Yes, he really did send out this tweet. @@
Owen Strachan‘s idea of Biblical manhood does not look like what I read in the Bible. Owen and his Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood friends love to talk about male headship and men as strong spiritual leaders. But when they cross the line like Owen has in the above Tweet, it’s important to see what the Bible really says.
To hand-select one verse that makes it look like men are supposed to be physically strong is pretty odd, especially when there are scores and scores of verses about what leadership really looks like.
One of the most common character traits I read in the Bible for both men and women is gentleness. I see Jesus taking a posture of humility and meekness. He does not lord his position. If anyone had the right to lord over people, you would think it would be Jesus Christ, Yet the Bible says we are to model our lives after Him.
Was Jesus’ physique referenced in the Bible? Was Jesus buff? Can anyone find any Biblical reference? I can’t find any. However, I did find these verses on gentleness in seconds:
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph. 4:1-2
and
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 1 Tim. 6:11
Here are a couple of verses specifically talking about the gentleness of Jesus:
Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ–I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! 2 Cor. 10:1
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matt. 11:29
Owen saved himself by including the word “often” in his sentence, rather that writing an absolute: “The man who is willfully soft physically is often soft spiritually.” But still – what a bunch of malarkey. And what in the heck does it mean for a man to be “willfully soft physically?” Does this mean that anyone who doesn’t work out is not spiritual? This is an absurd notion.
Sure, it’s good for people to work out, but to make the conclusion that if men aren’t in good shape physically, they won’t be in good shape spiritually is ridiculous. This is just one more attempt to shame men into the roles that CBMW and Owen tout.
But check out this verse, from the ESV-men-approved translation which puts the emphasis on one’s spiritual life over physical life:
For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Tim. 4:8
This implies that our spiritual walk is valued more than physical training. I think Owen should spend more time in the gym and less time exercising his fingers on Twitter.
Spiritual Sounding Board 
Thanks for sharing this tweet. I am concerned that Owen Strachan is not operating in good faith.
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He has been like this for as long as I’ve “known” him on Twitter (and blocked!). He blocked me years ago!
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1) Who the hell is Owen Strachan?? Never heard of him. He can’t be all that important.
2) Whatever happened to “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7 KJV)”?
3) I’m tired of idiots and narcissists being permitted to monopolize the cultural discussion about who and what defines Christianity. Owen, shut the everloving @#$k up.
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I noticed him tweeting a bunch of similar nonsense the other day. He is obsessed with soft verses hard (and I am trying really hard not to be tacky here), and men verses women. He’s so bizarre, like just go join a crossfit cult and be done with it. That’s not christianity. Ugh.
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Hard to disagree with that. He doesn’t even have a page of his own on Wikipedia. (I just checked there, looking for a bio.)
Strachan is one of Al Mohler’s long-time hangers-on. For a while, he was the president of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, which tries to promote gender comp ideology as normative and compulsory for all Christians.
That’s pretty much my assessment of Strachan, too.
The first I ever heard from him was regarding an article on his own Patheos blog. Apparently, he got a case of the vapours from seeing Baby Bear play with dolls on “Sesame Street”, and just had to write a piece denouncing this horrible example for Christian boys.
In case you can’t tell, he lost my respect right then and there.
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The legalists cannot resist putting their standards and their bars in front of others. There is a difference between being “in shape” – meaning that your body is able to do what you ask of it – and being “buff” – meaning that your body looks good. Those are not necessarily the same thing, and often times, those who spend hours in the gym aren’t there for being in shape, but for looks. I’m sure that Jesus kept his body in a condition that it did what he asked of it.
Here are some other verses to consider: “For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.” (Isaiah 53:2)
“But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men… Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.” (Matt 23:5,25)
So, why should we be surprised that a Pharisee comes up with a visible standard of righteousness, especially one that can be used to dismiss people he doesn’t agree with? If you’re not physically fit, then I can treat you as lesser.
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If physical discipline were a real key to Godliness, wouldn’t Paul use more emphatic language than “physical training is of some value”? I’m all for exercise and work, but I think Strachan overstates his case here.
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My husband is a fighter pilot. He’s in great shape. He has one of the “coolest” and most male-dominated jobs there is. Yet what I appreciate most about him is his gentle, tender heart. He is a partner to me as we raise our children, never considering it beneath him or too manly to change diapers, do diapers, cook dinner when I’m too tired, or watch the kids when I need a break. He selflessly cares for me when my mental health issues flare up.
He’s not the “spiritual head” of our household. He respects me as my own person, not some kind of appendage of him. He doesn’t think I need spiritual “protection”- he knows I have a brain and respects my autonomy in using it as I deconstruct my faith.
Owen Strachan doesn’t have a clue what good men are. All he cares about is if they fit his own warped image of what a “Christian” man should be.
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I think this tweet is from a little man desperately seeking aattention.
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Strachan blocked me on Twitter a few weeks ago.
I replied to one of his complementarian tweets.
He did some kind of tweet about how firemen who save people from a fire are so manly, and so, ergo, isn’t masculinity great?
(I think he posted a news photo of male firefighters with the tweet)
I tweeted him a link to an article about an all-female fire fighting crew in Australia, I believe it was.
(We also have women firefighters in the U.S.A.)
Honestly, masculinity is NOT “under attack.”
That is one reason why Strachan and men like him keep posting such things.
Other conservatives continue to misrepresent what the phrase “Toxic Masculnity” means, and Strachan is one of those guys (Tucker Carlson is another, Dr. Michael Brown of “The Christian Post” is yet another) – the phrase is not referring to all men, or masculinity in an of itself.
Therefore, it’s not necessary for conservatives to post news photos of male policemen or male fire fighters rescuing endangered people.
The phrase “Toxic Masculinity” is only describing the gender stereotypes for boys and men that hurt boys and men, and that can hurt women too.
Feminists who use the term “Toxic Masculinity” do not take issue with men who do things like save women (or men) from burning buildings or flooded streets after hurricanes.
But conservatives keep saying feminists do object to such things; it’s a total straw man argument, and it makes me embarrassed to be a conservative at times.
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I did a blog post about Strachan’s blocking me a few weeks ago, it is here, if anyone wants to see that:
_Blocked by Complementarian Owen Strachan For Two Benign Tweets That Contradicted His Worldview About Women and Masculinity_
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IMO, another reason why guys like Strachan, Mark Driscoll, John Piper, etc, drone on and on about Jesus being a tough, stubble-faced, karate expert John Wayne type of guy is because they are embarrassed by the full faceted Jesus that the Bible depicts,
and the other parts of the New Testament that tells believers to be gentle, kind, meek, humble, etc.
Jesus Himself was not always a tough, He-Man type.
(There were times he was, yes, but there were times he wept, he expressed compassion for the outcasts of society, etc. There were times Jesus was a touchie-feelie person.)
I think guys like Driscoll, Strachan, are ashamed of those sections of the Bible.
They do NOT want to be gentle, meek, and kind, because frequently, such traits are considered “feminine” in our culture.
I had the opposite problem growing up:
My mother encouraged me to sort of disregard the examples of Jesus being assertive in the Bible.
My Mom only wanted me to hone in and focus on the instances where Jesus was so super-duper nicey-nice to everyone, and so lovey lovey.
And folks like my Mom are NOT comfortable with women or girls displaying traits our culture deems “masculine,” such as being assertive, outspoken, etc.
My Mom wanted me to be a Codependent (doormat) type, as do Complementarian churches (she took me to Southern Baptist churches when I was growing up), because that is considered “feminine” and doesn’t upset the status quot.
And yes, complementarians insist there is a “Pink Jesus” for girls and women to follow,
and “Pink Jesus” is only sweet, loving, humble, quiet and deferential – why, he’s eternally submissive to The Father.”
