I get what you're saying.
I'm merely saying that there are two sides to every coin.
Also, I've seen men storm through these forums like runaway trains before while seeking to run over as many women possible in the process.
Part of my nature as a man is to protect and defend women (assuming that they're not justifiably guilty, that is), so if for no other reason, then I'm going to try to bring balance at times to see that neither side is treated or represented unfairly.
That's just me.
Of course, the irony is that many women here can't stand me.
Go figure...
I don't value people enough to hate them. You have to value a person or their opinions to hate them or spend time trying to tear them down. Jealous people do it all the time. So, there's no one I feel pressed to run down or run over. All I see are vulnerable hens in a chicken run and roosters doing what they were designed to do. We're all fools. How can I pursue a fool and be a greater fool for it.
As for a man's nature, God made it the nature of all living things to protect those who are weaker. You see this in the animal kingdom. In fact, you'll see it among plants too. (I'll share more about this below.) The Bible says, "We who are strong ought to bear with the scruples (or shortcomings or weaknesses) of the weak and not to please ourselves (not use our strength to serve only ourselves)" (Romans 15:1). Everyone innately knows the stronger are supposed to protect the weaker.
However.
I am aware inside myself what is actually proper when it comes to protecting and defending. God never meant men to be 'white knights' who think they're obligated to save and defend all women. If she's not your mom, sister, wife, or daughter, you have zero obligations to her. What you do, you're supposed to do for goodness's sake, not out of obligation. I'm not opening the door for a woman when walking into a store nor jumping in to save a woman who is getting assaulted (I'll call the police if no one else is around). Those things are none of my business nor has God made them my business.
My sister once called me to call her ex-boyfriend and somehow 'threaten' or coerce or convince him into getting back with him. She complained to me that he called her "crazy" as if those are fighting words. I'm the coolest head among her brothers. If she'd told my older brother, he'd be ready to at least threaten her ex; if she'd told my younger brother, he'd be willing to fly in from another city to beat up her ex (which was why he was her favorite brother); but if she told me, I had to get all the facts and then make a proper decision. I called him because she wanted me to. He was in a grocery store checkout line when I called, and when he heard I was her brother, he immediately became defensive. I told him to relax and just tell me what caused him to break up with her. In so many words, he said it just didn't work out. Okay. So I called my sister back and told her what he told me.
Do you know what her response to me was? "You didn't take my side?" No. I didn't. I told her he'd done nothing wrong and just didn't want to be with her. I don't show anyone partiality. Men have showed women partiality for women and you know what that does? It has the same effect that spoiling a child does:
it makes people worse human beings. I wasn't obligated to force or coerce or assault or slander my sister's ex just because that was what she wanted. She cried some more and hung up. Maybe she thought I was a terrible brother. I could care less. I'm aware of what the real rules are and where my obligations lie; I can also distinguish between
obligation and
good deed.
Now, for plants and protecting the weak. All Creation is alive, because God (His power) inside everything makes it alive. This means that everything can be negatively affected (we know this because the Fall already negatively affected all of Creation) and everything can be positively affected. It also means that somehow everything has a consciousness of some kind meaning they must be able to 'feel' or 'sense' which really makes perfect sense to be honest. Dr. Masaru Emoto has done experiments to see the effect of positive and negative words on water, plants, etc.
The experiments have turned up surprising results, showing that water and plants (and all creation) have a consciousness and that a person's spirit (ie. feelings, thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, baises, prejudices, etc.) does 'travel out' on/with their words, therefore being able to affect other people and things positively or negatively. I share three short videos below. There was also a wheat plant experiment (I won't try to find it now) in which three trays of wheat were planted by a window. Positive words were spoken to Tray A, negative words to Tray B, and Tray C was neglected. At the end of the test, the wheat in Tray A (positive words) had grown the highest; wheat in Tray C (no words) grew a little but not as much, and the wheat in Tray B (negative words) grew the least.
While the wheat in Tray B grew straight up, the wheat in Tray A and Tray C had leaned over towards each other over the wheat in Tray B as if to protect it from the negative words. Some people might say this isn't possible; but the Bible shows that all Creation has a consciousness and can be affected by both good and bad. Eg.:
1.) Jesus said to the religious who complained that people were praising Him as the Messiah,
"I tell you the truth, if they keep quiet the stones will cry out" (Luke 19:40). There are many people who say that was a proverbial saying. Fine. On to the next:
2.)
"You will go out with joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and the hills will break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12). This also can be forced under the metaphorical label, but there are more:
3.)
"The earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:19-23). The Creation spoken of here is not human beings; it's other created things: animals, plant life, dirt, water, etc.
The following videos show that words, tunes/sounds, and mostly
heart intentions/attitudes/thoughts/feelings (from/with words or without words; ie. wishing something, strongly desiring something, or trying to fantasize something into reality) do affect the shape or structure of water molecules, rice, and plants and so therefore do affect human beings.
Having said all that and acknowledging that "we are who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak", it still remains true that you aren't meant to obligate yourself to the weak but to consider (or be mindful of) their weakness in your interactions with them. Afterall, God doesn't
obligate Himself to human beings for being weak (because that's not the rule); but He is
mindful of our weaknesses and deals with us from an awareness of our weaknesses, not from a sense of obligation:
"He knows our frame [lit. He 'understands our constitution']; He remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:4).
You can be
mindful of how to treat people; but you shouldn't
obligate yourself to anyone except those you are in fact obligated to.
