Against Female Altar Servers

I wrote a paper in college decrying the very existence of female altar servers, and the onset of old age has not softened these views in the slightest.

The reasons why female altar servers should not be permitted by the Church have been hashed out by better men and women than me. Altar service, in a very real sense, is training for the priesthood (indeed, it was formerly one of the minor orders – offices to which individuals were ordained to on their way to priesthood). Young men learn about the priesthood through up-close observation. The allowance for female altar servers both gives the wrong impression that women can be priests and discourages men from service that can inspire them to choose the priesthood.

But there is another reason why female altar service is not a good idea. The action on the altar taking place on the altar is the sacrifice of Christ. All eyes should be centered on that action. The task of the altar server is to disappear, so to speak, while the sacrifice of the Mass is taking place; to humbly assist the priest in silent reverence.The role of the female is to be the visible expression of God’s beauty, so to speak. The female was created by God to be both seen and heard. The office of altar server conflicts with that feminine role.

Why Placing Women in Combat Roles is a Terrible Idea

The geniuses running the Defense Department have made the brilliant decision to allow military women to serve in combat roles. (To some extent, this is already a fait accompli, since women already serve on naval warships. That does not make it a wise decision.)

Allowing women into combat situations is an incredibly stupid idea. The first and most obvious reason why this is so is simple: women, as a group, simply don’t have the physical strength that men possess. Combat (especially combat infantry) is physically demanding, and requires strength and endurance that many women simply do not have. The military recognizes this fact – the qualifying standards for men and women for the military are very different. Allowing women into combat positions dilutes the strength and integrity of the military, needlessly risking the lives of soldiers.

Let’s assume that women will only be allowed to drive tanks, or fly planes, or whatever. Let’s assume that some semblance of sanity prevails, and women wouldn’t be allowed into ground combat units, or would have to pass the same standards as men in order to enter those units. (I’m not holding my breath.)

But there are numerous other reasons why allowing women in combat roles is foolish. There is the problem of facing enemies which mistreat captured female prisoners. (Imagine how poorly America would have weathered the Vietnam years with female combat soldiers.) There is the problem of women getting pregnant before deployment. (Update: Read my comment for more.)

Is there really an urgent necessity that requires women to be placed into combat situation? Is there really a public outcry for women to join such units? Or is this just another push to assert the absurd myth of the "equality" (translation: sameness) of men and women? 

Women can’t do everything men can do. Men can’t do everything women can do. Men and women are not interchangeable, despite a society that desperately tries to forget that fact.

The move to put women into combat roles is another assertion of the idiotic notion that men and women are “equal” – or more accurately, that gender doesn't matter. And America's military will suffer because some people want to make this point.

Beauty Is A Scary Virtue

Good people are beautiful. This makes perfect sense: if beauty is the physical representation of the good, then those who possess virtue to higher degrees should be more beautiful than others.

This beauty comes with great power in human beings. For beauty has a double power – the power to inspire and the power to terrify. It stands to reason that those who possess a great degree of beauty would therefore be powerful individuals.

Beauty’s power of inspiration is obvious – for proof, turn on a radio or flip through any book of (pre-1900) poetry. But the power of beauty to cause terror is also striking. For the very same beauty which gives joy to many (and inspires artists to create) drives others to fear and cowardice.

A beautiful woman, completely attuned to God, possesses incredible power. She has the ability to draw others closer to God through her caring, healing, and nurturing example. Her beauty becomes a lamppost for others on the road to salvation. But too bright a light repels those with weak eyes. Boys used to the meanness and shallowness of sin and imperfection in “hot” girls are driven away from the joy and the passion of a truly beautiful woman.

Similarly, a beautiful man, dedicated to the service of God, possesses incredible power. He has the strength to direct others in the way of virtue, and the courage to defend that which he loves. But girls seeking the cheap thrill of a one-night stand or the “hot” boy are driven off by his devotion and fidelity.

Many young men are dumbstruck when meeting a truly lovely lady. Men joke about women being “out of their league,” so to speak, but there is something even deeper inherent in that attitude than the natural admiration of a boy for a pretty girl. There is the terror of a man for a power which he cannot fathom.

Men are naturally drawn to join the lives of beautiful women. But in many cases, men cannot do so - either because of physical circumstances (i.e., they are in another relationship, live far away, etc.) or because we will not.

And if we will not, it is because we fear the road of virtue that we must travel that will raise us such heights of virtue. We may be drawn to beauty in others, but we reject it - because we fear what we do not know ourselves. On some level, we fear true beauty because we do not possess it, and we fear goodness because we do not practice it.