But American complementarians preach a “Blue Jesus,” and it’s interesting to note how American Christian comp men have a Blue Jesus who looks like a cross between American cinema characters or icons such as Rambo, John Wayne, Bruce Lee, and the Terminator.
Complementarian men are too embarrassed to not adhere to American cultural ideals of manhood.
They don’t want to actually live like the Bible tells them to do: lay down the tough guy attitudes, and be gentle.
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I left out a phrase in my last comment, I correct it here:
But American complementarians preach a “Blue Jesus,” (TO MEN) and it’s interesting to note how American Christian comp men have a Blue Jesus who looks like a cross between American cinema characters or icons such as Rambo, John Wayne, Bruce Lee, and the Terminator.
– – —- end corrected segment — — —
So for men, complementarians preach this “Blue Jesus” and Blue Jesus never takes nothing off nobody, this Jesus it the Head Boss of the church, and he is one tough Hombre.
But comps turn around and preach “Pink Jesus” to women, and they like to tell us that Pink Jesus was eternally subordinate to God the Father – they do this to try to justify their horrid, sexist “male headship” theology.
But you’ll notice Jesus does no submitting when comps are preaching Blue Jesus to men.
All the sudden, when being taught to boys and men, Jesus stops being so dang deferential, and instead, he’s a nunchuck- wielding Warrior.
Complementarians are so dishonest and so slimy in how they market their inconsistent gender teachings.
They also do a “bait and switch” on girls and women, which I noticed many years ago, and later, someone wrote a post about it on CBE here:
_The Bait & Switch of Complementarians</>_
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“Pastors, if you are tempted to preach something to your congregation that you couldn’t preach to the prisoners of a concentration camp–you probably shouldn’t preach it.” (Brother Andrew)
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Daisy, there was a good article where a book author was interviewed on toxic masculinity. The point was that men are sold a toxic picture of masculinity where the only acceptable emotions are happiness and anger. Unlike women, men are not taught how to process emotions, and often the women of their lives, mothers and wives, often have to be that emotional support, processing the emotions on their behalf. One of the problems is that men often turn any negative emotion into anger. Another problem is that men are often unable to connect to others in any meaningful way.
I can mention Doug Wilson in how this turns out. Doug talks about sex as a conquest, not a shared, mutual connection. That leads to “locker room talk” where women are objectified and the idea of an emotional bond or mutuality is sneered at.
That is the world of the Owen Strachan and CBMW. Women were created to be the conquered slaves of the men. Men provide the sperm and the conquest and women nurture and support the fragile male ego when happiness and anger aren’t enough.
I think Owen is flat-out unhappy, but because his view of masculinity is Arnold Schwarzenegger – huge muscles and one-liners with women swarming – his solution is similarly along a single track. Men need to be stronger and women need to be weaker. Yet, it simply doesn’t work, and now I see these ultra-conservative comp. churches are trying to proclaim how much happier women are in comp theology, while girls are leaving in droves.
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My 80-something grandfather was lamenting the other day that it’s no longer socially acceptable for little boys to playing dolls. He and my grandmother related the story of their son’s (my dad’s) beloved Jimmy-baby doll.
True, my dad did grow up to be an elementary school teacher, a career more common for women than men. But he also was an MP, is a blackbelt, is still athletic into retirement, built his own woodworking shop from the ground up, and leads the men’s ministry at his church.
He also (with the help of our mom) managed to raise four daughters and taught us that with BOTH genders there are times to be gentle and times to be tough.
When I married my husband, it was his CHARACTER that I looked at, not how much he could bench press. And it is that strength of his CHARACTER that has sustained me through miscarriage grief, through church burnout, through family dramas and health issues, etc.
What a narrow and limiting viewpoint presented by Mr. Strachan.
And since when did that verse from Paul apply just to men? Most of his encouragements in the Corinthian letters are to all believers, right?
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Sounds like Owen is channeling Deep Throat Driscoll:
“I can’t respect a Christ I can beat up.”
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Not even Arnold Schwarzenegger the man, but on-screen “Ahnold” from all those “Arnie Films”.
