Women: why are you more religious* than men, especially since the bible is so extremely anti-female?

Question

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States
(Of course there are exceptions to every rule, so I'm not looking to hear from the exceptions per se).

Fierce invectives against women form a conspicuous and grotesque portion of the writings of the Church fathers.
— W. E. H. Lecky

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord
— Ephesians 5:22

Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife
— Proverbs 21; 19

A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day, restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.
— Proverbs 27; 15/16

A normal feminine influence in recasting our religious assumptions will do more than any other one thing to improve the world.
— Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Why aren't women leading the atheist charge?

The bible teaches that a father may sell his daughter for a slave [Ex. xxx, 7], that he may sacrifice her purity to a mob [Judges xix, 24; Gen. xix, 8], and that he may murder her, and still be a good father and a holy man. It teaches that a man may have any number of wives; that he may sell them, give them away, or swap them around, and still be a perfect gentleman, a good husband, a righteous man, and one of God's most intimate friends; and that is a pretty good position for a beginning. It teaches almost every infamy under the heavens for woman, and it does not recognize her as a self-directing, free human being. It classes her as property, just as it does a sheep: and it forbids her to think, talk, act, or exist, except under conditions and limits defined by some priest.
— Helen H. Gardener

In response to the 1st few posters that don't agree that in general women are more religious - Did ya not check out the link above? The statistic comes directly from the 2001 US Religious Identification Survey: http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_studies/aris.pdf. Pages 20/21 has the graph showing 31% of men consider themselves religious vs. 42% of women.

Oops forgot the biggee (thanks to Knighteyres) "The bible also puts women as the main cause of sin coming into the world which is pretty bad.". Come on ladies, in all seriousness, how can you defend this? Is it like the battered wife that keeps going back to her abuser? I'm not trying to stir up trouble. Just help me understand your thought process.

Answer 1

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that like other political or economical minorities throughout history, Women turn to religion to give them hope that one day all of their submission, oppression, toil, pain, and sacrifice will one day pay off in the "next life."

It's the same reason that slaves in the antibellum South were extremely religious even though the religions they belonged to were often teaching how god had chosen them to be slaves (mark of Cain and all of that) and that they should accept their subjugation without complaint.

Some religions offered more leadership opportunities to Women, especially the Quakers and Methodists, and Women naturally flocked to them to make contributions, other than housework, that was considered to be of worth to others.

And let's not forget that even in modern churches, the social network that is offered gives Women the opportunity to feel more connected to their communities.

Personally, I agree with you which is why I'm now a Unitarian but I do know some Women who do derive a great deal of pleasure from church and from their religious beliefs so I cannot completely feel that religion is bereft of any benefit.
Peace,
Jenn

Church leadership

Answer 2

How interesting that you leave out the a huge chunk of the New Testament, especially the Gospels where Jesus treats women with great respect, love, forgiveness, etc.

Word studies would show the wording in the Ephesians text would tell you the word submit means honor and in the same book men are told to do the same for their wives.

The Proverbs texts are self explanatory. You could easily substitute a quarrelsome husband in any of them.

However, I do agree the Old Testament period was very much patriarchal and even in Jesus' day that was still around and yet he broke the mold by daring to even teach women and even speak to non-Jewish women at that.

The apostle Paul could not quite decide what he thought but he at least acknowledged over and over again all the contributions of many women of faith in his letters. I have to give him credit for that.

However, the Old Testament had its female prophets of Yahweh, Huldah being one who was called upon to interpret and teach men the meaning of the scriptures found in the temple.

But perhaps the greatest testimony about the power of women and faith is that they have filled the churches of America and have lead many a movement for change and justice and liberation.

Answer 3

Schneb - good answer but your forgot one.

1 Peter 3:1-7
In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be merely external --braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;
just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without * being frightened by any fear. You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Which is why in the end there are more religious women than men. Women generally speaking are more apt to use both sides of their brain and are more tender toward matters of the heart than men. Salvation is a matter of the heart.

Men generally speaking are brain damaged from birth having half the connectors between the two halves of the brain destroyed by the very testostrone that makes them male and generally speaking have a hard time thinking with the heart portion of their brain leaning toward the goal oriented logic portion. Which is why we are the hunter gatherers and the women are the nurturerers, generally speaking.

Yes Virginia there really is a differance between men and women besides the obvious physical ones.

Answer 4

to those that're answering basically with the aid of asserting that homosexuality is erroneous, the XY gene is male, yet often times an XY individual would be born with woman genetalia. women are XX, yet often times an XX individual would be born with male genetalia. The XY / XX think of is why the guy determines the gender of the toddler. All eggs carry basically an X chromosomes, yet sperm carry the two an X or a Y. So the question is how is homosexuality desperate? If an outwardly male appearing guy or woman falls in love with a guy, yet he's genetically woman, is it nonetheless homosexualaity? good question. Edit: Kudos to Renee. That grow to be an outstanding answer.

