The rise of militant American Catholic men

[ARSpade]

I believe Militant, will be misconstrued, mostly by those who embrace it.

Jim

Yeah, we should call it the “I’m Okay, You’re Okay, Everybody’s Okay Happy Hug Time Jesus Group For Guys”

Because that approach has been working well for the past few decades.

 

[ProdigalSun]

It’s merely looking at it from the perspective of those outside of the Church.

The term will put up walls.

Jim

It’s a “Catholic” Men’s group. I’m not sure why those outside of the church would need to be considered. It’s not like men are going to get uniforms and carry guns or swords.

stisidore-yubacity.org/jub01.jpg

Men need to stand up for our faith, for our families, for truth.

 

[ProdigalSun]

Violent imagry doesn’t help me with my struggles. I know it helps others and I have no problem with that. Being drawn to a different style of spirituality doesn’t mean I don’t sin. One of the beautiful things about the Chruch is it’s universality. There’s a way for everyone.

What was Christ really talking about in that passage? I usually turn to my annotated Bible when I don’t understand scripture but it’s at home. I’m not going to take it literally unless the Church teaches that’s what Jesus meant to convey.

The term “Church Militant” is now associated with an ultra conservative group. I refuse to use that term based on that alone. I find that group to be very divisive and wrong in many ways so I will not risk being associated with them. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this.

What Violent Imagery?
There is violent imagery in this Catholic Men’s Group?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

It’s a “Catholic” Men’s group. I’m not sure why those outside of the church would need to be considered. It’s not like men are going to get uniforms and carry guns or swords.

stisidore-yubacity.org/jub01.jpg

Men need to stand up for our faith, for our families, for truth.

Well, you and I know that, but as I stated, it’s the perception and the use of the word, “militant,” puts up red flags for those who are not involved or have complete knowledge of what it’s about.

Jim

 

[ProdigalSun]

Well, you and I know that, but as I stated, it’s the perception and the use of the word, “militant,” puts up red flags for those who are not involved or have complete knowledge of what it’s about.

Jim

use of words like: Warriors Rosary; Spiritual Warfare; Armor of God. Or Names such as “That Man is you”; “The Kings Men”. I have found in my own experience that this did make me sit up and take notice. This is a god thing because maybe that Good Catholic Man that can’t seem to find time for his nine year old daughter on a Sunday afternoon because of the football game will dig into it a bit futher to find out what these “militant” words actually mean.

Peace:thumbsup:

 

[ProdigalSun]

Scary militant Catholic Group names:

-Knights of Columbus

• Knights of Malta
  -That Man is You
  -Man Up
• The Kings Men
  St. Joesph’s Covenant Keepers

 

[J_Peterson]

What Violent Imagery?
There is violent imagery in this Catholic Men’s Group?

Militant implies a violent mindset. I really dislike the term Chruch Militant. What about the definition of “militant” brings to mind peace and love?

mil·i·tant
adjective

1. combative and aggressive in support of a political or social cause, and typically favoring extreme, violent, or confrontational methods.

 

[ProdigalSun]

use of words like: Warriors Rosary; Spiritual Warfare; Armor of God. Or Names such as “That Man is you”; “The Kings Men”. I have found in my own experience that this did make me sit up and take notice. This is a god thing because maybe that Good Catholic Man that can’t seem to find time for his nine year old daughter on a Sunday afternoon because of the football game will dig into it a bit futher to find out what these “militant” words actually mean.

Peace:thumbsup:

Yes we do know, which is why we should get the word out like this blog from Rev. Longnecker is doing.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Militant implies a violent mindset. I really dislike the term Chruch Militant. What about the definition of “militant” brings to mind peace and love?

mil·i·tant
adjective

1. combative and aggressive in support of a political or social cause, and typically favoring extreme, violent, or confrontational methods.

Jim

 

[ProdigalSun]

Militant implies a violent mindset. I really dislike the term Chruch Militant. What about the definition of “militant” brings to mind peace and love?

mil·i·tant
adjective

1. combative and aggressive in support of a political or social cause, and typically favoring extreme, violent, or confrontational methods.

We are not at Peace! We are in conflict! We are the Church Militant! I do not have a violent mindset whether implied or not. My Weapon is the Rosary and my shield the cross. We will not find complete peace here on earth only through prayer can we take the battle to our enemy and push him back to give us any rest.

Peace!

 

[J_Peterson]

Looking at wikipedia, it seems the word militant in English doesn’t have the same meaning as the latin term. Perhaps militant is not the proper word to use as a translation? According to the same article, the Catechism uses the term “pilgrim” instead of “Church Militant”.

Origin of the term

The Latin word militans has a primary meaning of “serving as a soldier, military”, but it acquired a secondary meaning of “to struggle, to make an effort”, which is the intended sense here. Christians on earth (the Church Militant) are still struggling against sin in order that, when they die, they might go to heaven and be members of the Church Triumphant, those who have triumphed over sin. However, if this struggle is successful, but not completely so, then after death they temporarily become members of the Church Suffering before ultimately joining the Church Triumphant.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_militant_and_church_triumphant

 

[ProdigalSun]

Catholic Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD)

• Prayer
• Fasting.
• Reading the Bible
• Confession
• The Eucharist (the Mass)

Peace!

