Religion: women, know your place.

I was interested to read in Haaretz that Anat Hoffman (a leading activist for Movement for Progressive Judaism) was arrested at Jerusalem's Western Wall for holding a Torah whilst in possession of a womb.

Apparently it's not just frowned on for women to read the Torah in this holy site it's actually an imprisonable offence.

In November a woman was arrested at the same location for wearing a prayer shawl. I've heard of the fashion police but this is ridiculous.

Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz said "We must distance politics and disagreement from this sacred place," which is hilarious because in fact he means people should not disagree with him by promoting gender equality - politics that he evidently doesn't like.

I wish these people would be a little more honest. If Rabinowitz was a man of his convictions he would have said "Women should know their place and stop disagreeing with me" but he's a spineless, reactionary coward so he tries to make out women who get arrested for expressing religious freedom are just horrid troublemakers.

I wonder what Rowan Williams thinks about this?

When the General Synod, democratic institution of the Church of England, voted that it intended to allow the ordination of women bishops last week it rejected his suggestion of creating no go zones for women bishops. He argued that some parishes could opt out of the twenty first century, although he made no mention of whether they would be allowed to stone adulterers.

This comes hot on the heels of his veto of the decision of the Southwark diocese to appoint Dr Jeffrey John as their bishop. The problem with John is that he is openly gay, although he insists that he is chaste - which means Williams is practising that good old tradition of hating the sinner and not the sin.

Not that gay sex is a sin (unless you do it really well or claim it on expenses).

Of course Williams, who twice in one week has sought to over turn the democratic will of his Church, has done all this in the name of holding back progress. While the synod thought that women bishops were "theologically justified" and the bible has nothing bad to say about gay people who don't have sex Williams decided that Realpolitik trumped his God.

Wouldn't want to be him when/if he reaches the pearly gates. Some people say his god can be an angry one.