Why Are Christian Churches Losing Men?

[Sunstone]

Interesting in light of a study that said fathers influence their children's church attendance in adulthood far more than mothers. So maybe women used to care more about their menfolk attending church with them, which in turn influenced the kids?

Touchstone Archives: The Truth About Men & Church

Interesting study. I hadn't realized how much influence fathers have on the church attendance of their children. But the study does not seem to distinguish between their influence on male children and female children. Instead, it lumps the sexes together. And if there is no distinction, then the study would not explain why men are less likely to attend than women. On the other hand, if there were a distinction, but it were hidden by the way the study was reported, then perhaps fathers have more influence on male children than on female children. Maybe. It would be interesting to see the original data.

 

[ChristineES]

I have to go with some of the answers already provided by others: Sports, relaxing after working all week, etc. Those seem like logical answers.

 

[Songbird]

Interesting study. I hadn't realized how much influence fathers have on the church attendance of their children. But the study does not seem to distinguish between their influence on male children and female children. Instead, it lumps the sexes together. And if there is no distinction, then the study would not explain why men are less likely to attend than women. On the other hand, if there were a distinction, but it were hidden by the way the study was reported, then perhaps fathers have more influence on male children than on female children. Maybe. It would be interesting to see the original data.

Somewhere in the article, or perhaps in another based on the same study (I forget after an hour of surfing this topic), it mentioned it affected both sexes.

There was also an analysis of why children are more influnced by fathers than mothers when it comes to religious practice. They internalized the world of men as the world of adults and the world of women as the world of caretaking and children, because globally more women stay home to raise kids and men work outside the home. So if the church world has few men, kids - of both genders - internalized it as a place for women and children.

 

[Sunstone]

Somewhere in the article, or perhaps in another based on the same study (I forget after an hour of surfing this topic), it mentioned it affected both sexes.

There was also an analysis of why children are more influnced by fathers than mothers when it comes to religious practice. They internalized the world of men as the world of adults and the world of women as the world of caretaking and children, because globally more women stay home to raise kids and men work outside the home. So if the church world has few men, kids - of both genders - internalized it as a place for women and children.

That makes so much sense! Thank you for that.

 

[ChristineES]

Somewhere in the article, or perhaps in another based on the same study (I forget after an hour of surfing this topic), it mentioned it affected both sexes.

There was also an analysis of why children are more influenced by fathers than mothers when it comes to religious practice. They internalized the world of men as the world of adults and the world of women as the world of care taking and children, because globally more women stay home to raise kids and men work outside the home. So if the church world has few men, kids - of both genders - internalized it as a place for women and children.

I find that true in my home. My husband is a right wing conservative and I am a left leaning centrist. My kids, at least right now, are leaning towards the right. And they listen to him more than they do me in politics, religion, etc.
Very good point, Songbird.

 

[Songbird]

That makes so much sense! Thank you for that.

I find that true in my home. My husband is a right wing conservative and I am a left leaning centrist. My kids, at least right now, are leaning towards the right. And they listen to him more than they do me in politics, religion, etc.
Very good point, Songbird.

It makes me wonder what children internalize about religion when mom works and dad is at home, or both parents work. Or what children internalize in countries like Sweden where culture is more gender-equal.

 

[earlwooters]

The men are leading. The women will follow soon enough.

 

[bobhikes]

Interesting in light of a study that said fathers influence their children's church attendance in adulthood far more than mothers. So maybe women used to care more about their menfolk attending church with them, which in turn influenced the kids?

Touchstone Archives: The Truth About Men & Church

I don't like the feel of the study plus with no statisic's I doubt its results.

Also my experience goes against it completely. I have so many male friends that went back to church after getting married. Many of my friends changed religions just to be married. Their kids are being raised in the mothers religion.

Maybe its an American thing that the mother has more pull.

 

[Marble]

This has been a popular concern for the last few years, and usually the answer I hear is because of the feminization of the church.

Perhaps it's rather the lack of feminization.

If you would replace

with

Moderator cut: image removed

churches were full of men, I bet.

 

[blackout]

I don't like the feel of the study plus with no statisic's I doubt its results.

Also my experience goes against it completely. I have so many male friends that went back to church after getting married. Many of my friends changed religions just to be married. Their kids are being raised in the mothers religion.

Maybe its an American thing that the mother has more pull.

Do you think THIS might very well have something to do with it?

Eventually, it becomes tiresome attending/attending to someone else's "thing".

I CERTAINLY would rather stay in bed on Sunday, than get up and go to someone else's church week after week.

Religion for the sake of marriage, is a bad bad idea.

 

[blackout]

Perhaps it's rather the lack of feminization.

If you would replace

with

Moderator cut: image removed

churches were full of men, I bet.

Well, christianity is personally disempowering,
full of rules and doctrines,
all this "piety" and "holiness"
(and largely so regarding sexuality)
dependance on "god",
"god's will" instead of your own,
and all that,
it makes you a follower instead of a leader.

