Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Love, Joy, Feminism

Home
Nonreligious
A World Without Men

A World Without Men

Last updated on: August 27, 2020 at 5:00 am by Libby Anne

A World Without Men 2020-08-26T18:55:19-04:00 Libby Anne

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Patriarchal blogger Lori Alexander maintains a chat-room of “like minded” women that she consults on various questions or issues. See, for example, her introduction to a recent post:

The radical feminists’ leaders were clear that they didn’t like men. Feminism’s entire purpose was to promote competition with men and even wants superiority over them. (Why do you think they are clamoring for a female president?) They falsely believe that women are better than men. Modern women now claim that they don’t need men. They are strong, independent, and free. I asked the women in the chat room to imagine a world without men and here is what they came up with.

This is a completely butchered reading of what feminists actually say and believe, of course, especially given the fact that feminism is not a monolith. Feminism does not seek to “promote competition with men” or “superiority over them.” In addition, claiming not to “need” men (Lori’s phrasing, not mine) is absolutely not the same thing as wanting to live in a world without men.

The problem is not so much that Lori does not know what feminists actually want or believe as it is that she willfully misunderstands what feminists actually want or believe.

So. What do the women in Lori’s chat room think a world without men would look like? Buckle up, because this is going to be a wild ride!

“Where would we live in? I can’t imagine our roads and buildings would be what they are right now.” (Paulina Marie)

These women think so little of women and their abilities that it almost hurts. Do they really think women are not capable of building houses or maintaining roads? I find this especially maddening given that, in my family, I am the one who fixes and builds, not my husband.

“Our cars would mostly be broken. I know just a little about turning wrenches, but most women don’t. Even what I do know would be useless once the fuel supply ran out … Very few women work in the mines or the oilfield..” (Rachel)

You know what? The vast majority of men also cannot fix their own cars. Frankly, cars aren’t really designed such that they can be fixed by laypeople anymore, male or female.

“Houses to love in, trees to cut down for fire wood, protection during the night when we hear something, and hard discipline issues with pre-teen boys! So, so many things I could list!” (Jennifer)

Do these people honestly think women can’t chop wood? I’ve chopped wood! And what exactly sort of discipline issues are we talking about here? Frankly, I am creeped out by that sentence. Are we talking about a level of corporal punishment only men are capable of meeting out? Yikes.

“We would probably be walking in wooded over-grown places and be poor, lonely, homeless, and it definitely wouldn’t be good!” (Heather)

Does Heather have any idea how many completely helpless men I’ve met? This claim that men are all wilderness experts who can build houses, chop wood, and fix their own cars is utter nonsense.

“Men are the majority workers in anything physically demanding: oil fields, mines, factories, mechanical, construction, police officers, firefighters, and even the women EMT’s call in the men for heavy patients. Women are the physically weaker sex. We cannot do everything a man can do. It’s impossible. Even if there is a manly strong woman, that’s a rarity and would not be enough to sustain our race.” (Cassie)

Oh FFS.

You know what’s odd? These women are typically the same sort of people who also valorize pioneer women. Pioneer women chopped wood, pulled plows, and built houses with their own two hands. The idea that women are weak or delicate is the product of an upper middle class Victorian worldview that arose in the 1800s. Women are neither weak nor delicate, and never have been.

It’s true that many careers have a gender imbalance, including careers like construction, car mechanics, and energy extraction. It does not follow that women cannot, or would not, do those jobs in a world without men. They can, and they would. There are many, many women who do these things now—and many, many women who are far more adept at such work than their significant others.

See, I grew up believing just as Lori and her chat room friends believe. After I got married, I expected my husband to be our family’s handy man. I expected him to fix things when they broke; I expected him to build things when things needed to be built. He did neither, and I grew frustrated. He was supposed to be doing these things! Things would be broken, and they would stay broken.

Then one day I realized how ridiculous I was being. I got out some tools and I fixed the things myself. I fixed and I built, and as I did so, I realized that I’m actually really good at this. Not only that, I realized that I like fixing and building! I have sometimes wondered whether I went into the wrong career.

To go from this to reading Lori’s friends bemoaning the fact that, in the absence of men, there would be no houses or chopped wood or roads or anything built—it’s like reading something in a foreign language without any ability to comprehend it. It’s not just that it’s wrong, it literally does not make sense.

I don’t want to live in a world without men because I like my husband, and my son. They make my life richer by being in it, not because they fill some sort of set function, but because they are human beings that I have relationships with—people I care about, and people who care about me in turn. Lori and her friends should try this. Individual relationships are far better than expecting someone to fit a type.

Also, dudes with no hands-on aptitude or interest in fixing or building—I see you. You still have value.

I have a Patreon! Please support my writing!

Uncategorized

Previous Post

August 26, 2020

Jerry Falwell and the Pool Boy

Next Post

August 28, 2020 The Vision: The Two Brews and the Canine Resurrection

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Atheism Evangelicalism/Fundamentalism Family Feminism Homeschool Meta Parenting Patriarchy Politics Purity Quiverfull Social Justice Uncategorized Worthwhile reads

Select a Month February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Where was Jesus Born?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Nazareth Shiloh Jerusalem Bethlehem