Where are the Men? Part II

A reader left a comment about my article about men not going to church.

I used to be a member of a small protestant group. Although it was located in a Methodist Church, the group was open to all. We even had some Catholics there for a while. Lessons over time are self-help series. This video series will help you have a happier marriage. This series will show you how to live the best possible life. It would only be different if the women and men broke apart. After that, the lessons were actually better. The whole story could be summarized in these words. If you are having problems, pray and Jesus will help you. Sometimes you won’t find something better until your death. Sometimes you’re called to become a martyr on this planet. After I had argued with men and women in church over the attraction of being with them, I was asked to return. It was my fellow women with whom I had a sex dispute. The group was the reason for my separation. They did not have a common worldview. While I still have many friends from this group, I don’t know them well enough to be able to call myself a Christian. They are committed Christians who I respect but I lack the resources. They are all committed to following Jesus Christ and will lead their children to worship Him. Many are influential and that is what I feel comforted by. Your book, The Benedict Option was shared with me. I never got the book back, so it is not there.

The second is the fact that I’m a member of ACNA. We Anglicans are not considered protestants by me in the same way that most people view them. I know a while ago you mentioned our Holy Orders and the Orthodox view of them but about 100 years ago there was a much higher view of our orders and Orthodox were encouraged to go to Anglican Churches if no Orthodox churches were available. This really only fell apart once the Anglican Communion started to liberalize in the 70’s on women ordination. This is something I believe the ACNA, and other Anglican traditional groups will be able to resolve. The ACNA has a lot young, active men who are against this.

But back to the ACNA experience. Although I’ve only been Anglican for a little over two years, our parish is characterized by a significant imbalance of young men and women. Although we are blessed with a wonderful liturgy, there is more to it than just that. We also have a priest who insists on change. A majority of our parish are ex-addicts. They must be held accountable and overcome their addiction. This is a requirement for all. The liturgy calls us to fight against sin. The Eucharist liturgy takes us from the Summary or the Decalogue of the Law to Lord have Mercy and Christ Have Mercy. This liturgy deals with our sinfulness, our need for Christ to defeat it, and our struggle against our sinful selves. This is combined with the teachings of a priest about our sinfulness and how to resist temptations, and you get a parish that’s younger and more mature. Although I don’t know the state of most ACNA parishes, there are still some hope in liturgy and a competent priest.

I found this article from years ago about an Australian Catholic woman who longs for a Christian husband but is unable to find one.

Another person writes this comment:

There are many things that we don’t have to talk or notice about. One of these is that feminism allows women to enjoy all of the advantages of being male while expecting protection from society and men, both physically and mentally. Men must not be considered disposable and should continue to face risk for the benefit of society. Ironically, feminism requires that men are willing to accept it. Coercion will eventually lead to conflicts and the collapse of any order.

Men are conscripted, while women are not. Women can still serve in the military and combat if necessary. It’s a stark contradiction that doesn’t make any sense. However, we don’t have to be aware of it or discuss it. Even though it would be a great symbol of equality, requiring women to register for Selective Service is not an option. The Right is so bad at correcting the Left’s errors, they waste their time saying that “Women shouldn’t be involved in war” which is an absoluteist position without any anchor in reality. War ultimately affects both men and women.

I was thinking all of this after reading your entry, “Church, Where Are The Men?” Leon Podles said:

Any society that faces dangers must have an ideology that convinces some to face those dangers voluntarily for the sake of others, and if a society is to survive, those who face the dangers must be men, not women on whom the biological continuity of society depends.

The central question surrounding abortion is the fact that women do not want to bear the responsibility of reproducing and they don’t wish to be limited by their capacity to do so. But civilization cannot survive in any other way. It is equally vital to ask men if they feel burdened because of the expectation that they will continue to be in danger, and then act as expendable members for the betterment of society. While our betters may talk of a lack of women working in construction, they aren’t referring to insufficient laborers. There has not been a significant push to increase the number of women working in the foresting sector, which is one of the most dangerous occupations. Talk of women striking to show men would prove there is always someone who can, will, or has to do the job better than the woman. The “Men Strike” would set off a wakeup call that will change the world. Not only would women have to fulfill the occupational gap left behind by men but they also have to protect themselves against the barbarians, savages (primarily men), that will surface. This is a daunting task even if there are no children.

There is no counterweight to feministism, and it’s difficult to know how men feel about this. But I know that men, particularly women, have always been willing to take on the burden for society since before the dawn of time. We all have benefited from this. A few entries ago, you quoted someone who said he doesn’t expect mass violence from the overturning of Roe v. Wade because women aren’t willing to risk life and limb to do so. They don’t have to take any risk because they’re supported by plenty of left-wing men who are willing to sacrifice their lives for them. The majority of left-wing militants are men, and a future American civil war will pit mostly men against women, just like every other conflict in American history.

Two are allowed to play this game. You’ve seen Fight Club, right? Amazing how the film’s message has become so clear and relevant 20 years later, the quintessential movie ahead of it’s time. Listen to Tyler Durden here and tell me he, in 1999, wasn’t sending a message to the future:

We’re the middle children of history, man. There is no place or purpose. There is no Great War or Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war. The Great Depression has a profound effect on our lives.

If that doesn’t raise your hairs, there is nothing. Women and feminists have the advantage of believing they are always against some thing – patriarchy, sexualism, etc. On the other side, men are frequently told what they cannot and should fight for. They are often told what they can and cannot fight for. Inaction can lead to shame, dishonor, or worse still, the destruction of civilization. You can’t speak to most feminists about this because they are so high in decadence that they see civilization as something they have to preserve and maintain.

Another big lesson from Fight Club is that there’s nothing more terrifying than a group of very, very pissed off men under the right leadership, organization, and a sense of purpose. You can make and they can destroy. It all falls apart before men who are angry and ready to make a difference.

That something? They will still give their lives. They will still be involved in the heavy lifting and dirty work. They’ll just do it on their own terms.