Comments on: Why Aren’t More Women Atheists?

By: Rose Schwartz

Rose Schwartz — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:05:57 +0000

You know, Wendy, this post was written 3 years ago. And since then I have noticed that the ratio has shifted a bit.

By: Wendy H.

Wendy H. — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:48:30 +0000

I’m trying to think of the ratio of men to women who show up regularly at CFI LA events during the week, and on weekends, and the LA Skeptic Meetup events, and I am supposing that most of us are atheists of one degree or another, and there are a lot of women. The majority of volunteers are women. There were A LOT OF WOMEN AT TAM8 :-)
In our science/grassroots skepticism group, IIG, there are probably more men than women, but there are many women… and the men seem to respect the women’s skill at critical thinking. But we’re talking about atheism… I’m sorry for my digression. You know, I just realized one day that I didn’t believe in a supernatural being who answered prayers and ran things, and that that must mean I was — gasp — an atheist. I wonder if it’s like the film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind…. some people just never got the message; they never saw the newscast with the mountain. They never realized that their lack of belief, their doubt in the supernatural being that they heard about at church every Sunday, meant that they were normally an atheist and not that there was something wrong with them.
I don’t think it’s about male or female… I think the big brain is nongender… and it has more to do with what information is available, and the freedom to process that information.
Or it could be what someone mentioned above… there are women atheists, but they are busy, not coming to Drinking Skeptically, nor blogging.
I hope that makes sense :-)

By: Rose Schwartz

Rose Schwartz — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 02:24:00 +0000

In my experience, women are MUCH more likely to be interested in spiritual stuff. Even if it’s astrology (for example), it transforms into a higher power or a bigger meaning to it all. Some female atheists I’ve met online feel the same way.

I’m just interested in breaking these dumb stereotypes! (that atheists are middle-aged white men)

By: Eric Broze

Eric Broze — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 23:26:00 +0000

Hmmm.... I noticed the exterminator has a blog.

I could be wrong, but it appears that was a backhanded swipe at YOU by your wife.

Thanks for Sharing!!!!!!!

By: Rose Schwartz

Rose Schwartz — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 23:01:00 +0000

I don’t cite anything because I was venting from personal experience.

By: The Exterminator

The Exterminator — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0000

You don't cite any evidence to back up your assertion about the relatively small number of women to men atheists. Are you guilty of stereotyping?

In my experience, there are plenty of outspoken women atheists. Maybe what you're asking is: why aren't there more women atheist bloggers? That's a whole other question.

And just FYI: I never debate with my wife -- at least about religion -- because she's every bit as militantly atheistic as I am. She just doesn't keep a blog because, as she puts it, "I've got a life."

By: Infidelis Maximus

Infidelis Maximus — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 18:20:00 +0000

I think it's rare because women have been traditionally suppressed in our society. They have been forced to be subservient for as long as there have been humans. What better way to do that than via religion? Look at all the passages in the Bible commanding women to be obedient to their husbands and pointing out how inferior or "weaker" they are. And that's just the Bible--other religious texts are just as bad if not worse. That's one reason I've gone out of my way to link and support Acharya S' work. Though she declines to be called a hardcore atheist, she is, nonetheless, a nonbeliever, and "outed" female skeptics of any variety are very rare.

Another good female atheist site is "A Whore In the Temple of Reason." It's run by a female and was the first site featured under my Site of the Week label.

All we can really do is educate people and encourage women where we can to think for themselves and come out of the closet about their beliefs (or the lack of them). Unfortunately, it will probably take a good long while to counteract the thousands of years of oppression they've suffered in this area.

By: lateralus

lateralus — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 05:16:00 +0000

I have my own atheist blog roll for Atheist Filipino Bloggers and among the 23 I have on the list, there are only three women. Interesting, it might be a global trend.

Your brother in Jebus,
Benj
http://atheista.net