to create a new communal life of giving and sharing, as a mother gives and shares life with her child.
	6) Recognizing the special sufferings of women from national division, we shall take an active part in the task of democratization of society and reunification of the nation.
  national division, we shall take an active part in the task of d
  Sexism and Religion

Han Jihyun
Chair, Won Buddhism Women's Association

	Throughout history, a new religion, regardless of its kind, is found to aim at the outset for the abolition of injustice and the liberation of humanity.  Lamentably, however, we fiii����.   ����.   ����.   ����.        
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