Manhood Restored

Episode 74 -

Strength in a man has the potential to destroy, and to construct.  To oppress, and to liberate.  To kill, and to protect.  A key determiner in the employment of that strength is whether or not its placed at the service of a good and worthy end.  It is also in submitting his strength that a man becomes most effective.  And submission requires one "dangerous" virtue:  humility.

Chad humbly submits his word subversion in this episode of untamed length, while Ben keeps his caution tape within reach, carefully auditing episode safety.  The two volley barbs and banter as they approach the edge of this idea's steep precipice.  What's the difference between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield?  In what way should men be feared (again), and by just whom exactly should they be feared?  What areas of life do men need to exercise more humility?

SHOW NOTES:
 
Who are our true enemies? (Kreeft article #2):  How to Win the Culture War by Peter Kreeft

Deion & Desmond clip referenced by Ben: Facebook Watch

Meaning of Meek:  Meek, Like a Warhorse (readjourneymagazine.com)
    

Episode 73 - 

Isaac Randall is a 19-year-old computer engineering major at Purdue University Fort Wayne.  Born and raised in Celina, Ohio, Isaac has lived a life that's been met with tragedy and great hardship.  Yet his courage in the face of those challenges is truly inspiring.  His harrowing story serves as a powerful testimony to importance of having faith in the midst of trials.

Ben warms up the crowd as the opener for this rock star of an interviewee, while Chad plays subtle background sounds on his MANdolin.  The two fade from the stage and find themselves humbled to hear this guest's unique perspective.  When intellectual answers to the "problem of pain" fall short, what aspects of faith in God sustain us?  What legacy does an untimely death of a father leave in the heart of a son?  How does facing a life-threatening illness change one's perspective on life - and on death?         

Episode 72 -

Life is a balancing act.  Yet many of us find ourselves banking hard from one extreme to another:  some live life on cruise control, others with the pedal to the metal.  One approach leads to boredom, the other to burnout.  Ironically, it could be argued that both cases are in some sense "wasting" life. 

Ben, upon a full audit of his life's time, calls forth the cake and ice cream for this big announcement of an episode.  Chad (always a sucker for free goodies) comes along, looking to secure his slice of this halfway pie.  The two speculate over the possibility of maximal and meaningful impact in the here and now.  What close call did Ben recently experience that's got him signaling a self-revolution?  What's the story behind Chad's '2041' wristband?  How should we properly evaluate the way in which we prioritize our time, and can we measure the value of that time useage? 

SHOW NOTES:

Ben's book reference:  Amazon.com: Don't Waste Your Life: 9781581344981: Piper, John: Books

Chad's book reference:  Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less: McKeown, Greg: 8601407068765: Amazon.com: Books

Episode 71

Death is coming for us all... someday.  Reminders of that reality aren't hard to miss.  Think of physical limitations brought on by aging; of losing a loved one; of threats of illness or accidents.  In the end, there is no forgetting that we are mortal.  And yet trying to forget death (or more accurately, avoiding at all costs the very idea of it) is what most of us tend to prefer.  Given its inescapability, though, that might not be the wisest approach.

Chad is the Undertaker wrestling a dark opponent in this episode, as his trusty co-host, Paul "Ben" Bearer, manages ringside with a sickly, eerie voice imitation.  The two uncomfortably converse, a haunting token of Chad's challenge sitting on the table between them.  What are some unhealthy ways that we often deal with the fact of death?  How can a more regular reflection on our own death give more meaning to how we live?  What is the practice of Memento Mori, and how can we incorporate it into a Christian context?

SHOW NOTES:

Fr Schmitz talk on the Four Last Things:  The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell by Fr. Mike Schmitz - FORMED

Fr Riccardo's homily at his dad's funeral:  Fr. John Riccardo - Funeral Homily for his father John J. Riccardo - YouTube

St Francis de Sales mediation on death:   + Saints' Prayers - St. Francis de Sales - Meditation V: Of Death (saintsprayers.net)

Chad's Challenge (purchase rec):  Memento Mori Skull Statue - Seton Shrine   

Episode 70

Fresh off a record month, we are rapidly approaching 10,000 downloads (in less than half the time it took us to get to 5,000!).  To celebrate and show our gratitude to you, dear listener, we bring you a good-hearted, truth-seeking debate.  One that highlights some of our underlying differences as a Protestant and a Catholic: a debate on Baptism.  It’s a topic that Ben even says has become one of his biggest hang-ups with Catholicism.

Ben, therefore, fills this episode up with a pool (or font?) of questions, as he goads Chad into trying gainers off the high dive.  The two jump headfirst into the deep (and regenerating?) waters of this topic.  Is Baptism critical for salvation?  If Catholics say yes, wouldn’t that be a doctrine of “works salvation” if our eternity depends upon a ritual?  If Protestants say no, what’s the point of Baptism in the first place if all you have to do is say a prayer?  And how finally should we read passages in the Bible, like John 3:5?

We hope you enjoy!  Thank you for liking, subscribing to, and sharing the podcast!  Please give us your feedback on the debate at (4) Manhood Restored | Facebook or by emailing us at [email protected]     

Ben's denominations statement of faith.  https://glc.cggc.org/we-believe/
Alistair Begg- The Man in the Middle Said I Could Come

Episode 69

Having recently established the difficulty of belief (see Episode 67), the challenge becomes how to encourage the unbeliever to consider conversion.  This is part 2 of said challenge - the Protestant's attempt.  It makes for a nice comparison, contrast, and compliment to last week's Catholic edition (see Episode 68)! 

