Ignoring and confusing
gender roles and distinctions has a negative impact on society in general and
destroys relationships, while Biblical patriarchy utilizes the differences
between the sexes to the best advantage. The normal portrayal of patriarchy in
modern media associates it with the oppression of women, and the normal
portrayal of feminism associates it with the liberation and freedom of women.
However, patriarchy enables the sexes to complement each other while feminism
fosters a competitive spirit between the sexes and works against the best
interests of women. The egalitarian socialism of feminism causes frustration,
confusion, and resentment by ignoring the reality of natural differences, while
biblical patriarchy recognizes the compatibility between functional
subordination and equality of being. Equals do not complement each other;
equals compete. The assertiveness and defiance of women encouraged by feminism
arouses the insecurities and defensiveness of men while ignoring the natural
weakness of men for the respect of women.
Feminism encourages women
to trade their complementary role for equality and mimic the sexual attitudes,
behaviour, and aggressiveness of men and thus relinquish their natural power,
while Biblical patriarchy makes women the civilizing and stabilizing influence
over men. While immodesty and promiscuity make women cheap and disposable and
encourage abuse, raising women to the status of moral superiority over men
compels men to respect women. Promiscuity reduces the female body to a
worthless trinket and gives women the same status as community towels instead
of compelling men to cherish women.
Feminists continually
portray male conveniences as advantages for women. Artificial insemination
reduces women to the status of incubators and eliminates paternal
responsibility instead of making motherhood honorable. Birth control diminishes
the necessity of commitment and stability in a relationship and keeps sexual
intercourse from being seen as sacred and beautiful. Abortion eliminates the
responsibilities of fatherhood while leaving women physically and emotionally
scarred, while respect for life encourages commitment. Feminism makes abortion,
birth control, and other male conveniences important to discourage female
inhibition and encourage licentiousness and thus supposedly empower women,
while biblical patriarchy condemns such practices which tend to degrade women
and reduce or eliminate male responsibilities.
The myth about male and
female sexual equality makes women more vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and
neglect. While each gender has just as strong a libido as the other, and both
sexes desire sex and affection, their responses and priorities tend to differ.
As a general rule, men trade affection for sex and women trade sex for affection.
Replacing patriarchal
marriage with egalitarian partnership creates dissatisfaction and frustration
for both husbands and wives by denying a woman's natural need for a
father-figure and a man's need to feel respected. Biblical patriarchy appeals
to a man's need for respect and thus compels a man to love, cherish, and please
a woman, and encourages a woman to respect a man by appealing to her need for
love, affection, and esteem. While feminism pits husband and wife against each
other, biblical patriarchy compels a husband and wife to complement and depend
on each other.
Numerous movies and TV
shows have portrayed patriarchy and other Christian values in a positive light
and provided good examples of what husbands and fathers ought to be. (e.g.,
"Father Knows Best," "Leave It To Beaver," "The Andy
Griffith Show," "Little House On The Prairie," etc.) But all too
often Hollywood promotes feminism by associating patriarchy with abuse and
oppression or depicting the father in a family show as an inept boob who needs
the leadership or headship of his wife, and often even the children are
portrayed as wiser and more capable. Modern entertainment often presents men
with bad examples which teach a man to be immature and emulate bad character
and call that masculinity. The heart is trained and moulded by what is
continually fed into the mind and a lot of modern entertainment trains a
woman's heart to prefer immature boys in the bodies of adults over respectable
Christian gentlemen. For example, all too often the storyline (especially in
soap operas and romance novels) is about a man of bad character who just needs
the love of a good woman to reform him and make him whole, and women are thus
taught to prefer men of bad or questionable character that they hope they can
change. This affects men as young men are naturally prone to emulate that to
which women are strongly attracted. Thus, the importance of the roles of
headship and helpmeet is lost. The entertainment media also promotes feminism
through talk shows and pop psychology, and it is amazing that so many are quick
to assume that any expert opinion, documentary, or media presentation is an
honest, unbiased, and objective viewpoint and above scrutiny.
Patriarchy is not greater
than other Bible doctrines, but it is being actively attacked by both
unbelievers and professing Christians as a major part of the attack on the
family, and this has bred false doctrines and seduced many believers. (Isaiah
3:12; Jeremiah 5:31; 6:10, 16) Have you been affected? You might be surprised.
Try applying questions like these to specific beliefs and issues concerning
gender roles and distinctions: What does the Bible say about this, and what
Bible truths or principles are involved? (Psalm 33:4; 119:105,130; 146:3-6;
Proverbs 2:6; 3:5-7; Colossians 2:8; II Timothy 2:14-16; 3:16) Was this true in
the distant past and will this still be true in the distant future? (Psalm
33:11; 119:89; Proverbs 19:21; Ecclesiastes 1:9-10; James 1:17) Can you verify
this with Scripture, or do you find it necessary to use the arguments of the
world to defend or justify your beliefs and choices concerning gender roles and
distinctions? (Psalm 33:10; Romans 12:2; I Corinthians 1:20; 2:5; Colossians
1:9; 2:8)
The egalitarian socialism
of feminism is a curse. (Isaiah 3:12; Jeremiah 31:22) God designed and ordained
the man to be the Lord's representative in the home, church, and society. (I
Corinthians 11:3-12; Ephesians 5:23-25; Joshua 24:15; II Samuel 10:12; I Kings
2:2-3; etc....) The man is the image and glory of God in terms of authority
while the woman is the glory of man. While both genders are of equal value as
persons in creation and redemption, God ordained distinct gender roles for male
and female and patriarchy was established in the beginning before sin entered
the world and is reaffirmed in the New Testament. (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:18;
Romans 7:2; I Corinthians 11:3,7-9; Ephesians 5:22-28; I Timothy 2:12,13; I
Peter 3:1-6) The God ordained sphere of dominion for a woman is the home and
that which is connected to the home; as the helper and representative of her
husband (or father, if single), this may include activity in the community.
(Genesis 2:18; Proverbs 31:10-31; Titus 2:4-5) Even though an unmarried woman
has more flexibility in applying the principle that women were created for a
domestic calling her exceptional situation of singleness should not redefine
the social roles of men and women. (Genesis 2:18; I Timothy 5:14; etc.) Certainly,
there are women who are wise and capable, but the issue is not who qualifies, the
issue is obedience to the Lord's arrangement and standards. (Psalm 33:4,10-11;
Proverbs 2:6; 13:13; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Matthew 4:4; II Timothy 2:14-16;
3:16)
It is generally bad for
church and society and destructive to relationships when gender distinctions
are ignored or confused. (I Corinthians 11:3-12) For example, the Nineteenth
Amendment (female suffrage) created a gender gap, encouraged women to transfer
dependence from husband or father to the government, encouraged men to neglect
or forsake their duties and responsibilities as men, and encouraged grown
people of both sexes to act like spoiled teenagers dismissing reality in
pursuit of utopian dreams.
It is important to proclaim patriarchy as an essential part of God's design for society and relationships and oppose the anti-family/anti-reproduction/anti-life mindset that is infecting the society in which we live. (Genesis 1:28; 2:18; Psalm 127:3-5; 128:3,4; Proverbs 24:11-12; Jeremiah 29:6; I Corinthians 11:3; I Timothy 4:1-3; 5:14; etc.)
The Connection Between Evangelism and Gender Issues
The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
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