I came across this article in the Christian Science Monitor by Daniel B. Wood called “Manly-Man, Girly-Man, Oh Man.” The article is meant to be humorous and I did find it amusing, but there is an air of significance. He discovers he is not manly enough. His approach to deal with his dilemma was to go to Borders Books to find advice in popular references like O and national newspapers for direction on how to man up.
Personally, I think this reflects the problem of fashion as a whole. What’s in, what’s out, what’s the wisdom of the minute, never mind that of the hour or the day. This is a product of the liberal mindset. Oh, all right, progressive if it pleases you. Doesn’t make a dime’s worth of difference what you call it. If it smells like bull crap and looks like bull crap, though you call it curry, its still bull crap. Finding your inner child, finding yourself, getting in touch with your feminine side, learning to be more sensitive, all these fashionable journeys into self discovery amount to a bowl full of bad progressive ideology.
What has worked for thousands of years still works today. The era of the 1950’s was definitely too gender biased, and the reform of gender driven business and government and plenty of religions were absolutely necessary. Now the fashionable crowd has finally come around to recognizing that the feminist movement went too far. Wood cites several liberally respected references that recognize this fact.
Men and women who’ve been going to church and searching for knowledge on living the moral life instead of listening to Oprah and Judge Judy in the afternoon have, for the most part, been living the life men and women “en-vogue” are coming back to after two generations of floating around in gender identity neutrality. As Christians, we’ve been taught that men are called to cover their families in protective, gentle, guiding love with firm rules and a forgiving heart. Let me stipulate here that this does not entail lording the position over wife and kids and certainly not disciplining his help mate. We’re taught that women are to submit, not because they can’t handle the job of leader or that they are less than men, but God designed us to be a leader and a helper, for anything with two heads cannot survive. He also commends men to listen to their wives as advisors and the two work as one with one purpose. Anything less stunts their effectiveness, in survival and as a witness to unbelievers and an example to their children.
For a case study, I would point you to Joyce Meyer Ministries. Here is a woman in charge and at large. Her work is the major bread winning position for their household and she is enjoying a grand success by her testimony and service in their ministry, yet she is submitted to her husband who is working in a supporting role, as long as he is submitted to God. This, even though she was not raised with the appropriate example roles in her upbringing. The wild success of Promise Keepers has much to do with the clear instruction for gender roles within families.
The men and women who’ve struggled under the feminist movement the most are those who’ve been raised in the environment with examples of these God designed roles. Their plight has been to find a mate who accepts their role and will live the role God ordained for them. Gender roles will never snap back to 1950 and they shouldn’t, but most women are missing the strong confident male to cover them, and most men are regaining their confidence and purpose as was designed.
Wood concludes with his advice for the new male gender role as is in fashion today but still sees gender courtesies as insulting and dangerous to feminism. My advice is to put the seat down. If men had to clean the bathroom, men wouldn’t even stand to pee. If he makes a date, he pays the bill. If she makes the date, she should pay the bill. Walk on the street side of the sidewalk keeping her on the building side of the sidewalk. Protective measures are generally accepted whatever their politics. Open the door for her, and if she’s offended by this, she isn’t ready for the role that will bless your relationship. Expect him to open the door for you, he’ll be delighted to find you still exist, and if he isn’t, he’s not ready for the role that will bless your relationship
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