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Women, Gender and Atheism

Women, religion and atheism
Women and girls lose the most in religion. Every major religion, and most minor ones, oppress, constrain, disrespect, demean, dehumanize or harm women in a variety of ways. Yet the disproportionate majority of atheists and agnostics are men. Why is this? Why do women dominate religious traditions, why are they more religious than men, and why do they not embrace atheism or agnosticism nearly to the degree that men do?
Why women are more religious than men
A number of explanations have been proposed for why women are more religious than men.
Some evolutionary psychologists suggest that it stems from sex differences in risk aversion. In general, the theory goes, men are programmed to have a greater appetite for risk than women because taking risks benefits men, especially reproductively, far more than women. Women on average are more risk averse.
Religion, it is said, is a way of reducing risk. If religion is true, then, inline with Pascal's Wager, it behooves a person to believe in religion and risk being wrong (nothing terrible happens), rather than to not believe and risk being wrong (you go to hell).
Religion often confers far more social benefits to women than to men. In many cultures (although this is less common in more modernized societies) a woman who does not subscribe to the lifestyle and values of the dominant religion may pay dearly in her social standing, honor and respectability. Men tend to enjoy more leeway. Thus there is a much greater incentive for women to embrace religion out of social necessity. This also relates to the aforementioned differences in risk aversion.
Other scholars believe that religion, whatever its other qualities, serves to minimize or control the vulnerability of the physical body. Insofar as women are more physically vulnerable than men, they will be more attracted to religion.
In addition, women place a greater emphasis on an empirical, as opposed to rational, basis for faith. "Empirical" refers to experience and observation. Perhaps women are more interested in how religious ceremonies and practices make them feel, and their observed effects in their communities, as opposed to whether the underlying doctrine actually makes sense.
Science has indicated that women have a greater ability to inhibit their impulses than men. Accordingly, men are more likely to engage in risky, dangerous, lawless or otherwise illicit behavior and to pursue immediate gratification. All of these things are inimical to the discipline, dedication and concentrated devotion that is demanded by most religions.
Women also tend to be more in tune with social norms and standards. The stereotypical loner or independent spirit is, among other things, a male. Since religion is typically interwoven with tradition and social values, women will be more likely to participate in religion, as a function of socialization, distinct from participation for its own sake.
Women, men and religion

Women, men and religion: the statistics
Women are the majority in all American religious traditions according to the American Religious Identification Survey of 2008, with the exception of eastern religions, Islam and new religious movements. The greatest proportion of men is in the category of no religious affiliation (including atheists and agnostics), where 60% are male, the highest of any of the belief groups.
The majority of men in eastern religions and Islam is largely a function of the greater number of male immigrants from regions where these faiths are practiced. Both new religious movements and nonbelief constitute unusual, antiestablishment, counter-traditional or otherwise socially and culturally risky positions.
In a recent Pew study of American religions similar results are seen, with the exception that Judaism is one of the groups with a majority of men. After Hinduism (61%), the "unaffiliated" category is the most masculine of the categories, at 59%. The most feminine groups are historically black churches and Jehovah's Witnesses (both 60% female).
Atheist Women
A number of women have played an influential role in advancing or advocating for atheism, secularism and humanism in recent years. Over time, as non-belief becomes more established and normalized in society, it is possible that women will join the ranks of nonbelievers in greater numbers, and a greater equalization in the gender ratio will result.
In addition, as non-belief evolves in society, it will necessarily come to encompass deeper and more rewarding emotional experiences, potentially enabling it to compete more effectively with established religions for female attention. The social interaction components of religion are some of its most powerful and most valuable influences in followers' lives, and this is often enjoyed by women more than men.
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Comments
believing in religions is what stupid creatures do
My Fiancé is Atheist and I am Agnostic. Given the percentages of 'outed' Atheist/Agnostic/Skeptic/Humanists there are and given the gender percentages, he is a lucky guy. I think that it might also be the 'outed' factor. In my small community it may not be as safe to admit a differing religious viewpoint thus even admit it to oneself that something simply makes no sense.
I'll agree with previous Commentators...excellent/original Hub!
The risk-aversive element is certainly suggestive, plus the greater level of 'being in touch with emotional side of oneself' that also tends to be commonly associated with women of the female-persuasion!
Then there's always Bill Maher!
The Houston Atheists (1200 active members) started about 7-8 years ago with a few old men. I remember attending and being the only woman. Now, the leader is a young woman and the group has grown tremendously, and about 1/3 are women (also, mostly young now). Women role models, like this, are needed to bring more women out.
f_hruz, Try FFRF, http://ffrf.org/legal/
Dan Barker, author of Godless, is one of the main people, and they do debates with famous people (high profile) and legal issues. They are very active, and I think the best at this out there. I highly recommend them.
(2) atheists and agnostics are often stereotypically considered to have nothing to offer.
Not only do we not have anything to offer, we are doing the devil's work on Earth.
Very well done! What a great job ... all these hubs of yours will make a best selling book!
Question: Which international organization does the best job working for freedom from religion on a global scale?
I'd like to put them into my Will ... not a joke!
From a woman's perspective, I understand all you have said here. I wonder if you could also do a correlation between the IQ's of believers versus non-believers. I'm sure there are extremes on either end, but I do notice that women (as a group) tend to have lower IQ scores for some reason.
Being that some religions do not even allow women to go to school (other than religious indoctrination), it stands to reason that many would never learn advanced reasoning skills.
It's strange though that it's mostly men who are fanatics and "leaders" in the religions.
wow, very well researched with a fresh take on an old topic. Keep it coming!
Very interesting, though it is possible that women feel more obligated at times to do the 'perceived' right thing. Or maybe that they are just religious because of their environment and belief.
Interesting hub, I can't recall paying any attention to the sexual make up of religions. These results do take me by surprise.
A recent hub I read dealt with the harm the church did to a woman living in an abusive relationship. It was her women friends in the church that told her she needed to stay and give her man another chance, and another, and another. I wonder if this is the same reason so many women remain in the church. Peer pressure and a need to belong to something would go along way in making a weaker person more tolerant of abusive treatment, I suppose.
I saw the same thing growing up in a southern baptist town. The women never talked about all the crap that went on in their homes. They didn't even publically discuss when the preacher ran off with my buddies mother.
The good old days weren't all that good unless you were male, white and christian. The rest of society had it a little rougher.
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