Like “William Wallace II” never realizing that Braveheart was HEAVILY fictionalized.
(In his prime, AS was an excellent physical actor, good at physical comedy and with a talent for “dark humor”. What set “Arnie Films” apart from other “gunpowder jerkoff” Men’s Action Flicks was the dark humor – you could tell “Ahnold”s character wasn’t taking it all too seriously. The vibe was “Yes, this is an over-the-top macho action cartoon. You know it, I know it, let’s have some fun with it.”)
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I’m trying to search for a picture I saw online of Owen Strachan’s Buff Jesus.
Until I can find it, here’s my verbal description: “Buffed-up Jesus working two M-60 machineguns and shooting laser beams out of his eyes while riding bareback on Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
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Who is “Owen Shrachan?” Never heard of him……if he is reading my post, that may offend his pseudo-masculine ego? Is he someone that I should listen too and follow as a woman seeking Christ with a desire to mature in Him? Or is he another one of these blabbering p’astor m’en that desire lordship and worship with a sinful meddling attitude that seeks to destroy marriages, relationships, and most importantly, our relationship with the One and Only Teacher/Pastor/Good Shepherd that ever walked this earth?
I can’t imagine, by the proof of Owen’s post on Tweeter, that he would ever bow down and wash the feet of his disciples. Back in Jesus’ day, the lowliest of the servants washed the feet of the grossest, dirtiest, most disgusting feet of the those who entered the house……that was “THEIR JOB.” Imagine washing the guests’ dirty feet? Personally, I have never watched a c’hurch l’eader bow down and do the “dirty work” that is the job of a servant.
Then Jesus, in the upper room, washed His disciples feet, while they watched in amazement, even trying to correct our Good Shepherd! What a picture this truth displays of our LORD and MASTER Jesus Christ! Can’t imagine that my LORD Jesus Christ went to the gym in order to wash His followers’ feet, nor can I picture that any of the disciples and apostles (including the first woman apostle Junia), ever “working out at the local cesspool of vanity!”
Ever been in a gym or a local “workout center?” They are decorated with mirrors to reinforce the vanity complex, complete with the “see me, see me, oh, see how great I am” syndrome?
Why the mirrors? It reinforces the myth of the Narcissus complex…..that “individuals are god, not Jesus Christ.”
If our LORD Jesus were walking this earth today, I often wonder, would the perverted p’astor men,such as OS, call Him a “real man,” or would they scoff, mock, and eventually yell “Crucify Him” due to the fact that Jesus’ rulership, leadership, and authority, bears no witness to the current religious system (c’hurch) that seeks diligently to rule over the souls, minds, and hearts of those who truly desire to follow Christ and worship Him in spirit and truth daily, wherever they are?
This Owen person reminds me of the baptist p’astor man and his wife that I invited over for supper to get to know them better. Oh my yes, did I ever “get to know” them all right…..from the moment they entered my home, the conversation was onerously in their favor as they boasted and bragged on the wonders of themselves.
Not once did they ask any of my family members a question, including myself, the hostess, about our lives or our faith in Jesus Christ. No, not a single question to express interest in our lives. The “mirrors” of our home were focused on the wonders of the clergy and his family, forget about Jesus’ lowly sheep,and when they left, I was sick to my stomach in need of a vomit bag.
Biblical “manhood?” Wow, just “WOW.” There seems to be a famine in this religious land of c’hurchianity, for when there is a steady stream of “manhood” and “womanhood” heresy, an underlying element of “fear of losing power over people” lines the “muddy bottom” of that stream.
What are people afraid of……..like the Owen Strachans of this world? Seriously.
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Jesus probably was physically responsible but the mere idea that he would be some sort of culturally Adonis-like man is bizarre. We read that he wasn’t fair in comparison to the stature of David, so seeking to see Jesus as some sort of materialistic ideal for manliness is just missing the point of BIBLICAL manliness.
