This was a great interview. I am one to hate church groups, but this would be one that I would join. I think this is exactly what we need for men to lead their families to holiness.
I've been criticised by the local rector of my church for being "too much of a man" ? I guess the hierarchy of the Church would prefer all Catholic men to play with Ken & Barbie dolls.
religion has to "do something" for men - it can't be an additional burden, but has to integrate into what's already important to them. Really, fitness is important to men. The model that would work is the YMCA, "muscular Christianity" thing. Make churches "fitness centers" for faith and body. Have both body and faith coaches, create programs for both body and faith, set goals, track progress, create community. Boy Scouts was doing the same thing, and both movements fell into the hands of people who deleted the faith components and added gay sex. Churches should be adding weight rooms and coaches.
The biggest obstacle for men is being told that we must remain single unless we make enough money to be the sole breadwinner of a wife and children. As if we had control over our circumstances or the economy. 95% of young men who work full time barely make enough money to support themselves let alone a wife or children and very few men have the luxury of relying on extended family for support. So when traditional Catholics tell young men to remain single until we become financially stable and work our fingers to the bone for 15 years and are still poor and single, it should be no surprise when the majority of men despair and abandon religion and join MGTOW and the only men who remain Catholic, marry and procreate are the wealthy. The Catholic Church is becoming like Islam where only wealthy men get married and procreate while the rest die out
I like the direction but I’m skeptical that you’re going to attract and retain significant numbers of men by telling them once a month that their mission is more devotional prayer, more rosaries, more novenas, etc. Maybe they ought to pray more, but I’ve observed that it’s overwhelmingly women who are motivated by calls to devotional prayer. To use your words, “Men are called to protect, provide and procreate.”
We never said that the mission of men was limited to devotional prayer. For example, more fasting is an example of something a pastor could urge his men to do. It could also include praying at abortion clinics or pride parades.
We’re men - we’d rather go on a crusade and walk thousands of miles and stab people then get down on our knees and wish earnestly for things. We want accomplishments, shared projects, and tangible things we can look back at with satisfaction. “Gamification” is an education idea out of video games (and is used for thousands of years in the military) - ranks, badges, achievements, mission, excellence, sacrifice, progress towards a goal, tangible results. That’s what guys want.
More sports are the way to attract men? I never liked sports growing up and still don't like them today. That approach as a catch-all like a priest would suddenly be able to interact with me better because of a background in sports or farming is not always true. The Knights of Columbus Into the Breach videos make the same mistake assuming all men thrive off of physical activities and labor.
Excellent interview. A meaningful, masculine presence is so needed in the Church. Men flee most NO parishes.
This was a great interview. I am one to hate church groups, but this would be one that I would join. I think this is exactly what we need for men to lead their families to holiness.
I think he is right in about catholic men’s groups
I've been criticised by the local rector of my church for being "too much of a man" ? I guess the hierarchy of the Church would prefer all Catholic men to play with Ken & Barbie dolls.
religion has to "do something" for men - it can't be an additional burden, but has to integrate into what's already important to them. Really, fitness is important to men. The model that would work is the YMCA, "muscular Christianity" thing. Make churches "fitness centers" for faith and body. Have both body and faith coaches, create programs for both body and faith, set goals, track progress, create community. Boy Scouts was doing the same thing, and both movements fell into the hands of people who deleted the faith components and added gay sex. Churches should be adding weight rooms and coaches.
The biggest obstacle for men is being told that we must remain single unless we make enough money to be the sole breadwinner of a wife and children. As if we had control over our circumstances or the economy. 95% of young men who work full time barely make enough money to support themselves let alone a wife or children and very few men have the luxury of relying on extended family for support.
So when traditional Catholics tell young men to remain single until we become financially stable and work our fingers to the bone for 15 years and are still poor and single, it should be no surprise when the majority of men despair and abandon religion and join MGTOW and the only men who remain Catholic, marry and procreate are the wealthy. The Catholic Church is becoming like Islam where only wealthy men get married and procreate while the rest die out
By being more than talk with nothing to back it up.
True, saints are made through deeds, not words. Thank you for your comment.
I like the direction but I’m skeptical that you’re going to attract and retain significant numbers of men by telling them once a month that their mission is more devotional prayer, more rosaries, more novenas, etc. Maybe they ought to pray more, but I’ve observed that it’s overwhelmingly women who are motivated by calls to devotional prayer. To use your words, “Men are called to protect, provide and procreate.”
We never said that the mission of men was limited to devotional prayer. For example, more fasting is an example of something a pastor could urge his men to do. It could also include praying at abortion clinics or pride parades.
We’re men - we’d rather go on a crusade and walk thousands of miles and stab people then get down on our knees and wish earnestly for things. We want accomplishments, shared projects, and tangible things we can look back at with satisfaction. “Gamification” is an education idea out of video games (and is used for thousands of years in the military) - ranks, badges, achievements, mission, excellence, sacrifice, progress towards a goal, tangible results. That’s what guys want.
More sports are the way to attract men? I never liked sports growing up and still don't like them today. That approach as a catch-all like a priest would suddenly be able to interact with me better because of a background in sports or farming is not always true.
The Knights of Columbus Into the Breach videos make the same mistake assuming all men thrive off of physical activities and labor.