Catholic Men’s Blog, Back Up and Running!

With great excitement, I write to let everyone know that TrueManhood is back up and running!  After a break for over 2 months due to a website hack, we were finally able to remove all the malware and are back at it.  Thank you to the hacker for allowing me to learn about website security a little bit more and about ways to protect my website from future hacks.  I pray for you and hope for your sake, that  from now on, instead of hacking my website, that you actually read it.

Many things have taken place in the world of Catholic men’s ministry, in the Catholic Church, in the pro-life battle and in America and we are sorry that we’ve missed it.  We’ve gone through 2 liturgical seasons (Advent and Christmas) and have jumped headfirst into the political race for the GOP candidate for the 2012 election.  We’ve seen incredible growth of our TKM Formation & Accountability groups, as well as a great victory for our organization in Federal Court versus a sexually oriented business that attempted to incriminate us and get us booted from the public right of way in front of their store.  Not to mention tons of other great stories of authentic masculinity, manliness, virtue and holiness.

There are some hopeful changes coming to the site in the near future, including the addition of new authors and more regular content, as well as a potential face-lift of the site to align the site more closely with The King’s Men.

Unfortunately, due to the amount of negative comments and potential threats of spambots, I have removed “commenting” to attempt to keep the site secure.  If you would like to get a hold of us, simply email us at contactus(atsign)truemanhood(dot/period)com and we will respond at our earliest convenience.

More to come soon on the fight against pornography, cultural manliness, and the culture of death!

TrueMan up!

“My Banner is Clear”

At the last two TKM Into the Wild retreats in October, we came across this very powerful and invigorating writing in the Magnificat from Patrick Madrid, a Catholic author and apologist.  The timing of this publication was impeccable.  It was amazing to hear the men read these words after having gone through so much growth on the weekend.  Many men embraced these words and are now Part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED

THE DIE HAS BEEN CAST. THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE.  I HAVE STEPPED OVER THE LINE. I WON’T LOOK BACK, LET UP, SLOW DOWN, BACK AWAY, OR BE STILL.

MY PAST IS REDEEMED, MY PRESENT MAKES SENSE, AND MY FUTURE IS IN GOD’S HANDS. I AM FINISHED AND DONE WITH LOW LIVING, SIGHT WALKING, SMALL PLANNING, THE BARE MINIMUM, SMOOTH KNEES, COLORLESS DREAMS, TAMED VISIONS, MUNDANE TALKING, FRIVOLOUS LIVING, SELFISH GIVING, AND DWARFED GOALS.

I NO LONGER NEED PREEMINENCE, PROPERITY, POSITION, PROMOTIONS, APPLAUSE, OR POPULARITY. I DON’T HAVE TO BE RIGHT, FIRST, THE BEST, RECOGNIZED, PRAISED, REGARDED OR REWARDED. I NOW LIVE BY FAITH. I LEAN ON CHRIST’S PRESENCE. I LOVE WITH PATIENCE, LIVE BY PRAYER, AND LABOR WITH THE POWER OF GOD’S GRACE.

MY FACE IS SET. MY GAIT IS FAST, MY GOAL IS HEAVEN. MY ROAD IS NARROW, MY WAY IS ROUGH, MY COMPANIONS ARE FEW, MY GUIDE IS RELIABLE, AND MY MISSION IS CLEAR.

I CANNOT BE BOUGHT, COMPROMISED, DETOURED, LURED AWAY, TURNED BACK, DELUDED, OR DELAYED.  I WILL NOT FLINCH IN THE FACE OF SACRIFICE, HESITATE IN THE PRESENCE OF ADVERSITY, NEGOTIATE AT THE TABLE OF THE ENEMY, PONDER AT THE POOL OF POPULARITY, OR MEANDER IN THE MAZE OF MEDIOCRITY.

I WON’T GIVE UP, SHUT UP, LET UP, OR SLOW UP UNTIL I HAVE STAYED UP, STORED UP, PRAYED UP, PAID UP, AND SPOKEN UP FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST.

I AM A DISCIPLE OF JESUS. I MUST GO TILL HE COMES, GIVE UNTIL I DROP, SPEAK OUT UNTIL ALL KNOW, AND WORK UNTIL HE STOPS ME.  AND WHEN HE RETURNS FOR HIS OWN, HE WILL HAVE NO DIFFICULTY RECOGNIZING ME. MY BANNER IS CLEAR; I AM A PART OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED.

