Why are Women Leaving the Church?

It seems that recently USA Today reported a story about women leaving the church in droves. (See https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/08/13/gen-z-women-less-religious/74673083007.) In creating their story, they spoke to several women who grew up in, and were formerly heavily involved with, a Christian church, but have since dropped out. Additionally, they referred to the Survey Center on American Life’s 2023 survey of people who had left their childhood faith. The main complaints they reported included:

• Gender hierarchies - Women complained that in some churches there are roles women are not allowed to take on.
• Expectation of chastity - Seemingly, some women complained that it was not right for them to be bound by biblical teachings concerning sexual morality.
• Against abortion - Many women asserted that they want to be able to get an abortion if they get pregnant. This is another case where they don’t want to be bound by biblical morality.
• Against homosexual rights - Some women believe there is nothing wrong with homosexuality. This is yet another case where biblical morality is seen as objectionable.
• Wrong priorities - Many women who are leaving the church say they are prioritizing career goals over traditional family roles.

It doesn’t take much thought to realize that virtually all of these complaints are completely disingenuous. This can be seen on several levels.

The reporting makes note of the fact that church participation is in serious decline. The thing is, it is not just women who are bailing out of church. Virtually every demographic is a part of the exodus. And while one of the complaints above is rather specific to women (and in that particular case, the number of women affected is very small), all of the others are reasons that can, and do, apply to anyone. It is not just women who don’t like biblical teachings concerning sexual morality and who are prioritizing other things over church life. It is a general trend with men, too.

Beyond that, it is interesting that not a single one of the complaints has anything to do with anything spiritual. People who make excuses like these are not looking for a relationship with God. All they are looking for is a reason to push God aside in order to prioritize their own personal moral standards above the teachings of the Bible. They complain that the problem is the church, but in actuality it is themselves.

People who make complaints like these actually have no understanding of the core beliefs of the Christian faith. The very purpose of Christianity is to show people how they can know God in a personal relationship. Then, when one enters that relationship, their life is transformed. And the transformation does not involve telling God how He should think about morality, or how He should guide the church. Rather, it involves conforming one’s life to His holiness.

It is sad to say, but the dominant belief in modern society is almost completely self focused, with virtually no interest in what God wants. In fact, most people who make complaints about church don’t even believe in God the way He has revealed Himself in the Bible. They believe the world was made to accommodate their desires, and that God should also bend to their will. In fact, the report hints at this matter as well. It noted that in the past, men were the ones who were leaving the church at the highest rate. Now, however, women are surpassing the men. And the real reason is not because of the excuses listed above, it is that they are buying into secular pop culture, and accepting the beliefs of modern liberal/progressive political philosophy. Their political partisanship has become their basic theological foundation. And at its core, it is atheistic.

The truth is, there is such a thing as objective reality, and Christians need to know what that is and how to explain it. God is not some abstract concept that human beings have created to justify some political or social end. Rather He is an objectively real person who exists in the way He has revealed Himself to be, and who can be known in a personal relationship.

While the problem being addressed in this article is not limited to the desires of women, the women who are complaining about the church (and God) have got it all backwards. Essentially they have said they are leaving the church because God won’t conform to their desires. They say they were active in and committed to the church until they bought into a different religious belief that is not compatible with biblical teachings.

While they may have been involved with a church group in their past, it is pretty obvious that they were not an actual part of the body of Christ. The true body of Christ is comprised of people whose lives have been transformed by Christ, and who seek His will. It is not made up of  people who wish to impose their will on Him.

Freddy Davis is the president of MarketFaith Ministries. He is the author of numerous books entitled The Truth Mirage, Rules for Christians Radicals, Liberalism vs. Conservatism, and his latest book Shattering the Truth Mirage and has a background as an international missionary, pastor, radio host, worldview trainer, and entrepreneur. Freddy is a graduate of Florida State University with a BS in Communication, and holds MDiv and DMin degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a popular speaker, particularly on the topic of worldview and its practical implications for the Christian life. He lives in Tallahassee, FL, with his wife Deborah.

You may also contact Freddy at Leadership Speakers Bureau to schedule him for speaking or leadership engagements.

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