I’m not going to do much linking today. Because I am quite aware that there are people trolling through the Christian manosphere, making censorious comments about us. Holding what we said and what we have repented from against us.

And pulling people down.

We do not have time for this. We are up against opposition. The Catholic Church is being shamed and Ratzingers resignation attributed to scandal. (Never attribute to malice what you can attribute to stupidity. And exhaustion makes us stupid).

Although those who are not of the kirk will encourage this, the opposition will be much more from those who should be our allies than those who are not of the church at all.

Jeremiah 1:11-19

¹¹The word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” ¹²Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” ¹³The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, tilted away from the north.”

¹⁴Then the LORD said to me: Out of the north disaster shall break out on all the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁵For now I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the LORD; and they shall come and all of them shall set their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah. ¹⁶And I will utter my judgments against them, for all their wickedness in forsaking me; they have made offerings to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. ¹⁷But you, gird up your loins; stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not break down before them, or I will break you before them. ¹⁸And I for my part have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall, against the whole land — against the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and the people of the land. ¹⁹They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the LORD, to deliver you.

I can hear the murmurings, so let’s deal with them.

1. Yes, I am not of your church. I’m not Roman, I’m reformed: I was baptized and confirmed in the Presbyterian Church and there I worship. My church has huge problems. We have tolerated the liberals in our midst. We have become too emotional, influenced by the more successful Pentecostals. We are currently on a postmodern drive to liturgy, particularly a “reconstruction” of the Celtic liturgies prior to the church being reunited with Rom.  But all churches are flawed, and the spirit remains with us.
2. Yes, Iron sharpens Iron. Discussion of what to do and what things mean among men, man to man, is confrontational. I have quite a lot of respect for Catholic men who correspond on issues — even though we disagree on much, we agree on much more. But this discourse has a place, and that is among men. The immature, the easily bruised, need to tie taught in a different way.
3. This different way at the moment is very important. Many of our sisters are trying, desperately, to rediscover what it means to be a holy and righteous wife —  and that is something that has led to some beautiful discussions about caring for men who are ill, repenting from the feminism their mothers and grandmothers taught them… and as the previous generations have been apostate, these women (who are generally quite bright) are turning to the ancient doctresses of the church, and trying to extrapolate from the world of the monastic mystic into their world of children, noise, and tired men.  There is a reason Paul commanded older women to teach younger women. Here Iron damages.

One of the consequences of complementarianism is that we have to accept that men and women will discuss things differently, Men will challenge. Here offensive language belongs, and at times is needed. For in this world, truth is offensive.

But if we let the Christian trolls in, those hyperspiritual ones, those who believe that they have it completely correct — we will damage this.  We need to confront these — the LART and Banhammer exist for a reason.

For part of the beauty of the feminine is the sensitivity and fragility that exists there. This is to be cherished, not expunged.