(Insert really catchy title on:) misogyny

I’d never intended to write about this here, but I do cherish clarity, as much as I sometimes don’t achieve it.

In the atheist community, for the past couple of years now (has it really been that long??), the term "misogyny" has been used with a good deal of frequency and a minimal deal of care. I won’t attempt to support or rebut its usage except to say that I’m unconvinced that it’s been applied accurately in every single case to which it was applied.

We all know the Greek. Hate + women. I recognize that the term doesn’t have to employ such a strict definition in order to apply to a person or situation. That said, though, I choose not to use the term myself unless I feel it comes as close to the Greek as it can since to use it for increasingly broader senses deflates the power of the word and diminishes the importance of the situations to which its more Greek definition could apply.

In some situations to which I’ve heard the word applied, words like "sexism" may have been more appropriate. Same with "misogynist" vs. "sexist." Thus, when an argument has erupted over someone being a "misogynist" or doing something "misogynistic," it’s never been that I’ve assumed something didn’t happen or someone wasn’t acting offensively; however, as I stated above, I’ve remained unconvinced that "misogyny" or "misogynist" was always the best word to use to describe the someone or something in question.

So when I say "misogyny" in quotes, it’s not that I doubt its existence, but rather that I doubt that its usage in both definition and scope are always accurate or appropriate.

I hope that clarifies a bit. If not, feel free to comment below.