Steve Deace, Abby Johnson warn against feminism of the Church, rise of ‘Karen Jezebels’ and weak men
Popular conservative talk show host Steve Deace recently warned about the harms of the feminization of the Church, the rise of "Karen Jezebels" and "weak men."
In a discussion with Abby Johnson on her “Politely Rude” podcast last month, Deace said that, in his opinion, “the number one thing that is killing us more than anything in this culture is the condition of the men."
"The average 25-year-old man in America, for the first time ever, is more likely to still be living at home with a parent than in another home married with a wife and a child. That's never happened before in American history,” he told Johnson.
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Listen to Steve Deace on Abby Johnson's "Politely Rude" podcast
Deace said that many issues, including abortion, all rest “at the foot of the men,” because they are failing at their responsibility to deliver godly relational headship.
“Creation operates on the principle of headship. And headship is not authority. We already have an authority: God. Headship is responsibility. Meaning that the primary conduit of responsibility for what happens in that home and happens in that family, the one that God's going to hold accountable first is the man,” Deace said.
Regarding man being held accountable first, Deace cited Genesis 3, when Adam was punished for listening to Eve when she offered him the forbidden fruit and he accepted.
“Wherever the men abdicate their responsibility, there is holy Hell, literally, to be unleashed afterwards," he said.
Deace also believes that the feminist movement "has been the greatest thing that's ever happened to men," as it helped release men from family responsibilities.
Johnson agreed, adding that female pastors have been a hindrance to men's ministry. Deace concurred, noting that young men being taught by female church leadership has led to many men being taught feminine qualities instead of manly attributes.
He said men need to be taught in the Church how to be spiritual leaders, because men and women's relationships within the family are different.
Deace highlighted the account of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel from 1 Kings in the Old Testament, saying that Ahab demonstrates “the worst form of human political leadership” as a king, behaving passively as a husband and a ruler.
“He takes the initiative for almost nothing. It's his pagan wife, Jezebel. Kind of the Philistine ‘Karen.’ She basically is the Alpha. She leads on everything,” Deace said.
Deace cited 1 Kings 21, which recounts Ahab trying to convince one of his subjects to sell him a vineyard. His subject, however, would not sell it to him. Ahab returns to his palace, tells Jezebel, who in response tells Ahab to murder the subject and take what he wants, because he is king.
“I mean that is kind of a metaphor for that entire era; that weak men lead to hard times is what you're saying there,” Deace explained. "And so, where does this passivity come from? And why has the Church accepted feminization? A lot of churches nowadays don't have very strong men's ministries."
Deace surmised that this is because men and women have fundamental differences on how they do ministry and community, with men needing male church leaders.
“Women have strength and courage, but their primary driver is relational. Men care greatly about relationship, but our primary driver is result-oriented and that's often where our strength and courage comes from,” he said.
Deace said men differ from women because men typically only share their feelings to quickly get to solution, repent, be held accountable and then they don't re-hash the issue. Whereas women put more value in someone else identifying and empathizing with them in challenging moments.
According to Deace, the role of men in leadership positions has been nearly lost in the American Church to women who aren't making decisions based on practical leadership solutions, but based on relational emotionality.
“What we have done is created men who are safe, so they're of no good to anybody at all. And that's why ‘Karen’ Jezebel … that's why she reigns supreme, unchallenged. Because we're either passive aggressive like Ahab, or we're actually even in on encouraging it, which is worse,” he said.
Nicole VanDyke is a reporter for The Christian Post.
