Entry for December 29, 2005
Church For Ladies Only?
"It says in the book of Proverbs that beauty is fleeting and charm is deceptive. But a woman who fears the Lord, she should be praised." Yes and what about men? I have attended 4 different types of congregations in 3 different parts of the country and the one thing the had in common was it seemed that the cover charge was waived for ladies, or at least that's how it looked. At the 2 a mixed race congregations I attended one just outside of Pittsburgh PA and the other in Norfolk VA, the was a 1.3 to 1.5 to 1 woman to man ratio, but at Black Churches in the South, Chicago, and NYC I have seen 2 to 1, 3 to 1 and even 4 to 1. 4 to 1!!?
Now I am a football fan and easily bored so I understand why many people, even those who consider themselves Christian, miss church, but why so many more men than women? Beyond men being less able to sit still, less socially minded, and men seem to find other places to exert their influence in worldly affairs, but that can't explain it all. Can it?
Now I know that some will use the Pulpit/Pimp analogy with the Pastor being the one necessary male presence and the congregation acting as his stable to support him financially and empower him and I can accept that this may describe a small subset of Black churches but what about all the others?
If anyone has a good theory about this is I'd like to hear it.
