FICTIONAL SUPER HEROES 
There are real super heroes and there are fictional ones. We know the real super heroes have super human strength and can do feats that mortal man cannot do. Flying, beating alien villains, breaking mountains in half, destroying steel tanks, etc, are all possible by real super heroes. But “fictional” super heroes can do none of these.

Where are the “fictional” super heroes? They are on television every night, three or four times a night, on the cop and investigative fictional shows. And every one of them has fictional super powers. They don’t claim to be anything more than human but they can out run, out shoot, and they can out-think anyone they encounter – . They are bullet proof and portray themselves as super human.

Especially prominent and my “favorite” to loathe fictional super heroes are the women on these shows. They are tougher and better than any man. This becomes apparent when the men stand aside and let the woman slug the bad guy who gets knocked out cold. This tough superiority of the female super hero arises often when a couple of men on the show are trading words in heated argument and the superior woman interrupts very smartly and says something like, “When you two finish measuring your manhood, we have work to do.” The message is clear: she is so above these silly men. They shut up and tuck their tails and manhood and give her due super hero respect – just like the Hollywood script tells them to do. And when she has taken down the arch villain, the homicidal murdering rapists, the fellow law enforcers look back and forth, bowing and giving homage to the awesome badness of the super hero woman. There’s a message in all of this that’s coming from our godless culture that says there’s no difference between man and woman.

But there is a difference and we know it to our very core. With the Ray Rice video where he does the despicable deed of knocking the woman out cold, we have been told by everyone from the Vice President of the United States on down that a man never, never, never hits a woman. Of course I agree. But why aren’t the people pushing super hero status of women jumping up and saying, “That’s sexist to say a woman is never hit because it implies the weakness of a woman.”? Why they aren’t standing up and defending the sameness of male and female is because they know it’s a fiction.

Do I believe women are weak? Sure, the Bible and Biology says so. Her hormones, designed by God, do not equip her with the strength that male hormones equip the man with. The Bible says she’s the weaker vessel. Only a blind person would say otherwise. The Bible says she is to be honored, 1 Pt 3:7. A woman has equal worth and value to God and to godly men. A woman has her own strengths that are many and she is greatly valued by spiritual people. Just take a look at the “worthy woman” of Proverbs 31 and you’ll see the virtue and strength that is possible in woman. My issue here is with the fiction being pushed that women are the same as men. The dialogue of a television show pushing this super hero persona is so far from reality that it’s revolting to me.

A godly person, man or woman, is fighting more meaningful battles and is victorious in ways the Hollywood crowd could only wish to approximate. In Hollywood and popular culture, it’s just play and pretend. Comparatively, the regular meme of the super, super, super tough woman of television is no match. WHEN A GODLY WOMAN FIGHTS FOR HER FAMILY AND SACRIFICES HER VERY LIFE TO BRING HER CHILDREN UP TO WALK BEFORE THE LORD, THAT’S A WOMAN WORTHY OF HERO STATUS. Christians who fight the spiritual battles and stand for the Truth in the face of strong opposition, that’s the story that should be portrayed on the nightly shows. But television “fictional” super heroes are too worldly to play a real hero.

Let’s teach our children about the real heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. Let’s teach them about David slaying a giant and Samson and Josiah who did great things for the Lord. Let’s teach our daughters about the courage of Deborah the Judge, Ruth, and Sarah. Let’s teach our children about the godly men and women who have left homes to take the Gospel into the world. Saints have given their lives for the cause of Christ. They are the real heroes. Moms who strive to exemplify the spirit of Christ for their family are heroes. Dads who are spiritually strong and sacrifice themselves to lead and provide for their families are the heroes we should give honor to.

Said with love and respect for God’s men AND women. – Dan Mayfield

Categories: Uncategorized