Church Shootings & The Value Of A Father

A recent article by the Washington Times  brought to light a recently released book,  “The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It,” by Warren Farrell and John Gray. 

The Washing Times reports Mr. Farrell stating the following regarding some boys who have no fathers or limited access to fathers:

“They’re much more likely to drink, much more likely to do drugs, much more likely to be depressed, much more likely to be suicidal, much more likely to be violent, much more likely to be in prison,” ... “And they’re also much more likely to commit mass shootings.”

Mr. Farrell also relates many issues to purpose and self identity that male school shooters fail to receive from their fathers:

“Today, there’s a purpose void, because you don’t need as many boys in war, and both girls and boys share the potential for being breadwinners,” he said. “When that purpose void combines with fatherlessness, boys don’t have a way of being guided to a more nuanced sense of purpose.”

Also in the article, Peter Langman, a child psychology expert, who wrote a 2016 article on the subject, sampled a 56 person school shooter group and found the following:

“Out of this sample of 56 school shooters, only 10 (18%) grew up in a stable home with both biological parents,”... “In other words, 82% of the sample either grew up in dysfunctional families or without their parents together (for at least part of their lives).”

The Alternative Facts Of The Anti-Family Pro Gay Movement

What is bound to be a controversy is already brewing with statements and sentiments like these. Now to be fair we should not assume that just because one is pro-gay that they are anti-family. That is NOT the point of the article. However, we must be real in recognizing that the current trend is to remove any concept of gender identity such as the words or titles "Father" and "Mother" from the context of the family and public discourse all together. Those terms are being replaced by parent 1 and parent 2. In fact France has sought to ban the terms (Mother and Father) from governmental or official applications. 

Because of open sexuality and societal acceptance of the homosexual agenda, and a push for the establishment and acceptance of transgenderism, there has been a noteable push for unisexism and gender fluidity which also has sought to minimize the unique differences between male and female.

The Gender Myth

Society is embracing a moral ethic which in essence contends that  our identity at birth is a "myth" and is flexible, depending upon how one feels. We are bombarded with existential values that promote that individuals can "find our own path", "create our own purpose" or "identify as who you want to be".

In the process of doing all of that the gender differences have been minimized and even eliminated from public discussion and discourse. However, there is a way that a man has or is positioned that should be different than a woman. The differences are given to humanity for our benefit, not our detriment.

I believe that studies will show and continue to show that we damage our children by not allowing those differences to be on display and exist.

The temperament of a women is given to enhance the family and society. The temperament of a man is given to society and the family to enhance both as well. A work environment that contains both men and women allows then to work together through their differences not to the amalgamation of some type of identity(less) work force, but one in which individuals of both genders (as there is only two) enhance community, society and family.

In other words humanity has been given two genders within humanity for the benefit of humanity and each gender has a set of unique differences that they bring to society and the family. When those differences are allowed to flourish a family and community can be enhanced. 

The Father's Role

A fathers role is a very significant one. While I certainly don't intend to be comprehensive in all here, I will more than affirm that from a biblical perspective it can be observed that the moral, spiritual and essential values and duties are given to the children by the father. It is through the father that an inheritance is given. It is through the Father that the purpose and role, duty and commitment and direction to family and society is given. Identity is a product of fatherhood.

It is this role of fatherhood that has been diminished within society. Institutions such as education and the corrections system have taken the place of father within society. Then it is estimated that in 2015 that over 670,000 children were in foster care within the United States. 34% of all children live in a single parent family today. Within the African American community nearly 67% of children live in a single parent family and most of those families are headed by women.

THAT IS NOT TO INDICT THOSE women children and or families as is often done. This information is presented to inform individuals of  the issues involved as we seek to provide solutions to society and create environments where young people feel and embrace their fulfillment and purpose rather than experience the hopelessness and despair that leads to school violence and any other violence. 

