US bishop urges men to ‘step up’ and end crisis of masculinity

[_Abyssinia]

Film, called ‘A Call to Battle’, asks Catholic men to ‘fill the breach’ caused by the crisis in the family

A US Catholic bishop has released a pioneering film to encourage men to abandon feckless lifestyles and to live as responsible adults.

The film denounces the “crisis of masculinity” in American society, noting that contemporary culture “seems designed to attack the family”.

catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/01/07/us-bishop-urges-men-to-end-crisis-of-masculinity/

 

[edwest2]

Thank you for posting this. As society begins to realize, in practical and spiritual terms, what family actually means, and why out of control media portrayals of not only dysfunctional families and men who are willing to have a relationship that includes sex outside of marriage, changes the perceptions of men and women, an exhortation like this is much needed.

amazon.com/Be-Man-Becoming-God-Created/dp/1586174037

Best.
Ed

 

[SuperLuigi]

Thank you for posting this. As society begins to realize, in practical and spiritual terms, what family actually means, and why out of control media portrayals of not only dysfunctional families and men who are willing to have a relationship that includes sex outside of marriage, changes the perceptions of men and women, an exhortation like this is much needed.

amazon.com/Be-Man-Becoming-God-Created/dp/1586174037

Best.
Ed

Sex outside of marriage is just one issue.

 

[EmperorNapoleon]

:ehh:

 

[ComplineSanFran]

Are the Bishops talking about masculinity or fatherhood? Two different things, don’t you think? And as to masculinity, isn’t that a rather subjective term? Culture has a whole lot to do with the definition of the term.

 

[JimG]

This reminds me of an article by Anthony Esolen on the subject of masculinity. A quote:

“Consider Luke. …He is a boy: vir futurus, a going-to-be man. Meaning: He will join other men, brothers fighting to attain or defend the common good. Greater meaning: He is made for a self-giving that is categorically impossible among his male friends. He is made for a woman. It is the orientation of his body, in its sexual form. It is the orientation of his masculine being, developing in a natural and healthy way.
None of this should be controversial, no more than claiming that the noonday sky is blue. … A boy is not a girl. A boy grows up to be a man. A man marries a woman, for love and for a family: That goal is stamped upon his body. Even savages without a doctorate in philosophy can figure it out.”
Source

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

• television makes people peculiar
• “Christianity” has turned into extreme individualism and isolation

 

[ARSpade]

Are the Bishops talking about masculinity or fatherhood? Two different things, don’t you think? And as to masculinity, isn’t that a rather subjective term? Culture has a whole lot to do with the definition of the term.

Are they?

I’d saw by “masculinity” they mean “living up to your duties and expectations as a man” as described by Christ, in the Bible, and in the Church. And that involves being a father, Father, or father-figure.

 

[zz912]

Are the Bishops talking about masculinity or fatherhood? Two different things, don’t you think? And as to masculinity, isn’t that a rather subjective term? Culture has a whole lot to do with the definition of the term.

Masculinity and fatherhood are inexorably linked. One feeds into the other.

And yes, culture has warped and perverted the notion of masculinity. It is time men stood up and started acting like real men again instead of the culture’s definition of men.

 

[ComplineSanFran]

Masculinity and fatherhood are inexorably linked. One feeds into the other.

.

So if we say that 1 out of 5 men in the US never sire or raise children (2010 census), how does that link to masculinity feeding into fatherhood? I really don’t understand how these two things are related. Fatherhood is a role/lifestyle that one chooses. Masculinity is more a set of behaviors that varies from culture to culture. Quite confused here.

 

[J_Peterson]

So if we say that 1 out of 5 men in the US never sire or raise children (2010 census), how does that link to masculinity feeding into fatherhood? I really don’t understand how these two things are related. Fatherhood is a role/lifestyle that one chooses. Masculinity is more a set of behaviors that varies from culture to culture. Quite confused here.

I agree. The word masculinity makes me think of stereotypical male behavior which is cultural (macho attitude, real or imaginary promiscuity, violent, etc.). I’m glad that our society is finally freeing us from that attitude. Are the Bishops talking about this or something else? What is an effeminate man to think about what the Bishops are asking of him?

Then again, the original article is blocked by my job for some reason so I wasn’t able to read the whole article.

 

[abucs]

I think the idea comes from the traditional acceptance and acknowledgement of gender roles and differences. For masculinity, the important role of fatherhood is part of this.

But of course not everyone is called to biological fatherhood (just ask the pope and cardinals).

Masculine roles of protection, mentoring, encouraging, modelling and explaining etc are not only done by biological fathers (just ask the pope and cardinals) but that does not diminish the role of traditional biological fatherhood where the concept of masculinity discussed is usually where young children first encounter this experience and where it has the most enduring affect.

