What the Bible says about toxic masculinity and the myth of a male-dominated society
History of Toxic Masculinity
Dr. Shepherd Bliss coined “toxic masculinity” in the 1980s, which challenged traditional gender roles. In the 1990s, psychiatrists linked “toxic masculinity” in prisons, characterized by emotional suppression. It was used to describe violent masculinity among prisoners. Hence the stigma of “hypermasculinity” leads to bullying, homophobia, and misogyny.
The term resurfaced during the “Me Too movement” and created the male stereotype, which ultimately defames masculinity and patriarchy in the Bible.
Toxic Masculinity in the Bible
Scriptures do not mention the phrase “toxic masculinity,”:” but specific passages describe behaviors that align with it. For example, there are stories of violence, abuse of power, and instances where women are mistreated or devalued because of their culture—which God forbade among His people.
Biblical masculinity demonstrates compassion
On the other hand, the Bible also contains positive examples of masculinity demonstrated through compassion, empathy, and respect for women. These biblical figures had admirable qualities that go beyond harmful stereotypes of masculinity.
- Boaz showed kindness to Ruth and protected her even if it wasn’t his responsibility.
- Peter raised Tabitha from the dead out of compassion for her and the community of widows she helped.
- Joseph showed compassion to Mary when he learned she was already pregnant before their union.
- Jesus displayed immense love and compassion towards women who would have been outcasts of society.
Disrupting God’s design
The bottom line is that God designed men to be strong, courageous, and leaders. Likewise, they are tasked to love and care for women, children, and older people.
The war on men, by pushing the myth of male-dominated patriarchy, disrupts the concept of the nuclear family, where the man leads, and the woman submits—just as the Bible says.
Ephesians 5:25-28
Husbands: Love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… In this same way, husbands should love their wives as their bodies.
Colossians 3:19
Husbands: Love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
1 Peter 3:7
Husbands: Be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them respectfully…
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT GENDER EQUALITY.
The myth of a male-dominated society
Psychiatrist Dr. Jordan Peterson debunks male-dominated society as a result of toxic masculinity. The term to begin was used for violent prisoners, which does not represent the entire society of men. However, left ideologies have conveniently connected them to push the new narrative.
Dr. Peterson cited statistics that show most homeless people are men. It’s men who commit the most violent crimes and commit suicide. It’s mostly men who are sent to war and placed on the frontlines, ready to die. “Where’s the dominance here?” He said.
“What you’re (they are) doing is taking a tiny substrata of hyper-successful men and using that to represent the entire structure of the Western society,” he said to those pushing the false narrative of a male-dominated society.
- Individual Success: According to psychologist Jordan Peterson, a “male-dominated society” is a myth. Men indeed own the majority of wealth and capital, but it is primarily the result of individual success rather than systemic control.
- School: The males do worse in school, not girls. By the time they graduate, it’s primarily women who finish well. But on the extremes, mostly men take on naturally high-paying careers because women are less interested in them.
- Pay Gap: Although women undertake more unpaid labor, it does not necessarily translate into an overarching male-dominated structure. Statistically, it’s mostly the men who take college degrees, such as engineering, which are high-paying jobs.
- Business: It’s mostly entrepreneurship or inventing new ideas that generate more income. The same opportunity is available to women who opt for a non-entrepreneurial career.
- Prison Data: Men constitute the majority in prisons. They do the most heinous crimes and are the most homeless. But these statistics don’t imply an overall societal male dominance. In fact, it’s the opposite.
- Men’s Suicide and Death: It’s mostly men who commit suicide, are sent to war, and die in battle. Hence, women appear to have more privileges and dominate society when we use this data.
- Women Abuse: Most rape victims of women and domestically abused, which is asymmetrical. But the same thing can happen to a husband, innocent children, male or female.
Toxic masculine double standard
Toxicity isn’t gender-specific; women can be toxic. When a man saves a woman from a burning building, his masculinity takes over with sheer will, strength, and courage.
In other words, a man who does not have the strength or strong will cannot be in the trenches of war. We need masculine men. But when these men reach the pinnacle of success, it’s because society is male-dominated.
