Not Classy
April 11, 2011 by admin
Filed under Blog, cultural manliness, pornography, Virtue
Yes, the title of this post is intended to be a pun. 
What was this guy thinking?
No virtue, especially no temperance. Poor judgment. Anything to get a little porn in the classroom. And what about the black mail here? $150 for extra credit? What’s up with that?
For the record, LaSalle University is not on the Newman Guide for Catholic colleges that are faithful to a Catholic identity and faithful to the Magisterium.
TrueMan up!
Christian-Style of Internet Use
Pope Benedict XVI is a smart man. He knows what’s up.
The 2 minute video below is the hope of the Church, to evangelize the world through whatever means possible. We hope to do this with TrueManhood.com.
Old Vid, Just for Laughs
January 19, 2011 by admin
Filed under Blog, Faith, Just For Laughs
Just for laughs…
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| The De-Deification of the American Faithscape | ||||
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A Review: Cultural Manliness
January 1, 2011 by admin
Filed under Blog, cultural manliness, Faith, manliness, pornography, Virtue
I haven’t written about cultural manliness in a while, so I thought I’d review it. Cultural manliness, for those unfamiliar with the term
(which I coined a few years ago) is the idea that “the more power, money, sex and stuff a male has, the more manly he is.” This idea is propagated in our culture virtually non-stop, whether on the television, on the internet, in movies, throughout magazines and newspapers, on billboards, in songs, in advertising and just about anywhere those areas don’t cover. The idea is propagated for a few reasons: 1. men buy into this lie. 2. women buy into this lie. 3. children buy into this lie. 4. people make money off of this lie. 5. the devil wins souls through this lie.
Cultural manliness – being in pursuit of the things of this world – will kill a man. Power, money, sex and stuff doesn’t win our salvation, but it certainly can keep us from it. Cultural manliness easily gets in the way of a relationship with Christ. Why does this matter? Because Christ is the true example of manliness! He is THE TrueMan. He is the reason this site exists. He is the reason why the site is called what it is called. “Blessed be Jesus Christ, True God and TrueMan.” Anything other than pursuing Christ is futile and unmanly.
The world wants to tell a man that he will be ‘happy’ if he has more power, more sex, more money and more stuff. This things, in and of themselves are not bad, but they don’t bring happiness. They may bring emotional counterfeits that men believe to be happiness, but they aren’t happiness.
What then makes a man, if it’s not power, money, sex and stuff? Virtue! Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance – Faith, Hope and Love. Learn them, live them, be a TrueMan! (Read the “TrueManhood Guide to Virtue” here.)
If you’d like to read more on the topic, do a search (in the white box on the upper right portion of each page of this site) for “cultural manliness”. You’ll have plenty of reading material. Or, go to the blog page and click the “cultural manliness” tab. I’d like to know your thoughts on this topic – leave a comment.
TrueMan up!
Catholics Murdered by Muslims in Baghdad
In an attack on Syrian Catholics worshiping at Mass on Sunday (Oct 31, 2010), 58 people were killed, including 2 priests and 75 people were injured. The attack was conducted by Muslim extremists.
When will the world wake up and realize that Islam is NOT a peaceful religion?!?! This story makes my blood churn. This sort of injustice and attack against humanity must be stopped. Here’s the story from Catholic Online.
‘The October 31 attack on the Syrian Catholic cathedral in Baghdad that killed 58 and wounded 75 has shocked and horrified the Catholic community and all people of goodwill. We join Pope Benedict XVI in expressing our profound sorrow at this savage violence and offer our heartfelt prayers for the victims, their families, and the Church and people of Iraq.’
More Destinations
WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) – We were among the first online sources to report on the evil actions of extremist Muslims which were committed against the innocent Catholic faithful of Iraq while attending Holy Mass. I wrote an article entitled, Catholics Killed at Mass in Iraq: Extremist Muslims invade Church, Murder Priests .
Of course, the reaction from the Holy See was immediate. Pope Benedict XVI expressed his profound sorrow and solidarity. On the Feast of All Saints he called for an end to the “heinous episodes of violence that continue to ravage the people of the Middle East.” He addressed the “grave attack on the Syrian Catholic cathedral of Baghdad, (where) dozens of people were killed and injured, among them two priests and a group of faithful gathered for Sunday Mass.”
The Pope called the faithful around the world to prayer, ” I pray for the victims of this absurd violence, which is even more savage because it struck defenseless people, gathered in God’s house, which is a house of love and reconciliation…. May everyone unite their efforts so as to end all violence.”
We received an extraordinary number of letters in response to that article on the massacre against Catholic Christians in Iraq by extremists Muslims. Many of our readers asked why this evil act of terror and violence was not covered by the mainstream media and Major Press sources. It took a while, but it finally was. As the news came out, Catholics, other Christians, other people of faith and all people of good will uniformly expressed outrage, deep sorrow and shock at the barbaric act. The sacrifice of their lives must not be forgotten. It points to the growing persecution against catholics and other Christians in Iraq and throughout the Middle East.
