Controversial Religious Movement Gaining Ground
Astute people warn against the “small print.” Too often it says something far different from what is initially read or heard. Well, it’s not just the small print, but also those brief phrases that point to a hidden stance or belief picked up only by the observant.
Such was the case the other day listening to Angus Buchan of the “Mighty Men” phenomena, a religious movement drawing vast numbers of men, to his farm in Kwa-Zulu/Natal, South Africa.
Buchan is part of the revivalist tradition that seeks to instill new life into existing Christians, mostly Protestants, many of them white, according to Yolanda Dreyer, a professor of practical theology at the University of Pretoria (source: Global Post). South Africa's white males have had a tough transition since the end of apartheid. Additionally, economic and political conditions have made it increasingly difficult for them to find and hold well-paying jobs that they previously monopolized, which made them the unquestioned heads of their families, Dreyer told the Global Post.
Evangelist Angus Buchan of the "Mighty Men" movement
Buchan believes his brand of Christianity will “restore men to their rightful place” in life, a message extremely attractive to men going through the conditions that Dreyer describes. However, the very name, “MIGHTY MEN,” speaks volumes.
While sharing a message about this “rightful place,” which he does “ad nauseam,” — a brief phrase easily missed in the midst of everything else mentioned — raised some concerns. The red flag, of sorts, came in the form of these words, which no doubt betrayed his stance and attitude: “We must make our wives in to the people God intended them to be.” This quote sounds rather musty and old, but also dangerous as it assumes some disturbing notions.
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