Woman, Thou Art (A Little Too) Loosed! Jakes says modern culture is ‘raising up women to be men’

Jul 21

By Ebony Bachelor // Women’s Issues // EEW Magazine Online

A Father’s Day message from Bishop T.D. Jakes is under scrutiny after going viral and gaining fresh media coverage a month later.

In a sermon titled “Real Men Pour In,” highlighted by The Christian Post, the 65-year-old pastor of The Potter’s House of Dallas speaks out against the modern day “sociological order” he claims is “raising up women to be men” and destroying families in the process.

The charismatic preacher focuses on the “divine order” or hierarchical structure that men and women are intended to adhere to according to 1 Corinthians 11:3: “The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”

“If Adam had not allowed Eve to pour into him, sin would have never come into the world. Sin came into the world because Adam broke the order,” says Jakes, referencing the Genesis 3 story where Eve, after being deceived by the serpent, convinced her husband to partake of the forbidden fruit.

“We were not designed to receive from women,” continues Jakes, comparing the Bible story to money and power dynamics in marriage. “Your self-esteem is compromised when you have to ask your wife for lunch money.”

Though this type teaching is not new to the church, Jakes expresses awareness that the headship of the man “breaks all the sociological order of the culture we are living in now because we are raising up women to be men.”

His perspective has drawn online backlash from those that view this message as misogynistic and condescending toward women.

The entrepreneur, best-selling author and husband of 40 years, tells women, “You are not applauded for your femininity. You are applauded in the contemporary society by how tough, rough, nasty, mean, aggressive, hateful, possessive you are. And you're climbing the corporate ladder, but we are losing our families.”

The audience applauded in agreement, but everyone on social media isn’t applauding.

“Faith spaces have got to stop teaching women to shrink themselves to accommodate the emotional insecurity of men,” tweeted Chucalissa Cheer Chaplain.

Conversely, there are online advocates, too. “He spoke nothing but the truth. I'm a 38 year old single eligible man. I make good money and attend church every Sunday, but the women in my age range are hardened, sour, and too busy trying to prove how independent they are. This is not God's teachings,” said J. Mulholland.

Jakes is even drawing comparisons to the late Kevin Samuels, the controversial relationship coach with polarizing views on women.

“When they realize TD Jakes said the same thing Kevin Samuels was saying but he didn’t ask for tithes,” tweeted E Redd with a laughing emoji.

Plenty reactors, however, are doing anything but laughing. They are upset and see Jakes’ teaching as harmful to women.

The “Woman Thou Art Loosed” conference founder warns ladies, “I know you can buy your own car. I know you can buy your own house. But until you create a need that I can pour into, I have no place in your life. So, stop coming home bragging to me about how much you don't need me and wonder why I shy away.”

Jakes also says, “The conversation has become, 'Let’s prove to the men how dispensable they are.' And it is born out of pain ‘cause we hurt you, and betrayed you, and lied to you and cheated on you, and you became like you became out of pain. But watch what is born out of pain.”

Watch below: