Posted by Dave on 12/08/06 at 10:28:17 am
Categories: Religious Ravings, Feminism

The LA Times has a disturbing article on a new trend in Evangelicalism - "manliness" [hat tip Myste]:

Hold hands with strangers? Sing love songs to Jesus? No wonder pews across America hold far more women than men, Stine says. Factor in the pressure to be a "Christian nice guy" — no cussing, no confrontation, in tune with the wife's emotions — and it's amazing men keep the faith at all.

Well...we have some problems. First, I find it incredibly disturbing that cussing, confrontation, and lack of emotions are equated with manliness. Why is it that men are so uncomfortable with their emotion? Because they are taught by society, and the church, that men should be "strong" and unemotional. Why is that men want to be confrontational? Because men are taught that men solve their problems by confrontation instead of talking (kind like bombs over diplomacy).

And then we have John Eldridge:

John Eldredge, a seminal writer for the movement, goes further in "Wild At Heart," his bestselling book. "Christianity, as it currently exists, has done some terrible things to men," he writes. Men "believe that God put them on earth to be a good boy."

Right...Christianity has done terrible things to men...like what? Giving them leadership positions over women? Constantly celebrating the male imagery of God? Make them actually deal with their emotions? Confront their ridiculous sense of masculinity that includes the "need" to confront and the need for violence? Those are terrible things, aren't they?

Of course, we do not hear Eldridge talking about the terrible things that the church has done to women for, lets see, the last 2000 years? Things like denying the gifts and abilities of women simply because they are women? Or saying that women are made in the image of God, yet God is male? Or saying that men are the "head" of the household which has led to innumerable instances of abuse, both physically and emotionally?

And then you have their disturbing and un-Biblical understanding of Jesus:

"He's been domesticated," says Roland Martinson, a professor of ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. "He's portrayed now as gentle, loving, kind, rather than as a full-bodied person who kicked over tables in the temple, spent 40 days in the wilderness wrestling with his identity and with God, hung out with the guys in the street. The rough-hewn edges and courage ... got lopped off."

Right...funny how they leave out the ideas of children sitting on Jesus' lap. Or saying things like love your neighbor. Or blessed are the peace maker. Or his condemnation of violence. Or how about when "Jesus wept?"

And of course, they distort the examples that they did use. Spending time in the wilderness wrestling with God? Of course it says nothing about physically wrestling with God, but they can pretend that the implication is there.

Then you have them encouraging neglect of the family in order to follow Jesus' example:

Eric Miller, a construction worker, admits his wife is none too pleased when he takes off, alone, on a weekend camping trip a few weeks after the GodMen conference this fall.

"She was a little bit leery of it, as we have an infant," he reports. "She said, 'I need your help around here.' "

Miller, 26, refuses to yield: "I am supposed to be the leader of the family."

WTF? Now this angers me. So being the leader of the family means that you eschew the responsibility of helping with your child? You have to be kidding me...

It continues:

A few weeks later, Stephenson, 43, is still not sold on profanity. But he has ditched the nice-guy reflex of always turning the other cheek.

Right...I think I remember something in the Bible somewhere. Something about turning the other cheek. but I guess that does not match up with your idea of "manliness." Oh well.

But really, this idea toward the end of the article sums it up well:

Leaders don't even bring out the Bible until they're well into the curriculum; instead, they teach ideals of Christian manhood through Steve Martin movies and clips from "Braveheart."

It makes a little more sense now, doesn't it? When you learn about to be a Christian male from Steve Martin and Mel Gibson instead of the Bible, you have issues.

I have written about the "feminization of the church" before. I am tired of men claiming that the church, after 2,000 years of male leadership , is too feminine and has repressed males and masculinity. It is a blatant lie. Not only that, but to often society, but even more so, the Evangelical church, has placed too much emphasis on masculinity and femininity. These terms are incredibly overused and abused and truly have little meaning. Masculinity and femininity are not biological concepts - they are cultural constructs that society places on us, and these constructs are magnified in the church.

Myste summed it up like this:

A new form of idolatry is sweeping the American evangelical church, men have decided that its about time to reject the Gospels and reverse Genesis 1:26 by creating Jesus in their own image.

God is not masculine, and Jesus surely does not fit into the "church leaders'" ideas of what masculinity is. With that said, I am not saying that Jesus was feminine. But I am saying that Jesus was not masculine - what ever the hell that may mean.

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