Ryan G. Frederick

Oh man, tempting, but also 💸

There’s probably a transubstantiation joke in here but I don’t have it

All the youths are saying it

Emotionalism should not be tolerated in marriage. It's poison, it's manipulation, and it stunts all meaningful growth. youtu.be/esn9bAaw8r4

The end of an era. I submitted my final MDiv assignments this evening after 7 years at @WestminsterTS. Soli Deo gloria.

Male authority (headship in marriage, shepherding in the Church, elected positions in the State) is not about control, it's about responsibility. God holds *all* people responsible in some sense, but He uniquely holds men responsible in communities. Where godly men rule well, women and children enjoy safety, care, and the conditions for fruitful, happy life. Where ungodly men rule, people perish (Proverbs 28:12; 29:2). Yes, ungodly men have used their authority in wicked ways in every sphere. It looks like tyranny, passivity, and cowardice. But the answer to their wickedness is not more wickedness (erasure of the masculine mandate). Rather, godly men must rise up for the good of their communities. If/when they do, they will receive pushback, but they must stay the course. No matter the resistance, no matter the slander. They must be the wall to defend their people from darkness of all kinds. They must maintain discernment, courage, and fortitude. They must rebuild the wall—sword and trowel in hand. Again, not for their own selfish gain, but because God holds them responsible for the state of affairs in every sphere of life. If you are a God-fearing man, stop apologizing to reviling women for the sins of ungodly men. Instead, be the type of man who is above reproach. You answer to God, not to them.

"Generate a random image of what you think my ideal Church would be based on my account."

Friends, I want to put something out there for your consideration. This is a (very) worthy project and I hope it gets funded. I say this as a man with four daughters... A friend is trying to fund a documentary about feminism. It's called "Deceived: The Ruin of the Modern Woman." It aims to be a Christian exploration and confrontation of feminism. If nothing else, please take 3 minutes to watch the trailer. Here's the Kickstarter link: kickstarter.com/projects/bro… Why am I behind it? Three reasons come to mind: the director, the topic, and our moment. (I was not asked or paid to do this, and no AI was used to write this.) 1: The director. I did not know Les Lanphere until I called him yesterday. A mutual friend introduced us and we spent 30 minutes talking (I asked @thisisfoster for an introduction). What I found out is that Les is a principled Christian man who is talented in the art of storytelling and film making (see the link; big budget films and other Christian documentaries). The main thing I appreciate is that he has a knack for tackling difficult topics without taking cheap shots. He aims for clarity and compassion... with Christian conviction. I trust that the film he makes will be charitable, but without compromise. He's the man for the task. 2: The topic. As mentioned, I have four daughters and I want nothing but their VERY best. I do not want less freedom for them, but MORE. I would move mountains for them. To that end, and many will disagree, I believe feminism is one of the most destructive ideologies of our day. While couched in language of women's rights and freedom, it has commodified our girls and turned womanhood into a caricature. Look at how sexualized our culture has become, the trans-ing epidemic, the rising rates of divorce, and the declining birth rates. I'm not saying men are without fault (men should also take responsibility), but the answer to failed men is not to upend God's design. The answer to sin is not to heap on more sin! The answer is to call men and women upward alike: into God's wonderfully designed order. Anything else is chaos and rebellion, and we're reaping that harvest right now. Which leads to my next reason... 3: The moment. We live in the world feminism created. Not only feminism, of course (secularism is a big one, which is upstream of it). We're at a cultural tipping point, and while I don't think we can escape the immediate downward spiral (history flows in eras and movements), our only and best hope for positive change is to align with God's design. To obey God (imagine that). Christians everywhere need to 1) be aware of how pervasively feminism has shaped them and their churches, 2) learn to live contrary to feminism in the glories of femininity and masculinity as God designed, and 3) promote societal norms that do the same. I want my great great grandchildren to have the very best life possible, but this requires us trusting God *today*. To that end, films like this are very helpful. So, there you go. I hope you'll consider backing it. Again, Les did not ask me to do this. I asked him how I could help. Let's help Les get this thing done. It needs to get done. Again, I say this as a man with four daughters and a wife I love more than anything in this world. May Christ be glorified and may our communities flourish in the fallout.