Would the real man please stand up? This article is Part 5 in the series on Male Leadership in Crisis. We still haven’t settled in or minds what really makes a man. There are many different views. I have discovered that the most common definition of a man describes a male in terms of being a "the leader." Notice I said "the" leader not "a" leader. Hence, we raise our boys to concentrate on what some call the "natural, God-given responsibility" to be "in charge" of others - especially the women. One way we emphasize this male dominance is by asking the following question when visiting a home: "Who is the MAN of the house?" This question often means that when there is no father in the home, the son will be considered the "MAN OF THE HOUSE (the leader)" even when there are older sisters. Another way of reinforcing male dominance is when it is time to select church leaders. Often a gifted and talented female will be overlooked and a not-so-talented, uneducated male will be chosen to serve as a church leader in a local congregation. Invariably the church suffers because of such decisions. Could it be that we are making a mistake here? I believe we are. It is my personal opinion, based on scripture (See Genesis 1:26-30), that God gave both Adam and Eve the responsibility to have dominion over the earth. In other words, they were both given equal leadership roles in managing planet earth. They were to work harmoniously as horticulturists, sociologists, theologians, political scientists, as well as married partners. Would the real man please stand up? Is he the dominant leader? Or is he the self-confident, mature thinking, well-adjusted male who focuses on harmoniously living and sharing with his female counterpart? In February 1991, "Men’s Health" magazine published an article describing the typical man. Here is what it said. The typical male:
What is a man? What is it to be masculine? Many think that masculinity is biologically determined, but most of its origins are cultural and historical. Next week we will share on the part testosterone and mothering plays in male leadership.
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