Free Republic

The Church Impotent by Leon Podles Despite constant feminist complaints about the patriarchal tendencies of Christianity, men are largely absent from the Christian churches of the modern Western world. Lay men often attend church activities because a wife, mother, or girlfriend has pressured them. As, Tom Forrest, a priest active in international evangelization, points out, only twenty-five percent of the participants in Catholic gatherings he has attended are men, and "when men do come, they are often brought along with some resistance by their wives." While men still run most churches, women outnumber them in the pews in Europe, in...

More Men Report Sexual Harassment at Work Robert DiGiacomo, for Yahoo! HotJobs Defying assumptions about sexual harassment in the workplace, a record number of men reported being harassed by male colleagues last year, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Cases filed by men made up 15.4 percent of the 12,025 sexual harassment charges in fiscal year 2006, compared to about 11 percent a decade ago, according to the EEOC. New Realities in the Workplace "There's no question this is not only a growing category of claims, but also a large societal problem of which we are just starting to...

One of France's leading hosiery makers is launching a new line for men next month -- pantyhose with a welcome front opening and big feet, available in thick mannish knit but also as sheer tights. Gerbe, which is based in eastern France, said this week that the country's first hosiery line for men would go on sale in March "due to increasing demand from male clients." The pantyhose comes with a larger belt than for women as well as an opening, with "Men opaque", "sheer" or "satin" available in four models of tights, with and without feet, and three models...

“Gender-bending” chemicals mimicking the female hormone oestrogen can disrupt the development of baby boys, suggests the first evidence linking certain chemicals in everyday plastics to effects in humans. The chemicals implicated are phthalates, which make plastics more pliable in many cosmetics, toys, baby-feeding bottles and paints and can leak into water and food. All previous studies suggesting these chemicals blunt the influence of the male hormone testosterone on healthy development of males have been in animals. “This research highlights the need for tougher controls of gender-bending chemicals,” says Gwynne Lyons, toxics adviser to the WWF, UK. Otherwise, “wildlife and baby...