I confess I’m fascinated by studying the difference in genders. My wife will attest to the fact that I don’t understand women and do indeed find them strange creatures from another planet. But I am curiously drawn to studying the differences between men and women.

Culturally speaking it’s almost taboo to even suggest there is a difference between men and women. The feminist movement and political correctness have all but erased gender lines. Rather than celebrating the God-given differences we have been gifted with, society seems more interested in androgyny as a happy middle between the sexes.

Sorry, I reject that notion.

I love John Wayne, shooting guns, eating various kinds of meat, and doing “macho” things that are at times slightly dangerous; like jumping off the roof of my house to avoid using the rickety step ladder. Yes, Tim the Tool Man Taylor is awesome. Additionally, I chew my nails and would never consider getting a manicure, think anything resembling a purse is for women, am suspicious of any guy that doesn’t like at least one sport, and believe there should be a distinct difference between women and men.

Right away I know some will write me off as chauvinistic, sexist, paternalistic, or some other culturally adapted phrase that signifies disdain for clearly drawn gender lines. And if I mention that my beliefs come from my religious convictions that the Bible presents men and women as separate, yet equal genders to be celebrated; I’m confident some will stop reading.

But I also believe that I am not alone. In fact, I am willing to state publicly that I believe a majority of the world’s population would agree with me that the differences between men and women should be celebrated, not erased. A cursory look at the American Film Institute’s top 100 movies of all time reveals that people the world over also love when men act like “real men” (masculine) and women act like…women (feminine).

Suzanne Venker recently opined that even the words masculine and feminine are under attack:

“Heterosexual marriages rely on the differences between women and men — beginning with the plumbing. But masculine and feminine have become dirty words. The feminist establishment insists gender isn’t biologically determined. Indeed, the purpose of the war is to convince women they’re really no different from men. All those physical, cognitive, and emotional differences they think exist are merely social constructs — the result of centuries of restraints and stereotypes imposed by a male-dominated society.”

But there is a war taking place that is quietly changing the landscape of America, the fabric of families, and the fibers of individuals. That war is an effort to erase gender lines and remove any differences between men and women. A recent article at InfoWars was about the “10 Ways Masculinity Is Under Attack” in our society. That article included such things as:

Degradation of Positive Masculine Role Models
Metrosexual Malaise
The Legal System Discriminates Against Men
Masculinity as a Dirty Word

As television and Hollywood increasingly portray men as either sexist sexual perverts or absurdly clueless morons, these images are what young men internalize and believe they are to mimic. Add to the mix the ever present media coverage of “role models” like professional athletes and musicians that seem to get a pass for lacking character, substance and morality and it’s no wonder an entire generation is growing up with identity issues. The InfoWars article states:

“Since advertising is primarily aimed at women, men in commercials are also now routinely depicted as either being emasculated losers or stupefied morons. Young men consuming this content grow up thinking that it is acceptable and even encouraged to aspire to these character traits. In doing so, they are robbed of their natural masculinity and find it extremely difficult to attract well-rounded women, who are rightly disgusted by such behavior.”

Why is an entire industry creating men that disgust every day women by portraying men in these ways? Could it be part of a larger effort to re-wire women and the type of man they desire? Is our culture aggressively seeking to convince women that they don’t want a man that is handy around the house, likes sports, desires to provide for his family, and sincerely seeks to lead his family? That is certainly not as crazy a thought as it was 30 years ago.

On top of this you have women writing articles like this one called: “I Look Down On Young Women With Husband’s and Kids and I’m Not Sorry.” In this very delightful piece of journalistic excellence, the author writes:

“Having kids and getting married are considered life milestones. We have baby showers and wedding parties as if it’s a huge accomplishment and cause for celebration to be able to get knocked up or find someone to walk down the aisle with. These aren’t accomplishments, they are actually super easy tasks, literally anyone can do them. They are the most common thing, ever, in the history of the world. They are, by definition, average. And here’s the thing, why on earth are we settling for average? If women can do anything, why are we still content with applauding them for doing nothing?”

Huh? Did this woman just say getting married and having kids are things “anyone can do”? Did she really just say that being a wife and homemaker amounts to “doing nothing”?

Obviously this woman doesn’t have the first clue of what it takes to not just bear children – biologically any woman can do that – but to raise children. She has definitely not taken a look at Salary.com’s estimation of what the “average” working mother and homemaker is worth. According to the salary calculation website a mother and homemaker is worth a whopping $113,000 dollars a year. Does that sound like “settling for average” to you?

Setting aside the monetary value of a competent mother and homemaker, her worth is far beyond any material gain as she works to train her children and prepare them for life as an adult. Some prefer schools, the government, Planned Parenthood, cable television and the Internet raise their kids, the effects of that philosophy are painfully obvious. Also obvious is the child that has a loving mother that used her time and talents to invest in her children and raise them with morals, character, integrity, and a work ethic. That has no price tag.

As long as society keeps strolling out Beyonce and Jay-Z, Kanye and Kim, Miley, Lena and other morally bankrupt individuals as “role models,” the confusion surrounding gender will persist. If these are the “heroes” culture wants us to claim traditional, masculine men will be ridiculed as barbaric chauvinists while traditional homemaking women are accused of settling for mediocrity. At this point it’s safe to say that family’s and kids are not better off or more well-adjusted than they were in years past. Whatever advancements we’ve made as a society have not offset the negatives experienced due to the loss of masculinity and femininity.

Say what you will, but I’ll watch John Wayne and Scarlet O’Hara over the Grammy’s any day.