Yet just because the message about the value of fathers has been misused doesn’t mean there’s not value in fatherhood. And manhood has been defined as fatherhood to the detriment of men who are not fathers. The absent father trope has been beaten to death by white conservative evangelicals seeking to victimize Black and minority families. Just the identity of being a father is enough and is good enough on its own without any evidence attempting to prove its worth by any outcome. The title of the podcast is “Why the Modern Male is Struggling.” In his book Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It, Reeves cites evidence that kids flourish more in school and other areas of life when a father is present in their lives, or if they have some kind of male figure in their life who represents that kind of caretaker.īut he regrets he wrote that chapter more as a means to an end than as a precious identity. I was listening to author and researcher Richard Reeves on “Pantsuit Politics” last week. “I want to highlight how good it is to have fathers.”

Fatherhood does not have to come in one form. Today, I want to highlight how good it is to have fathers - whether they are biological, spiritual, mentors, teachers, therapists or friends. I understand not all of us have good fathers, and there are far too many homes without fathers at all - and that, too, is a systemic issue. Men and boys are beginning to feel worthless, and there are lots of studies coming out showing how much they are struggling because of this. On Father’s Day, we often critique how men have not lived up to what they should be for the family more than we have celebrated how good it is to be fathers. Rick Warren stood up and took on the role of a good father to people in Baptist churches at a time they really needed one. It is ironic that the SBC’s showdown over gender roles happened right before Father’s Day. The obvious group being harmed systemically by this is women. This is more than a corrupt religious institution this is also a political movement with an agenda. Thus, we are all affected by this, whether we are associated with the SBC or not. “We are all affected by this, whether we are associated with the SBC or not.”Īnd for good reason. The SBC is not the only place where these outdated gender roles are assigned, but right now the SBC is making us pay attention to it. Women are not being represented in large enough numbers in any room where the decisions are made that cause actual harm to our bodies, mental health, health care and everyday life. This is an obvious act of systemic violence against women, and our culture is finally waking up to this crisis. What the SBC has done most recently by removing two churches from fellowship because they ordained women as pastors is a systemic issue that has long plagued women in the church and in political office.

Boy genius greg smith now