Within The School Setting 

Society expects so much of the school. Especially within the public school. The thought is that it is the school's duty to train students to be productive or informed individuals within society. It has even ventured into the area of moral values education and implementation. The school now not only provides curriculum based on evidence based sex education, but also for moral values based education centered in how one should "think" about moral issues, such as sexuality.

As the role of the school has increased in this area, the role and position of the church has decreased dramatically. Now, church is mainly about entertaining the masses, collecting offerings and receiving the next "blessing" or "word" and following or finding ones "destiny or purpose"...In other words the church has failed in her responsibility and let the community down dramatically.

However, I believe that the role of the family, both mother and father are irreplaceable and not for sale!

As a Native American/Black man, I understand the perceptions of a public school system who is 1- not used to seeing men that look like me intimately involved with their children's education and 2- unfamiliar with men that are leaders, that seek to implement plans for their families and find ways to impact their communities.

Can we stop a school shooter or a child bent on committing suicide by delivering to him or her the values of God, purpose, and morality? I don't know i it is just a simple one to one ration, but I'll tell you what, society will be better if we at least try! 

In our Parent Forum on Facebook, I delivered the following commentary in relationship to this article and I would encourage other fathers to share their experience and ask that their school district not only see them, but acknowledge them for the valuable resource that they are within the school setting. 

To what I wrote:

Now, I believe this is an area of high concern in all educational settings. Within District 150 the mostly White Administrators and even some Black one's don't know how to take, receive and or accept the Black male Father in a school setting.

In all the inner city schools in Peoria I have been in, if they need someone to have a seminar, instruct or encourage kids by far and large most administrative teams look for either a popular Black women or a White male. The Black father isn't even a consideration.

How do I know? After having 2 kids matriculate through District 150 from Valeska Hinton to Sr. High, (one still in) and after setting hitory in the African American community as a male role model who is also Black, I can count the number of times on one hand that an administrative staff, when led by mostly White administrators, called me for anything in the school.

They would see me everyday. I would be involved in everything, but when it came time to reach the students, they would invariably call White men or look for popular Black women such as political leaders and other socialites, many of whom rarely, if ever, show up in the school for anything.

Then, just plainly looking at the employee integration ratio, there are not enough Black male teachers, Now, this is tragic.

Fathers make a difference. In my case I was able to coach a team my son participated on. I was able to interact with the kids in a fatherly manner as well. Not all kids need this, but to have that type of relationship available to kids is what the District should foster.

With excuses like, "we want an in house person" and all the other nonsensical avoidance jargon that Principals and leadership teams use to avoid hiring parents and in particularly Fathers, this lets me know that they are not prepared for 21st Century leadership or have as a top priority the advancement and well being of our children as a whole. It is about their "process" and the stability of their teacher groups and not about the cultivation of parents and how that positively impacts students.

Principal, next time you have an event and want to showcase someone or reach students, look at the parents and fathers in particularly that you already have. There are some who are business owners, some who are doing great things of which you are not aware. Then find an interest in those who support you and your school. Recently we had a program related to Black history and the team creating the program looked over the leaders that have committed to the school to try to cultivate someone whom the school rarely if ever sees. That is ridiculous.

Then parents that want to participate with their children in education and extra curricular activity, should be made to feel welcomed and embraced throughout the entire system and their values and viewpoints embraced instead of being told "that's not the way we do things"

I know from experience as it pertains to all the things I have outlined and more. It is time that if we truly want a safe environment for our children and really have a concern for them that we PUT UP OR SHUT UP!!!

But if one can be hateful to a child, then I suppose it is not an issue to express or show a similar hate to the parent and in particularly to a Father and to a Black Father as well. We can do much better!

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Modalistic Monarchianism & The Praxaen Heresey

I don't want to get overly theological and or technical, as I do not consider myself the one to lead into indepth or comprehensive theological discourse, but I have noticed that in debate and conversation with most believers who oppose trinitarianism in favor of Sabellianism or what is otherwise known as modalism or oneness teachings, there is often a caveat or an idea that emerges that can be rather disturbing. The thought is summarized in the following statement:

"Jesus is the Son of God according to the flesh and the very God Himself according to the Spirit"

This is a statement that can be found on many Apostolic church web sites and within statements of faith. It  is often thought to be a purely oneness statement. But in reality it is a belief system taught by an excommunicated late second century early third century priest named Praxeas and is the root of a heretical teaching that could be called Praxeanism. 

