The term 'male chauvinism' did not come into widespread use in the English language until the 1960's when it was first applied to men by feminists. Originally it was applied to men who thought that the male gender was superior to the female one but later came to be used as part of the vocabulary of political correctness with the newer designation, 'sexism', as one who believed in biblical patriarchy and was opposed to the secular attempt to homogenise gender rôles. Today a 'chauvanist' or 'sexist' tends to embrace the extreme Marxist meaning of one who adheres to the biblical model of the family.

The word 'chauvanism' itself was first used in 1870 to describe exaggerated, blind patriotism and owes its origin to one Nicholas Chauvin, a legendary soldier in Napoléon's Grand Armée, coming into popular use in France in 1831. So like most words in our unstable language, the meaning of the word 'chauvinist' has changed. That is particularly important to realise when this word is levelled as a criticism against believers comitted to biblical emet or truth.

If we are going to be completely honest and open about ourselves then if we accept the definition of chauvinism as properly understood as denoting one who thinks he or she is superior to the opposite gender, then we are all chauvinists de facto. I am a chauvinist and you are a chauvinist and we would both be right and both be speaking the truth. Whoever you are, I am superior to you in some things and you are superior to me. You may, for example, be a better cook or mathematician than me and if you said so to me, how could I say you were wrong? Would that make you a chauvanist? Absolutely, and I would not be able to fault you. You would be speaking the truth.

Biolgically men are superior to women in some things and inferior in others. Women obviously make better mothers than men. Men are, as a rule, physically stronger than women. And I am sure you could make a list of virtues and weaknesses of the two genders with two columns denoting superiority or inferiority and we could more or less be agreed. However, this really isn't the issue at all. Anyone with any modicum of common sense and intelligence knows tat the two genders have respective strengths and weaknesses and the mature amongst them simply accept that as inevitable reality and gets on with life. The problems arise when two things happen:

• 1. You look down on a weak trait of one of the genders and arrogantly make this an excuse to riddicule, insult or oppress; and
• 2. You try to politically legislate against those differences by denying reality and forcing the genders to be what they are not.

It does not, however, take Christianity or the Bible to tell people the truth. Nature itself tells you (if you bother to study it out) and attempts to prove that nature is 'evolving' into something 'better' and 'genderless' as far as traditional rôles are concerned, is pure bunkum. The social construct that enables the Marxist system to work is an artificial one that runs against biology. Once its props are removed, man reverts back to the natural social order planted into him by the Creator. What the secularists then considered to be a 'demeaning' rôle for women becomes essential both for survival and social cohesion of both men and women. Not even interventionist genetic modification will be able to change that.

Genetically, men were created by Yahweh to be superior in certain things that are unique only to men, while women were created to be the helpers of men with certain superiority that is unique to women. This is a foundational truth which no social engineer will be able to change without destroying humanity itself. To be a 'helper' or 'assistant' is not an inferior rôle otherwise we could say that the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit), who is described as a "helper", should then be classified as 'inferior'.

"But the Helper, the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit), whom the Father will send in My name, ... will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26, NKJV).

"For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'Yahweh is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" (Heb.13:5-6, NKJV).

"And the Yahweh-Elohim said, "It is not good that man (Adam) should be alone; I will make him a helper (Eve) comparable (neged - a counterpart) to him" (Gen.2:18, NKJV).

What men don't often realise is that there can be two driving forces behind this unnatural desire and that they are often partly responsible for them:

• 1. The men are chauvinist 'jerks' (if I may borrow the Amnerican pejorative) who treat their women with derision, seeing them not as compliments but as inferior slaves to be exploited and trampled on; and

• 2. The lies of the Enemt who seeks to destroy gender rôles and so shatter the family and turn both men and women into his slaves by operating on both of them - on the men by getting them to abuse their women, and on the women by getting them to abandon their rôle, turn on their men, and abandon their place.