Answer 5

The Bible isn't always anti-feminine, but women can believe in God just as much as men. In the days of the bible had much different cultures than today, but I mean who doesn't agree that a wife who argues 24/7 isn't as annoying as a the sink dripping water constantly? They both drive you insane. Just because the Bible states a fact that some women can be annoying doesn't mean I just stop Believing in God.

Answer 6

I believe it is because women have a tendency to be more emotional and can find faith in things that do not have steal proof evidence.

Plus, as humans we can not hold grudges against beliefs held in the past. Women have had many injustices to overcome. We can not hate men for not wanting to give us the right to vote or for being allowed to abuse/murder us. It was generally believed at the time, but times have changed and we must see past the labels and see the godly message of the bible.

Answer 7

I heard you Helen Gardener, now let me put my two cents in as a man. I am a Christian, Husband and Father that loves my God with all my heart. I raised my daughter in church as the Bible directs. Many fathers don't following God's laws and commandments. So, the Mother of the household takes up the slack for the Father. Also, many Men tend to want to watch the game or sleep in on Sundays. They tend to put everything before God, except their hearts. I wish this wasn't so, but it is, and a lot of Mothers fall under this category also. My own father ask me why I go to church and my brother and sisters don't. My answer was: Because the men of our Church took it upon themselves to see I had a spiritual upbringing, and you didn't. He said that hurt, and that he never kept any of us from going to church. I said, yes, Daddy, that's right, but you never took us to church. Children follow the leadership of the Parents. If church was not important enough for you, then why should it be important for your children. God places the responsibility for a religious upbringing on the Father, but sadly enough, it is often the Mother that takes on this responsibility.

Answer 8

I was a xtian about for about 5 years. Now I'm an atheist. I'll just explain what went on my mind back then. I thought that god existed, that he was powerful, I was afraid of going to hell, so fear kept me in my faith, and even though I disagreed with what was in the bible, I thought that it was the truth.

So for a while I tried to accept it. That didn't work very well. I could never accept the hideous things the bible said about women and I never will. I didn't want to submit to anyone. Submitting to a husband to me, would have been like submitting to a parent. I didn't want a parent/child relationship with my future husband. I want an egalitarian relationship. I'm not married, never have been, but I have thought about getting married.

I know someone who submits to her husband even though he's an atheist and she's an agnostic, and that was weird to hear from her. I knew and know that I never wanted to be like that. When I was a xtian, xtian marriages were a fear of mine, and then I realized, that I didn't have to be a part of that and a part of xtianity either.

I like my freedom. I like saying what I think, doing what I want, and just being free. I don't want a marriage like my parents had. No thanks. I would rather be alone than to be with someone and be unhappy. If a great guy comes into my life, I will see him as a great addition to my life, and do my best to make it work. If that guy never comes, well that's okay too, I don't fear "ending up alone" because I complete me, not the guy. If a guy ever tries to control me, he knows where the door is.

I hate to use stereotypes, but women are much more in tune with their emotions and I think that plays a huge part in why they choose to believe in god and go to church. Besides what I think keeps most women in is that the bible has some examples of being positive towards women.

Like the way jesus treated women was good, there's that proverbs 31 verse about virtuous women, and the stories of ruth, esther, deborah, mary magdalene. And to tell you the truth, in a lot of xtian households, they ignore the subbie thing.

However, to me, all of that was never good enough. I also didn't want to be married to a xtian guy because they're so effeminate. They just are! I guess I was the type of person who wasn't fit for religion at all and that makes me glad. I understand now that its just a way to brainwash people. I was also involved with a xtian guy back in my xtian days and he did try to control me, so when that happened, I just said that enough is enough, this really isn't for me and left. I will never go back. Never again. Never.

Answer 9

Ha! most of that was a bunch of bull. The bible promotes none of those things you put in your "additional details" The Bible does say to submit, I have no problem with that I actually WANT to submit to my husband(when I get one) because I love him. I don't think that is anti-female. Who wants to live with a quarrelsome woman(or man) You can if you want to and those women who are not quarrelsome should have no problem with those verses either.

God loves me and cares for me just as much as He loves and cares for any man. My gender has nothing to do with it. I have read the Bible, with an open mind, and have found nothing degrading to my sex. Thank you and have a good day.

Answer 10

Women are probably more religious than men because they have more problems and people working against them and are in a constant state of hope for 'the better life'. Your reasoning does make sense; why are so many women religious in a patriarchal religion and society? It's one of those mysteries, like why can't we end world hunger, that has logical reasoning and ways to fix it, but no one wants to do it.

For the record, I'm not religious.