Motherhood and Fatherhood are under assault today. Broad based attempts by academia, governments, businesses, and yes, even some churches, are attempting to do away with terms such as Mother and Father, Mom and Dad. As reported in this March 10, 2021 New York Post article: "A Manhattan private school aiming to use more "inclusive language" is encouraging its students to stop using the terms "mom," "dad" and "parents" because the words make "assumptions" about kids' home lives."
Grace Church School serves junior kindergarten through 12th grade students in Noho, NY and offers a 12-page guide for students and staff on making this Episcopal school all inclusive. The guide explains that instead of using Mom and Dad, students and staff should use "grown-ups, folks, or family." And instead of "husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend" they should use "spouse, partner, or significant other."
There's no end to guides published by institutions of learning, businesses, governments, and the media on how to revolutionize how we speak to one another. Everything is included except what has been normal for most of mankind's history. Where is this downgrading of Mothers and Fathers going to take us? Stay with me as I'll not only use terms such as Mom and Dad on today's program, but will honor mothers and fathers everywhere.
And I'll also be offering you an important resource for parents and grandparents and anyone else who desires to invest in our future generations. This booklet--Successful Parenting: God's Way-- by Dr. Jeffrey Fall can be yours free of charge, so be sure to have writing material available to take down our contact information that will be given several times during this program. And stay tuned as I'll be back in five seconds to talk about "The War Against Parents."
♪ Every year in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere, people celebrate parents with Mother's Day and Father's Day. In some countries, especially in South American Catholic countries, Mother's Day celebrates Mary, the mother of Jesus, but that has no relevance to North American celebrations. Thanks to the determination of Anna Jarvis to honor her own mother, and the financial backing of Philadelphia merchant, John Wanamaker...
"[I]n 1914, President Woodrow Wilson approved a resolution that made the second Sunday in May a holiday in honor of "that tender, gentle army, the mothers of America." Honoring fathers was not so easy for a variety of reasons, and it would not be until 1972, that's 58 years later, that President Richard Nixon would proclaim Father's Day a federal holiday.
Much of the reason it took so long is because men and women are simply different, as difficult as that is to accept by today's social engineers. As History.com explains: "The campaign to celebrate the nation's fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm--perhaps because, as one florist explained, "fathers haven't the same sentimental appeal that mothers have." The differences between men and women go beyond perception.
One woman who understands not only the physical differences, but the differences between what men ought to be, is swimmer Riley Gaines. From this New York Post article discussing Gaines' reaction to having to share a locker room and swim against a 6'4 male who claims to be a female, we read the following: "Trans rights activists say trans women are real women and must be included in sports.
Gaines, who comes from Tennessee and swam for the University of Kentucky team, said America needs "more masculine men" and praised World War II veterans. "That's the last time we had strong men," she said. "Think about this: 1940s, World War II. Men lied about their age to get in to enlist. Now, in 2023, we have men lying about their sex to get into women's sports or women's prisons or domestic shelters or sororities or bathrooms, locker rooms."
She blames society for rebranding "masculinity as toxic and bad and undesirable." Now there's a strong woman, not only in the pool, but in the public discourse, ready to stand up for truth and fairness, and frankly, plain sanity. Consider the reality women swimmers face when competing against men.
"By the conclusion of Thomas's swimming career at UPenn in 2022, Thomas' rank skyrocketed from 65th for men to 1st in the female 500-yard freestyle, and from 554th for men to 5th for women in the 200-yard freestyle." Who in his or her right mind refuses to admit the obvious. Men and women are different and those differences are critical beyond athletics. They're critical in the way we interact and in the roles we play in society as a whole.
Both dads and moms are needed for a well-ordered society. Mothers tend to be more nurturing. Fathers, even by the nature of their deeper voices, but also by their demeanor and ability to suppress emotions when needed, tend to keep better discipline in the family. There are exceptions, of course, but these are general traits, and both are needed, and sound-minded people know this.
Our world has always been flawed and this is especially true when it comes to male/female relationships, with extremes at both ends of the pendulum. Women have been oppressed in some cultures, especially in various parts of the Middle East and Asia, where oppressive clothing styles, denial of formal education, and abusive punishments are a far cry from what God intended when He created Eve to be Adam's helper.
But in our Western nations, many women have cast off all cooperative effort to become competitors of men, and neither extreme is working. We here at Tomorrow's World believe in God-given roles for men and women. We believe in family values where both husbands and wives are to be honored. In a few minutes I want to give some honor to my very own parents for shaping my life.
But first I want to mention a special resource for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and anyone else interested in investing in the future generation. Successful Parenting--God's Way, can be yours free of charge by simply letting us know that you want this resource. Dr. Fall begins chapter one with this thought-provoking paragraph: "For millennia, the cycle of human life has continued. Children are born, they grow up, and most eventually produce children of their own.
One generation dies and is replaced by the next. Yet few have understood the answer to the age-old question "What is the purpose of this repeating cycle of life?" To those steeped in the mistaken belief system of evolution, their only conclusion is that this cycle of human life exists solely to reproduce the species. Life has no meaning, they believe; it just exists."
