The Fruits Of Sola Scriptura

[desertwoman]

Feminization, not homosexual. So to say, a man crying, a man communicating and using his mind instead of brawn all the time. Why is it demonized. It could be a cultural thing, especially in my circle.

But I guess these are gender roles and these are learned behavior.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='desertwoman' post='1108670' date='Nov 2 2006, 11:33 AM']
Feminization, not homosexual. So to say, a man crying, a man communicating and using his mind instead of brawn all the time. Why is it demonized. It could be a cultural thing, especially in my circle.

But I guess these are gender roles and these are learned behavior.
[/quote]
Agreed, and they can keep both genders locked into strangulating molds.
Real men can cry and real women defend the hearth.

[123]

[quote]Stine quickly whipped the crowd into a chorus of Amens!A lot of guys out there wouldn't have the balls to be here, he shouted. Are you ready to be a man? Are you ready to kick ass? Are you ready to grab your sword and say, OK family, I'm going to lead you? Buckle up. This is GodMen![/quote]

Wow, this seems to be a statement of the world, not Christians. I am greatly suprised that christian conferences have stooped this low to just keep people happy with their religion...Are Christains really this bored with Christ?

Edited November 2, 2006 by GloriaIesusChristi

[photosynthesis]

[quote name='Socrates' post='1106947' date='Oct 31 2006, 10:13 PM']I think in more orthodox "conservative" churches/parishes, feminization is less of a problem. (In my parish - in which no altar girls are allowed, btw - the number of men and women is more-or-less even, rather than being female-dominated.)[/quote]
Yeah, I go to an indult Tridentine parish and the pews are full of young Catholic guys who are really into their faith--there's definitely a majority of them over women. And the church looks the way a church is supposed to look--with roses in the Sanctuary, and a big crucifix. I think there is more of an emphasis on the Christ Crucified, the Mass as a sacrifice and the battle between good and evil than in other churches and so it draws men who are looking for an authentic expression of the faith.

[quote name='Socrates' post='1106947' date='Oct 31 2006, 10:13 PM']I think for men, a kind of blunt (and even crude) approach to fighting sin tends to be more effective than the "it-offends-Jesus-and-Mary-very-much" approach. (Not meaning to be offensive there - hope that makes some kind of sense)[/quote]
it's true in a sense. i know a guy who went to confession, told the priest about struggles with masturbation, and the priest said "St. Thomas Aquinas said it's better to have sex with your mother than to masturbate." He never did it again.

[Mary-Kathryn]

[quote name='photosynthesis' post='1108764' date='Nov 2 2006, 01:20 PM']
i know a guy who went to confession, told the priest about struggles with masturbation, and the priest said "St. Thomas Aquinas said it's better to have sex with your mother than to masturbate." He never did it again.
[/quote]

That should cure anyone

[kamiller42]

This thread reminds me the paradox of the Catholic Church continues, and it's a good thing. To me it means it's on its proper course.

The Church is accused of being too masculine (male only priesthood, male hierarchy, male dominated Scripture, ...) while also being too feminine (too much Mary, too many rosaries, too many ferns and flowers, ...)

The Church interprets the Bible too literally (Eucharist) while not being literal enough (1st commandment, shall call no one Father, ...).

The Church is too prudish about sex (celibacy, chastity, ...) and also too free with it (against birth control, pro-life, ...).

The Bible is full of paradoxes. Jesus was full of paradoxes. My Church is full of paradoxes. GK Chesterton would be proud. We all should be proud.

"Paradox has been defined as ‘Truth standing on her head to attract attention.’"
- GK Chesterton

[KizlarAgha]

[quote name='Budge' post='1108564' date='Nov 2 2006, 10:00 AM']
Are men supposed to be the leaders of a church or not?

Feminized churches always go the way of feminism, the most extreme ones, entering into worship of the "goddess" {I believe the elevations of Mary in Rome definitely are related to its feminization} Churches run by women and homosexuals always give up Biblical truth, for their own. The UU which is probably an extreme feminine church ran by homosexuals openly with its worship of the goddess held these things in common.

Doesnt the Bible consider effiminancy alone to be a sin?

1Cr 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, [b]nor effeminate[/b], nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
[/quote]

For the record, I think that effeminate refers to me, not to actual women. I don't like Paul...

[Winchester]

[quote name='Budge' post='1108564' date='Nov 2 2006, 09:00 AM']
Are men supposed to be the leaders of a church or not?

Feminized churches always go the way of feminism, the most extreme ones, entering into worship of the "goddess" {I believe the elevations of Mary in Rome definitely are related to its feminization} Churches run by women and homosexuals always give up Biblical truth, for their own. The UU which is probably an extreme feminine church ran by homosexuals openly with its worship of the goddess held these things in common.

Doesnt the Bible consider effiminancy alone to be a sin?

1Cr 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, [b]nor effeminate[/b], nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
[/quote]


Again. I'll type slowly. Isn't the Church called the Bride of Christ?

You think Christ would choose a masculine bride?

[VeniteAdoremus]

We identify with God as the Father (which I think is great - there are very little things that annoy me more than the "God's a she, too"-movement, let no doubt exist about that), but because we always speak in analogies like that (the church as the Bride of Christ is another) we're likely to forget that He's beyond things like gender.

The Church is the Bride of Christ because we belong to Him, we're "reserved" for Him, and bound to Him alone. It doesn't say much about the supposed "gender" of the Church.

I don't think the Church is particularily feminine. I don't think we should talk in "masculine/feminine aspects" at all. It's true that men and women are different, in a more fundamental way than two women or two men are different (although they, too, can be VERY different). Our vocations are different, we look different, and it's 99% of the time easy to tell whether someone is a man or a woman. But (apart from the physical) it's often hard to tell why. If you split people up in traits, you're not doing them justice. The same goes for organisations.

Yes, our Church is caring for the weak, the sick, the poor, the children, the lost souls. That's what we've been sent out to do. We're supposed to turn the other cheek, always act with charity, be meek as lambs - no, that doesn't sound very masculine. It does sound like Christ, the Shepherd, who (in my humble opinion) IS masculine.

We shouldn't ignore the gender issues in the Church. They're real, and they're important. But we shouldn't let them lead us into thinking EVERYTHING is a gender issue.

Edit: typo one of many.

Edited November 4, 2006 by VeniteAdoremus

[son_of_angels]

As a man, I'm offended by this portrayal of "Christian" devotion. What they have created is little more than a male mystery cult, centered around the basest level of manhood.

On the other hand, at my campus, when we organized a Saturday devotion to our Lady, icons and "girly" statues and all, with rosary and invocation referring to Rose and Lily, etc. It was pretty much five or six guys, with only the very occasional girl, all gathered around worshipping one Lady.

The trick to engaging men is to emphasize the importance of daily, real faith, and frank confession of faults. It is to emphasize the realness of faith, and not simply what they want.