Quitting Church: Next group to leave are WOMEN

So far the groups we've covered that are leaving the church en masse are: single people over 35, men , and now the most loyal group the women are fed up!  Women make up 60% of churchgoers and now even the women have had enough.

Ms Duin recounts the story of a young Christian woman named Rachael who was ambitious and had a vision for trying to save the world and impact it with Christian influence. She seemed to be miffed that this was not applauded by her Christian community. What WAS applauded was getting married young and having babies.

I think any young woman who is involved in Christianity can identify with Rachael. Marriage and children is an idol to many christians and as I said before if you're older and not married, then something is wrong with you and you're treated as an outcast.

Amongst my non christian friends hardly anyone is married even well into their 30’s. It's not that they don't want to be, but people know there's more to life than being married and having kids. I want to be married and have kids one day but it's not the focal point of my life.

Even in my early 20’s and being involved in fundamentalism, I did not want to lose my ambition in favor of getting married. I didn't want to find my fulfillment in others or look to a family to fill my empty places.  I just didn't buy into the message marriage and kids were the solution to everyone’s problems as churches liked to lead people to believe.

I identify more with Sheryl Sandberg's message of Lean In which says that the biggest career decision is who you marry and that you should partner with a man who's willing to support your ambition through actions.  The message of Lean In is that men need to lean in as well. If men want to have children, then they need to be Fathers and help RAISE THEM.   Men should be allies and not foes. If you're an ambitious woman who wants to have a family then you need to partner with a man who is willing to lean in at home and do his share of housework and childcare.

Ms Sandberg’s message also has a component to it which is SORELY lacking and that is to hold men accountable for being partners and not simply leave it to the women to take action.

Good luck with saying that at an evangelical church!

The church romanticizes marriage and motherhood but we've already covered that there aren't that many eligible men to go around so What are ambitious single women to do?

They quit church