Dr. Fall addresses this question of the purpose of life, so even if you don't have children, or if your children are already grown, the question of life's purpose is relevant to you. Successful Parenting--God's Way goes well-beyond parenting. It has general interest for all our viewers, but it is a must for parents and grandparents. So be sure to order your copy today by calling the toll-free number or going to our website at TWTV.ORG/Parenting.
And after this short break, I want to give some honor to my own parents for shaping my life, and show why both moms and dads are different, why their natural roles are different, and why both are vital to a peaceful and productive society. ♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to... This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective. Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now!
Or go to... ♪ Welcome back, where I'm discussing the need for both fathers and mothers and the vitally important roles they play in creating and maintaining an orderly society. Before the break I said I wanted to give some honor to my own parents for shaping my life, so please indulge me as I make a few personal comments about them and the way that they profoundly impacted my life. Neither of my parents were perfect, as no parents are, but I don't doubt the love they had for me.
Many years ago I used to spend a lot of time with a deacon visiting our members in Michigan. I saw him as an "old timer" at the time, but I'm now older than he was during those years that we spent together. One observation he made was that everything in life appears to be backward. "We get married," he said, "when we know little about what real love is. We have children when we have little understanding of how to raise them. We have little income when starting out and when we need it the most.
Our first home is usually small when we need a larger one for raising a family. But after the children move out we have a large home, a full bank account, and better understanding of how to raise children." Now he stated this with a sense of humor, but there is much truth in it. And one point that most children fail to recognize is that parents are learning how to raise them in real time.
The book of Hebrews hints at this concept in the context of how God shows His love for us by chastening us from time to time. Here it is in chapter 12 and verses 9-10: "Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness."
As with most children, I received some painful correction from time to time, but corporal punishment ended by the time I reached the age of 12. And even after that, while I was told no on numerous occasions, I never remember being "grounded" as they say.
But, yes, there was some loving correction, administered for my good, as we read in verse 11 of Hebrews 12: "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." And so parents are instructed in Proverbs 29:17... "Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul."
When my father said to do something he expected it to be done, but I never remember him telling me to do something that was not reasonable or that wasn't for my good. Well, I guess there is one exception to that. One evening when we lived in Alaska, and that's before it became a State, the older girl who lived next door, came over to show off that she could smoke.
Now my father thought it would be funny for his six-year-old son to go over to her parents and show that he could do one better--smoke a cigar. That didn't exactly work out as planned, but I never smoked again--so I guess it worked out well in the long run. My parents were not "helicopter parents." They didn't hover over me and prevent me from learning cause and effect lessons on my own.
They did want to know what I was doing and where I was going, but I could be gone most of the day playing in the woods, fishing, or playing "pick up" games of baseball or football. We learned a lot about how to set rules for ourselves, how to negotiate differences-- in general, how to get along. Now frankly, I marvel that my parents gave me as much freedom as they did, but that does not mean there were no boundaries or expectations.
They never held the religious convictions I came to embrace at age 16, and I never saw my father read the Bible, but he somehow innately understood some biblical principles. As an example, he understood a principle found in Proverbs 29:15... "The rod [switch] and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother." Before sharing more about my parents, I want to remind you of today's offer: Successful Parenting-God's Way.
As explained earlier, this easy-to-understand resource goes beyond parenting. It explains the purpose of marriage and family; and answers a bigger question: What is the purpose for our existence? In a world where man/woman, father/mother are not only downplayed, but actually spoken against, Successful Parenting-God's Way is as a breath of fresh air.
Yes, there are still people who do appreciate the differences between men and women and recognize the importance of moms and dads in creating and maintaining an orderly society. Successful Parenting-God's Way is yours free of charge. Just call the toll free number that will be shown on the screen, or go to TWTV.ORG/Parenting to obtain your copy. And when I come back, in 15 seconds, I'll share a few more insights that I learned from my parents.
♪ This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. Call now! Or go to... ♪ I'm discussing the subject of how God created mankind male and female, how we are innately different, how both sexes are needed, and how both should be rightfully honored. Before the break I said I would share with you a few more insights into my own parents. Even though they are no longer living, I want to give them the honor they deserve.
My parents endured the Great Depression and World War II. My father served in the Army and when the war was over, he made the newly formed Air Force his career. I once asked him, why he left being a photographer taking pictures of celebrities and plane crashes, to become a first sergeant. He explained that the man in that position before him was not getting the job done, so his squadron commander offered the position to him.
I knew from the testimony of others that he was highly respected in that responsibility, so I asked him why he was successful when the man before him was not. Without hesitation, he said, "It was my upbringing. It did not matter whether it was my father or my older brother who also had a farm, when they told me to take the wagon down to the south forty, they expected me to do it. And they didn't always say please."
