Something I have noticed about a lot of the protests and anger is the idea that the people involved want the power, but not the responsibility. I'll use women as my example, but I have spoken to others. I asked them if they knew all of the responsibilities men grow up with. The idea that paying for a wife and kids seemed kind of foreign and surprising to them. The job is so important to the male psyche that they often look at themselves as their job. So many women have been raised that the man pays for things, they don't understand the concept of balancing a budget, or how much a dinner costs.
I expect some maliciousness, but I also suspect the majority of people who are saying things have honestly never known about the responsibility and identifying with it. They haven't been told, and most people assume they have. The malicious are specifically making sure this information doesn't spread.
I also suspect the reason why is Men were trying to show kindness by praising women and denigrating themselves. This attempt to look at the greatness of the other can be very humble and good. It leads to problems when the reality isn't explained to the women involved.
Have you seen this pattern? What signs and ideas go along with it?
This would explain why some religions make sure to have small congregations. It keeps the group working together.
Very much so. It can also protect the integrity of the religion-at-large.
One of the reasons the US has never had a true religious war (outside of Mormon aggression, and a Christian split over slavery), despite founding multiple religions in it's own borders, is because the refusal to allow the government to regulate religion has turned it into a mostly free market. This means that no religion is allowed to coerce people to stay within the religion outside of basic bitch social pressure. It also means that congregants have the right to chose which religious community best suits their needs.
So, some religions will have many churches and small congregations that keep the religious community tight. And if there are any problems (like if a the priest gets replaced by a priest who's an asshole), the congregants can always chose to go to a new church (with less assholes). Or, if it's a tight enough community, they can always put social pressure on the priest to improve.