BY PATRICK MADRID

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We also have a page for Into the Wild and for TrueManhood.com.

“Local Group Takes Porn Protest to Adult World”

Every first Wednesday of the month, men from The King’s Men in eastern Pennsylvania gather outside of Adult World, a sexually oriented business, located in North Wales, PA (Montgomeryville, Montgomery County.)  We peacefully and prayerfully protest the evil of pornography.  These protests are called The No More Porn Tour.  This article has a lot of great information about what we do and why we do.  The reporter, Keith, was from a local webpage that was “tipped” off about our presence this past protest.  Read below and check out the video and pics.

“A local group of anti-pornography protesters has taken aim at the Adult World in Montgomeryville, hoping that their efforts will result in the business closing its doors permanently. “We’re not here to hurt anybody’s livelihood, but these businesses have no place in our community,” said Dave Dinuzzo, member of the Quakertown-based King’s Men.  “They’re destroying lives, marriages, and families.” The group views pornography as something that exploits women, contributes to crime, and ultimately pulls men away from God.

“It’s a sin of isolation; a sin of loneliness,” said Mark Houck, co-founder of the King’s Men.  “Pornography is a pandemic in our culture. This is a division between Man and God.” Houck stated that his group focuses on education, and regularly hosts conferences, retreats, and accountability meetings aimed at strengthening men’s relationship with God while overcoming the temptation of pornography.

In addition to those initiatives, activism plays a large role, and that role had 10 members of the group standing in the rain on Wednesday evening, holding signs and trying to dissuade customers from entering or making a purchase.

“We’ve all been there, and we all know how much of a grasp pornography can have on a person, and we want to tell people that there is something better,” said Dinuzzo.  ” I know this first hand.  I’m a recovering pornography addict, as are many of us that are out here. It controls your life, but there’s so much better and so much more.”

The effects of the relatively small protest were immediately apparent, as would-be customers entered the parking lot, only to leave moments later without exiting their vehicles.  Other customers entered the building through the rear entrance, as the protesters were told by police that they weren’t allowed on the grounds.

One customer actually parked at an adjacent business, sneaking through the brush and bushes in order to enter thebuilding.Another customer simply entered through the front, though he received an earful as he walked back to his vehicle.

Though the group started locally five years ago, it has already become a national organization with partner groups across the country.  To date, they claim to have shutdown five sexually-oriented businesses, including the former Coyote Show Club in Quakertown, which closed its doors in 2009 after numerous protests.

That location has now been turned into Caitlyn & Cody’s, a diner and family fun center, which the group celebrates as an example of morality coming around full circle.

In regards to the Montgomeryville Adult World, they just want it gone.“We’ll be out here for the long haul, however long it takes,” said Dinuzzo.  “We’ll protest here until this place is shut down.”

A man who identified himself as the manager of Adult World in Montgomeryville declined to give his name or comment for this article.”

Dynamic, Outdoor, Experiential

Men, if you’re looking for a great retreat experience and want to be real with yourself (about life, relationships, work, faith, sin, struggles, victories and a whole lot more) and with other Catholic men, then “Into the Wild” is the retreat for you!  Into the Wild (ITW) is the most dynamic retreat experience for men in the Church today.  Period.

We see all kinds of men on ITWs… young, old, rich, poor, fathers and sons and everything in between.  Outdoorsmen, and men who have never been in the wilderness.  Men who are proficient with tools, weapons and outdoor living and men who don’t know the first thing about any of that.  In the end, the men learn from one another and share their skills and talents to build one another up.

August 11-14 at Hickory Run State Park, Pocono Mtns of PA (register by Aug. 4)

September 8-11 at Raccoon Creek State Park, near Pittsburgh, PA

October 13-16 at Allegany State Park, near Buffalo, NY

October 27-30 at Pocahontas State Park, near Richmond, VA

The weekend is Eucharist-centered… because without Christ, we are nothing.  Christ the King is our guide and our model… we are His men.  Every day (Thurs evening through Sunday mid-day) includes Mass, perpetual Adoration, prayer and the Rosary as well as activities directly associated with being leaders, protectors and providers.  A retreat chaplain is with us on each weekend to celebrate the Sacraments and offer spiritual guidance.  (For ITW-Pittsburgh, Bishop David Zubik will be joining us again for a fire-side Q&A and for Confessions.)  Each day also includes activities/skill training and faith in a masculine modality.  We don’t sit around all day and listen to talks (we have one short talk a day)… we are active the entire weekend!  Prepare to be tired yet invigorated!  Overall, men experience something like never before; an experience unique and satisfying, as well as encouraging and fruitful in the lives of the men who attend.

