There is a significant genetic factor in the tendency to religiosity. It would not be surprising if there is a gender bias in this regard.
AS TD said above JW religion is emasculating. Evangelical christianity likewise.
Why are there more sisters than brothers at the Kingdom Hauls?
by Sour Grapes 43 Replies latest jw experiences
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cofty
If I stood next to my closest friend and said, “Stu, your name is like honey on my lips, I’m out of my depth in your love, I love feeling your arms so strong around me…’ I think he would get out of dodge. I find it hard to sing such lines to a man I worship and love in the agape and not eros sense. Agape love requires a different approach. I think the church gets confused about the difference.
Some songs are inadvertently erotic. For example ; “Jesus take me as I am, I can come no other way, draw me deeper into you.” I’m not seeking to be crude. In fact there are far worse examples but in the interest of decency I won’t post them. In the cold light of day the lyrics would look semi pornographic or at the very least not out of place in a Jackie Collins novel and yet we sing them all the time. I read some lyrics to my unchurched mate and he was wiping tears from his eyes in laughter.
The fact that so many men are aggrieved does indicate there is some problem somewhere, as does the incredibly steep decline in male church attendance. We cant write it all off to men being out of touch with their emotions etc. I was in a church recently and the worship leader opened proceedings by saying “Jesus wants to romance you this morning…” I did find it a bit tricky to engage with. - Carl Beech Head of Christian Vision for Men (CVM), an international evangelistic men’s movement.
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sparrowdown
Aclue makes an interesting point.
"When males preach from the platform what other males need to do..."
Yes, many sisters like this aspect of the meetings that the elders will "whip their man into shape" and the comraderie they recieve from the other "widows" (spiritual) or divorced women (divorced sometimes because of the religion) reinforces this attitude.
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westiebilly11
Dare I suggest that women are perhaps more submissive to an ordered and structured form of religion, and often fail to challenge information until something unpleasant happens within that organization. Women also may feel that being part of a larger group empowers them to maintain order within their families. Men, on the other hand , find it hard initially to be subjected to order and will only comply if they want to. They challenge information and are wary of being taken for a 'sucker'. To be part of a religious organization also may be perceived by certain men as threatening to their own masculinity and leadership within family and social circles... Just a few thoughts thrown in.....
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dubstepped
Women seem to be more community oriented and religions are great places for that. There also seems to be some correlation (anectdotally) between childbirth and looking for a religion if you don't have one. I've seen and heard story after story of ladies having kids and suddenly wanting to join a church. A lady we clean for is a data analyst and professor in the field of psychology and first pointed that out to me. I've noticed it ever since, and not just in JWs. Stereotypically women tend to be more emotional and I think religion caters to that more too through feel good stories, rituals, etc. Clearly that doesn't reflect all women, but adding those things up may account for a lot of the difference. These things are usually a by-product of many variables.
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LoveUniHateExams
I don't buy into the "wired different" nonsense - well, data exist that seem to suggest men and women are, on average, wired differently.
This is why women make good bus drivers but not Formula One drivers.
Whether this is anything to do with the gender ratio not being exactly 1:1 of men and women involved in Judeo-Christian religions, I don't know.
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stuckinarut2
Is no one going to say it?
Kingdom HAULS?? haha
Best ironic play on words I have seen for a long time! Such an appropriate term denoting the gathering place of brain-dead witnesses!
Nice one Sour Grapes
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LongHairGal
SOUR GRAPES:
I’m not so certain that women are necessarily wired differently to want religion. I think traditionally that women -because they spend the most time with children - had the burden of religious instruction or in modern times - of getting the children ready for church or whatever.
I got involved with Jehovah’s Witnesses because I was interested in end-time prophecy at the time and was led to believe they had answers. Nothing more and nothing less.
I’m surprised I spent as much time in the religion as I did. I should have walked away years sooner!
ACLUETOFINDTHEUSER:
Sorry, but you are mistaken to think only men are independent. I also was and am not “submissive”. I am as rational a thinker as a man and needed to be so as a single woman who supported myself. It was a matter of necessity and survival. I am my own boss, now and when I was associated with the religion. If anybody didn’t like it, too bad.
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StephaneLaliberte
Relying on my own experience, I'd say it is due to the fact that brothers are expected to take the lead while sisters are expected to follow. While I had no ambition to become a ministerial servant or elder, I was happy just where I was. However, when I decided to reach out, I felt the obligation to iron out all the doubts I had. After all, if I want to teach something, I have to know the topic in and out. This ultimately lead to me becoming inactive.
Had I not reached out for privileges, I might still have been in there.
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Island Man
It's not unique to JWs. I see it in all/most churches. I think it has something to do with with social aspect of church culture resonating more with the social, nurturing nature that tends to be stronger in women than in men.