How to Identify a Male Chauvinist

First off, we need to define what is male chauvinism, because there is a lot of confusion out there. Male chauvinism is the belief, whether conscious or not, that women, womanhood, femininity, and therefore, beauty, are inferior to, men, masculinity, manhood, and strength. So you see, it’s a little bit broad of a definition, so let’s break things down some, shall we? Below are several examples of what Male Chauvinism looks like in todays society/church.

Anyone who believes that it is acceptable for a woman to be in the police force and military, is someone who is a misogynist, and frequently, but not always, a male chauvinist. This is pretty crystal clear, but what else do these people think and believe?

Well, unfortunately, many people think that chivalry is chauvinism, but on the contrary, its the loving notion that women deserve respect and special treatment. So the people who are attacking chivalry are guilty of male chauvinism. Male chauvinism is having a low view of a woman’s God-given role, little value for their God-given gifts, and no appreciation for womanhood’s uniqueness. Too many men and women have no appreciation or value of beauty; only valuing strength and leadership, at the expense of womanhood. God did not make Eve suited for leading, but Adam. The Creator did not make Eve to represent the strength of God, but His beauty. Why do we as men not cherish beauty in our daughters; appreciate their lack of leadership, just as God intended it? Why do we want them to be ‘just as strong and as much of a leader as a boy’? Why are we listening to the chauvinism and so called ‘wisdom’ of this world?

Chauvinism is treating your wife or daughter like she is just as tough and brave as a man, even though the Great Creator did not make them that way. Treating them like steel pots instead of fine china. Countless women are male chauvinists too, but for some reason, many people think that only a man can be one. Some women, in fact, hate women and womanhood so much, that they don’t even want to be women, but would rather be men. This is the perverted product of this wretched sin. What are you teaching your children? Are you teaching both your boys and girls to be tough, strong, brave leaders? You’re probably a male chauvinist who bought into the cool-aid the world is offering.

Chauvinism is not treating women as special and different, not cherishing them, nor their beauty, but instead cherishing masculine traits in a woman. Is any of this making sense? It is hateful, or misogynistic, to try to make a fish fly, or pig swim. We can only do that which we were created to do. But people hate women, womanhood, and femininity, and so want women to do what God did not create them to do. Encouraging a woman to be the leader in a relationship, to take on the burdens that she should not have to carry, is incredibly unloving and unbiblical.

Male chauvinism is the attitude that taking care of the house and children is ‘not important’ or a ‘waste’; the sinful idea that bringing home a paycheck is somehow so much more lofty and noble and worthy of a task. God gave both tasks; providing and protecting is the task He gave to men. Raising the kids and tending the home is the task that the good Lord gave the women, but many men and women look down on these jobs as inferior for a woman. This is the very height of male chauvinism.

In order to identify male chauvinists, we are going to have to understand how they think, what they believe. Sometimes they are disguised as godly people, sometimes they are godly people who are sinful and imperfect like you and I. Sometimes they will hide under the banner of ‘equality’, but in truth, they want no such thing. They never do. The more we understand the different flavors of male chauvinism, the more we can identify them. But as long as we are calling good ‘bad’, and bad ‘good’, then we will always have troubles spotting the spiritual disease of arrogance and pride.