We’ve almost all heard the phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Most reading this probably even think that this is not only true, but you’re probably thinking it’s a great and encouraging saying. Friends, please bear with me as I tell you: not so much.
Years ago, I was discipled and mentored by a pastor for almost 15 months who seriously challenged me in my thinking with this phrase. He allowed me to not only make the claim to defend this phrase, but then he allowed me to give him what I perceived as a good argument for it. My discipler looked at me, put up his hands and said, “Ahhhh!” in frustration. I was like, “What?”
He asked me, “Do you know where that phrase came from?” I said, “From Hillary Clinton.” (The first time I personally heard this phrase was in the 1990’s when Hillary Clinton was the first lady to then President Bill Clinton.)
My mentor went on to tell me about how his daughter had been a missionary in Africa and how she has seen this African proverb in action. He told me that this phrase came from the fact that men and women were choosing not to marry. They were having sex with each other with no lifelong commitment. So, when a child was born, no one knew who the father of the child was because the men and the women had been having sex with multiple partners. So, the men were relinquishing their God-given responsibility to raise and care for their child. This is why this African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” exists and where it came from.
This is a huge issue with this phrase. In that context, this phrase goes directly against the Word of God and the institution of marriage between one man and one woman that God Almighty set up from almost the beginning of time (Genesis 2:21-25).
As time moves on and generation after generation continues, we can now see the very fruit of this phrase and its abhorrent mindset. Not only are we seeing children being raised without fathers, but women are without a husband to help raise these children and even be there for their grandchildren. It is a vicious cycle that tends to be repeated over, and over, and over again.
Now, I am almost certain there are some reading this who are probably upset and more than likely are saying something like, “Well, I’m a teacher and I can help teach someone else’s child,” or “I don’t have children, so are you saying it’s bad to help someone with their child or that I can’t help someone with their child?” Not at all. I am saying that ultimately, the God-given responsibility to raise children has been given to the parents of those children.
Unless a person has been living under a rock, or just flat out is ignoring reality, we can all see the dangerous fruit of this mindset taking over our nation, not just in casual sex but now in the rearing and teaching of children in our society. Getting away from the Biblical principle and God-ordained institution of one man and one woman marriage certainly hasn’t done our society any favors. Not only mothers but fathers, you are extremely important.
#TheWayForwardIsBack
For more study on this subject please consider digging into the following passages:
Ephesians 6:1-9
Colossians 3:15-25
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
0 comments:
Post a Comment