I have lots of issues with religion and culture. There will always be a belief or two in a world of sapient beings. Humans have a whole lot of cultures and beliefs going on. Heck, you can come up with yours if you so wish, it doesn't have to make sense to another person, just yourself.
There are cultures that have no gender equality at all. There are cultures where women are openly raped as a festival. There are cultures or religions where you don't eat certain things, you don't braid your hair or you don't cut your hair. No piercings, no tattoos, particular dressing patterns or styles are not allowed, some choices like your education, marriage, etc are determined for you, and so on.
Now, almost all of these laws or rules in culture or religion have very strong backing, it may not be a right backing but it's strong nonetheless. The thing with these cultural laws is that they don't move with the times. At whatever point it was created, it may have been fine (I doubt the victims felt this way) for them then, and might have been used to cull or redirect a behavioral pattern.
Some were just created out of pure lust for material things, women, or sex. There was no intelligence in the matter.
I believe that with change to time, there always has to be modification to these cultural or religious laws. Of course what is true or right should remain true or right forever, but with new knowledge, the truth can be modified. It's the thing with medicine. Latest breakthroughs on research change what has always been viewed as truth. So, these laws should be reviewed with the times.
There was a time heels were for men in power and men only. But now, it's women dominated. Same with pants and so on.
Religion and culture should guide us to live the best life which entails being a blessing to yourself, your family, your environment, your world. Treating people as they are to be treated, and generally not being a pain or point of disaster in your environment or other people's lives. I don't believe it should cage us with things that were applicable a hundred years ago but redundant now.
