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Is Religion
just for Women?
In most such soctettes,
religion was for all practi–
ca! purposes the exclusive
domain of
men.
Women
were usually viewed as
lacki n g sensitivity to
things spiritual, incapable
1
SPENT
my ch ild–
hood in a basically
religious commu–
ni ty in Canada. Sev–
era) large churches
were withi n walking
distance of my home.
Most schools were
directed by religious
congregations. Even the
political mores of the
area were shaped by
religious teaching and
doctrine.
Are women inherently more pious
than men? Can a real man find
answers to bis problems through
practicing the religion of the Bible?
of understanding deep
theological teaching.
The type of Judaism
practiced at the time of
Christ 's birth had avoided
many of the excesses
imposed upon women by
the various surrounding
Religion was certainly
pervasive, a vital aspect of
life - especially
for
women!
But men? In general, they gave
lip service to the religious teaching
that had shaped our lives. They lis–
tened dutifully, but it was the
women
who practiced these princi–
pies diligently, tried to live by them
and taught them to their chi ldren.
The Oouble Standard
And thcrein líes the double stan–
dard that was one of the causes for
my turning off to religion as 1 grew
into adolescence.
Although regular church atten–
dance was emphasized as vital and
obligatory, 1 noticed that men rare–
ly attended services except for spe–
cial events. The pews were filled
with women- only here and there a
man, often elderly and usually
appearing embarrassed and out of
place. Why?
1 remember being told by an
elderly neighbor that God had some–
how predisposed women to a "spe–
cial form of piety." Men, she
October 1985
by
Carn Catherwood
claimed, were more sin fui by nature,
less sensitive to spiritual matters, far
more difficult to convert.
Religion, or so it seemed, was
mainly for women. Men who went to
church a lot, who prayed in times of
tria!, who attempted to live a good,
morallife, were not "real meo."
Why that double standard in our
society? Is rel igion, in the final
analysis, just for women?
Religion Was Once Just for Men
I t is significant that many peoples
of antiquity viewed religion as
mainly for meo and
not
for women!
In most of the cults of the pre–
Christian era, women were thought
of not only as having an infer ior
status to meo but a lso before the
various deities they worshiped.
1n sorne circumstances, women
were even denied access to the local
deity. Virgin sacrifices and temple
prostitution were not uncommon.
Women for the most part lived
sec luded lives, untaught, on l y
granted meager rights.
pagan cults. But women
were nonetheless viewed
by many Jews as spiri–
tually, if not intellectual-
ly, of a lesser status. Although Jew–
ish women enjoyed freedoms not
found in many other societies, edu–
cation in religious matters was
reserved a lmost exclusively for
men.
Christ Taught Men and Women
When Jesus appeared on the scene,
he placed new focus on the true
meaning of religion. He stressed
repentance, conversion and obe–
dience to God for
a/1
human
beings. Jesus never hinted that men
were inherent ly more religious than
women. Nor did he indicate that
women are more pious than men–
a common stereotype of our age.
Speaking to mixed groups of
men and women, he affirmed with
dynamic emphasis: "Except ye
repent, ye shall
al/
likewise perish"
(Lu ke 13:5).
The gospel record is clear. Jesus
went against the status quo of a
society that den ied women full
access to religious teaching. He
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