"Since men continue to want to be masculine, they will continue (unless there are major changes in the Church) to put a greater or lesser distance between themselves and the Church...
Feminism and homosexual propaganda dominate the liberal churches, and both drive men even further away.* Apart from some groups of evangelical Protestants, whose commitment to Scripture has made them aware of the lack of men and led them to use tactics which have had at least initial effectiveness, all other varieties of Western Christianity are totally bent on expanding the role of women in the Church and choose to ignore the absence of the male laity. Homosexuals who want to change are welcome even (perhaps especially) in evangelical and revivalist churches, but
Catholic and mainline Protestant churches that cultivate a gay atmosphere (Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach, gay choirs, gay tolerance talks in schools) will keep heterosexual men away...Christianity has within it the resources that allow it to appeal to men, to show that not only will Christianity not undermine their masculinity, but it will also fulfill and perfect it." (Dr. Leon J. Podles, "The Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity," pp. 196-197).
* See Thomas C. Reeves, The Empty Church, The Suicide of Liberal Christianity, New York: Free Press, 1996; pp. 146-151).
Dr. Podles is right. A testosterone-free Church is not appealing to men. Effeminate priests and ministers do not inspire healthy young men to consider a vocation within the Church. There is absolutely no reason why Christianity should remain a testosterone-free zone.
Right on...right on! If a priest or minister looks and sounds like Judy Garland, that's not going to attract heterosexual men. And that's exactly what we need: healthy heterosexual men who are committed to celibacy and determined to be warriors for Christ. Men like St. Ignatius of Antioch.
ReplyDeleteKeep on fighting Paul. No one can accuse you of lacking testosterone.
Sarah, it's precisely that lack of testosterone which is crippling many parishes here in New England and throughout the United States. Masculine men will never be inspired by a culture of effeminacy. We need to encourage masculinity in the Church and all things male to bring the men back.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. I came across your blog for the first time through a google search on Our Lady of LaSalette. I'm just starting a series on this apparition today on my blog. Keep up the good work fighting against the errors of feminism and speading devotion to Our Lady Reconciler of Sinners.
ReplyDeleteThanks all for your comments. I'm not at all against greater participation for women in the life of the Church. Like John Paul II, I fully appreciate the genius of women and the unique contribution which only women can make. But men shouldn't be sacrificed in the process. Masculinity isn't a disease.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, welcome Sanctus Belle. What a lovely screen name. I really like that..haha
ReplyDeleteGood for you....God bless you,
Paul.
At my parish (Manchester, NH) virtually all the involved lay people are women. The lector is a woman, the altar servers are girls, the Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist are all women.
ReplyDeleteThe only men I ever see involved in any capacity are the ushers.
I get the sense that men are not particularly welcome.