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Frankly the fact that we even have to have this discussion just insults my intelligence. People like “Owen Strachan” exist and have these sorts of stupid, stupid, stupid opinions; and the rest of us have to take a deep breath and address it all calmly and try to deconstruct it rationally when what we’re all really thinking is “OWEN SHUT YOUR @#$^ING MOUTH YOU USELESS, WORTHLESS, BLITHERING TOOL.”
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FOUND THE PIC!
http://www.piratechristian.com/museum-of-idolatry/2017/3/bible-2-volume-1-hail-to-the-king-of-the-jews-baby
(Yes, that is Jesus Christ working two M60 GPMGs plus shooting laser beams from His eyes while riding bareback on Princess Twilight Sparkle.)
According to my source, this cover was done as a parody.
The Biblical Manhood types are Dead Serious True Believers.
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I am laughing so hard that I have to be sure ta they don’t hear me in the classroom next door (I’m on my prep).
The only other thing this picture lacks is a nice cupcake for the unicorn, with rainbow sprinkles, of course.
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I think in some ways complementarianism is a reaction to some of the tenets of feminism coming out of the 60s (like the right to an abortion) as well as a reaction to evolving views on gender today that travel farther and farther from traditional Biblical views. Maybe Strachan is a bad person but maybe he’s just reacting to something in a way that seems dramatic. I think I understand to a degree the why somebody would react by creating and then diving deep into complementarianism; it simplifies the complexities of sexuality and the roles of men and women. I think it’s too simple, but I understand the desire to figure it out.
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https://images.dailykos.com/images/379031/large/what-would-republican-jesus-do-1442781591_1_.jpg?1489807108
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Paul K “I think it’s too simple, but I understand the desire to figure it out.”
I don’t see this sort of thing as “figuring it out”. My personal opinion is that it’s a form of virtue signaling. These guys post this sort of toxic masculinity drivel as a way of showing others how far they are willing to put themselves out on behalf of the team.
Opining on whether Jesus is “buff” is what Paul talks about when he says this to Timothy: “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.” (2 Tim 2:23)
Think about it… there is plenty of work for the pastor to do within his own congregation – strengthening and training the flock and bring words of grace, but for some reason, that seems secondary in his mind to shooting out crap like this on twitter.
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Sidenote, i’m pretty sure mirrors in the gym are for checking form, but they also add to aesthetics of the gym itself. Makes it look less closed in to me, that along with a lot of natural light is nice when working out. Anyways.
AS to Paul’s comment, yes it is a reaction to feminism, but feminism was a necessary reaction to men controlling women and treating women terribly in the process. You will never convince me that that was a societal good. Men who wish to retain control, or are frightened at the idea that women might advance in society are threatened by this. They need to deal with that in a healthy way, not by trying to push women down beneath them again so they can feel superior. The owen’s of the world don’t like to think of women as real people, who need fulfillment in normal, human ways. They do think of us as slaves, and not wholly formed. They do not think Jesus is really for us. It’s sad, and I would love to say that he is unimportant but there are WAY too many of his ilk trying to promote their way of thinking. IT’s done great harm.
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Somewhat off topic; you can use weight room mirrors for monitoring form on some lifts, but for the really useful “compound movement” lifts like squats, deadlifts, cleans, and the like, it’s actually discouraged because you’ve got to twist your neck to look in the mirror. Since the neck muscles plant in the back, and compound movements work the back as much as the legs, craning your head to look at mirrors can have some unpleasant consequences.
(written by a guy who obviously lacks a degree of Godliness because there weren’t very many plates on the Ohio Power bar last night, but is sore anyways)
Seriously, the best way to measure your form is to have a lifting buddy watch you lift, in my opinion. My lifting buddy is my wife, and I’m blessed from time to time when other middle aged and older men give me pointers.
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Continuation of off topic conversation. Personally enjoy exercising outdoors in the wide open spaces where there are no mirrors as the “form” takes new heights in the “form of His Perfection.” No injuries or broken bones and I can sing out loud with no one nit-picking or criticizing me!
Perfect environment :)!
