Three Ways in Which Feminism has already Won

There’s no denying it. Feminism is as strong as ever, with people of all ages, gender, creed and status all calling themselves feminists. Furthermore, being a feminist has become the de facto position for any progressive, educated person and telling anyone you do not subscribe to these ideas is as bad as being a neonazi. However, feminism has not always been this strong; it has slowly creeped upon society like a virus, using clever disguises and brilliant rhetoric in order to implant itself into culture and become dogma. It is so ingrained in first world culture, that people don’t even question the principles or philosophy of feminism, the same way we don’t question gravity. Here are three ways in which feminism has managed to inject itself into our collective societal belief system.

1.        The only goal of feminism is equality across genders.

Feminism is the radical notion that men and women are equal. This line gets thrown around to anyone who dares question feminism in any form. But, if feminism is only about men and women being equal why is there a “feminist theory”. Calling it a theory is quite the exaggeration, the same way you could call phrenology a proven science. Anyone who goes out of their way to not be called a feminist will most likely tell you that they too believe that men and women should be equal. What’s more, there are plenty of women who are anti-feminist who think men and women should be equal. The problem is not this supposed objective. The devil is in the details. However, by merely assuming that anyone who is not a feminist must be against equality among the sexes is a strategy that silences opposition for the fear of being labeled sexist. This brings us to number two.

2.       Not being a feminist is the same thing as being sexist.

We live in a society where nobody likes being called a bigot, racist, or sexist. These words are thrown around so much nowadays that they have almost lost any meaning. However, people still cringe when being accused of such crime. Feminists have managed to convince everyone that not being a feminist must indicate that the person is sexist or hates women. Anytime someone does not agree with feminist dogma is immediately labeled a misogynist, a rape enabler, a woman hater. This one is so deeply seated in the unconscious of people that they will even throw this out when you argue an unrelated topic with a supporter of feminism. In an exchange with PZ Myers, I called him an arrogant snob, and I got a reply from one of his [male] followers calling me a misogynist. It seems like this dogma has spread so far, that even questioning the feminist leaders on a topic that is not related to feminism makes you a misogynist. This is not surprising. Every cult, every religion where dogma is to be swallowed whole does not allow you to question the leader. Otherwise you risk expulsion from the group and the overt efforts of the group to shun you and make you a pariah. Does this ring a bell? I was actually thinking of scientologists who have defected, but it could very well apply for other well known Youtube atheists.

3.       Any arguments brought forward that are not in accord with feminism are dismissed a priori.

I recently had an exchanged on facebook with someone who labels herself a humanist and a feminist. She was complaining that she had spent ten minutes on a man rights webpage and that she now felt she had wasted those ten minutes of her life. Sidenote: Anyone who complains about having lost time on something is a complete tool. No one is forcing you to watch, listen or read. You only have yourself to blame. Stop crying about it. My conversation with this person was short and in it, I explained that even though I don’t consider myself an MRA, I do believe that there are plenty of issues that generate inequality and privilege for women that need to be addressed. This type of commentary can only result in three options. 1. Ridicule-- by making jokes about men rights. “What do you need a men rights group for? To argue about how you’re going to spend the extra thirty cents you make an hour?” 2. Ad hominem attacks-- “don’t comment on my page, you’re nothing but a disgusting MRA”, and 3. Dismissal.

Feminist dogma has so blinded these people that they can’t even consider an argument against their belief system. It is rejected before they even hear it. In this particular conversation, before I even had the chance to make an argument, it was dismissed and thrown out. It doesn't matter how polite you are, or how you approach the subject—from the beginning, you are already wrong—and in my case, irrational.

—Hey fellas, I’ve come to the conclusion that the earth spins around the sun!
—That’s ridiculous, and blasphemous, how dare you!
—Wait, don’t you want to hear my arguments before you tell me I’m wrong?
—We don’t need to hear them! We know they are irrational. Stop wasting our time.

This is feminist theory. It has all the building blocks of a religion and it reeks of dogma. What makes it so dangerous, is that it has managed to place itself as the righteous and progressive stance, when it is anything but. It has infiltrated the classrooms and lecture halls, sports, media and even our politics.  Important topics like infant male circumcision, male reproduction rights, protection for battered men, male abortion, child custody, alimony laws that were made in a time were women were completely absent from the professional realm, etc, etc, etc.

The only way to advance a truly egalitarian society is by addressing the concerns of everybody. There are many ways in which men are privileged over women, and there are many ways in which women are privileged. Women are released with a warning significantly more than men are. It is not uncommon for women to share their little victories in police enforcement.

—I just start crying and they usually feel bad for you.
—A little cleavage and a little flirt gets you free.

Feminism is like the Catholic Church in the middle ages. You have to agree with it and pay lip service to its doctrine, or you will be prosecuted by the Inquisition. Instead of calling you a witch, they’ll call you a misogynist (or a chill girl, or a gender traitor if you’re a woman). They probably won’t hang you or burn you at the stake, but they will most certainly shun you and try to get you to lose your job, or friends, or professional opportunities. This is the new feminism; an intolerant, irrational and sexist ideology that hides under the covers of persecution. When will we stop it?