Our imperfections cause in us a state of terror; our sins impel us to fear those whom we should love. The better we become, the more we lose our terror of good things. The higher on the road to virtue we climb, the less we fear anything except the dark, miserable void of sin. And the greater appreciation we have of what - and who - is truly beautiful.

Can Women Be Priests?

The recent trend towards equality and the interchangeability of the genders has prompted calls for women’s ordination. If men and women are truly equal in the sight of God, why can’t women be priests?

The question of "Why can't women be priests?" is flawed. All baptized Christian women are indeed priests.

When they are baptized, Christians are appointed with the triple office of priest, prophet, and king. The office of priest granted by the sacrament of baptism is part of the “common priesthood of all the faithful,” to be lived out in “a life of faith, hope, and charity.”

So Christian women can be priests – indeed, they are designated as priests through their very baptism, sharing in the common priesthood of the faithful. However, they cannot be ordained to the ministerial priesthood, granted by the sacrament of Holy Orders.

This raises the question of why women can’t be ordained to the ministerial priesthood in the Catholic Church. After all, women are quite capable of dedicated service to God - why can’t they serve God on the altar?

The answer is deceptively simple, depending on the reality that the genders are not interchangeable. Men and women were created by God equal in dignity, but with very different roles to play.

Just as there are certain things men cannot do by their very nature as man that women can do (i.e., give birth) so too there are certain things women cannot do by their very nature as women that men can do.

The Roman Catholic priesthood falls into this category. The Catholic priest is an “alter Christus” – to be another Christ. When presenting the sacraments to the faithful, the priest quite literally takes the place of Christ.

Christ came to this earth as a man – he did not come as a woman. The role of the alter Christus demands that the practitioner be a man – as Christ was a man, so too must those taking the place of Christ be.

Thus, while all baptized men and women are priests, only men can be ordained to the ministerial priesthood.

Why Do Women Post Pictures of Themselves?

I often used to wonder why many girls felt compelled to post pictures of themselves posing on Facebook and other social media sites. While there is no way I will ever fully understand the complexities of the female brain (as if any male could!), there is a rather simple answer to this particular question.

Women who post pictures of themselves seek affirmation. Women were designed by God to reflect God’s beauty in creation. As such, many women feel the need to be told they are beautiful, because they (subconsciously) seek to affirm the fact that they are truly reflecting God’s glory, as they were made to.

Accordingly, women put themselves on display, so to speak, offering themselves up to the eyes of others to judge their beauty. Some adorn themselves with jewelry, some change their hairstyle and clothes, some go out dancing or to bars. Some go to the awful extreme of making YouTube videos asking people whether they are ugly.

And some do so by posting Facebook pictures. Single young ladies are especially prone to this behavior.

But this female craving for affirmation is exhibited in other states of life as well. Nuns, as “brides of Christ,” make themselves beautiful for their Divine Lover through prayer and service to Him. The married woman offers the gift of her beauty to her husband, seeking his approval of her beauty.

How should men respond to women’s craving for affirmation? Very simply. Men should affirm women by treating them with respect, by always affirming the beauty of women (WITHOUT leading them on), by acting honorably and chivalrously at all times. Husbands especially must always affirm the beauty of their wives, whom they have a special duty to cherish and protect.   

The Feminized Society (Part 2)

In a previous post, I examined how American society had grown increasingly feminized. A feminized society carries with it both advantages and disadvantages. This post shall examine the advantages of a feminized society.

The advantages of a feminized society, predictably, reflect the strengths of women.

1)    Women tend to be less violent than men. They are more likely to talk over solutions to problems, rather than resort to fighting. Accordingly, a feminized society is less likely to resort to war to achieve its ends. Feminized societies tend to place a greaer emphasis on dialogue and utilize non-violent solutions to resolve conflict.

2)    Similarly, feminized societies tend to be gentler than masculine societies. Men tend to be less willing to tolerate what they consider to be wrongdoing or betrayal, and treat those who wrong them or others with greater roughness. Women tend to bear minor wrongdoings with a gentler hand than men. (To a point - when a woman gets really angry, stay far out of her way.)

3)    Feminine societies also tend to be more connected than masculine ones. Men tend to be “loners,” while women tend to be more social. Society is also more interconnected – or at least places a greater emphasis on communication.

4)    Feminized societies tend to be more civilized and more mannerly than other societies. Women are the civilizers of men, providing a patina of culture and polish to the otherwise rougher male. So societies reflecting a dominant feminine aspect tend to be more civilized as well.

