Hey All,
I wanted to share a book recommendation. I read "When God Was a Woman" by Merlin Stone on my recent trip and I really enjoyed it.
I don't believe in Tiamat or Ishtar any more than a Yahweh, but I was very interested in the period of social upheaval the book covers, particularly as it related to the diminished status of women and the imposition of patriarchal attitudes that demean and dehumanize us.
The book makes a strong case that Northern invaders and Hebrews brought their misogynistic ways with them to the formerly more egalitarian south, as evidenced by the religious/social structure found in pre-exposure societies. It all came down to owning the means of the most important form of creation, human life- and the desperate need to apply a patriarchal system that ensured paternity.

Book: Five Stars
Manocentric Manocracy: -1000 Stars (and falling)

The book will only take a few hours of your time, maybe it would help some of us better understand our aversion to religion, maybe it will be of some archaeological and ancient history interest. Give it a try.