Two Fathers

For example, consider the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt in a radio address he made on Navy Day, October 27, 1941.  He was warning about the danger posed by Nazi Germany:

In the place of the churches of our civilization, there is to be set up an international Nazi church -- a church which will be served by orators sent out by the Nazi government. In the place of the Bible, the words of Mein Kampf will be imposed and enforced as Holy Writ. And in place of the cross of Christ will be put two symbols -- the swastika and the naked sword.

A god of blood and iron will take the place of the God of love and mercy. Let us well ponder that statement which I have made tonight.

Roosevelt saw the threat of Nazi Germany as ideological. He warned that the Bible and the Cross of Christ would be replaced by the dogma of Nazism.  Today, not 70 years from the date of this address, such rhetoric would be classified as hate speech against religions other than Christianity. Roosevelt was warning Americans that Christianity and Jesus Christ would not be tolerated by the Nazi regime. Few, if any, politicians today would have the courage to use language that so closely linked the American way of life with Christianity and the Bible.

Fast forward to Father's Day, 2010, when President Obama issued his Father's Day Proclamation. The proclamation reads in part:

Nurturing families come in many forms, and children may be raised by a father and mother, a single father, two fathers, a step father, a grandfather, or caring guardian.  We owe a special debt of gratitude for those parents serving in the United States Armed Forces and their families, whose sacrifices protect the lives and liberties of all American children.  For the character they build, the doors they open, and the love they provide over our lifetimes, all our fathers deserve our unending appreciation and admiration.

Fatherhood has been redefined. The Bible is no longer the standard by which the role of fathers may be judged. This proclamation, in principle, also represents a threat to Christianity. It shows how American culture has become hostile to the gospel.

However, there is no reason to shrink back.  By aggressively pursuing the directive of Deuteronomy 6:4-7, it is possible to raise your children so that they are aware of the danger. You can also encourage them that the gospel has the power to overcome the ways of this world. This was Paul's encouragement to the Colossians - they could avoid being taken captive by holding fast to Christ and his word. God wants you to talk wisely and frequently to your children about his ways.  Talk to them about the lostness of the culture and its people with compassion. These talks are one way to promote a passion for the grace of the gospel. When man rejects the ways of God, no matter how well meaning his motives, chaos and tragedy will result. Just as the early church prevailed against the humanist traditions of its day, you can make the most of every opportunity to tell your children how God's ways are better than human traditions. The inclusion of "two fathers" in this proclamation is no doubt meant to be compassionate and understanding. However, this is anything but compassionate.

In days ahead you will hear more and more about principles that depend upon human traditions. These principles have been incorporated into our modern culture as the new American way of life. Clearly, the "American" way of life is viewed to be something different that it was even 70 years ago. To give your children power in the hope of the gospel, you must have that hope deeply embedded in your thinking. As Paul teaches, the way to avoid being taken captive is to first to take every thought captive for Christ.

The next time you hear something contrary to Christianity, do not become derisive or pessimistic. Instead, use this as an opportunity to tell your children of the excellent ways of God.