Wednesday, March 05, 2008

"MAN-LAW". MANHOOD? ARE YOU CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT IS MASCULINITY? POPULAR CULTURE



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"It does not take great intellectual sophistication to see that we are in a period of widespread gender confusion. As with so many other developments of our times, our evolving language betrays more substantial shifts in the culture."

"Whoa, dude, this man is not acting like a man." What's up! men? I mean how to act like a man is a humdinger of an issue if you are one! Or is it?.
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Once the role of a man was described as a role of father/protector/provider, today it seems it is not considered as necessary or deniable as it once was. .


I haven't made a study of society's view of men in a while. I didn't really understand "man law." Remember the beer TV add. Man words, now that is different for me. Sometimes men's words that are coined are used to describe men behaving like women. .


Men once were not to act like a woman. They are not to worry about cancer, receive alimony, or get Brazilian waxes. Now manogram and manimony and manzilian are created. Can you believe this?

Here are some man-words. The word "man" used to refer to everyone. The Bible will use "men" to generally refer to everyone. Example 'man-eater" which dates from 1600 and originally meant a cannibal, not a femme boys. Here is a rare coinages: man-angel (man-angel (1711) man-devil (1600), man-dinner (1832) man-dog (1884) man-flesh )1812) man-nurse (1530) man-plague (1649) man-seed (1934) man-smell (1905) man-sphinx (1864) and man-witch (1886) From the Oxford English Dictionary traces these coinages.."Guyliner" has been coined for the rock singers who use eye liner..


I read that "Seinfeld" used a lot of neologisms. Since I don't watch Seinfeld or any of those other shows that are of that style, using the terms "part woman, or man-bag." is not something I really understand.


With all these "man" words coming up in our words today prompted by the male insecurity as the root of the current slew of words. Thecultural anxiety over issues like gay marriage and partner benefits, etc. How do man identify themselves today to a changing culture? .


Those who are in the know, and I am not one in the know, those who are good observers of language, understand well that these linguistic innovations indicate confusion..


Today our culture has made an issue of manhood and masculinity. The role of a man seems to be changing in our society.


BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE:


Can I say, if we as men look outside the Biblical perspective, where manhood is defined we are going to be confused. When the understanding of masculinity and manhood is not based upon the role and responsibilities that are set forth in the Bible we should not expect to be comfortable..

Scripture defines manhood in terms of who he is and what he does in obedience to God. And when society rejects or sidelines these roles and responsibilities that do not honor fatherhood and parenthood it will sow seeds of disastrous confusion. The damage to our language is among the least of our problems.Can I also say, that the normative expectation of a man in the Scripture is that a young man will mature to take on the role of "father/protector/provider."

  • · Yet today it has been correctly observed by Mark Peters who writes that the proliferation of "man" terms indicates this confusion over manhood and masculinity. And that "the role of "father/protector/provider" is seen today "as not considered as necessary or desirable as it once was" within the secular culture. Herein is a deeper issue.

And as Albert Mohler states, "Those men who are faithfully living out these responsibilities are not likely to be too concerned about finding true masculinity. They are living it."

Men look at your role as a man in the role that is clearly set forth in the Scripture. When the focus shifts from family to fashion accessories we are in trouble.


We lie to ourselves if we believe that we can hold onto a healthy masculinity without honoring true manhood" Al Mohler says.
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Posted by Charles E. Whisnant on GROW BY LEARNING.BLOGSPOT.COM
AND WILL BE ON GROW BY LEARNING .COM
Proof check by Charity March 6th 2008

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