So I was watching some videos by a conservative commentator I sometimes listen to, Andrew Klavan. He did a short segment talking about MGTOW, another talking about what to look for in a good wife. He was critical of MGTOW, mostly for the aspect of mistaking feminism for how all women are. He didn't really get into the aspect of the legal system being weighted against men, more about the mentality of the people involved in the "movement".
I made the mistake of wading into the comment section. The MGTOW people who showed up in response proved everything Klavan said about their mentality, and then some. He didn't go as far as to call MGTOW misogynistic, but I will. If the people who were commenting are representative of MGTOW, then it is a misogynistic group. People saying there's no such thing as a "good woman", making broad statements about how all women support injustices against men. Guys commenting under other people's comments, often women, just to accuse them of these things and tell them how terrible they are.
It's funny, because I think MGTOW has a point. The legal system is weighted against men with laws regarding marriage, and it's something men need to consider when looking for a partner and deciding if it's even worth it to get married. The system could stand to be reformed. And some men did talk about having very bad experiences with being married.
I don't think that amounts to a valid reason to avoid marriage altogether, because I'm a Christian and I believe there is a higher, God-given purpose to marriage beyond being a beneficial contract that the government recognizes. It's the God ordained context for sexual relationships, and for having a family. Having children and raising a family is something most people should aspire to, and a healthy, loving marriage is the best environment for kids to grow up in. Now having said that, it is Biblically valid to forego marriage in a certain context. If you can forego sexual relationships, if you think you can focus on serving God more without a spouse and children, then it's good not to marry. But somehow I don't think that's what MGTOW is aiming for.
MGTOW is premised on a non-religious worldview that doesn't see that higher purpose in marriage. It's godless. It's actually quite similar in its premises in that regard to radical feminism, post modernism, all the progressive -isms, taking God out of consideration. It's funny, when saying how unfair they were being towards women, I would get responses like, "Well feminism talks about men like this, so how DARE men talk that way in response!" It's like.... Yeah, radical feminism is pretty terrible. But that's no justification for expressing views that are just as terrible and erroneous, if not more so!
You're BOTH wrong.
Then there's the whole "good women who would make good wives don't exist". It's bitter, it's prejudiced, it's delusional. Yes, it can be hard to find good women, but you have to look in the right places, you have to set yourself up for success. You have to go where good women will be, you have to be the kind of man a good woman will find attractive. For me, there are plenty of good women in solid Bible-believing churches. But that's a whole other problem. A lot of these MGTOWs seem like they would be rather...out of place at a church, to put it lightly. The problem at that point being they aren't good men, not that there aren't any good women. It's a whole other topic, but it seems like they have a lot to work on about themselves before they can attract good women. But they don't seem interested in that, and would rather just rant about how there are no good women and that anyone who disagrees is out of touch or lying. It's pathetic.
Anyways. This was just on the brain after some interactions with MGTOWs. I know (I hope) not all MGTOWs are like that, but those interactions certainly left a bad taste in my mouth. There's a kernel of truth to what MGTOW asserts, but the worldview is askew and the response seems out of whack.