To draw a distinction, I must lay a little ground here.

Modalism 

First, modalism, often referred to as monarchianism and Sabellianism (after a priest named Sabellius who taught the idea) is a Christiological theory that God has revealed himself to man in 3 manifestations, roles or modes as opposed to 3 persons with mind, will, intellect and awareness of one another. Under modalistic belief, the Son has no personal independence or subsistence. A modalist contends that there is only one God and he is revealed as the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Oneness Pentecostals further contend that the name of that one God, that is common to all three modes, is the name Jesus. Therefore Jesus is not only God, but ontologically the Father and the Holy Ghost and each mode is summarized by the name Jesus, thus "Jesus only" is often an appellation applied to those who hold this belief.

Praxeanism 

The teaching that Jesus is forever and always the God/Man or theantropist, describes what is called the hypostatic union of Christ. Praxeanism essentially denies the unalterable hypostatic union of Jesus's nature as both 100% man and 100% God. Praxeanism in its endeavor to emphasize the oneness of God in his being, actually dissolves the hypostasis of Jesus as God, by contending that  the "flesh" (or physical body) of Jesus is human only, while his Spirit, is God only, therefore creating two distinct beings within one, as opposed to one complete inseparable being known as Jesus. 

Church apologist Tertullian (Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus) who lived roughly at the same time as Praxeus and Sabellius, noted the following in his defense of the faith regarding Praxean teaching:

"For, confuted on all sides on the distinction between the Father and the Son, which we maintain without destroying their inseparable union... they endeavour to interpret this distinction in a way which shall nevertheless tally with their own opinions: so that, all in one Person, they distinguish two, Father and Son, understanding the Son to be flesh, that is man, that is Jesus; and the Father to be spirit, that is God, that is Christ. Thus they, while contending that the Father and the Son are one and the same, do in fact begin by dividing them rather than uniting them."

Further, phrases of Jesus such as "nevertheless, not my will but thy will be done" (Lk. 22:42; Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42) under Praxean interpretation,  could be seen as the man Jesus, surrendering his will to Christ (aka: God), as there would have been a distinction between the two.   

Now, at first glace some of this may make sense, as we know that God cannot die, neither can his spirit or any spirit bleed. However, Jesus as God, took upon himself the limitations of humanity (John 1:14) and lived, suffered and died to redeem us from our sins. It was not the corpuscles of his blood that saved us, but it was the act of Jesus, pouring out his passion and love for us as God that actually redeems us. That is what is inferred when we speak of being redeemed by his blood.  

Of A Certainty This Is A Great Mystery
Paul told Timothy that this whole and complete story of the nature of Jesus is without any argument, a topic and subject full of great "mystery":

1 Tim. 3:16 ~ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Immediately the focus of most oneness adherents when looking at this verse, is the word "manifest".  But that is not the point of the scripture or the emphasis of the verse. The emphasis is the how, why and method of God in doing what he did through and by Jesus in redeeming us. What Paul is saying that everyone agrees that it is a great mystery. The thought of God's method of redemption is "without controversy" a mysterious event and fact.  

Back to the point of the article:

At no point and time was Jesus not God, even as a baby or even on the cross. A God/man union was born at Jesus birth. Mary did not birth a "God essence" (whatever that ridiculous teaching could possibly mean) From birth Jesus was fully human and fully divine. In addition, God never departed from Jesus, although at times he hid himself behind the veil of flesh. He was 100% human but he was also 100% divine his whole and complete life. To believe to the contrary, is to construct a Jesus that is not taught within the scriptures. 

