Suffering imparts a unique contextual authority.

Readership: All; Men;
Theme: Awareness and Introspection
Length: 1,100 words
Reading Time: 6 minutes

Intro

A previous post, Faith and Authority (2025/8/29), explained my understanding of Authority as it relates to Faith. In summary, various expressions of Faith are built on an Authority of some type and cannot very well exist without it.

Faith and Authority can also be obtained through suffering.

This post will examine a couple of relevant issues related to this.

Over the past couple of years, some authors and commenters at the Σ Frame blog have been criticized for being primarily motivated to avoid suffering. The nature of these accusations have implied that this is essentially cowardice, or a vain attempt at maintaining a Comfort Zone or self-preservation in place of obeying the Lord and sharing in His sufferings (1 Peter 4:13).

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For example, one blogger said,

“Anonymity is a falsehood. Lying—sinning—to protect yourself is never justified. There are alternatives to lying that accomplish the same goal of protection. Those are permitted. Anonymity is not.

Moreover, to be persecuted and insulted is to seek reward, rejoicing, and gladness: the very kingdom of heaven.”

I will address the first statement in the last section below.

Concerning the latter statement, while this is true, it is NOT the whole truth.  I’ll cover this in the next section.

Understanding the Purpose of Suffering

Oftentimes, suffering is unavoidable, but sometimes it is simply the natural result of a decision or a habit, either good or bad. While suffering can build character and lead to glory, it can also lead to bitterness, unbelief, hell, and ruin. This potential negative outcome of suffering has been understated. Omitting this possibility does not grant men the freedom to choose that form of suffering which is beneficial to the Kingdom of God.

One of the many purposes of this blog is to help men understand the causes and the nature of suffering, and to determine if a particular form of suffering might be redemptive or not.  In The TLDR on Suffering (2023/3/10), I spelled out 5 different sources of suffering for men to know which type of suffering they are enduring and whether it is truly necessary for one’s spiritual growth and/or the advancement of His Kingdom.  If so, then by all means, share in the Lord’s glory. Let that suffering build character, determination, and perseverance within your soul. Rest assured that your suffering has value. But if not, then it is only slowing you down, sucking your energy, sapping your potential, and delaying the fulfillment of your purpose.

Persecution and suffering only carry eternal rewards when one is trusting in the Authority of the Lord, NOT in one’s efforts in the flesh, or the authority of one’s own identity, or others’ recognition of one’s identity. Instead, we must identify with Christ’s sufferings.

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Suffering Anonymously

As I stated in the previous post, blogs are primarily a forum for sharing and discussing ideas and viewpoints. A good many of the ideas expressed in the Manosphere are born out of suffering. It is as though every kernel of wisdom must be bought with blood. Personally, I believe many such men have suffered in this way for the Kingdom. Indeed, society is now closer to the Kingdom than it was 5 or 10 years ago, in spite of the continuing decline.

Some Manospherians voice provocative and unpopular perspectives for the edification of others — perspectives containing uncomfortable truths that were bought and purchased via personal suffering. Some such netizens choose anonymity to avoid or contain the harmful variety of suffering that may result from sharing the fruits of their past sufferings. This type of suffering is experienced as persecution for stating the truth, and it is often just as detrimental as it is beneficial, or even more so depending on the man.

A few individuals are deeply bothered by the anonymity of participants in blog discourse. One such person asked,

“By what means can Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 18 be implemented when the people involved are anonymous?”

As I stated in the previous post, Matthew 18 is intended to resolve interpersonal conflicts between two fellow believers within a church, NOT to govern philosophical debates on blog forums. Also, anonymity does not remove a believer from under Christ’s Authority, nor does it detract from the value of his writings. The truth speaks for itself, no matter who is saying it.  Anonymity only removes one from being subject to non-Christ-like authorities.

Complaining about anonymity is a non sequitur in terms of dialogue.  Besides, how does effectively doxxing one’s self and potentially cancelling one’s self glorify the Lord?

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Conclusions

Going back to the issue of why men choose to avoid suffering, and why other men chastize them for their decision in this, let’s ask ourselves a few revealing questions.

  1. What man has the authority to ask another man to willingly suffer?
  2. By what authority does one speak or claim to have when exhorting others to suffer in a particular manner?
  3. Is this exhortation done under the Lord’s authority, or is it an appeal to false guilt — which is a form of w!tchcr@ft?
  4. Is the man who is encouraging another man to suffer acting in the capacity of a responsible and trustworthy mentor to that man?
  5. Will the man who advises another man to suffer stand by that man when suffering comes?

I believe only those men who have already suffered, who have carried the Cross of this Age, and have paid the cost, truly possess the prerequisite authority for exhorting other men to suffer in a similar manner (2 Corinthians 1). Having suffered and died on the cross, Christ has this authority (Matthew 28:18), and also certain men to a lesser extent in proportion to their own sufferings.

IME, men who have suffered for righteousness are NOT in the habit of idly asking other men to do the same, but rather support those who are already suffering. Stating that Christian men are to share in Christ’s sufferings is theologically correct, but asking or expecting other men to willingly suffer in ways that one has not done himself is hypocrisy.

Let us recall Lexet’s Axiom, AKA Σ Frame Axiom 41: “People who are obsessed about anonymous writers online want to silence them.” I also believe such men are suffering from acute envy, although they remain ignorant of the associated sufferings that accompany the things envied.

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