Leaders and helpers are equal but different. The leader needs the helper and the helper needs the leader. They may deceive themselves into believing otherwise and so end up as lonely men and aimless women. Men treat women like inferior slaves and women treat men with disrespect and contempt because in the non-Christian word pride is taught as the highest virtue when ahavah (love) in emet (truth) in divine tavnith (pattern) is the only thing that will make both genders truly happy. The world teaches self-esteem while Christianity teaches Elohim-Esteem! Unless ahavah (love) is enmeshed in emet (truth) and divine tavnith (pattern) it will simply spill and dissipate, and be unable to multiply or bring simcha (joy) to mankind.

Man is so made to have the need for his wife to be dependent on and submitted to him, and woman is made to need her husband's favour and ahavah (love). Neither can help their needs because that is the way they were made by the Creator. A man is not a chauvinist pig for needing this esteem and a woman is not some clingy parasite for needing love and protection. He should welcome her clinging to him and she should welcome him wanting to conquer (by the attraction of righteousness), rule (as head) and love her (as the "weaker vessel" - 1 Pet.3:7). These may seem insane, chauvinistic ideas to our brainwashed secularised, Marxist world but if you will honestly look deep into the human psyche you will see that these are fundamental truths, and that in the core of every man and woman's heart, this is what they so desperately want and need. This relationship - also frowned on by feminists and others - is called co-dependency but reading the Marxist literature you would think it was some sort of disease. Why are spouses supposed to be co-dependent? Because they are supposed to be a single unit - an echad oneness.

The Scriptures say:

"No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Master (Yah'shua/Jesus) does the Messianic Community (Church)" (Eph.5:29, NKJV).

Each gender has their own separate responsibilies to walk in the rôles that Yahweh assigned them in the true spirit of Christ, without pride or arrogance, and without expecting the other to take the initiative. We have our rôles no matter how our spouses may choose to behave. A man must defend his assigned rôle loving but firmly and without compromise, as Yah'shua (Jesus) did before Satan during the 40 day-long wilderness temptations, and a woman must defend hers as befitting one who is a helper and nurturer. The man must not succumb to the temptation to react in anger or violence when his woman is in rebellion and the woman must not succumb to the temptation to rebel or attempt to assume the leadership of a family when her husband is being a 'chauvinist pig'. Neither is easy. It requires great patience, a battle against pride, and a determination to remain in avahah (love) emet (truth) and tavnith (pattern). None of us do this perfectly but this does not give us the excuse to cease from pursuing that perfection, meaning, we should never cease trying to be perfectly human in Christ and to resist the inhumanity of the demonically-inspired and -driven temptation to act out of tavnith (pattern):

"Therefore you shall be perfect (complete), just as your Father in heaven is perfect (complete)" (Matt.5:48, NKJV).

May the complimetary of the genders be understood as divine reflections of the complimentary of the Father Yahweh and the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) who are inseparable. Adjusting to the heavenly way may take a while for those of you who have recently come out of the world and to salvation. There is only one Way for the genders and it is a good way. May you find shalom (peace) and simcha (joy) in this Way in Yah'shua our Messiah (Jesus Christ)!

Comments from Readers

"While reading this, I thought how a husband is greater than his wife (as Yah'shua is superior to the Bride, and the Bride isn't greater than Him in any place), but where we as women or wives have a place, and are of worth in Elohim's pattern or tavnith, and to be cherished... it's good :)

"And where in truth, is the weakness of the woman or wife as a weaker vessel a blessing (in that where the vessel is weaker, yet the weakness so that Elohim's glory and strength and the glory of His pattern or tavnith may be revealed?) Even as a branch is weaker then the vine it's grafted it, but was chosen to display the glory of the Vine?

"Something I though about a while ago is if you look at a tree for instance, and just look at the trunk, it is not always considered (looking from outside) the most 'beautiful' part of the tree... but it reveals and displays its beauty and splendor in its branches. And how some, maybe looking at Elohim or Christ or Christianity may not always find Him attractive in their blindness...But seeing the beauty of the fruit of the Ruach displayed in us, see His glory?

"Even so, where a wife is as a little branch, in her weakness is to reveal the glory of her husband as the big branch, and of Yah'shua the Vine :)" (DP, South Africa, 27 February 2011)