Buffy The Vampire Slayer Caused Women To Stop Attending Church
Ok, wait, WHAT?!? Buffy the Vampire Slayer is being pinpointed, amongst other reasons as onf of the causes of women in England leaving traditional Christian churches. Dr. Kristin Aune has been doing research for a book on women and religion, and she came to the following conclusion:
“In short, women are abandoning the church. Because of its focus on
female empowerment, young women are attracted by Wicca, popularised by
the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Young women tend to express
egalitarian values and dislike the traditionalism and hierarchies they
imagine are integral to the church.”
First of all, the show is pretty old now. Secondly, how easily influenced would a person have to be in order to leave their church based on religion in a TV show?!?
Buffy is to blame? What about Charmed? What about The Craft? Wasn't the Ouija board more popular ten years ago than it is now?
This woman doesn't see the influence of...hmm...maybe The Davinci Code? There is a drop of christian based church attendance in all demographics. This woman is trying to create an old fashion witch hunt. To add, what's so bad about "female empowerment?"
1855 points
How stupid.
That's ridiculous.
300 points
That is a pretty big stretch. Kind of pathetic.
3120 points
Stupid people make me giggle!! I'm a huge fan of Buffy and cried when it went off the air. I love when TBS or TNN replays Buffy. I really wish they would do a movie and bring everybody back together.
My former co-workers are die hard Buffy fans. And they would recite EVERY line from Buffy. They would reenact during lunch break And I did hear that they DID quit going to church to become Witches. I saw a Wicca book in her bag!
People are leaving churches because they are as bad if not worse than a combination of large, overly bureaucratic corporations and power-hungry politicians who forgot to listen to their constituents. And yes, they are male dominated/powered hierachies.
Blaming a show about a witch... is this the best excuse they've got for their own poor performance?
Oh, brother... "a combination of large, overly bureaucratic corporations and power-hungry politicians who forgot to listen to their constituents. And yes, they are male dominated/powered hierachies" ??? Have you read the Bible? Men are supossed to be the leaders of the church.... Ugh, I'm a 23yr woman, and I can't stand you ultra-feminists!
And this woman probably has a PH.D. Go figure!
She actually has a kind of loooow-prestige, practically fake PhD. In other words, she'd never be hired as an actual scholar of religion at an actual university. She writes popular articles and books for the conservative Christian publishing industry, basically blaming feminism, women with careers, and women with high standards about the men they want to date and marry for all the world's problems. So, yeah, she's a lightweight who has nothing real to contribute, and her so-called "study" or "research" is very likely anecdotal at best, and possibly even fabricated completely.
Not to be snarky or nasty, but as someone who's a professor of religious studies at a major university with a real PhD, I get sick to death of these conservative nut-jobs pointing the finger at feminism to explain all the problems with the church. Maybe women aren't in church as much anymore because, oh, I dunno, churches tend to be full of sexist people who like to blame women for everything under the sun? And I say that as someone who goes to church pretty regularly!:)
920 points
"...Because of its focus on female empowerment..." Well maybe if the churched focused less on putting ridculous rules on women and focused a bit more on female empowerment they wouldn't have the problem of people leave to go to Wicca?
I think this is just so funny and stupid at the same time.
Losing faith is a personal choice but then again Im not into this shows including witchcraft like Harry Potter and anti Christian films like Golden Compass. Narnia is like the Bible but its not the Bible.
I respect all religions but it is indeed sad to see many churches especially in Englang closing. I learn that only America remains a religious nation and I pray more people find God.
Well, she didn't actually say that these people are becoming Wiccan BECAUSE OF Buffy, did she? She's saying that Wicca was popularised by the show, which is true (it was the first popular culture reference to someone "normal" being Wiccan cf. The Craft, for instance, which is not about Wicca anyway).
Being popularised doesn't mean something is being made popular - it means something is made accessible.
