Like the author of Christian Men’s defense, I have been called a few things.
Bitter and Full of Baggage. Yes, I’m divorced. Yes, I’m a solo Dad. And yes, at times I am bitter.
Arrogant and sinful: well yes.
And the usual terms used to shut men up: Sexist (or misogynistic) and Homophobic. But that is not why there are a bunch of Christian men blogging about how the current situation. CMDN puts it best.
No, I am motivated primarily by brotherly love towards Christian men who have been horribly victimized by the Devil’s work of feminism within Christianity. I believe 2 Tim. 3:6-7 is a clear and present danger to the church, and we have a duty to fulfill God’s command through Paul to oppose this phenomenon. Feminism within the church results in untold pain to far too many Christian men.
And I am motivated by love for women. I know women who have not been ruined by feminism. These women are beautiful, true treasures that one can rarely find these days. Feminism has ruined most modern woman, and it is no less powerful within the church. In fact, in some cases, Churchian women are corrupted even more, because feminism is synthesized with a false “Snake Oil Jesus” ideology that results in an even greater sense of entitlement and personal perfection.
Do we hate women? Absolutely not. Rather, it is hatred to teach a false Jesus whose greatest priority is to make women haaaaaaapy in their sin. It is hatred, in the end, to despise truth for the sake of protecting someone’s feelings. And it is hatred to tacitly support the destruction of relationships by telling one side that she has no responsibility or moral accountability to her man.
We blog because the truth needs to get out. There is much error taught in the churches, and frequently the same error is taught in most if not all churches. Dalrock linked to a comment that Elspeth said at LHV
Yes online, on Christian blogs, there is a lot of advice geared towards women. This is true. But in the larger culture, in the church at large, the general consensus is that whenever there is a problem in a marriage the man is deemed to be either at fault because of something he is ding wrong or NOT doing right. I see it all. the. time.
In a culture where feminism colors everything, does anyone truly doubt that this is true?
And women wonder why people in the church who are concerned about marriage are trying to restore a bit of sanity and balance by reminding women that we have responsibilities too.
But people. hate. this. They do not like the narrative that divorce happens to people who hate in and try to avoid it. They definitely do not like the idea that I am a solo dad (and the children are not with their mother). If that is not offensive enough, when we start talking about how mucked up the current dating/courting scene is… you are told to keep silent.
Yet I know too much of what goes on behind closed doors. Consequence of our job. We censor ourselves and avoid the truth if we pretend that we are holy. As CL notes
I’m not doing this for ego-gratification or fame or what have you. I write what I see as the truth; I look for what is true and that requires getting down in the mud sometimes to see what is beneficial there. I have always been a seeker of what is true and good and it is a lifetime’s work that continues; inevitably, mistakes are made along the way. Being judgemental toward those on the same path of truth-seeking is self-defeating. It seems that if someone admits to being a Christian, they must write PC stuff that will not offend anyone with delicate sensibilities, which means that Christians do not like being challenged and wish to remain self-satisfied with their often-feigned holiness, while they pretend that they do not think about the things others do.
You see, pretending we are plaster saints and that we do not regularly and horrifically fail is to speak a lie. We fall.
The difference is that those who have a true faith get up, set it right, and try again. Over and over. Somewhere in the process of your life, as C.S. Lewis pointed out many times, you become less selfish and more like both yourself and Christ.
But teaching otherwise, as LadySadie pointed out, hollows out the church.
All the brainwashing rubbish is taking a toll on christians (little “c”). Somewhere in the sands of time, amidst all the false teachings and the ever increasing influence of the mainstream media, we have all collectively forgotten that Christians used to be strong people who fought for What.Is.Good.And.Right… Punishments, judgements, praise, promises, wars, warnings, great joy, great sorrow, and even great anger are all marks of a passionate and capable people. Christians should be kind, truthful, strong willed and compassionate, but many who profess their faith, are only some Mr. and Ms. Nanny-pants weak and watered down version of “nice” instead. (Something about being ‘lukewarm’ sound familiar???)
The repression of a person’s true feelings is never effective for long, all that pent-up passion comes out in the form of nit-picking and bitchy/whiny comments, accusatory tone, and mock outrage. “Too little too late” may well be the case for many folks who have decided to become keyboard warriors, attacking others over philosophical differences in an attempt to bolster their self image when we should all “put away our childish things” (1 Cor. 13:11) and prepare for the inevitable difficulties ahead.
It is when we stand together for what is right, true, noble, of good report… that we stop nitpicking and find unity. Sure, we may be interviewing or keyboards at time. But I have seen Protestants pray for Orthodox among the network of aware Christians, and I am aware that Catholics are praying for my ill relatives. Our unity is in Christ, and our job is to seek and proclaim truth.
And blogging is, like the printing press, a means to get that truth out.
