GetReligion has an interesting discussion of the gender gap in church attendance and the possible doctrinal causes of this. Personally, I’m not sure why a feminization of the church makes it “impotent.” Doesn’t it just make it feminine? But I absolutely agree with this point from David Murrow, author of Why Men Hate Going to Church:

Every Muslim man knows that he is locked in a great battle between good and evil, and although that was a prevalent teaching in Christianity until about 100 years ago, today it’s primarily about having a relationship with a man who loves you unconditionally. And if that’s the punch line of the Gospel, then you’re going to have a lot more women than men taking you up on your offer because women are interested in a personal relationship with a man who loves you unconditionally. Men, generally, are not.

As my interest in christianity dwindled, I was increasingly disturbed by the eroticization of the personal relationship with one’s lord and savior. From my own experience in a small Bible church in college, i saw my female peers fall more and more for this metaphor, even to the point of describing - creepily - the “penetration” of christ into their lives like a sexual encounter. i’ve subsequently decided it’s because either they married young and virginal and were unsatisfied in their married sex lives or because they were still young and virginal and projected unused sexual desires onto a Fabio-ed Jesus.

Murrow’s brand is a clever appeal to masculinity, but almost to a caricatured point. He provides an “action plan” for churches to use to draw more men in. He’ll even replace the most banged up copy of his book with a free signed one. Hoo-ah.

It may take a lot more than that to shift that balance. But in my offhand, nonchalant assessment, men can take care of themselves. The church attendance ratio virtually mimics the college attendance ratios. Maybe that’s a coincidence. Maybe dudes are just flaky. Maybe the First Lady can save them.

Seriously, if men want to take a break from Christianity for a while - big deal. After centuries of oppressing everyone else around them in the name of it, I say good riddance.

i’m sure I’m declaring open season on myself with my casual outsider opinions, but i’m up for it.

UPDATE: I was so focused on the unconditional love part that I failed to realize that Murrow seems to be suggesting that the violence and warlikeness of Islam - actual or metaphorical - is what keeps men engaged. Surely he’s not recommending we reenergize that in Christianity??