Thank you, Mike Huckabee, for giving men this slogan  Thank you for standing up publicly for us.   Huckabee was citing The Washington Post’s findings that of the 990 people shot by police in 2015, 948 were male, 494 were white and 258 were black.  “The pure facts,” observed Huckabee, “…reveal that 94% of those killed by police are men, so by proportional standards… the real movement in America should be ‘Male Lives Matter.'”  Men in our culture are under assault simply for being male. This spells real trouble for our society.

In his book Kingdom Man, Tony Evans notes that 70% of all prisoners come from fatherless homes, as do approximately 80% of all rapists.  71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes, and 63% of all teen suicides occur in homes where fathers were either abusive or absent.  This points to a pandemic.  In an article entitled The End of Men, Hanna Rosin suggests that “man has been the dominant sex since, well, the dawn of mankind.  But for the first time in history , that is changing – and with shocking speed.”  Feminist Camille Paglia has warned, “Masculinity is just becoming something that is imitated from the movies.  There’s nothing left.  There’s no room for anything manly right now.”

The phrase Male Lives Matter speaks to the heart and soul of this blog site.  I am a voice in the wilderness (northern Minnesota) crying out, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight path for him” (Luke 3:4).  I speak as one who has struggled with his own maleness.  I try to stay abreast of the gender wars both within and outside of the church, and have a strong conviction that the church as well as society is becoming feminized. I am disturbed by the many Christian leaders who do not see this clearly.  “Feminization,” states Stephen Clark, “is a worldview, in which a man sees things more from a womanly perspective.”  A feminized man focuses more on how he feels, while trying to be more gentle, handling situations in a “soft” way.  He is more concerned about the approval of others, having a tendency to fear women’s emotions.

I believe many men are living unconsciously in a feminized bubble that needs to be broken.  From my own experience, I can visualize some of the following restraints men experience living in this bubble. 

First and foremost, men, young and old, begin questioning the nature of their own masculine soul.  It is vital for a man to flourish in life, knowing his unique capacity as a man. God took the man, not the woman, “and put him in the Garden of Eden to work  it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).  Later, God gave him a partner. 

Second, men are being intimidated.  Paliga has said,” This PC gender politics thing… is a very anti-male way, it’s all about neutralization of maleness.”  In the process, men become intimidated, and more reluctant to tell the truth to women regarding their own experiences.

Third, men are questioning their God-given role as husbands and fathers.  This would include such roles as provider, protector, leader and spiritual shepherd.  As a Fatherhood.gov ad says, “There’s no type of love like a dad’s love.” One pastor put it well,  “The true substance of masculine strength is about fighting with the heart, not the fists.  It’s about integrity, sexual fidelity, and promise keeping.” 

Fourth, many men are wondering, “Am I the only man feeling beaten down and devalued for simply being a man?”  I say with all my heart and soul, “NO!”  This blog seeks to help men find their voice and recover their unique story as men.