 

[blackout]

Jesus was the character of a Magus.
A Man who knew and utilized his Own gOdhood.


The Christian followers of Jesus are supposed to be sheep.
(little christs)

I'm a WOMAN and I don't want to be a sheep/le.

To be a true follower of Christ,
(ie, do as he did)
one would really need to be an Occultist or an Gnostic of the "we are Each/All called to our own Christhood/Godhood" bent.
(captiol Christs)

 

[Revoltingest]

Could it be that the more men think like real men, the less they belong in a flock?

 

[blackout]

Could it be that the more men think like real men, the less they belong in a flock?

And the less they like living out someone else's beliefs/belief system?

Woman are more domineering in this sense,
but in the end it is not possible to "bargain" someone into a
"we will both live out MY (version) of religion".

Women are WRONG to expect such a thing from their partner.
Men, in general, are less likely to be the ones to demand such a thing.
Men who KNOW WHO THEY ARE, (men with balls),
will not succumb to such a thing in the first place.
Neither will women.
Secure women, who are also secure in their relationship,
would not ask such a thing of their partner in the first place.
People can only hold up charades and illusions for so long.

Then they collapse.

 

[blackout]

Was it Paul who said christians needed to be "weak in Christ"?
or "Little in Christ?"

I don't remember anymore.


Anyway, point being, what Man wants to be weak and little?
I certainly don't.

EDIT: and to that end,
what woman wants her man to be weak and little?

seriously.

 

[bobhikes]

And the less they like living out someone else's beliefs/belief system?

Woman are more domineering in this sense,
but in the end it is not possible to "bargain" someone into a
"we will both live out MY (version) of religion".

Women are WRONG to expect such a thing from their partner.
Men, in general, are less likely to be the ones to demand such a thing.
Men who KNOW WHO THEY ARE, (men with balls),
will not succumb to such a thing in the first place.
Neither will women.
Secure women, who are also secure in their relationship,
would not ask such a thing of their partner in the first place.
People can only hold up charades and illusions for so long.

Then they collapse.

I disagree to be sucessful in life both men and women need to be able to compromise and not just with each other.

A lot of life's problems are caused by sticking to one's truth's on principle alone.

 

[blackout]

I disagree to be sucessful in life both men and women need to be able to compromise and not just with each other.

A lot of life's problems are caused by sticking to one's truth's on principle alone.

You CANNOT compromise on your world-view.
And no one has the power to change it.

If you say, "I don't subscribe to your religion",
but you and the kids can practice it,
and your spouse doesn't demand your "practice" of it,
that's fine.
But why should that not be also true in reverse?
Why can a child not be EQUALLY exposed
to both the world view of their mother and father?
... and then be allowed to BEcome who THEY want,
when they are older.

(My father, while he did not participate in anything church or religion,
basically silenced himSelf re. me and my brother,
at the domain of my mother's religiousity.
I TRULY wish he hadn't. Truly.)

 

[bobhikes]

You CANNOT compromise on your world-view.
And no one has the power to change it.

If you say, "I don't subscribe to your religion",
but you and the kids can practice it,
and your spouse doesn't demand your "practice" of it,
that's fine.
But why should that not be also true in reverse?
Why can a child not be EQUALLY exposed
to both the world view of their mother and father?
... and then be allowed to BEcome who THEY want,
when they are older.

Say's you, I believe all individual views are based solely your interpretation of your experiences. If we don't compromise we could never communicate.

As to the kids personally I feel they should experience all sides of life equally but this is impossible and neither parent has a world view but a very localized view of life so the point is mute.

Religion is only a tiny part of who someone is. If we could all understand this and actually treat people for who they are not(Color, Language or Religion etc.) the world would be a better place.

 

[blackout]

Say's you, I believe all individual views are based solely your interpretation of your experiences. If we don't compromise we could never communicate.

As to the kids personally I feel they should experience all sides of life equally but this is impossible and neither parent has a world view but a very localized view of life so the point is mute.

Religion is only a tiny part of who someone is. If we could all understand this and actually treat people for who they are not(Color, Language or Religion etc.) the world would be a better place.

For many people religion is not just a tiny, or even a small part of who they are.
... and for some people, religion IS who they are.

They base all of their decisions around their religion.
They "create themselves" around their religion.
They are "Christian-or Whatever", first.
Then "Bob, or Anna, or Mother, or Provider, or Whatever", second.

 

[blackout]

For many people religion is not just a tiny, or even a small part of who they are.
... and for some people, religion IS who they are.

They base all of their decisions around their religion.
They "create themselves" around their religion.
They are "Christian-or Whatever", first.
Then "Bob, or Anna, or Mother, or Provider, or Whatever", second.

"Don't let your life revolve around Magic.
Let Magic revolve around your Life."