Whether we’re orienteering, sitting around a campfire talking, praying, shooting, hiking, celebrating Mass, listening to a talk or building something, we are renewed and excited about our faith once again!  Come check it out… you won’t be sorry.  Oh yeah, and since we have a 5-star chef on the weekends, we eat really really really well!

For more info, to register and/or to watch the 10-minute ITW video, click www.IntoTheWildWeekend.com.

TrueMan up!

Strip Club Goes Family

In a great turn of events, a former strip club in Quakertown, Pennsylvania has now become a family-owned and operated, family-friendly restaurant and fun center called “Caitlyn & Cody’s Diner”.  The sexually oriented business (SOB) “Coyote’s Show Club” that at one-time operated in the building where Caitlyn & Cody’s Diner is now located, was one of five SOBs The King’s Men had a hand in shutting down.  Coyote’s closing came from a mixture of extensive protesting, legal litigation and a firm presence from townspeople opposed to an SOB being located in this residential area.  The process to rid the community of this illicit business took nearly a year from start to finish but the long battle was worth the victory.

Now, over two years later, The King’s Men couldn’t be happier about this outcome!  How apropos for a building that once housed debauchery to now house arcade games, skee ball and diner food?!  It is a great turn of events when “adult” entertainment is removed and entertainment appropriate for children and families is put in its place.

The excitement over a former SOB turning into a family-friendly establishment is validation and fuel for the fire that burns within us.  We get excited when an SOB is shut down because of the deplorable and often unlawful acts that take place inside SOBs.  They have no place and need to be shut down.

The King’s Men are planning an event at Caitlyn & Cody’s Diner in late July to celebrate this victory.  If you’d like to be involved in the event, please email me; Dave DiNuzzo, TKM Director of Programming, atDave@TheKingsMen.org.

To read more on the closing of Coyote’s, visit www.TheKingsMen.org and search “Coyote’s”.
To join The King’s Men in their on-going battles against other sexually oriented businesses, please email me at Dave@TheKingsMen.org.

Into the Wild Retreat Program

I have the distinct honor of working for a great apostolate, The King’s Men.  I’ve been with the ministry 9 months and have accomplished some great things and have learned even more.  The ministry is thriving, expanding and changing lives.  What a great thing to be a part of!

The King’s Men ministry does many things, but one that I want to encourage you to become involved with is called “Into the Wild.”  (www.IntoTheWildWeekend.com)  Into the Wild, or ITW, is an experiential, outdoor retreat program centered around men becoming leaders, protectors and providers in a Catholic modality.  As far as retreats go, it is THE MOST DYNAMIC RETREAT EXPERIENCE FOR MEN IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TODAY.  Mark my words – there is nothing like this retreat and nothing so dynamic for men to avail themselves to.

On the retreat, men experience more things than I could possibly list here and certainly could not do justice to with mere words.

The King’s Men are hosting 5 ITWs this summer.  One has passed – four additional retreats will take place in 2011… August 11-14 at Hickory Run State Park in Jim Thorpe, PA, September 8-11 at Raccoon Creek State Park near Pittsburgh, PA, October 13-16 at Allegany State Park near Buffalo, NY/Erie, PA and October 27-30 at Pocahontas State Park near Richmond, VA.  For more information and to register, click HERE.

Here’s a 10-minute video about ITW.

Attend – you will be glad you did!

TrueMan up!

Some People Just Don’t Get It

Working for a ministry that has chosen to take on a moral evil, pornography, we find ourselves getting all kinds of responses.  Today, we received an email from, as he put it, “a disgusted individual”.  If after we handle the situation I deem it appropriate to place some of the things he wrote in his “disgusted” email on the site, I will.  For now, however, I will speak to the general tone of pornography and the misunderstood ideology that often accompanies pornography in our country.

Porn is harmful.  The women in the sex industry that have turned their lives away from porn admit this to no end.  (Check out the work former porn actress Shelley Lubben is doing.)  Women are being exploited and MEN SHOULD NEVER EXPLOIT WOMEN, whether they walk into the situation or not.  IT IS NOT OKAY TO EXPLOIT WOMEN!!!