As a Wiccan myself, I hail religious self-discovery, in any religion. I think it's a beautiful thing. However, when people tell me they became Wiccan because of Buffy or The Craft, I cringe a little inside. I believe all religious paths should be taken after spiritual searching of the self, not after being attracted to external conventions or - worst of all - being pressured into a specific religion by someone else.
175225 points
People have been leaving Christian churches for years now. And they're blaming it on Buffy? The show wasn't even THAT popular to have such an influence.
Go Buffy! Years after the series ended it is still the hot pop culture topic.
As far as that woman, what a load of crap.
She has probably never watched the show which I felt, as a Christian, explored the the idea of Christianity in an understated and well understood way. At least for those who are inclined toward spirituality and such things.
well wicca is not a religion it's a belief. it connects you with nature and makes you realize how powerfull and strong women really are. it is mistical but to me it is more logical than christianity. wiccans are pagans so they are around longer than christians; I love them:)
300 points
People are leaving the church because they finally realise that all Christianity is based on fear and punishment. Then we had the whole discussion about why women can't be bishops etc. Why I don't know. What difference does it make if you listen to a man or a woman preaching about God? The Christian God is so boring. No other Gods are allowed - how selfish. You can't do this and do that. If God really existed why would he given us "pleasure points" in the first place to then turn around and say, sorry, you can only ever do it in order to have kids? And Dr. Kristin Aune obviously doesn't know what she's talking about. Maybe it is high time for the church to re-think their own ethics and grow up, go with the time to attract more followers. As I am an Atheist I am very amused by all this.
5040 points
You go girl, so am I!!!
1855 points
Miss M, You obviously have never studied the Bible. Atheist or not, don't blast something you've not studied upon. Since God created us we owe it to him to put nothing else above him. It (the Bible) clearly states that he is a jealous God. Christianity is not based on fear and punishment. It's based on love, understanding and kindness. The Bible was written many, many years ago in a culture that looked down on women. The same ideals are not held today as they use to be. Sex is to be enjoyed but not misused. It is a special bond between a man and a woman, not only for producing children but for showing love and compassion.
5040 points
Not based on fear and punishment? So how do you explain this: If you don't believe in god you're going to hell. That's fear and punishment right there.
2210 points
Um, they "imagine" are integral to the church? Helloooooo, people, those values are part and parcel of the church, as evidenced in their own words. And what is wrong with women expressing egalitarian values anyway?
Oh, and I <3 Lindy's reply above.
300 points
tnkrbell80: you say "The Bible was written many, many years ago in a culture that looked down on women" ... in fact, it was written hundreds of years after apparently Jesus died on the cross... Can you blame people for not taking it serious? Actually, I studied the bible in school. Forgive me, it was quite a while ago, but even then I did not believe. I don't care if you believe in God or not, each to their own, if it makes you happy, fine! But if you believe in God, then you can't believe in evolution and someone who doesn't believe in evolution is someone I cannot take seriously. Sorry. I'm with Riveria, she couldn't have said it better.
I am a woman, christian and I love Buffy... Not more than God though (but i take a lot of ragging from family and friends) i love my faith and what i believe is vibrant and wonderful and has as much excitement and spirtual experience as any wiccan, maybe even more... But you wont find me in an "official" church... because... yes I hate the politics... you will find me in a small home church with a lovely mix of men and women, checkered pasts, flaws and warts'n all, all of us are totally different and yet we get on... oh and we are led by woman. Because its a small group about 20 of us its intimate and real, we are genuinely friends. More and more christians I know are leaving traditional churches and becoming part of informal home churches, under the radar. Just because women are leaving the institution doesnt mean they are necessarily leaving God. I just think the face of the church is changing.
I am a HUGE Buffy fan. I am also christian and go to church as much as possible. I have all the seasons and watch them all the time. I still go to church. Buffy The Vampire Slayer is actually a very good show once you get in to it. I know it may affend some people, but those are just opinions.
The show was good and really showed female empowerment, wich was manly what the show was about. I dont think Buffy had anything to do with people not going to church. It was their choice, not Buffy's.
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