Gender Segregation In The Church

In many churches, it is common to find various activities restricted to one gender or the other, as if there is anything helpful, rational, or Biblical about such gender segregation.  There are ultimately two main reasons why some Christians seek to segregate men and women for church events, and especially for Bible studies: they either believe that the mingling of men and women will tempt people to commit sexual sins or they believe that men and women have inherent psychological differences that make it easier to teach them separately.  Both reasons are completely erroneous.

The first basis for segregation of the genders is nothing but one of many examples of the church's general fear of sexuality and even of nonsexual intimacy between men and women.  Regarding sexual impulses as omnipresent in many male-female relationships and thinking sexual feelings to be an uncontrollable force, many Christians submit to the unbiblical evangelical tradition of separating men and women when it comes to spiritual mentorship, small Bible studies, and even basic friendship.  Not all relationships between men and women involve sexuality, though they have yet to learn this--but, furthermore, the presence of sexual feelings in a relationship does not mean that the relationship in question is somehow tainted, dangerous, or sinful.  All men and women are capable of self-control and the rationalistic shedding of evangelical lies that hinder spiritual and social flourishing.

As for the second primary basis for gender segregation in church activities, all one needs to do to refute it is highlight that all psychological/personality traits are determined by nothing except for individuality and, in some cases, cultural conditioning.  Anyone who insists otherwise commits the fallacy of composition (by assuming that all men or women share the personality traits or talents of a few) or uses the non sequitur fallacy (by assuming that it follows from having a male or female body that one must have so-called "masculine" or "feminine" tendencies, which are only associated with having a male or female body for arbitrary societal reasons).  Truth can only be known when assumptions and the accompanying fallacies are abandoned, and there are many assumptions about gender that thrive in the church, waiting to be deconstructed.

Men and women have the same moral obligations, meaning they need the same encouragement and the same theological education (self-education through rationalistic reflection and personal studies are superior to looking to a church group for assistance, but many people are not intelligent or autonomous enough to consistently pursue them).  Just because both genders have somewhat distinct bodies does not mean that their moral statuses differ in any way.  When churches pressure men and women to separate for any particular church activity, both genders are not only deprived of the joys of open collaboration and friendship between men and women, but also of the opportunity to equip men and women for all aspects of Christian life.

Logic, people.  It is very fucking helpful.