as i spend a lazy saturday trying not to fall asleep on my couch, i ponder on the topic of fatherhood. one of my favorite channels on tv to watch is tvland. this is mainly because it is one of the few channels that i can watch and not be overly concerned about the content my young boys are being exposed to. i bring this up for the purpose of contrasting the view of fatherhood from days past to the view of fatherhood prevalent today. our entertainment is a direct reflection of the values held by the society that creates it, as has been the case throughout history. therefore, if we were to look at some of the shows that are on television today, what would we learn about fathers? the simpsons portray the father, aka homer simpson, as nothing more than a blithering idiot who has no control over, not to mention little respect from his children. compare this to the fathers on tvland from past shows such as leave it to beaver, and like shows, and you'll see my point. the same dismal view of fathers is present on the radio as well. there is currently a commercial for a cell phone company that portrays fathers as clueless, loveable guys that should be appreciated as such. while some may find this trend amusing, i for one find it disturbing. what does it say about us as fathers? it says that we have abandoned our calling as a whole. working at the hospital, i see a flood of babies being born to mothers without a father around. to add to that number, i have youth from past and present groups whose fathers have left them. it's no surprise that fathers have become the laughing-stock and much lamented group of human beings among today's generations. this has astounding implications not only for today's family, but for today's churches and theology as well.
how does this impact us today, you ask? in quite a few profound ways. one, is in the survival of the nuclear family. many young adults have become so disillusioned with the family that they grew up in that they have abandoned the traditional marriage commitment and have instead opted for living together. this inevitably results in a chain reaction effect on fathers abandoning their children because there is no longer a strong commitment to an institution greater than the two entities to hold a couple together. so it's very easy for men to go around to different places fathering children by different women in different areas, as if they were setting up franchises. they have become nothing more than glorified sperm donors. also, if fathers are shirking their role, then the cycle continues as our young men have no one to mentor them as to what it means to be a father. they are merely acting upon the ideologies that their experiences have taught them.
this leads to another problem perpetuated by our dwindling fatherly responsibilities. our young men have become a generation of men raised by women. i know this will spark some controversy, but i will bear saying it anyway. i will then open my arms to make it easier for those in disagreement to crucify me. psychological studies have shown that men who fail to make a connection with their fathers or another strong male role model have a greater propensity for homosexuality and gender identity issues. with absentee and derelict fathers, it's no surprise that the homosexual lifestyle is increasingly growing in exponential rates. the women of today's generations are not immune to this growing cancer. girls who do not have the love and affection of a father are more likely to seek it in other places. to quote buckwheat, eddie murphy's character for snl, they are "wootin por nub in aw da wong paces." this has contributed to our teen pregnancy and std rates growing to record numbers. while i know that the fatherhood crisis is not the sole cause of these calamities, it is a major player.
however, the most important effect that our fatherhood crisis has on today's generations is in terms of our theology. there is a growing trend that doesn not like to refer to God as a Father. and why should they? their fathers have been so useless and detrimental in their own lives that the idea of an all powerful father is not comforting by any means. a good picture of today's attitude towards God is the following quote from the movie fight club:
fathers, we have to reclaim our roles. we have to start living up to the blessed position that God has graced us with if we are to ever salvage future generations of fathers!
how does this impact us today, you ask? in quite a few profound ways. one, is in the survival of the nuclear family. many young adults have become so disillusioned with the family that they grew up in that they have abandoned the traditional marriage commitment and have instead opted for living together. this inevitably results in a chain reaction effect on fathers abandoning their children because there is no longer a strong commitment to an institution greater than the two entities to hold a couple together. so it's very easy for men to go around to different places fathering children by different women in different areas, as if they were setting up franchises. they have become nothing more than glorified sperm donors. also, if fathers are shirking their role, then the cycle continues as our young men have no one to mentor them as to what it means to be a father. they are merely acting upon the ideologies that their experiences have taught them.
this leads to another problem perpetuated by our dwindling fatherly responsibilities. our young men have become a generation of men raised by women. i know this will spark some controversy, but i will bear saying it anyway. i will then open my arms to make it easier for those in disagreement to crucify me. psychological studies have shown that men who fail to make a connection with their fathers or another strong male role model have a greater propensity for homosexuality and gender identity issues. with absentee and derelict fathers, it's no surprise that the homosexual lifestyle is increasingly growing in exponential rates. the women of today's generations are not immune to this growing cancer. girls who do not have the love and affection of a father are more likely to seek it in other places. to quote buckwheat, eddie murphy's character for snl, they are "wootin por nub in aw da wong paces." this has contributed to our teen pregnancy and std rates growing to record numbers. while i know that the fatherhood crisis is not the sole cause of these calamities, it is a major player.
however, the most important effect that our fatherhood crisis has on today's generations is in terms of our theology. there is a growing trend that doesn not like to refer to God as a Father. and why should they? their fathers have been so useless and detrimental in their own lives that the idea of an all powerful father is not comforting by any means. a good picture of today's attitude towards God is the following quote from the movie fight club:
our fathers were our models for God. if our fathers bailed, what does that tell you about God? you have to consider the possibility that God does not like you, He never wanted you, in all probability He hates you. it's not the worse thing that can happen [cause] we don't need Him. [forget] damnation, [forget] redemption. we are God's unwanted children? so be it!it is this attitude that i believe has led to the rise of feminist theology, perpetuating the notion that God is a female. this is blasphemy and a direct contradiction of Scripture. but this is the bed we have made, and unless we strip it and remake it, we must continue to lie in it.
fathers, we have to reclaim our roles. we have to start living up to the blessed position that God has graced us with if we are to ever salvage future generations of fathers!
2 comments:
Excellent post C! It's sad how far society will twist and contort the reality that every child needs a father figure when it is abundantly clear what the statistics say about children who grow up without a father. Ironic, how what the Bible tells and what statistics show line up exactly. Nice reference to "Fight Club" as well! Happy Fathers Day to you!
A friend asked me to post this since she does not have a blog account.
just a couple of quick comments....:-)
say you are hired at the cookie factory to make the cookie dough. who is going to train you? the cookie factory customer service representative? let's hope not! to bring out your best potential, another cookie dough maker is going to train you. so i ask you--who is better equipped to teach a boy how to be a man? altho i may be classified as a ballsy chick, i don't have all the equipment to teach my son how to be a man. that's his dad's job.
and daddies: love your daughters. protect them. provide for them. dote on them. hold them precious. hug & kiss them. because if you don't, they'll find someone on the street who will. and you can bet that their intentions will probably not be so chivalrous.
as for feminism..my brother relates of story of, upon holding the door open for a lady at a local store, she proceeded to cuss him out. all i have to say for that is 'stupid bitch--messing it up for all the rest of us.
' -Jenn Merrell
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