Now don't misunderstand, I was taught to say, "Please pass the potatoes," or "Please pass the butter," at the dinner table. But there is a time for "please" and a time to simply be told what to do. Is this not scriptural? Notice Jesus' parable of the Unworthy Servants, as found in Luke 17, beginning in verse 7. "And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, "Come at once and sit down to eat"?
But will he not rather say to him, "Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink"? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do."
Without a strong guiding hand from my father, I very well could have ended up as many of my fellow classmates in those turbulent decades of the 1960's and 70's. While my father contributed to building self-discipline, my mother contributed to broadening my education. She made sure that I knew how to read and write. She enrolled me in swim lessons, got me involved in organized sports, taught me music and social graces.
And, yes, she was the one who taught me how to use a hammer and a saw--something that many boys today don't know how to do. She also taught me how to iron my clothes and make my bed, but it was my father who taught me how to polish my shoes. There was a year, that I can look back upon, that emphasizes the importance of fathers in the lives of their children. My father was deployed to Morocco in 1956 and for a full year there was not that masculine guiding hand that I needed.
My mother did her best, but she simply could not carry the weight fully needed to keep a rambunctious and sometimes rebellious eleven-year-old boy in line. One constant conflict we had was over doing my piano lessons. In retrospect, it's abundantly evident to me that as wonderful as my mother was, I also needed my father at that time. Remember, there was no Internet back then and transatlantic phone calls had to be set up in advance and were infrequent.
Each parent plays a different, but pivotal role, in raising children. Each, by nature, is different. The sexes are not the same and to assert that they are is to deny the unique qualities of both man and woman, mother and father. Our world is in confusion. Men and women have become fearful to express openly that they recognize the obvious--that men and women are different, that it's important for children to address parents with the loving terms, mother, father, Mom, and Dad.
In discounting the differences, the unique roles each play in the family relationship is lost. That's why we're offering you a special resource-- Successful Parenting-God's Way. Whether you're a mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or merely someone interested in helping the next generation toward success; you need this refreshing resource. No, we're not the product of blind evolution. We are not here merely to breed and preserve the species.
No, we are the creation of God, and He has a purpose for you and for me. Successful Parenting-God's Way explains that purpose. May I ask you, dear friends, why would you not want to know what that purpose is? So to learn Godly principles of child rearing, and to learn your purpose for being, order your free copy of Successful Parenting-God's Way. And do it today before you forget. If you get a busy signal, wait five or ten minutes, and try again.
And when I come back, I'll show you what God says about the subject of men and women, fathers and mothers. ♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to... This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine.
Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective. Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now! Or go to... ♪ Today I've been discussing what it means to be male and female--to be a father or mother. These distinctions are being blurred and discounted today.
Social engineers are running amok in academia, government, the media, and businesses large and small. Is it any wonder that we find ourselves in such confusion and conflict when we allow confused or opportunistic men to compete in women's sports? None of this could happen in a world educated in the word of our Creator, but the understanding that we are a product of an all-wise and all-powerful God, has been under assault since the time of Darwin.
And the correct understanding of God's plan and way of life has been under assault for millennia. Contrary to social activists, and those they have successfully confused, God created us as male and female. When confronted by the Pharisees about the grounds for divorce, Jesus quoted from the first chapter of Genesis.
Here we read it in Matthew the 19th chapter, and verses 4-5: "And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?" The Bible points out differences--different strengths and weakness-- with both men and women.
We see these differences in the way Paul spoke of the roles of each in bringing up children in 1 Thessalonians 2. First, we see the gentle nature of a women, in verse 7, where Paul uses a motherly characteristic to explain how he first came to the Thessalonians: "But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children." Paul later uses the masculine, fatherly approach to further explain this relationship with the Thessalonians.
While still gentle, we see the more authoritative demanding characteristic of a father, with an eye for long-term success. Again, chapter 2, this time in verses 10-12. "You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory."
The Bible also points out pitfalls for both men and women, natural weaknesses expressed by both sexes that can seriously harm their households. In Proverbs 21, verse 9, we read of a pitfall women are more inclined to fall into: Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious woman. This is also repeated for emphasis in chapter 25 and verse 24. So women should not disregard this instruction. But Paul warned fathers about a tendency they can have.
In their zeal, they can be overly demanding of their children and cause them to want to give up trying. Here it is explained in Ephesians 6, and in verse 4: "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." God has made us uniquely male and female. There are obvious variations and exceptions in terms of personalities, but we're still made, male and female.
Both sexes are necessary for procreation, but both are needed for an orderly and stable society. Neither should be discounted. If others care to enter someone else's fantasy land, then so be it, but those grounded in the values given to us by God ought to know better. We invite you to join us every week on Tomorrow's World. In this world of growing chaos and confusion, you need the solid guidance that comes from your Bible.
Richard Ames, Wallace Smith, Rod McNair, and I will continue to share with you the teachings of Jesus Christ, the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, and the exciting end-time prophecies and their meaning. We'll see you next week right here, at the same time. ♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to... Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times.
♪ The preceding program is produced by the Living Church of God. ♪