Unsurprisingly, women do better in feminized societies. Societies with a greater emphasis on dialogue and civilization play to the fundamental advantage of women – emphasizing peace, mannerly behavior, and communication. Thus, women thrive in societies where these themes are dominant.

A feminized society is cleaner, calmer, gentler and more refined than a masculinized society, and is highly advantageous to women.

The Feminized Society (Part 1)

This will be the first post in a four-part series examining a growing trend in America and the rest of the world - the feminization of society. 

Men and women have radically different ways of looking at and approaching the world. Similarly, individual societies tend to reflect either a masculine or feminine view of the world. Increasingly, modern society is becoming more and more feminized.

A feminized society is a society where the dominant political and social institutions are characterized by predominately female modes of expression.

In practice, this means that a feminized society is softer, gentler, more emotional, and more civilized than a masculine society – with all good and ill that entails.

The specific forms which this feminizing of society takes include:

1) Conflict is resolved increasingly through the means of dialogue and diplomacy, and less by means of violence and war.

2) Political argument increasingly relies on emotional appeal, and less on logic and rhetoric.

3) The functions of government focus less on enforcing order and more on ensuring equality and care for underprivileged classes.

4) Feminine virtues such as self-esteem, caring, and love are emphasized, while masculine virtues such as honor, dignity, and courage are deemphasized.

5) Women increasingly hold the balance of power in society and are treated as the superior gender.

6) Men lose their place in society and are treated as the inferior gender.

Modern societies increasingly reflect these characteristics. This marks a change from previous societies, most of which tended towards patriarchy.

Why did this shift towards a feminized society take place? There are several reasons. Here are the most important of the several confluences which led to this type of society.

1) The sexual revolution, sparked by the widespread adoption of birth control, provided women a way to avoid forming families, allowing women to delay childbearing and enter the workforce without

interruption.

2) The widespread prosperity wrought by the aftermath of the World War II created a climate of privilege and entitlement. Men tend to become soft in such societies; women tend to thrive in such societies.

3) A generation raised in hardship and pain (during the Great Depression) wanted to give their children opportunities they never had.

4) The teachings of a new group of thinkers during the postwar “baby boom,” including Dr. Benjamin Spock, involved a gentler version of childcare, more suited to the needs of women than men.

5) Advances in technology, so to speak, “civilized society” – again, creating an advantage for women.

6) The workplace adopted jobs requiring social skills and less on brute muscle power – increasingly favoring women in the workplace.

The feminization of society has drastic consequences for society, which will be explored in future posts.

Gender and the Blame Game

Defenders of traditional gender roles sometimes fall under the misconception that one gender alone is completely responsible for the current confusion in gender roles.  Bashing men for unmanliness and women for lacking femininity is commonplace, even among faithful Catholics.

This concept is based upon the modern misunderstanding that male and female can be understood apart from one another. But the truth is that the relationship between the genders is complimentary. When men change for better or worse, women are affected similarly. When women change for better or worse, the same is true. Men are rendered less manly if there is a dearth of good women. Similarly, women are made less feminine if there are few good men. Any attempt to examine difficulties in the relationship between men and women is rendered utterly useless if one gender is considered apart from the other.

Modern men have metamorphosed into half-men, focused only on gratifying their own desires. The spirit of self-sacrifice which defines manhood is in danger of extinction among secular men, discarded by men who instead selfishly pursue their own desires. They seek power without limit, companionship without love, and sexual pleasure without responsibility.

Modern women, goaded by feminists, have launched a vicious assault on womanhood, rejecting their own femininity in favor of power-lust. Modern women have become amazons, concerned only with hustling off to make their careers and indulge their dreams (or, more accurately, fantasies) of power and influence. They have rejected children and love as hindrances to their career.  

Whether men or women are initially to blame for this state of affairs is immaterial. Indeed, dwelling on this question leads to an unprofitable and destructive fixation on the faults of one gender.

The real question is not how the current confusion started, but what can be done to fix it. And the answer to that question is surprisingly simple. Both men and women need to take responsibility for their own part in perpetuating these flaws, and do their best to atone for them.

The complaints about there being a dearth of “real men” among women or “good women” among men reflect a lack of understanding of the salutary relationship between the two genders. Men will be inspired to embrace their masculinity, if women embrace their holy feminine virtue. Similarly, women will be inspired to embrace their femininity, if men act in a spirit of manly virtue. 