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Katy, I like to run outside, but sometimes it’s cold..sometimes it’s dark…sometimes it’s raining too hard. Also I like the sauna! And pool.
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@Lea
“And pool.”
YES! Love that! I consider this the best exercise for the human body as H2O provides a healthy resistance to toning up the muscle, more genteel and effective. Aqua exercise combined with a healthy diet, full to overflowing with the fruits of our land, leads to a healthy body and mind.
And when a healthy dose of reading, studying, and meditating upon the Holy Writ (and the original meanings of foreign languages) for the individual believer is added into the mix, a heathy soul is the result of thy efforts…..instead of sitting under such persons as this Owen Strachan.
There seems to be a famine in the land…..that our Holy Spirit leads us by the works of testosterone instead of HIS SPIRIT. Often wonder if that “testosterone theology 😦 ) worked for our LORD Jesus Christ, when satan tested Him.
I already know the answer to that question! 🙂
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These are the things my older male cousins and their friends thought about manhoods when I was growing up. We lived out in the middle of the woods with many things for southern boys to do so my older male cousins were always coming over. They were very nice to me even though they were the cool tough boys.
Real men drink Budweiser.
Real men smoke Marlboro.
Real men drive 4-wheel drive standard trucks.
Real men get into fistfights every weekend.
Real men are not virgins on their wedding nights.
Real men listen to AC/DC.
Real men listen to Waylon Jennings.
Real men drink whiskey because only seventh-grader little girls drink Vodka.
Real men hunt.
Real men play baseball.
Real men play football.
Real men play basketball.
Real men grow up driving tractors.
Real men grew up knowing how to ride a horse.
Real men know how to pull and park trailers.
Real men fish.
Real men only come from the south.
Real men have guns.
Real men are not afraid to go out in the swamp at night by themselves.
Real men want to be outside at all times.
Real men do not go to church after 18.
Real men do not go to college.
Real men have outside jobs. Inside is for sheltered little girls.
Real men do not say, Hank Williams Jr. or Hank Williams Sr. Because all real men know who you are talking about when you say Hank Jr. and Hank Sr.
Real men do not go to private school or home school. Because real men grow up in the real tough hard world.
There are many men in the world who look at Owen and his ilk and see juvenile boys who are wannabe posers that will never be a true real man.
I grew up on a swamp in the backwoods with real men and with fake men. I have known men who can have everyone in the room past out on the floor before they know what is happening. Comp men are not real men. They are childish little insecure boys playing make-believe. Comp men are the most embarrassing men I have ever been around.
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@Katy:
Back on Wartburg Watch, somebody coined the term “SOLO TESTOSTERONO!” for that particular theology.
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@ChristianityHurts:
I had this start running through my head when I read that:
Locally known as “Black Belt in Barstool”.
And one thing this West Coast city guy knows:
Whether they call themselves Cajuns, Seminoles, or Marsh Arabs,
YOU DON’T MESS WITH SWAMPERS!
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@Headless Unicorn Guy
As religion and politics join hands in the public and private arena of subjugation, is it not interesting how Jesus was no man of beauty nor majesty, and yet p’astors, m’inisters, p’opes, b’ishops, r’everends, e’lders, or any other c’hurch l’eader who names and claims a t’itle unto themselves for visible religious purposes’ sake, diabolically re-orchestrate the person-hood (Sonship) and the godhood (God in the flesh) of our Great Teacher, Great Physician, and Great Savior…..Jesus, the Living Christ?
Isaiah 53: 2-5 and Isaiah 52:14 give us a mental picture as to the powerful nature of Jesus’ appearance. Would any of us give him a “second glance,” let alone, bow down and worship His “buffness?” Wonder what “vision or dream” this Strachan fellow is following…….or perhaps the side effects of a powerful joint or prescribed medication!
Personally, I enjoy canoeing in the swamps, sloughs, and rivers of our outback for it gives me peace of mind enjoying this land that our LORD created……….their is power in having a peace
with our souls in relationship to our Master, Christ alone.
