This article is the second in a two-part series featuring remarks made at the 2024 National Association of Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. To read part 1, go to click here.
introduction
This year’s NRB Annual Conference featured remarks from distinguished speakers, with a particular focus on the needs of families in today’s increasingly hostile culture.
The panel, “Faith, Fatherhood, and Masculinity,” was moderated by Lauren Green, FOX News’ chief religion correspondent. This article featured comments from Ryan Bomberger, co-founder and chief creative officer of the Radiance Foundation.Mary Eberstadt, Author Adam and Eve revisited after taking the pill; Nancy Piercy, professor and scholar-in-residence at Houston Christian University; and Sean Theis, president of Life Factor Fatherless Ministries.
cultural diagnosis
In her remarks, Mary Eberstadt quoted the great writer and Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn: The 20th century can be summed up in four words: “Man has forgotten God.” said.
“I think the 21st century can be summed up in six words: ‘Man is at war with God,'” Eberstadt argued. “Men and women are at war with God over the first question in history: ‘Who can direct creation?'”
Eberstadt said many of today’s most controversial social issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, and transgenderism, stem from the answers we give to those questions.she in her book Adam and Eve after taking the pill, she traced these crises to one major historical event: the sexual revolution. “It loosened family ties, community ties, patriotism and love of country,” she said. As a result, Eberstadt said, we have her three “paternity crises”:
- A crisis involving our supernatural father and our relationship with him.
- A crisis involving our earthly fathers.
- A crisis involving patriotism and love for the motherland.
“If we understand that these three crises are interconnected, we will be one step closer to starting to address them,” she added.
modern men war
In his prophetic remarks, Professor Piercy pointed out that our culture devalues masculinity and fatherhood.
“Certainly one of the tragedies of our time is that fathers are mocked and ridiculed in today’s media,” Professor Percy said. She gave just a few examples.
- huffington post Introducing the blog “I don’t need a father”.
- part of atlantic “Bad news for dad. There’s nothing objectively substantive about his contribution.”
- Article new york times “One of the most frustrating problems in evolutionary biology, especially the male, is why doesn’t he go away?” he opined.
fatherhood of good people
However, Percy said modern research and data disprove these false and malicious beliefs. She adapted her remarks from her own new book. A toxic war on masculinity: How does Christianity reconcile men and women?.
Piercy began by quoting the book’s author, anthropologist David Gilmore. Masculinity is emergingHe conducted the first-ever cross-cultural study of masculinity and discovered a “common code of universal masculinity.” Gilmore found that in every culture, he found that good humans do three things: provide, protect, and procreate.
Percy then pointed out that our culture often views Christian men as “Exhibit A” of “toxic masculinity.” But on the contrary, research shows that “Christian men who are sincerely committed and attend church regularly are actually the most loving and devoted husbands and fathers,” Percy said. She said to these Christian men,
- Their wives report the highest levels of happiness.
- They spend more time with their children (3.5 hours more per week than secular men).
- Their divorce rate is the lowest (35% lower than secular men).
- They have the lowest rates of domestic violence and violence of any major group in the United States.
Third, Mr. Pearcy quoted Brad Wilcox, author of the following books: Getting Married: Why Americans Must Rebel the Elite, Build Strong Families, and Save CivilizationHe found that “the happiest of all American wives are religious conservatives.” Her 73 percent of women who have conservative gender values and attend church regularly with their husbands have high-quality marriages. ”
Finally, Percy, contrary to popular claims, is not the father. do not have It’s a “social invention.”
“Psychologists have discovered what’s called the ‘father brain,'” Percy says. “There are nests of neurons that are activated when a man becomes a father. Hormones also change.”
“God literally gave humans a biochemical boost to bond with their children,” Percy added. “The fact is that men are wired to be fathers. It’s not a cultural invention. God designed human neurochemistry to be devoted and loving fathers. ”
fruit of good people
Ryan Bomberger shared with the audience that good people can change lives because good people have changed. his life. He created the following video as a tribute to his biological mother who gave him life.
“My father was the one who taught me about the fatherhood of God,” Bomberger said. “My biological father was a rapist. But the only father I ever knew who didn’t stick to how I was born and pushed me to be who I was meant to be.” He was someone who loved me.”
“I am a father of four children. Two of my children were adopted. Thanks to my father who has given me so much, I now have the heart of a Father in God. have.”
You can purchase a copy of Nancy Piercy’s new book A toxic war on masculinity.
To speak with a family support specialist or request resources, call 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
Related articles and resources:
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Family resources
succeed in your role as a father
Becoming a Father: How to Be the Father Your Family Needs
father’s power
The importance of paternal influence
Resources: Dad
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