Twenty-Fourth Thursday after Pentecost
It's prayer and spirituality day on the blog.
Question: Are women more spiritual than men?
Answer: Yes
Question: Why?
Answer: I don't know.
Any pastor who has ever stood in a pulpit before a congregation knows that the answer is yes. Church attendance and involvement is substantially higher for women than for men in every age category, every ethnic group, every socio-economic category, married, single, widowed, divorced, gay, straight, right-handed, left-handed, you-name-it.
You might counter that church attendance is not the only measurement, perhaps not even the best, indication of spirituality. Wrong! Women pray more, read the Bible more, read spiritual and devotional books more, are more in Bible Study and prayer groups, more in Sunday School, more in any kind of spiritual activity or group.
You might counter--what about those who call themselves "spiritual but not religious?" No, that grouping too has more women than men. (Incidentally, that phrase, that cliche, "spiritual but not religious, makes every pastor either cringe or laugh, depending on the circumstances.)
Categories in which men do lead: atheists, agnostics (far more men than women in the explicitly non-spiritual categories.
Why are women more spiritual than men? I don't know, but here are some things I've heard.
1. Men don't like church because they have to sit too long. Men are more active than women. Ha! Any wife who has a couch-potato husband can tell you that's not right.
2. Women are more emotional than men. Even if that statement is true, you can go to most United Methodist churches and (sadly) find them not to be emotional at all.
3. Men like to be the boss. They don't like God being the boss. Um, maybe.
4. It all has to do with different hormonal structures. Maybe, I don't know, but I doubt it.
4. It all has to do with different hormonal structures. Maybe, I don't know, but I doubt it.
Are there any spiritual categories in which men lead? I can think of a couple.
1. More men are involved in Habitat for Humanity.
2. More men are Popes.
I would love to hear response to this blog--both from indignant, defensive men and from thoughtful, kind women.
Faithfully,
Christian
1 comment:
Interesting topic!
Questions: Are more women than men ordained ministers?
And maybe more women are practicing spirituality/religion but does that make them more spiritual/religious? In other words, is active practice exclusively indicative of spirituality/religiousness?
Possible reason: Women, because they give birth and do more child and family care, pay more attention to the needs of others and to fostering community. This at least aligns them with some of the tenets of the major religions.
Vicki
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