credmond@watmath.UUCP (Chris Redmond) (09/28/86)
In article <784@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> daveh@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Dave Haynie) writes: >These are obviously Christian women. The reason that you see more women >than men driving like this is that women are increasingly outnumbering >men as active, practicing members of most Christian sects, at least in >the US today. > Good grief. Leaving aside the question of driving habits (which is where this exchange started), let me point out that Christianity has ALWAYS been a female-dominated religion. Rather odd, when you think what certain branches of so-called Christianity have done to women, but it's true: virtually all churches in virtually all centuries have been full of women worshippers while the men went elsewhere or stayed home. Some interesting speculations might be made (and probably have been) about the emotional appeal that Christianity has had for women. One suggestion I heard recently was that for many, many women, God "the Father" has been the ONLY reliable, loving male figure in their lives. No wonder that so much of the resistance to "liberation language" and female images for God now comes from women, especially older women! Disclaimer: I am a Christian and a male.
daveh@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (09/30/86)
> Xref: cbmvax talk.religion.misc:277 net.auto:3104 > > In article <784@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> daveh@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Dave Haynie) writes: >>The reason that you see more women than men driving like this is that women >>are increasingly outnumbering men as active, practicing members of most >>Christian sects, at least in the US today. > > Good grief. Leaving aside the question of driving habits (which is > where this exchange started), let me point out that Christianity has > ALWAYS been a female-dominated religion. Rather odd, when you think > what certain branches of so-called Christianity have done to women, > but it's true: virtually all churches in virtually all centuries have > been full of women worshippers while the men went elsewhere or stayed > home. > > Some interesting speculations might be made (and probably have been) > about the emotional appeal that Christianity has had for women. One > suggestion I heard recently was that for many, many women, God "the > Father" has been the ONLY reliable, loving male figure in their lives. > No wonder that so much of the resistance to "liberation language" and > female images for God now comes from women, especially older women! > > Disclaimer: I am a Christian and a male. That's a good point. I thought that Christianity had a history of attracting more women, but I KNEW that this was so in the US in recent times. Part of the attraction is probably as you say. Though overall, the "traditional" role (circa 1950's and prior) of women in the US society, as well as many European societies, has left them with very few activities outside the home, other than the Church. Women have been openly accepted into many versions of the religion, even if in a second class role (which is enforced by the religion, thus keeping them in that role regardless of their relative number). -- ============================================================================ Dave Haynie {caip,ihnp4,allegra,seismo}!cbmvax!daveh These opinions are my own, though if you try them out, and decide that you really like them, a small donation would be appreciated.