Avoiding Self Abuse

How Feminine Am I?

Cross Dress for Less

The Christian Hanky Code

...On His Knees

The Hard Road to Manhood! a review by Miss Poppy Dixon

"Every boy who wants to become a real man should understand the meaning of the lines spoken by Sir Galahad, that greatest and most powerful of Sir Arthur's Knights:

My strong blade carves the casks of men;
My stiff lance thrusteth sure.
My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure."

Thus John Cross opens his manual for young men, "Let's Take the Hard Road!" first published by The Cross Company in 1946. Though "authored" by John Cross the book is written almost entirely by he-man/poet Edgar A. Guest. We are blessed with nine instructive poems intended to fan the flames of manhood. Each is mildly suggestive,

Courage must come from the soul within,
The man must furnish the will to win,
So figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You were born with all that the great have had,
With your equipment they all began.
Get hold of yourself, and say, "I can."
"Let's Take the Hard Road!" is primarily about fighting, becoming strong, skilled in jiu-jitsu, and ready to defend the Christian faith at a moment's notice. This readiness is "developed in a gym or at home - from long hours of puffing and panting and sweating, from plenty of sleep, from long, long hours of practice at how to fight."

Bad Habits, or the "solitary sin."
No book on safe entry into manhood would be complete without a chapter on self abuse. Guest strains an analogy about stallions and geldings to illustrate the danger of "playing with the male organs of one's body." He dispels the myth that masturbation causes permanent damage, and makes one insane. But he does warn that, "men who over-used their sexual glands in their youth, later were poor husbands to their wives and lost their sexual power at an early age."

This Boy and Girl Business, A Warning
Guest's advice on dating and going steady points young men in the right direction - away from women - and into the gym!

"Now one of the things that may get in our path while traveling on the road to health and strength and manhood is too great a liking for girls.

"This attraction to girls is only a God-given instinct.

"This can get the best of you, and, first thing you know, you're spending several nights a week at dances or on dates and the rest of the time dreaming about your latest 'babe.' And so good-bye to your plans about exercising and developing yourself - not much chance any more of learning boxing or wrestling or jiu-jitsu.

"Women are like streetcars - don't cry over one you missed - another one will be along any minute.

"We don't want you taking up so much time with 'babes' that you'll give up your exercises and studies and become a 'pansy'.

"I am acquainted personally with many young men who have voluntarily denied themselves all feminine companionship. ... Instead of having a family of six or eight, they have thousands of boys who feel that these young men are like brothers or fathers to them. Many boys will grow up better men and fathers because these young men set everything else aside in life and devoted all their time to showing boys the pleasure and happiness that can be found by taking the hard road to manhood."

Oh, Daddy!

Were the Saints 'Sissies?' On Making the Right Choice
Admitting that most men aren't clever enough to use words or wit to humiliate their opponents Guest encourages his young charges to let their fists do the talking. After all being a "sissy" and a "good guy" is not the same thing. It takes a tough guy, not a mama's boy, to strengthen the moral atmosphere.

"As a last resort, you invite the man to the gym or outside on a lawn. Here's where your wrestling or judo will prove to him in a very short time that you are the real tough guy. By refusing to break the Second and Sixth commandments, you set a good example for younger people and prove to them that 'being good does not mean being weak.' A battle for God has been won and the devil and his servants have been 'showed up' as being phonies and weaklings."

John Cross published dozens of other books, most having to do with male development and marriage manuals (to be ordered through your pastor). Titles included, "The Road to Manhood," "A Man is Born to Fight," "Builders of Men," "Training Christian Soldiers," "The Saints Were 'Tough Guys,'" "Marvelous Manhood," and "Natural and Supernatural Aids in Sex Control."

Cross' work epitomizes the homo-erotic nature of vintage Christian mens manuals. Cross taunts, "When the loud mouth in the gang says to do what HE wants you to do, you jump to obey: 'Yes, master, your obedient slave follows you.'" Oh, dear Mr. Cross, may we have another, SIR!