"Godmen" - A New Movement to Make Relgious Men More Manly

On ABC's Good Morning America this morning, a story was featured about a new Christian men's movement. Move over Promise Keepers, and step up Godmen. The founder and host of the Godmen events (I don't think they call it worship), is comedian Brad Stine. With only 4 in 10 church goers nationwide being men, it is claimed that Christianity, as it is usually practiced, is too feminine. Now there is a movement that will make men out of Christians.

Brad Stine already has an article on Wikipedia, which is informative, although brief. The inaugural 'event' of his new movement was held in October of 2006 and the second one was supposedly held in January. Mr. Stine also has his own blog site called Brad Stine's Blog Nation. There is also an official web site separate from this.

Mr. Stine describes the origin of the movement on his blog:
"Last year my manager and I began to formulate a conference for men called Godmen. We wanted to do something unique, edgy, and a little dangerous in order to reach men emotionally and spiritually in ways the church isn't. Nothing against the church, it just can't talk on men specific areas in a mixed crowd of women and children. I didn't see this as my MINISTRY mind you, but as a supplemental way to reach non-Christians and Christians with the gospel outside of my comedy alone."

I appreciate the fact that he didn't want to simply develop another "ministry," as this word is already stretched way beyond recognition these days. However, by the end of his web post he gives in. Oh, well....

Mr. Stine is tapping into the same trend that is so popular in Christianity these days. We compartmentalize the faith to suit specialty groups and cater to individual needs. Whether its reaching out to macho men or X-generation people or whoever, it's all the same. The Church is a unity, a "body," gathered around Word and Sacrament. Its means reach and renew all people. The Word is not ineffective. It's about people with "itching ears" and closed hearts that don't allow the Truth to find a hearing. And there is nothing essentially masculine or feminine about the Faith. This is a modern label, a false dichotomy. It is about Christ, period. No thanks, Mr. Stine. Promise Keepers didn't suit me, and I'm not drawn to Godmen. If I need a "macho moment" I'll grab my 12-gauge and go hunting.

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