 

[DivotDan]

I think the emphasis on “manly” Catholic men is a reaction to the feminization of the liturgy. By that I mean that a majority of eucharistic ministers, lectors, and altar servers are female. I hope this men’s movement results in Catholic men taking spiritual headship of their families.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I think the emphasis on “manly” Catholic men is a reaction to the feminization of the liturgy. By that I mean that a majority of eucharistic ministers, lectors, and altar servers are female. I hope this men’s movement results in Catholic men taking spiritual headship of their families.

Well with that in mind, remember that the priest and deacons can only be male.

Jim

 

[BlueEyedLady]

I have no issues with the use of the word ‘militant’. I think that at least in the west, everyone is pretty aware that ‘militant’ Catholics are just the guys frying fish outside during Lent.

I do think that things like this run the risk of being patronizing though. We have to make eventing a war/armor/weapon metaphor for men to really be into church? Is the catholic church the one true church and a path to saving your eternal soul or not? Because if it is, I think it kind of cheapens it to say that we have to dress it up in Ren Fair language and imagery lest men get bored.

I felt the same way as a kid and teenager when I had to attend age specific religious things. It just felt insulting.

 

[HollyDolly]

opcorn:I don’t think you have to dress it up in military terms for men. i don’t know hwat it is with men and church participation whether catholic or protestant,many don’t go to church.
Do I know an answer no. Maybe they feel there is more emphasis on the femine, than in the past. Yet Jesus while humble and preaching love, also got angry with the moneylenders in the temple defiling His Father’s house. St.John the Baptist was a preacher and prophet and denouced Herod 's wife. St.Thomas More,St.John Fisher and other men defined the King of England and died for their faith.
St.Louis ,St.Stephan of Hungary,St.Ferdinand were all rulers and warriors yet they became saints. Maybe we just need to show men one can be devout and fight for what you believe in as they did.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

As to the Mass being feminized because of the large number of women serving as readers, EMHC’s and ministers of the cup, I don’t what it’s like in other parishes, but in mine, these are all volunteer positions and not exclusive to just females.

So, if your parish doesn’t have enough men doing these jobs, perhaps it’s the fault of the males of the parish not stepping up to volunteer.

Jim

 

[johnnyc176]

cruxnow.com/life/2015/05/27/the-rise-of-militant-american-catholic-men/

We need more of this.

Dr. Mary Healy in her commentary on the Gospel of Mark comments on Jesus’ temptation in the desert as Jesus looking for a fight! As the Church militant we carry on Jesus’ war against satan.

I think that image of Jesus is being lost because many do not want to acknowledge that evil even exists.

Pope Francis…

en.radiovaticana.va/storico/2013/10/11/pope_guard_against_deceit_of_the_devil/en1-736378

Jesus casts out demons, and then someone offers explanations “to diminish the power of the Lord,” he said. The Pope focused his homily on the day’s Gospel and immediately underlined that there is always the temptation to want to diminish the figure of Jesus, as if he were “a healer at most” and so as not to take him “so seriously”. It is an attitude, he observed, that has “reached our present day”.

There are some priests who, when they read this Gospel passage, this and others, say: ‘But, Jesus healed a person with a mental illness’. They do not read this, no? It is true that at that time, they could confuse epilepsy with demonic possession; but it is also true that there was the devil! And we do not have the right to simplify the matter, as if to say: ‘All of these (people) were not possessed; they were mentally ill’. No! The presence of the devil is on the first page of the Bible, and the Bible ends as well with the presence of the devil, with the victory of God over the devil.

For this reason, he warned, “we should not be naïve”. The Pope observed that the Lord gave us certain criteria to “discern” the presence of evil and to follow “the Christian way when there are temptations”. One of the criteria is “not to follow the victory of Jesus” only “halfway”.

 

[SWolf]

I have no issues with the use of the word ‘militant’. I think that at least in the west, everyone is pretty aware that ‘militant’ Catholics are just the guys frying fish outside during Lent.

I do think that things like this run the risk of being patronizing though. We have to make eventing a war/armor/weapon metaphor for men to really be into church? Is the catholic church the one true church and a path to saving your eternal soul or not? Because if it is, I think it kind of cheapens it to say that we have to dress it up in Ren Fair language and imagery lest men get bored.

I felt the same way as a kid and teenager when I had to attend age specific religious things. It just felt insulting.

From my experience, it’s never that over the top. It’s simply framing spirituality in a way that resonates.

I remember a friend of mine who went to a Christopher West lecture on Theology of the Body. He came back visibly disgruntled and I asked him what the deal was and he replied “There was nothing wrong with what he said, it just seemed like we was talking to 40 year old women.”

I remember going to a Bible study one time and, as coincidence would have it, there were 10 women and two men. By the end of it I wanted to gouge my eyes out. Again, there was nothing wrong with anything that was said, just the conversation was essentially directed from woman to woman, a very different dynamic than man to man.

On the other side, my wife always asks why all my cousins are so mean to each other. I just say it’s how we interact. We’ve all been best friends since elementary school.

You can give the same information, and the audience will be either intrigued or bored depending on the wording you use to present it.

 

[Eddie_Mac]

So you are saying there is some truth to the Mars and Venus thing?