CHRISTIANITY SHOULD CAUSE CONSISTENT DISCOMFORT.

Woke up to an article in the L.A. Times about a new "manly" Christian movement. Here's a bit: Eric Miller, a construction worker, admits his wife is none too pleased when he takes off, alone, on a weekend camping trip a few weeks after the GodMen conference this fall."She was a little bit leery of it, as we have an infant," he reports. "She said, 'I need your help around here.' Miller, 26, refuses to yield: "I am supposed to be the leader of the family."He's pretty sure his wife will come around once she recognizes he's modeling his life after Jesus'

No Mr. Miler, you are not modeling your life after Jesus. Jesus never married, never had kids - therefore never bolted on the wife and kids to go on a camping trip. There is nothing "manly" about leaving your infant and wife to go camping. To state the obvious: Jesus was not a householder. You are. The fact is Jesus asked his followers to give up EVERYTHING and go with Him. You are not following Jesus, you are ignoring Him. If you want to go camping go camping. But don't blame Jesus for leaving your infant all weekend. Here's an idea - stay home and read the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus stood up for peace, justice, forgiveness, radical inclusion and upending the power structures. A surface reading of the synoptic gospels and one would have to call Jesus a liberal by modern standards. A deeper reading and one sees he is a radical.
Replacing a Donnie Osmond Jesus with a Ted Nugent Jesus is not progress. Conservatives need to stop trying to make Jesus into something they are comfortable with. CHRISTIANITY SHOULD CAUSE CONSISTENT DISCOMFORT. Being saved and being comfortable are not synonymous.

Cindy Sheehan is closer to emulating the Jesus who upended those who defile the temple than this latest fad with "born again" men. FYI: returning to your guns and foul language is not "born again" - it is regression.

Real Christian men oppose war. Real Christian men defend the weak and oppressed. Real Christian men stand up to authority when it is wrong. Real Christian men and women strive everyday to reconcile their turbulent human hearts with the astounding message of peace Jesus brought to fruition.

You and I are being asked to bear (and trancend) our crosses - not bear our arms for sport. Sorry guys, you don't get to change Jesus's message because it doesn't hold your attention like an X-Box.