The danger of red pill assumptions about human nature

Red pill gives us “how things are” without factoring in the fall or the power of redemption. That is its danger. Its benefit is found in a willingness to state things that feminized evangelicals refuse to admit are true.

The red pill calls attention to biological and psychological realities that are largely products of God’s creational design. The data, for the most part, is solid. In other words, the red pill provides a good description of how each sex actually behaves, and even identifies some base motivators for those behaviors.

However, it is important to we remember the naturalistic fallacy when considering red pill sexuality. “Is” doesn’t equal “ought.” Red Pill excels in pointing out the “is.” But “oughts” are derived from an ultimate standard which provides an interpretive grid for all the red pill data.

There are two important facts from Scripture—the ultimate standard—that a Christian must factor in as he considers red pill concepts:

1. The fall

We believe that God’s design, though not destroyed, has been disfigured by the fall. We know from Genesis 3 that the curse has wreaked havoc on intersexual dynamics.

In other words, the way things are aren’t the way they were.

For example, hypergamy is a perfect illustration of a God-given drive that has been ruined by the fall. It is natural for a woman to desire a competent and healthy man of the highest possible status. However, it is a sinfully discontent heart that drives a woman to “monkey-branch” from one guy to another in search for an ever-higher status man.

We must understand hypergamy as it currently is in the light of mankind’s sinful tendencies. The same is true of all red pill principles.

2. Regeneration

Just as important as the fall is what God is doing about it. Through the gospel and the Holy Spirit, he provides Christians with real power to overcome sin.

We aren’t just biological machines. We are more than material. We have spirits, and spiritual rebirth changes us in a thoroughgoing and fundamental way. Passages to prove this are too abundant for us to list them all, but we’d encourage you to especially look up:

Because of regeneration, we are able to increasingly overcome our sinful tendencies (1 John 3:9). This is the doctrine of sanctification; a basic staple of Christian dogma.

The upshot is that some of the tendencies pointed out by red pill can be disciplined and redirected towards their original design. We can’t fully obliterate the sinful aspects, but the gospel does move us towards a restoration of pre-fall sexuality.