Thread by @kushal_mehra

I don't think feminism as a concept is evil. There a legitimate argument where the application of its principles word for word are not possible. Also when people say they hate feminism they are actually hating a very small/vocal population of 3rd wave feminists who are ideologues

But there is 1st wave feminism followed by 2nd wave. I see nothing wrong in 1st wave feminism and some things can be questioned in 3rd wave feminism. The problem starts with 3rd wave feminism which sounds like some weird hocus pocus. But, even in that there are some legit views.

The rational way should be to look at individual claims made by individuals & not reject a concept lock stock & barrel because someone on Twitter behaves in a weird manner. That is supremely irrational (but then this is Twitter 😈).

Feminism in its totality has some good things to offer. Women who want to use it as a tool of uplifting women in India have every right to do it. & for the ones who don't want to do it well they can have it their way too. I actually think we can uplight women without feminism too

What I find weird/funny is this all or nothing mentality some folks over here tend to display. It makes no sense. Life is far more complex than a simple Twitter binary world. Concepts cannot be accepted/rejected on the basis of what is displayed on this medium. It is irrational.

Also, what feminists need to realise is religious ideas evolve. Even if some idea might have been misogynistic it evolves into a healthy tradition which people feel good about. So to look down upon people for holding an evolved view is silly and stupid. Ideas keep evolving.

The feminists should celebrate the evolution of religion into something which gives women emancipation and freedom. To say one needs to dump it totally will never work. Everyone is not a godless heathen. They like the religious crutch. It offers deep comfort to them.

You can educate people about what an idea was and what it is now. But to judge someone for practicing a habit which for them means something totally different is just silly. And these crazy feminists do feminism no favours with such deeds. But they that's how the world rolls.

I get the irony that people (especially women) cling onto religion when it has given them a raw deal historically. The degree varies from religion to religion, but, all of them have given women a raw deal historically. But religion is a very important thing evolutionarily.

People have rallied around it and bonded and built communities and civilisations around it for 1000' of years. The memeplex is so strong that people have developed an immense attachment to it. So what they do is they change the religion instead of dumping it.

Is it mental gymnastics? Yes it is. But then we are all selectively rational. We use rationality in different areas. I've met some pretty stupid atheists too.

So let us be more charitable to each other. If someone says they believe X our 1st response should be to understand why they do it instead of insulting em or judging em. I consciously try to do it now. Obviously I fail at it many times. But I'm trying to judge less & listen more.