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@Headless Unicorn Guy
LOL
In Louisiana, one should also fear little girls wearing pink because they have been taught to squeeze the trigger and they refuse to miss their mark. Also, 90 pound great grandmothers in dresses, cardigans, and rubber boots. They also have guns and are more than happy to shove one in anybody’s face. When I was growing up all 4 of my great grandmothers were still alive. The oldest one was the smallest, fastest, and meanest. She had the most kids and grandkids so it was understandable. She had seven sons and they were still getting into fistfights with each other as grandfathers. I didn’t know until I was grown that everybody’s great uncles do not beat the cr*p out of each. That is the Scottish Irish side of the family. The French side is too full of Étouffée to be fast.
In French culture, it is masculine for a man to be a good cook.
The manliest man I knew is actually the best cook I know. He was one of the primary caregivers for our two great grandmothers while they were dying. He can live off the land without help, knock out men 3 times his size, and he has a gun for every day of the year. He serves his family. They don’t serve him, he won’t let them. His friends tell him when World War 3 happens they are moving in with him so he can keep them alive.
Our community’s song would be Bad Moon Rising and Hank Jr.’s A Country Boy Can Survive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WwzYhVL5Sc
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@ Katy
The only time I ever feel spiritual is when I am walking in the woods. Not walking down the road or through a pasture. It has to be the woods.
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My BF is a great cook! It’s a good quality in a man.
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Lea:
It may be true that husbands tend to focus on providing physical affection and financial provision while wives and mothers do the same with cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. At the same time influences in these areas are multiple (temperament etc), not just gender. Is there no such thing as husbands who are better cooks than their wives and who may do most of it? (I had an employer who prepared a gourmet salmon meal for us one Christmastime. He disparaged his wife’s cooking and prepared most of the meals at home. Are you the only woman who likes a man who can cook? There are others.) What about husbands who are clean and neat freaks and who may take over where their wives leave off? Is there no such thing as fathers who bond with and dote on their children more than the mothers? Are there any wives who are more provident than their husbands? Are some wives more sexual?
I’m not saying that there are no average differences in how men and women go about these tasks/services, but we can’t just decide someone’s bent and ability merely according to his or her gender. What about men and women in construction and trades? I also believe that there are average differences, but some women’s differences are advantageous. One (concrete forming?) supervisor told me that women were willing to listen and follow instructions while men might want to be treated as equals immediately while they knew it all and couldn’t be told anything. I have read that women have more manual dexterity on average.
I am personally good with my hands, am highly independent, and a perfectionist, and I would not marry to be served (I would pay for it first [cleaning service], and I already pay for take-out and packaged foods. As I get older some activities drop off, including some cooking.)
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B.Badger – I am genuinely baffled why you addressed this question and general (long) comment to me in response to ‘my bf is a great cook’. What?
Also:
That doesn’t sound very kind of him. (Also, salmon isn’t hard to cook.)
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More broadly, God wanted people, as much possible to come to Christ for the right reasons. He was not a position to grant political and financial favours, and there was no “movie star” syndrome.
What would it have taken to blend in with a crowd the way He did? I have read that the average peer of Jesus had a broad peasant’s face, dark olive skin, short curly hair, and a prominent nose. He stood 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighed about 110 pounds. Men in that time and place were influenced by Greek culture (Hellenized), eg short hair and shaved faces. I have read that Jewish priests were required to cut their hair once a month and the style was to be patterned after Caesar’s. One writer thought that he had dirty hands and a sweat-stained shirt. I also read that people there didn’t wash often, making for a strong smell.
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I don’t know whether this makes me more or less masculine, but I’m the more avid cook in my household. I even remember (with a huge smile) my wife’s reaction when, early in our marriage, I got up and started cooking breakfast for her. She was somewhat shocked at my infringement on what she thought might be her role, but she got used to it.
And since my health club is closed, suffice it to say that I’m doing a lot more of those outdoor activities that others here have mentioned for the time being.
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