Original post: https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/stop-shaming-men
Archive post: https://archive.ph/JzmQy
It’s one of the most well known facts in social science that women initiate the vast majority of divorces – around 70% or so depending on the source you look at. It’s a fact I have never heard an evangelical pastor mention. In fact, as one feminist scholar found in her academic research, in evangelical sermons ‘women are framed primarily as receivers of divorce rather than initiators.’ And, while there have been improvements, divorce court and child custody practices still favor women. . . . It’s also worth asking what Blake – and by extension the rest of the evangelical leadership class – are doing to reduce these risks, help men manage them, or to create an environment in which men have a better chance of marital success. The answer is basically nothing. . . . They could tell men, “Get married and we’ve got your back.” But they don’t. Instead, should some man actually get married and any troubles arise, they will almost certainly blame him for it.”
Evangelicals, is there nothing they can't fuck up?
But there were plenty of people alive to receive them then. And there will continue to be plenty of people alive to receive them now and in the future. The birth rate isn't going to drop to zero just because some men decide they want to devote themselves to other purposes in life.
Indeed:
To this day, many men choose celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, and to spread His word, and that is a good thing.
He did say something important about marriage, yes. And He didn't say no one should have children. (specifically He said “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one’? So they are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.").
But what Jesus definitely did not say was was that "A man has no future if he has no children, only his limited lifespan" (quoting your words directly) or that 'a man's only single function in life is having children' (paraphrasing your words), which is what I was rightfully ridiculing.
Right, so its someone else's problem to solve, you are too special and important for such things. As I suspected would be your answer to the question I asked.
Well yes, when you change words to suite the argument you want me to be making its pretty easy to set up your own counter. The book also commanded pretty directly and in no uncertain terms many times to "be fruitful and multiply," but I'd wager Old Testament only counts when it doesn't interfere with your desired worldview.
I've said my piece, and considering all you got against it was to open with an insult and then "its someone else's problem, not mine!" I feel pretty strong about it now.
Spreading the word of God is a way of solving many worldly issues, but it has a far more important role than that - it is a way of bringing all His people to salvation. The fact that you so fixated by materialism in this world that you cannot see anything of value in your existence beyond spreading your seed is sad, as I said originally, for it is preventing you seeing something far greater than yourself.
All men have a future if they follow God. The life of the righteous does not end when they die in this world. Saying "A man has no future if he has no children, only his limited lifespan" is blasphemy, so yes, I am happy to call it out as I see it, if only to point out that your materialistic world view is not universally accepted.
Right, my rejection of hedonism and personal pleasures to sacrifice for someone else's future is "fixated by materialism."
You need to update your NPC programming homie. You are saying lines that don't work.
I'll also note you completely skipped the part where I pointed out the Bible that roughly agreed with me on its importance, just so you could sermon on empty platitudes. Because that's seemingly all you got. Empty ranting about how all problems are solved by some vague faith posting so we should just stop trying.
Truly a pathetic snake lulling men into complacency with fanciful promises.
What are you even going on about? You seem to have built this bizarre image in your head about me because I dared to criticised your stupid argument that "the only thing happens in life is having children". It's as if you are so insecure about that decision that you need to lash out irrationally against all who point out that it's not the only decision a man could make and have a life that "matters". It is you that are refusing to acknowledge that there is other good that can be done in this world apart from having children. I never said that it's wrong to have children.
Despite you thinking you are all holier than thou because you've produce a child (good for you), I have far higher regard for those who renounce hedonism, personal pleasures and having families of their own to do God's work, for they are even less driven by selfish motives than you. And yes, I will say selfish motives, for your argument for having children wasn't that this was to glorify God, but rather, to further your own genetic line. Despite pretending you are doing some great good by having children, your motives for doing so do seem rather self-serving.
ps. "Fixated for materialism" is entirely related to the materialistic ideology the espouses that the only things that matter to man's life are related to this material world. That path leads to hedonism and personal pleasures, and is perhaps why you are so insecure about your decision. You feel you are renouncing something you'd rather have, instead of knowing that heading down those paths are sins that draw you away from God, and it is right to denounce them.