Warning: Sarcasm Zone: Sarcasm sprinkled abundantly throughout the story. You might have heard the alarm sounding on the equal rights watch. The Promise Keeper movement is now so yesterday. And here to up the ante is a new group enabled by -- the song Macho-Man, perhaps? If so, the irony is overwhelming.
Indeed, just when you thought things couldn't get goofier, given the constant right-wing rant about "feminazis," along came an article last weekend, to lower the bar. The LA Times revealed that:
Thousands of men who feel emasculated by traditional church worship reach for more forceful expression of faith.Comedian (is this not fitting, or what?) Brad Stine has become an evangelist, and his message is: Enough of "wuss-ification" of America and men, in particular, by so-called woman-oriented culture and religious services.
The Times reveals:
According to John Eldridge, a leading writer in the movement: "Christianity, as it currently exists, has done "terrible things to men" and men "believe God put them on earth to be a good boy."
[Aside: and the problem (with being a good person, is?.........]
So, instead, it's cussing-their cud, I mean chew, off, showing everyone who's "boss," and keeping the little lady in her place. At mass meetings in big venues, the revival delivers so-called"GodMen," so their spouses will soon know to defer to the man of the house: "You Tarzan. Me Jane."
Stine also apparently distributes a list of "real man's rules for his woman." So, it's: no more toilet seats down (women are supposed to deal with it), sword brandishing to show household leadership, no help around the house, trips into the woods to get in touch with their inner macho--you get the picture. As Stine asks:
Are you ready to grab your sword and say, "OK family, I'm going to lead you?"Not surprisingly, this year's theme is: unleashing the warrior within.
Religion is something to be respected. But this? This sounds more like game-playing--and gaming women, who could avert domestic redesign thusly: Eyeroll please! To affected women, I say, as the now-head of the DNC says, don't ever forget that "you have the power!" To these sad, "deprived" men, I say, Stephen Colbert, architect of the green-screen swashbuckling contest, would be so proud. Mixing metaphors is so much fun!
Kathy, I have to wonder what makes this catch on in any big meaningful way. It's like rolling out a new product every couple of years or maybe they're targeting the Viagra crowd. Do you think that's the goal? It just seems that if you make religion a fad, it becomes a fad and is bound to fade away...
This is one of those topics where the double entendres just spill out (<---< to wit) all over the page..
Is it really so unthinkable to have all persons equal before the law? That's a rhetorical question, of course. For the life of me, I cannot understand wny there's even a question.
So, according to their fearless leader, there's no more "holding hands" during services or "singing love songs to Jesus" for these guys, no sireee-Bob. No more Mr. Nice Guy!
and wondered, especially about the no more "singing love songs to Jesus". Isn't the professing of the love of Jesus *the whole point* for those fundies?
This whole thing sounds like it's been taken off Colbert, wholesale, it's so ridiculous. But then I remember that, indeed, "muscular Christianity" does have its cycles of popularity (lots of it in Victorian England) without even a hint of irony.
I certainly don't feel emasculated somewhere in the middle. You can always feel super manly and pious signing up for the Army (up to 42) and heading over to Iraq to help out. Maybe these guys need to think about that?
They could try to revive the militaristic Roman cult of Mithra, which was in fact once considered a rival for popularity with Christianity in ancient Rome.
Mithraism had one fatal flaw, however. It was the religion primarily followed by Roman troops and women were not allowed to join.
Women, however, were welcomed into the new Christian faith and in its early primitive form, gave them lots of power and honor. Most of the emphasis of Fundamentalists on women's subservient role in Christianity is based on misreading and misunderstanding their own texts and the context of the times.
From it's very beginnings, Christianity was a challenge to the worldly notion that might alone made right. Jesus himself proposed the notion that the it was the meek who would be blessed and who would inherit the world.
Actually, these particular men seem more testosterone challenged than truly masculine. They doth protest too much.
If they find traditional Christianity, with its emphasis on the values of love and mercy, too challenging, I can only reply with GK Chesterton that Christianity hasn't been tried and found wanting. It's been found difficult and hasn't been tried.
And their interpetation on it isn't Christianity either.
... and where is PM I wonder? Haven't seen him lately either come to think of it.
But I'll see you around the blogs too. From time to time when the spirit moves me. I miss you all too.