Porn is not a “free expression of sexuality”.  It is a disorder – an intimacy disorder.  The “disgusted individual” assumed that because we were out in front of a sexually oriented business (SOB) with our protest last evening, that we are against sex.  Not the case.  In fact, ALL of the men who were out in front of the SOB last evening are very fond of sex – but only within the context of marriage and chastity within marriage.  We don’t try to suppress sexuality, we want people to know about the right use of sexuality, which is never the use or abuse of an individual.  If sex is performed outside of the marital union, it is abused.  Plain and simple.  There is no way around it.

The “disgusted individual” also commented that we were somehow related to radical Muslim extremists that bombed the World Trade Centers nearly 10 years ago.  Can you believe this guy?!?!  We’re peacefully and prayerfully protesting a business that exploits women, destroys marriages and harms children (not to mention leads to abortion, rape, incest, domestic violence, child abuse, contraception and divorce) NOT blowing up buildings with airplanes.  Nice try, buddy, but that’s not going to fly with us.

And, he mentioned several times in his email that we were “forcing our beliefs down other people’s throats.”  I’ve heard this a lot before.  By standing out in front of this SOB, we are not forcing anything.  We are trying to raise awareness of the danger and evil of pornography by spreading the Truth.

Bob – I hope that you read this and I hope that we can converse some day in person.  You are misguided sir and your argumentation is lacking.  I hope to, in our in person conversation, share with you, with the utmost respect and charity, the reality of what’s going on with the sex industry and how your disdain for those of us who are “do gooders”, as you referred to in the email, are attempting to make our world a better, safer, more moral and healthy place to live.

TrueMan up!

The King’s Men Launch New Site

I’m very proud to announce that The King’s Men, the ministry I have the privilege of working for, has launched a brand new, redesigned and very dynamic website!  Go to it at www.TheKingsMen.org.

Although there is a ton of information on the site, here are just a few things to note…

• Click HERE for info on our incredible outdoor, experiential retreat program called “Into the Wild”.
• Click HERE for info on starting a men’s group in the mold of The King’s Men or contact me directly at Dave@TheKingsMen.org.
• Click HERE for info on booking The King’s Men (either Mark Houck or me) to speak at your event, conference, retreat or group.

Please help us by spreading the word on the new site and by signing up for our email list.

TrueMan up!

Why Fight Porn?

The King’s Men is frequently misrepresented and pigeon-holed into being merely “porn fighters”.  It makes sense, at first glance,because we put a great emphasis on fighting porn.  We do this through our No More Porn Tour stops (peaceful and prayerful protests educating the community on the dangers and evil of pornography), through our writing and in many of our talks.  The topic comes up frequently.  Often, men think that our formation groups are sex addiction and recovery groups.  They’re not, and we do much more than that.  So what’s the big deal with porn, anyway?  Why do we put so much emphasis on how evil and dangerous porn is?  Why fight porn?

Ask any Catholic priest and he’ll tell you that the majority (majority NOT used lightly here) of male confessions heard in the confessional are oriented towards impurity, lust, sexual misbehavior/acting out and pornography abuse.  This is also not to say that many of the female confessions heard in the confessional don’t also cover these topics.  Many priests I have asked about this topic have told me that upward of 85-90% of the confessions they hear from men are linked to pornography abuse.  This is astonishing and could be, if viewed incorrectly, disheartening.  The devil is attempting to kill our souls, our culture and our Church from the inside out through the use of pornography.  Many believe that it is not a public problem, that if “I” use porn in the quiet of my own home, that it doesn’t effect anyone else.  This is FALSE.

Tomorrow, I will dive into the reality of the effects of pornography, as well as the link pornography has to Life issues and social justice issues (such as divorce, rape, incest, abuse of women, domestic violence, etc.) and will attempt to create for you a strong correlation between these links.  The link between pornography (sexual hedonism and sexual utilitarianism) and many other serious issues is strong!

Before we go, I urge all men to educate themselves on the truth!  Don’t take my word for things, don’t take any one single person’s word for anything.  Do your research and go into it unbiased and open to the truth, for the truth shall set you free!  (This comes from a guy who doubted a ton, thought he could make his own truth and eventually got hit upside the proverbial head with the proverbial 2×4.  Take it from me… do your research!)

TrueMan up!

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