<p>In her book, The Two-Parent Privilege, Prof Melissa S Kearney of the University of Maryland shows, from economics research, how the best national outcomes result from children being brought up by their own fathers and mothers more than through any other well-intentioned parenting arrangement.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In some parts of the world, Father’s Day on 15 June, 2025, is a day to consider the male parent’s role. Did you know that a father’s involvement in his child’s studies, from a young age, results in very high academic success rates for daughters as well as sons, outweighing the mother’s involvement in the same?</p>.Our ego is our enemy.<p class="bodytext">Fathers and mothers have notably different voices. Father’s voices tend to activate those parts of a child’s brain that relate to emotional responses, social development, and even their perception of the world. Studies of persons caught in long-term patterns of criminal behaviour have found ‘absent fathers’ to be the most common factor. The absence could be physical, or just plain low involvement in the child’s <br />life. Thus, a father has to handle his role with care. St Paul reminds children to honour their parents, but at the same time, he says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children” (Ephesians 6:1-4).</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Bible’s other writers, putting scripture together over centuries, were unique in ancient literature in characterising God as the ‘Father’ of all creation – who eventually sent Jesus, the Son. Jesus agreed that God the Father established the physical laws of the universe, and moral laws for humankind. However, Jesus also showed that God’s greatest characteristic is love, and that those who follow the way of Jesus can experience God’s love as much as He did (John 17:23).</p>.<p class="bodytext">This loving Father is described thus: “He enacts justice for orphans and widows, and he loves immigrants, giving them food and clothing.” (Deuteronomy 10:18). The literal meaning of the verse impels Christ-followers to serve the vulnerable. However, their deepest motivation comes from knowing that they themselves were aliens to their Creator Father, through sin. The death of Jesus was the payment or qurbani (sacrifice) for them to belong again, paid for by His love.</p>
<p>In her book, The Two-Parent Privilege, Prof Melissa S Kearney of the University of Maryland shows, from economics research, how the best national outcomes result from children being brought up by their own fathers and mothers more than through any other well-intentioned parenting arrangement.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In some parts of the world, Father’s Day on 15 June, 2025, is a day to consider the male parent’s role. Did you know that a father’s involvement in his child’s studies, from a young age, results in very high academic success rates for daughters as well as sons, outweighing the mother’s involvement in the same?</p>.Our ego is our enemy.<p class="bodytext">Fathers and mothers have notably different voices. Father’s voices tend to activate those parts of a child’s brain that relate to emotional responses, social development, and even their perception of the world. Studies of persons caught in long-term patterns of criminal behaviour have found ‘absent fathers’ to be the most common factor. The absence could be physical, or just plain low involvement in the child’s <br />life. Thus, a father has to handle his role with care. St Paul reminds children to honour their parents, but at the same time, he says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children” (Ephesians 6:1-4).</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Bible’s other writers, putting scripture together over centuries, were unique in ancient literature in characterising God as the ‘Father’ of all creation – who eventually sent Jesus, the Son. Jesus agreed that God the Father established the physical laws of the universe, and moral laws for humankind. However, Jesus also showed that God’s greatest characteristic is love, and that those who follow the way of Jesus can experience God’s love as much as He did (John 17:23).</p>.<p class="bodytext">This loving Father is described thus: “He enacts justice for orphans and widows, and he loves immigrants, giving them food and clothing.” (Deuteronomy 10:18). The literal meaning of the verse impels Christ-followers to serve the vulnerable. However, their deepest motivation comes from knowing that they themselves were aliens to their Creator Father, through sin. The death of Jesus was the payment or qurbani (sacrifice) for them to belong again, paid for by His love.</p>
