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Christianity Today, July, 2008 |

Go Figure

From recent studies on teaching creationism and the difference between men and women who stop going to church.

Compiled by Ted Olsen | posted 6/16/2008 09:31AM

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27% Rate of major depression in women who have attended religious services since childhood.

36% Rate in women who had changed attendance patterns (nearly all had stopped attending services).

31% Incidence of major depression in men who have always attended religious services.

24% Incidence in men who had stopped attending.

(Source: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology)

25% High school biology teachers who say they devoted at least one or two classroom hours to creationism or intelligent design.

48% Of these, teachers who "emphasize that this is a valid, scientific alternative to Darwinian explanations for the origin of species."

(Source: PLoS Biology)

Related Elsewhere:

The depression study, "Religious activity and lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorder," is available online. Temple University issued a press release about its findings.

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July 2008, Vol. 52, No. 7

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Displaying 1 - 3 of 14 comments.

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Tim	Posted: June 18, 2008 7:14 PM

I'm a pastor and definitely the church has become too feminized for the majority of men to handle. We need a better balance within the church of masculine and feminine; a balance of nurturing and action; loving and acting. Too much either way and the church "turns off" a sizable portion of the culture. Look at how many young men/boys we are losing out of the church. Studies show 90% of boys raised in the church will leave it by age 21...and the vast majority will not return...because the church they grew up in was too feminized with touchy-feely, warm and mushy, hand-holding and teary eyed emphasis. Until we bring back the "action" and challenge to church, we'll not get the boys-who-are-now-men into church. God Bless.

Karen

Posted: June 18, 2008 9:21 AM


I too don't quite get the point of all this, plus I also doubt the numbers. I guess I'd have to see if the study was really carried out as a true, empirical study. Anyway, for those posters considering leaving the church, please look into another denomination before you write off the church all together.

Sleeper

Posted: June 17, 2008 3:54 PM


I am in a situation in which I cannot stop attending church but if I could I am sure I would feel much better. The church of today overall is anti-intellectual and any kind of critical thinking is frowned upon. Very sad.

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