In what is not a total surprise for those of us who are involved in church life, new data from the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center, shows 86% of women are affiliated with a religion vs. 79% of men.

When the answer to the question, “Do you believe in God or a universal spirit?” was affirmative, survey participants were then asked, “Are you absolutely certain, fairly certain, not too certain or not at all certain?” 77% of women and 65% of men were absolutely certain. Those who believe in God were subsequently asked, “Which comes closest to your view of God: God is a person with whom people can have a relationship, or God is an impersonal Force?” 58% of the women believe in a personal God vs. 45% of men. 66% of women compared to 49% of men pray at least daily; 63% of women compared to 49% of men say religion is very important in their lives; and 44% of women attend worship services at least weekly vs. 34% of men.

Men have been missing from the religious landscape for the past three decades. Since the rise in popularity of four wheelers, NASCAR, paint ball, NFL expansion teams, and online porn, more church going guys are staying away to pursue their pleasures. Hope you found the humor in that last statement. The fact is, men guard their personal time more now than ever and second, many men see the church as place for guys who are, what’s the word? Weak! The church has not knocked a home run in teaching what an authentic man really is. Also, the high profile preacher types who have fallen from their lofty perches hasn’t helped the cause either.

I believe men would be affiliated with God if the church gave them a reason to be.  Please don’t give me the reason they need to be, is that they will go to hell if thy are not.  Going to heaven or hell is based on a whether a person has accepted the free gift of salvation that comes through Christ, not religion.

So, give me your thoughts – how can the church engage men who apparently are the minority in religion, to be more involved in the life of the church or better to be involved with their families in the life of the church? Leave a comment and let’s get a conversation started!