Authors Offer Cogent Insights on Critical Issues
by Randall Murphree
June 15, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Three authors offer strong, solid insights on three topics of vital interest to families: fatherhood, education, and pornography. FATHERHOOD: The Image of a Father by Bryan Davis
The foreword to The Image of a Father (AMG, 2004) cites the sobering fact that in recent decades, the critical role of the father in a family has been radically diminished by popular culture. This trend even extended to the Church, with many objecting to calling God a father.
Author Bryan Davis relates personal experiences in rearing his seven children, now ages 8 to 23. One anecdote recounts the time when a young daughter asked him, "What does God look like?" In their ensuing dialogue, Davis realized that it was up to him to show her what God is like.
Regarding sons, Davis admonishes men, "Show him how to be strong, openly display your passion for protecting your family, and above all, let him see how much you love your wife. In other words, show him biblical manliness, the masculine side of God our Father."
Davis, who also writes young adult fiction, is a master storyteller. That quality comes in handy as he infuses humor, practical application and occasional emotion into this very reader-friendly volume for dads. He lays out tried-and-true principles to help fathers do their job better. Through 12 chapters he deals with 12 roles of a father -- provider, teacher, comforter, guide, and peacemaker among them.
Because he's been there -- and is still there -- Davis' words bear the clear mark of authenticity.
EDUCATION: Public Education Against America by Marlin Maddoux
Public education began in early America as a Christian endeavor. Any observer of that institution today can verify that there's been a catastrophic change. In Public Education Against America (Whitaker House, 2006), the late Marlin Maddoux uncovers some shocking trends reflecting the fact that public education in the U.S. has taken a decided turn for the worse and is now firmly entrenched in the gutter of liberal political correctness.
Maddoux was host of "Point of View," a radio talk-show, and founder of the USA Radio Network. As a journalist and broadcaster, his voice became a trusted standard bearer for faith, freedom, and family.
This volume includes countless horror stories illustrating education's abandonment of Christian moral values. In his review of the book, Ted Baehr said: "Because my wife is on chemotherapy, we went from home schooling one of my children to sending her to public school for one year. In doing so, we discovered that the world history textbook had three chapters on Islam and no mention of Christianity."
Baehr's experience reflects precisely the kind of incident Maddoux documents over and over again. Fortunately, Maddoux not only sounds the alarm. He also includes a brief but meaty synopsis of the options for parents plus a number of invaluable resources to help them clarify the issues.
PORNOGRAPHY: Think Before You Look by Daniel Henderson
Think Before You Look (Living Ink, 2005) is a top-tier little handbook for the man who wants to find power over secret sexual temptations.
Author Daniel Henderson kicks off the172-page volume with a short introduction, "Considering the Consequences." He compares the ultimate (and hidden) consequences of sin to lung cancer in those who work a lifetime around asbestos; it may go undetected for years, but the consequences will come. He calls pornography "the devil's tool of choice for luring many to a life of destructive consequences."
Forty short chapters outline 40 reasons to avoid pornography. The first is, "I enjoy the pleasure of a love relationship with God." Others include: "I avoid a life pattern of deception," "I refuse the temptation of idolatry," and "I learn to live in reality rather than fantasy." Still others address principles such as achieving authentic intimacy, laying up eternal rewards, earning your wife's trust, and protecting your children.
Henderson urges men, "Think repentance. Think confession .... Trust God for grace to move onward and upward in your pursuit of purity." Finally, he caps off the book with "40 Practical Pointers for Avoiding Pornography."
It's a powerful guide for men, endorsed by Christian leaders such as pastor/author David Jeremiah, evangelist Luis Palau, and Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander. Henderson is pastor of Grace Church of Eden Prairie in the Minneapolis suburbs.
Randall Murphree, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is editor of AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association.
