The Spirituality of Moms Outpaces that of Dads
May 7, 2007(Ventura, CA) – Mothers inhabit many roles inside and outside
the family. Within the household, they are often counted on to be the
emotional compass, organizer, and multitasking manager of the family.
Add to that list another common function: spiritual energizer.According to a new Barna study, women who are raising children
are among the most faith-minded and spiritually active segments of the
American population. The study explored faith-related activities,
commitments and perspectives, relying upon nationally representative
interviews among more than 10,000 adults and nearly 2000 women who are
currently parenting children under the age of 18.The study shows that more than three-quarters of moms identify
"family" to be their highest priority. At the same time, a majority of
mothers strongly agree that their faith is very important in their
life. In contrast, fathers also tend to list family as their top
priority in life, yet they are much less likely to equally attribute
importance to faith.Mom versus Dad
Men may enjoy advantages in physical strength, but they are much
less likely than women to exercise their spiritual muscles. This gender
gap extends to the typical family unit: mothers outpace fathers in
terms of spiritual activity and commitment. In fact, the Barna survey
examined 12 different elements of faith behavior and perspective.
Mothers were distinct from fathers on 11 of the 12 factors.When it comes to spiritual perspectives, a majority of mothers
said they have been greatly transformed by their faith, while less than
half of fathers had shared this experience. Also, three-quarters of
moms said their faith is very important in their life, while this view
was true among just two-thirds of fathers. Mothers were also more
likely than fathers to be born again Christians, to say they are
absolutely committed to Christianity, and to embrace a personal
responsibility to share their faith in Jesus Christ with others.Moms are also more religiously active. In a typical week,
mothers are more likely than are fathers to attend church, pray, read
the Bible, participate in a small group, attend Sunday school, and
volunteer some of their time to help a non-profit organization. The
only faith-related activity in which fathers are just as likely as
mothers to engage is volunteering to help at a church.
Read the rest of the report. There’s a section on Boomer vs. Buster generations that is very interesting.
-rlh-