Feminist Hatred of Women

It is an odd characteristic of radical movements today that they seek the destruction of the very institutions that protect and sustain them. Radical environmentalists, who use the technology of modern technology to spread their radical agenda, call for the destruction of civilization itself.

This same self-destructive tendency is also evident in feminism. Catholic apologist and writer G. K. Chesterton famously quipped that “feminists want to destroy womanhood.” His quip is unfortunately devastatingly accurate.

For feminists hate everything there is about being a woman. They reject motherhood, deny their own femininity, and seek traditionally male roles solely because they are not traditionally female roles. They seek liberation from the duties (and joys!) of motherhood and marriage, and instead seek empowerment and license. They want all the good points about being men, without any of the difficulties.

(I am not saying women should be forced to leave the workforce. But women who choose to raise their children at home should be supported for making that choice, and not attacked by amazons who scorn their free decision to do so.)

In short, feminists want women to be males – without the duties that manhood entails. And in doing so, they render themselves and other women less happy. No one can be happy if they deny the role that God gives them. And feminists who reject their roles as mother and wife destroy the family, which in turn creates unhappiness in their own lives.

Many men have refused to accept their God-given roles, as part of a misbegotten reaction to feminism. They have instead retreated into an adolescent stage where sex, alcohol, and pleasure reign supreme. The spirit of self-sacrifice which makes a man male is discredited in modern society.

And the cycle feeds upon itself. If most men actually acted like men, feminism would be instantly be rendered irrelevant. For a virtuous man is far better at being a man than a woman will ever be. (Sorry, ladies.)

Male virtues like self-sacrifice, honor, courage, solidity, and strength are difficult to fully replicate in women. Female virtues such as nurturing, understanding, empathy, and intuition are impossible to fully replace in men.

Men and women were created with different capabilities and talents by God. Feminism seeks to deny these differences and assert the dominance of one gender over the other, just as chauvinism does on the other side. What is meant to be a complimentary relationship between man and woman becomes a power struggle. And both genders suffer as a result.  

This makes for a confused society – a society where women become hard and men become soft. A reversal of gender roles takes place, and the consequences for society are dire. Discord and strife between the genders is the inescapable result of this confusion.

A radical reexamination of gender roles is needed in society. Women, far from turning against their femininity in self-destructive feminism, need to embrace what it means to be fully female. And men, far from encouraging this behavior through cowardice, need to embrace their masculinity, with all the responsibility that entails.

"Snow White Syndrome"

Disney is a very helpful indicator of problems in cultural values. This popular song from the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a prime example of cultural illness:

Some day my prince will come,

Some day we’ll meet again

And away to his castle we’ll go

To be happy forever I know…

Some day when spring is here

We’ll find our love anew

And the birds will sing

And wedding bells will ring

Someday when my dreams come true.

My apologies for inflicting that song upon you, dear readers. But this Disney song perfectly displays two peculiar types of foolishness that many females suffer from. Combined, these types of foolishness can be termed “Snow White Syndrome.” 

The first is the belief of many women that a handsome, flawless prince will sweep a woman off her feet and love her forever. 

The problem is, very, very few men are actually the handsome princes that infatuated women believe them to be. Men, even good and honest men, are imperfect creatures, who sometimes fall into sin and error. Men will sometimes fail women and bring pain to them. And women who believe otherwise are bound to be disappointed.

This tendency is based upon a common trait in women. Men tend to fall in love with women as they are. Women tend to fall in love with an idealized version of men: what they think men will turn out to be.  

This phenomenon does serve a purpose. It is part of the power of a good woman to be able to influence her chosen man for the better. The ability of woman to “see” what a man can be, properly utilized, allows her to help her man become a better person.

But every gift, misused, becomes a curse. And the tendency of women to idealize men, divorced from the understanding that it is woman’s role (and indeed responsibility) to make the man a stronger and better person, leads to disaster.

The second and related error is that many women accept the “happily ever after” myth that Disney and so many other entertainment venues provide. Often, women believe in the fantasy that their lives will be perfect after they find “the one.” This is an even more dangerous delusion than the first.

Any relationship requires a LOT of work to build and strengthen. Marriage takes even more work to develop and maintain. And there will be bumps along the road in any marriage. There will be strain, disagreement, and discord in even the best of relationships. To believe otherwise is self-delusion. 

The "happily ever after" notion does great harm to those who are credulous to believe it. Women who expect everlasting bliss after finding "the one" are bound to be disappointed – and their relationships will suffer as a result.

Note: Read the editor's note in the comment section.