Ben's the Starter for this episode, taking aim, winding up, and tossing out his pitch for anyone willing to take a swing.  Fielding the heat as well as the curveballs with his Catholic catcher's mitt is co-host Chad.  The two work together to put this right in the strike zone.  How can the beauty we see in the world plainly point us to a creator God?  In what ways can the story of God's revelation as told in the Bible give us insights into the struggles and concerns of our lives today?  When it comes down to it, what is God's offer of salvation, and how can one accept and apply it to one's own life?

Episode 68

With an episode about the difficulty of belief under our belts (see Episode 67), we each take the challenge of giving our best "pitch" to unbelievers: why should you believe in Christianity?  This is part one of that challenge, the Catholic's approach; a manly exercise of truth-telling aimed at a segment of the population in search for meaning.  We hope it provides a useful demonstration (full of resources), as well as an interesting comparison to the upcoming Protestant Part-2 (due out next week). 

Dr. Chad Stolly sets off to diagnose, and prescribe a treatment for, what ails the unbeliever, as the General Practitioner for this episode.  Assisting with setting the stage for this appointment, with his caring bedside manner, is co-host Nurse Ben Neff.  The two talk through the symptoms at hand and work toward a conclusive cure.  How can someone who's a thoroughly modern skeptic reconcile that fact with their deep inclination toward purpose and meaning?  What reliable evidence is there for the existence of God and for the divinity of Christ?  Do miracles--for those who need them to believe--still happen, and where can they be found in the Catholic tradition?

SHOW NOTES:

Book Recommendation List:
The Everlasting Man, by G.K. Chesterton
Is Atheism Dead? by Eric Metaxas
Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis
The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel
More Than a Carpenter, by Josh McDowell

Hitchen v Lane Craig Debate:  christopher hitchens v william lane craig - YouTube

Eric Metaxas Op Ed in WSJ:  Science Increasingly Makes the Case for God - Eric Metaxas

Eucharistic Miracle from Lanciano, Italy: Visit the relics of the Eucharistic miracle of Lanciano, Italy (aleteia.org)

Fr. Spitzer's Shroud Presentation: Faith and Science - The Shroud of Turin - Ignited by Truth 2018 - YouTube 

Episode 67 - Guest Hosts, Jason Stolly and Randy Garman

Here goes with another lively roundtable discussion, all four mics turned up, on a curiously uncomfortable leading question!  Two hosts and two guest hosts peer through the discomfort, seeking answers to the many questions implied by the question at hand.  Will they be able to draw down to any conclusions by the episode's end?  (Let's hear your thoughts, too, dear listeners!  Email us at:  [email protected])      

Jason Stolly and Randy Garman are both smart, thoughtful seekers.  Yet neither of them describes themselves as believers, at least not in any traditional sense.  The two share their perspectives with, and pose a good number of questions to, Ben and Chad regarding belief, especially belief in Christianity.  How should one balance Christian revelation with the discoveries of modern science?  In what ways can your personal beliefs influence how you approach something like parenting?  What is the best way to evaluate competing believe systems throughout history, and can we know if one is truer than any other?

Episode 66 

It's hunting season...on men!  And the devil's got a quiver full of arrows!  There is no short supply of pointed attacks at the enemy's disposal.  If that's not bad enough, satan is the master of disguise, and some of us won't even realize we've been targeted until it's too late.  

Ben brings his wheel of misfortune to the battle as the anit-Pat Sajak of this episode, while Chad chucks curveballs from the bullpen of endless banter.  This topic turns into a terrific back and forth as the two randomly ponder the deadly arrows aimed at men.  Can you even tell when something is an attack from satan and not just the weakness of your sin nature?  What is the difference between guilt and shame?  Is it ever possible that hellish attacks can eventually come to benefit us?  And how should we regard things of the occult such as tarot cards, ouija boards, and horoscopes?         

Episode 65 - Normalizing Sin

Over the last ten years, our cultural conscience has arguably shifted significantly on the issue of homosexuality.  Even apart from things like increasingly frequent and favorable depictions in film and media, there have been also major legal victories such as Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) and the recent "Respect for Marriage Act" (2022).  These rapid shifts amount to a normalization of sin, the implications of which promise serious conflict for Christians, even conflict in our personal lives.

Chad shines the spotlight on the dark corners of this oft-ignored issue, as Ben keeps watch for the common pitfalls in a delicate conversation.  The two tread lightly into this minefield trying to determine the best way forward in the given circumstances.  How might this normalization of sin find its way to your doorstep, and what would you do to deal with it?  What are some of the nuances and misunderstandings of the Christian teaching on homosexuality?  Finally, how exactly would compromising the truth on this issue impact society at large, and how might you hold to that truth in a loving way?

SHOW NOTES:

Video referenced from CatholicVote:  Remember? - YouTube

Respect for Marriage Act:  Dem-Controlled Senate Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill; 12 Republicans Support | The Daily Wire

Catechism of Catholic Church reference (CCC 2357):  Catechism of the Catholic Church (usccb.org)

Matt Walsh on Joe Rogan (same sex "marriage" debate):  #1895 - Matt Walsh - The Joe Rogan Experience | Podcast on Spotify

Good review of Walsh's performance on Rogan:  #685 Reviewing Joe Rogan and Matt Walsh on Gay “Marriage” - Trent Horn - Counsel of Trent | Podcast on Spotify

Buy this book for your reference, parents (Challenge):  Made This Way | How to Prepare Kids to Face Today's Tough Moral Issues (madethiswaybook.com)