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Author Bill Bennett is certainly correct when he writes, "There is no simple instruction manual or formula on how to be a man, but there is experience and wisdom to be consulted." But Bennett, former Secretary of Education in the 1980s under late President Ronald Reagan, provided a new resource that ought to be consulted by men who are grappling to learn for themselves or teach their sons about genuine, godly manhood.
 

In The Book of Man: Readings on the Path to Manhood (Thomas Nelson), Bennett articulates a simple, but noble goal: to revive the characteristics of genuine and worthwhile masculinity. Bennett presents a compelling picture of manhood through more than 300 short poems, essays, speeches and historical legends, setting forth heroes who typify "the everlasting qualities of manhood" including courage, honor and duty.

In the opening essay on heroes and heroism, Bennett writes, "There is experience and wisdom to be consulted on how to be a man. While the plot, actors and scenes are constantly changing, the virtues, characteristics and challenges of manhood remain the same today as thousands of years ago. And, today, more than ever, we need men who live like men." Indeed.

The book is divided into six sections with brief readings appropriate to the topic: Man in War, Man in Play, Sports, and Leisure, Man at Work, Man in the Polis, Man with Women and Children, Man in Prayer and Reflection. Readings range from speeches of Alexander the Great to an essay on the work ethic of baseball hall of famer Cal Ripken, Jr., the works of John Locke, writings from Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill and accounts of biblical heroes. There are also numerous readings from Scripture on topics such as the divinely-ordered dignity of work and the necessity for manhood of godly wisdom.

Bennett's book is an excellent resource and an enjoyable read. Each selection may be completed in a few minutes and have the potential to teach men about authentic manhood as well as about great men and important literary works from history. I highly recommend that Christian men place this work high on their reading list in 2012.

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I have heard some radical feminists reply to the question "Why don't you oppose pornography, given that it objectifies, abuses and undermines the dignity of women?" with a deeply troubling answer that goes something like this: "We do not oppose it because pornography gives women the opportunity to gain power over men by exploiting their susceptibility to carnal attraction to women."  

This answer is as false as it is foolish. It is true that the fallen sons of Adam struggle with sexual temptation, which is the reason why the Holy Spirit inspired so much ink warning against sexual immorality and temptation in Scripture. Pornography, however, can in no way be defended by any remotely rational person as being a positive thing for men or women. Simply put, pornography imprisons both genders, a reality God's Word makes clear in many places such as Romans 1, a passage that lines out the sobering consequences of exchanging the truth of God's good plan for men and women for the lie of sexual autonomy.

Bob DeMoss has written an excellent article for one of Focus on the Family's magazines that exposes the profoundly foolish and deadly nature of such thinking. This article illustrates well the truth that pornography is always evil, that is does not empower women, but destroys them instead. Please be warned that the sources interviewed for the story paint a picture that is not for the faint of heart.

 The story may be accessed here:

http://www.citizenlink.com/2011/03/24/a-sinister-%e2%80%94-and-growing-%e2%80%94-business-model/

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[Below is the introduction to a helpful post on modesty by Sharon Hodde Miller published on Christianity Today's blog for women. The link to the entire article is provided.]

I remember the first time I heard the words chirped by an eager female college student as we discussed the topic of modesty. Her enthusiasm was mixed with perk and reprimand, producing a tone that landed somewhere between Emily Post and a cheerleader.

To be honest, my initial reaction to "modest is hottest" was amusement. I thought the rhyme was clever and lighthearted, a harmless way to promote the virtue described in 1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3-4. No harm no foul. Read the whole thing:   http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2011/12/why_we_can_dump_modest_is_hott.html

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[Note: I am reposting this helpful quote and post from Horatius Bonar from Tim Challies.Though it is not gender-related, strictly speaking, it does speak of important "manly" principles in the face of frothy, cotton-candy "Christianity" that often makes men squeemish and drives them from the local church. This originally ran on Tim's blog earlier this week--JR] 


I came across this quote by Horatius Bonar and thought it was worth sharing. Bonar is warning against a kind of soft and, in his word, effeminate Christianity, that may come about when Christians are too afraid to fight for what is right and to protest against what is wrong.

For there is some danger of falling into a soft and effeminate Christianity, under the plea of a lofty and ethereal theology. Christianity was born for endurance...It walks with firm step and erect frame; it is kindly, but firm; it is gentle, but honest; it is calm, but not facile; obliging, but not imbecile; decided, but not churlish. It does not fear to speak the stern word of condemnation against error, nor to raise its voice against surrounding evils, under the pretext that it is not of this world.

It does not shrink from giving honest reproof lest it come under the charge of displaying an unchristian spirit. It calls sin ‘sin,' on whomsoever it is found, and would rather risk the accusation of being actuated by a bad spirit than not discharge an explicit duty. Let us not misjudge strong words used in honest controversy. Out of the heat a viper may come forth; but we shake it off and feel no harm.

The religion of both Old and New Testaments is marked by fervent outspoken testimonies against evil. To speak smooth things in such a case may be sentimentalism, but it is not Christianity. It is a betrayal of the cause of truth and righteousness. If anyone should be frank, manly, honest, cheerful (I do not say blunt or rude, for a Christian must be courteous and polite), it is he who has tasted that the Lord is gracious, and is looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God.

I know that charity covereth a multitude of sins; but it does not call evil good, because a good man has done it; it does not excuse inconsistencies, because the inconsistent brother has a high name and a fervent spirit. Crookedness and worldliness are still crookedness and worldliness, though exhibited in one who seems to have reached no common height of attainment.

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Perhaps an accurate motto for one preschool in Stockholm, Sweden might be: "You have now entered the gender-free zone." The school, "Egalia," a taxpayer-funded school, has adopted a curriculum that does not employ gender pronouns such as "he," "she," "his" or "hers" in an attempt to avoid "pigeonholing and stereotyping."  Instead, leaders at the school instruct students and teachers to address each other as "friends." The school includes students ages 1 to 6.

The goal is part of the Swedish government's larger push for a gender-free society. Sadly, Swedish government is hoping other schools will follow Egalia's lead. The goal is as old as that of the serpent of Eden: to establish complete human autonomy:  "Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty, and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing," Jenny Johnsson, a 31-year-old teacher at the taxpayer-funded school told the Swedish Daily Mail. "Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be."

Here's the rest of the story from the Associated Press:

You get the picture.  At first glance, Charles Spurgeon's reaction to a theological novelty of his day seem an appropriate response to this preschool's actions: "We never know what we shall hear next, and perhaps it is a mercy that these absurdities are revealed one at a time, in order that we may be able to endure their stupidity without dying of amazement." However, this sad and sorry development is not to be dismissed with a rhetorical flourish. (Incidentally, the issue on which Spurgeon was weighing in was a tertiary theological matter, and deserved little more than such a dismissal)

Not everyone in Sweden is taking the news well; many parents are correctly calling it "gender madness." Indeed. This push to instill gender confusion in the children of Sweden is a high-handed illustration of the ungodly exchange of Romans 1:25 "...they exchanged the truth of God for a lie..." And it is deeply sinful because it is the path of the fool that Proverbs teaches: adults, who are called to teach their sons and daughters wisdom, instead, are intentionally leading them down the broad path to destruction.

Will the godly men and women, the faithful followers of Christ in Sweden rise up against such a bald-faced rejection of God's perfect plan for men and women and boldly counter those deadly lies with the transcendent truth? I pray they will.