Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Jock Strap Religion

The problem with jock strap religion is not just the fact that it protects small and insecure men by reducing and hurting women, though that's a big enough reason to reject it, in itself. Jock strap religion avoids the real issues in men. It protects and justifies the insecure and threatened places within men rather than encouraging them to find out why they feel insecure and threatened. It also causes them to blame their problems on women by determining that it is the feminization of church and society that is doing all the damage to men.

Understand something. I totally get that there are bitter women in this world who need to open up their hearts and let God in to do surgery. And I would encourage any woman who feels bitter or angry or depressed or whatever, to turn to God again and again until God performs the needed work in her heart and to trust Him until the work is completed.

The problem is that jock strap religion continues to hurt women and distracts both men and women from the real issues so that whatever good God is able to perform in a woman's heart, a woman can't ever get to it because she's too busy contorting herself into a smaller shape so as not to ruffle the wounded male egos around her.

AND jock strap religion continues to protect men from dealing with the bitterness and insecurity within their own hearts.

Instead of men asking themselves, "Why do I feel threatened by women?" "Why does a woman who is able to teach with authority scare me?" "Why do I feel the need to reduce her down in size?" "Why do I twist scripture in order to make God submit rather than accept the strength of the helper God gave me?" "Why do I want them to speak in a tiny, little, mouse voice?" "Why do I feel compelled to warn people against the dangers of a strong woman?"...

Instead of men asking themselves honest questions, they strengthen the power of protection over their private hurts and claim that if a woman is abused, it's because she didn't submit. If a woman teaches men, she's defying God's creation order (something God never says). If she gives directions she must do so in a manner that makes sure that the Manhood of the man is never, ever compromise (as if she ever really had that power.)

Jock strap religion is a false gospel that elevates the structures of men over and above the liberating love of Jesus who was never threatened by a woman.

The solution to uneasy Manhood is not to reduce Womanhood down to a more manageable size. The solution is for the men to remove their spiritual jock strap and let God heal the broken places in a man's heart.

There is no shame in having broken places. We all have them. We live in a broken world. The shame is in hiding the broken places, in covering them up and blaming someone else for your insecurities and twisting scripture to support your sinful postition. The shame is holding someone else responsible for your insecurities and telling them that God agrees with you. This is the sin of using the Lord's name in vain.

Men need to get healed and stop forcing women into boxes that make men feel less threaten. My goodness. If a women can scare you so bad, what the heck would you do if you had to face a real enemy?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

This. Is. Awesome. Thank you for putting into such eloquent words how my husband and I BOTH feel about this issue. Let's celebrate how God made each one of us, and not try to put each other into some man-made box of expectations!!!

Mara Reid said...

Wow, Leanne,
Where did you come from?
I checked out your profile and you don't follow any of the blogs on my blog roll or who have me on their blog roll.

Uhm, welcome btw.

I'm amused that you thought I was being eloquent. I was afraid that I was getting a bit crass for the more polite believers who frequent here.

Anonymous said...

Hi!! I read Commandments of Men from time to time, and that's how I found you...

And "crass" can be eloquent if you are speaking the truth :o).

Mara Reid said...

Ah, yes. Lewis's blog.

He is going to be featured in my strong men series.

AFA the truth is concerned, this is the best view that I have so far but am always growing and learning as we all should be. It's just sometimes one has to question...

If the Truth sets you free, how did the church ever get so bound up?

JaneDoeThreads said...

what the Rad Fems,

say about misogyny, religion and Mar's Hill Church

it should be read--comments esp

this is why, I believe the women within the system--are lagging

way behind

when secular can see it--That's bad

http://www.reclusiveleftist.com/2011/04/14/the-normalcy-of-misogyny/

Jane

Mara Reid said...

Jane, women in the church may be have been lagging behind, and probably many still are.
But I see a growing number of women AND men who are rejecting jock strap religion.
It is as though they are fed up with the "old wine" and are activly seeking the new wine apart from the traditions of men.
Yes, there are towers of heirarchy still standing, but people are streaming out and looking for true, pure, undefiled, not manmade faith in God.

believer333 said...

Very nicely compassionately said, Mara. :)

Mara Reid said...

Thanks!
A real complement coming from you!

Anonymous said...

This is a wonderful post! I stumbled upon it a year after the fact but better late than never.