 

[EmperorNapoleon]

I think the idea comes from the traditional acceptance and acknowledgement of gender roles and differences. For masculinity, the important role of fatherhood is part of this.

Gender roles and what it means to be the ideal man have been defined and re-defined many times in the history of Western civilization so what is “traditional?” I get the sense that they’re seeking a revival of a sort of Pleasantville illusion, but I’m not sure.

 

[SWolf]

So if we say that 1 out of 5 men in the US never sire or raise children (2010 census), how does that link to masculinity feeding into fatherhood? I really don’t understand how these two things are related. Fatherhood is a role/lifestyle that one chooses. Masculinity is more a set of behaviors that varies from culture to culture. Quite confused here.

To a certain extent, but there are traits that are nearly universal among men, and the way a society helps cultivate them makes or breaks a civilization.

youtube.com/watch?v=p5LRdW8xw70

 

[abucs]

Gender roles and what it means to be the ideal man have been defined and re-defined many times in the history of Western civilization so what is “traditional?” I get the sense that they’re seeking a revival of a sort of Pleasantville illusion, but I’m not sure.

I think the video makes the case for traditional masculinity in the context of being Christ-like. For the Christian that doesn’t change because the example of Jesus doesn’t change.

As the video says, this especially includes self sacrifice and taking leadership roles in putting the welfare (financial, social, spiritual etc) of others in the family before your own individual desires.

I think it is less an effort to get back to a Pleasantville that is an illusion, but more of an attempt to promote traditional Christian roles to get out of a very real Unpleasantville that many find themselves caught up in.

 

[zz912]

So if we say that 1 out of 5 men in the US never sire or raise children (2010 census), how does that link to masculinity feeding into fatherhood? I really don’t understand how these two things are related. Fatherhood is a role/lifestyle that one chooses. Masculinity is more a set of behaviors that varies from culture to culture. Quite confused here.

Just because large swaths of the society reject their inherent nature doesn’t mean their inherent nature disappears. It just means they are rejecting it.

Men are called to be fathers, spiritual and/or literal.

 

[zz912]

I agree. The word masculinity makes me think of stereotypical male behavior which is cultural (macho attitude, real or imaginary promiscuity, violent, etc.). I’m glad that our society is finally freeing us from that attitude. Are the Bishops talking about this or something else? What is an effeminate man to think about what the Bishops are asking of him?

Then again, the original article is blocked by my job for some reason so I wasn’t able to read the whole article.

Masculinity doesn’t mean the stereotypes that have been pushed through indoctrination by the culture. Those false images of masculinity that immediately come to mind for you shows how successful the indoctrination has become.

There is something other than effeminate males and violent, promiscuous machismo. Actual masculinity.

 

[ComplineSanFran]

Masculinity doesn’t mean the stereotypes that have been pushed through indoctrination by the culture. Those false images of masculinity that immediately come to mind for you shows how successful the indoctrination has become.

There is something other than effeminate males and violent, promiscuous machismo. Actual masculinity.

Then how do you define masculinity with no cultural attachments?

 

[irishpatrick]

Christ was and is strong, yet also merciful and loving.

Christ had compassion, yet He also knew where to draw a line, literally.

Christ not only strongly spoke of sin and its many consequences, He also provided the antidote to sin.

Christ stood strong in trials–more so than anyone who has ever lived.

Christ loved the world despite it so often despising Him.

Christ never strayed from His Mission.

Christ never watered-down the truth in order to gain favor of the people.

Christ loved everyone.

Christ had and has a deep love for His Father.

Christ had and has a deep love for His Mother.

Christ loved so deeply that He willing suffered and died for us.

That list, imo, constitutes a solid start to defining true masculinity. I wonder, of all the men reading this post, how many of us can read that list and find our own weaknesses and areas of improvement to help us better serve others, and the Lord, in the Divinely given role of a man on this earth?

 

[Art321]

Christ was and is strong, yet also merciful and loving.

Christ had compassion, yet He also knew where to draw a line, literally.

Christ not only strongly spoke of sin and its many consequences, He also provided the antidote to sin.

Christ stood strong in trials–more so than anyone who has ever lived.

Christ loved the world despite it so often despising Him.

Christ never strayed from His Mission.

Christ never watered-down the truth in order to gain favor of the people.

Christ loved everyone.

Christ had and has a deep love for His Father.

Christ had and has a deep love for His Mother.

Christ loved so deeply that He willing suffered and died for us.

That list, imo, constitutes a solid start to defining true masculinity. I wonder, of all the men reading this post, how many of us can read that list and find our own weaknesses and areas of improvement to help us better serve others, and the Lord, in the Divinely given role of a man on this earth?

So beautiful and true! Christ Jesus is the embodiment of authentic masculinity in the same way as our Blessed Mother is the authentic embodiment of femininity! Both are radically different than what the world says they are!