Bob McClelland’s response to Rick Fletcher printed 12/16 was almost as troubling as Mr. McClelland’s 11/30/06 letter to the editor that promoted time-worn gender stereotypes. He summarized the human male as arrogant, non-relational, angry, confrontational, above compassion and full of greed, and contrasts this to the female capacity for “dialogue, compassion, compromise, love and nurturing.” Rick’s main point either went over Bob’s head or he intentionally ignored it when he wrote a response to his letter. Mr. Fletcher’s point warrants repeating, along with additional commentary, because it promotes a more dignified and higher-functioning version of the male of our species.

      Mr. McClellan has professed to be a Christian in at least one of his letters to the editor. For the Christian, there is no excuse for promoting anything but God’s standards for men and women. Unfortunately, many popular Christian leaders promote this same pathetic version of men—as driven and enslaved by impulses and limited in capacity for forethought, self-control, relationships, and love. Such stereotypes are crippling because they excuse bad behavior and attitudes while they promote weakness and laziness. They are a self-fulfilling prophecy.

      Though these various degrading descriptions fit a high percentage of men, including Christians, this is not and never has been God’s design for men. Christians are not justified in believing these descriptions are acceptable for, and compatible with, men who seek godliness. Such coarseness could not characterize beings made in God’s image. Throughout our book, “Broken”, that I co-authored with Dr. David Juroe, we expose these erroneous teachings by Christian leaders by comparing what they say to what Scripture has to say. We build the case for a version of man as God intended him to be. Because the secular world lacks God’s guidelines, observable behavior is a reasonable basis for it to determine differences between the genders. This secular segment of society depends on behavioral sciences and personal experience and can justify believing whatever they want to believe. We Christians are blessed with Holy Scripture, and our guidelines must reach God’s clear scriptural standard. If behaviors and attitudes do not match up to God’s commands, they must be labeled for what they are—sin—regardless who is teaching it or doing it, or how common or culturally acceptable it is.

      Christians fail when they employ a backwards approach to moral behavior, using standards based on what fallen man does rather than what Scripture dictates. They ignore the bulk of scriptural promises of life transformation and misrepresent the character of God who created us marvelously and wishes to bless us abundantly.

Annie Bukacek MD