God In Salvation 

The fact is that if he were just a man, and if the nature of his deity could depart from him on the cross then, (as I would contend) his death as a man only would not be sufficient to redeem us from our sins, but as a mere man his death, as righteous as it may have been, could not take away our sins. The remission of sins is an act that only God can perform. 

Ephes. 1:7 ~ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Also Col. 1:14) 

I know, the critic here may assert that the scripture says that "whosoever sins ye remit, they shall be remitted" (John 20:23) but the whole and complete issue is that without the shedding of the blood of Jesus on the cross, and faith in HIS works noone has the power to remit anything. Nobody can be saved without the atoning work of Christ on the cross, so the scripture is indicating whosoever(s) sins are remitted through that process of us bringing the souls to Christ through the cross, those sins are the only sins that can be remitted indeed. 

I keep getting distracted...back to the point 
The Revelation Reality

In addition, since according to Revelation 4 and 5 that all heaven worships both the one who "sits on the throne" and the "lamb" who took away the sins of the world, we can only be reminded that it is only God, not men nor angels, that is worshiped in heaven and in earth. 

Rev. 4:8-11~ 8-And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 9-And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10-The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11-Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

And

Rev. 5:11-14 ~ 11-And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;12-Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13-And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14-And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Only GOD is worshiped especially in heaven. There would be no flesh that would be worshiped in heaven unless that flesh is in a glorified state or condition and is God.
Arianism In The Mix

Arianism, which was a rejected doctrine during the same era of time, survived the Council of Nicea in 325AD and was rehashed by demons and adopted in more modern times by what would become known as Jehovah's Witness cult and its founder Charles Taze Russell. This antibiblical and anti-Christian belief contends that Jesus is not God as in the same substance but a lesser god, one who created according to the instructions of God, but one that is also a created being himself, not co-existent and certainly not co-equal with God. However, Jesus was commissioned to do the work of saving the word. 

It would seem that there are some elements of Praxeanism in Arianism or vice-versa and most certainly in modalism or oneness theology as it is taught in most modern circles. If Jesus was a created being, or if Jesus could be separated or divided into a human part and a spiritual part, he would certainly not be God.  Neither could he become God, except in the minds of people who believed in him, but his spirit would have been and must have been "empowered" in some manner to endure saving the world. Either way, all these teachings whether independent of one another or together are contrary to how scripture presents Jesus and are not biblical. 

 

I will end this in as abrupt fashion as John when he spoke in 1 John 4:6:

"We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error."

 

These heresies have existed for thousands of years and as we can see, through the years and in every generation these teachings faced the truth of scripture and were put down. They are attempts to comprehend and incomprehensible God, we know that, however, we do not have to contrive or create God to suit our understanding. If he is God, of a certainty he is also incomprehensible and beyond our understandings.

I certainly don;t accept the word of God especially as it pertains to the nature of God because I fully understand it. I accept it because this is what God says about himself and how he has used scripture to describe himself and I submit to HIS understanding of those facts not my rationalizations.

I invite all of my oneness friends to follow that path and to lay down the effort of reinventing or recreating God to suit, but simply follow the scriptures where they lead in the sense that they lead. It is much more easy to believe the truth, rather than contort a lie. That Jesus is God is not the question or issue. But that he is God eternally and of the same substance of the Father forever inseparable as 100% God and 100% man is  the difference maker, and the God that the early church was willing to lay down their lives for...That's the ONE I serve!!!!

Blessed!

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Track & Field Grad Assistant Speaks Up & Resigns From MSU

I have said it before and will say it again, Only a Pedophile Would Defend The Actions Of Larry Nassar. What the Pedophile needs to know is that their victims grow and the hate does too. Don't continue to be the freak and pervert by avoiding, deflecting and even blaming others for your actions.

 Thank God that a real hell exists, because without it, the sick freaks that destroy lives would never receive the justice they deserve and even asked for with their own actions.

If you're a "Nassar"...GET RIGHT! Repent!And pray for mercy on your soul. I know I will!

Kassie Powell...GOD is faithful and HE will rectify all wrongs!!!! Believe that!!!

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