We present below the full official statement released by Francis Cardinal George, the President of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops on November 1, 2010. This great Churchman is equally strong in his remarks referring to this “most recent murderous attack”. He placed it within the context of the ongoing persecution of Christians in Iraq and throughout the Middle East. Once again, we invite our readers around the world to pray for those who were killed while attending Holy Mass, for their families and for all our brethren in Iraq who are in deep mourning over this evil act.
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Statement on the Attack on the Catholic Cathedral in Baghdad, Francis Cardinal George, OMI
The October 31 attack on the Syrian Catholic cathedral in Baghdad that killed 58 and wounded 75 has shocked and horrified the Catholic community and all people of goodwill. We join Pope Benedict XVI in expressing our profound sorrow at this savage violence and offer our heartfelt prayers for the victims, their families, and the Church and people of Iraq.
In the recent Synod on the Middle East, the bishops from Iraq spoke of the perilous situation facing Christians and other minorities in that country. They recalled: kidnappings for ransom; bombings of churches, schools, and other property occupied by Christians; threats to Christian-run businesses and livelihoods; and the death of Archbishop Rahho and other priests following kidnappings.
Together with this most recent murderous attack, this pattern points to an appalling lack of basic security. Many Christians have been forced to leave their homes or have fled abroad in search of safety. Many have little hope of return to Iraq in the near future. The Synod called on the international community to help Iraq “put an end to the consequences of a deadly war and re-establish security, something which will protect all its citizens .”
The United States bears responsibility for working effectively with the Iraqi government to stem the violence. Our Conference of Bishops raised grave moral questions prior to the United States military intervention in Iraq and then called for a “responsible transition.”
While we welcomed the end of U.S.-led combat in Iraq, we share the Iraqi bishops’ concern that the United States failed to help Iraqis in finding the political will and concrete ways needed to protect the lives of all citizens, especially Christians and other vulnerable minorities, and to ensure that refugees and displaced persons are able to return to their homes safely. Having invaded Iraq, the U.S. government has a moral obligation not to abandon those Iraqis who cannot defend themselves.
At the conclusion of the Synod, the pope said, “Peace is possible. Peace is urgent. Peace is the indispensable condition for a life of dignity for individuals and society.”
We offer our prayers and solidarity with the suffering Christians of Iraq at this terrible time of loss and horrific violence. We stand with the bishops, Church and people of Iraq in their urgent search for greater security, freedom and protection. We call upon the United States to take additional steps to help Iraq protect its citizens, especially the most vulnerable. “
Here are just a few pictures you can find while doing an internet search of Islam. Seems like the opposite of peaceful to me.
Absolutely Ridiculous.
My Alma Mater on National TV
This season of The Biggest Loser on NBC showcased the brother of a Benedictine College student and football player. My alma mater, Benedictine College, is one of the finest small colleges in the country. US News and World Report ranked it one of the best colleges in 2011. Benedictine College was a place where my life radically changed. I owe a great deal to the institution and especially to my BC friends.
In college, I was a lost young man. I thought I knew everything. My favorite saying was “Dave’s way or the wrong way.” I had a very lax attitude and was quick to point fingers. I was an angry rageaholic and alienated myself. I used my intimidation factor to get what I wanted, whether I hurt someone along the way or not. I was addicted to porn and took advantage of women. I was a bully.
I left the Catholic Church because I thought I knew better. I was living a double life; one way in public, another completely different way in private. It was a downward spiral and I became very alone and fell into despair. Luckily, I had men and women around me who loved me. They lived the love of Christ with joy… it was enticing and I never wanted something so badly in my entire life. I began asking questions, getting my doubts answered and along the way, became a man of prayer. My prayer life, along with educating myself and asking tough questions, as well as working to right-wrongs, allowed me to get to a place where I could make logical and well-formed decisions. Eventually, I returned to the Catholic faith and have never looked back. All of my questions were answered in Sacred Scripture, and enlivened by Sacred Tradition.
In this clip, you will see a college campus that is not only beautiful, but authentically Catholic. Behind the football field 
(where I suited up in the #48 black jersey and helmet, and where I ran lots of stairs) you can just barely grab a glimpse of the Benedictine Monk’s Abbey.
This video clip is about more than just The Biggest Loser or about football. The clip is about what Adam is saying… it is like any tough journey or battle that we face in our lives.
He mentions many things, but the thing that strikes me the most is the ‘pay it forward’ theme. Because of what I’ve been given, I try to give it back to others in need. The reason why I do what I do is so that if a man is where I once was, I can help him out of it, or if a man has never been to where I was, I can help him never to go there.
TrueMan up!
CatholicTV.com Interview
I am blessed to have been interviewed on CatholicTV.com today. Thank you to Bonnie Rodgers, as well as Jay Fadden and Fr. Reed. The interview flew by… I wish I would have had a bit more time to discuss men’s issues, as well as promote my talks and retreats that are available for men’s groups, parishes, youth progams, young adult programs, Catholic high schools & colleges and men’s conferences & events.
Here’s the video of the show. (My segment is around 9:25-15:18.) If you can’t view the video, click HERE.
