When the progressives admit the truth, we have another bridge to share the faith.
Some of you may be turned of by the much maligned phrase, “follow the science.” It was used to bludgeon those who dared question some of the directives from government “experts” during the Covid pandemic. I enjoy using the term when illustrating those many instances when biblical foundational tenets are supported by the facts of life. One of the most obvious: Children raised by a married man and woman are far, far more likely to be successful in all ways than those who are not.
PROBLEM: Follow the science. These statistics are from various recent federal and state governmental studies that show how much more likely children raised without a father are to suffer.
| Fatherless Stats | |
| Teen Suicide Rate | 5 times |
| Homeless/Runaways | 32 times |
| Hight School Drop Out | 9 times |
| Chemical Abuse Center Pop | 10 times |
| Youth prison | 20 times |
| Teen Pregnancy | 7 times |
(I spoke with JP De Gance, founder of the group Communio which helps churches strengthen families in their communities, about this subject on a podcast called Strengthening Marriages=Strengthening the Church. Here’s the link to that podcast: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/jzLyvjSacEb )
What has been frustrating, is that what is so blindly obvious, is too often rejected as being racist or faith-based and subject to cancellation. Now, with the publication of The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind by Melissa Kearney, perhaps there can at least be a conversation.
The painful part, is that Kearney is almost apologetic about sharing the findings. She knows how the progressive class that controls academia will respond. To her credit, she doesn’t back down. National Public Radio writes:
“There are a lot of folks who are uncomfortable with the idea of prioritizing one family type over another,” says Kearney, whose research and work as an economist at the University of Maryland focuses on issues that most would consider progressive: poverty, inequality, family and children.
“I’m not prioritizing one. I’m just recognizing the data and the evidence and the reality.”
SOLUTION: The benefit of having the obvious shared by a progressive, is that a bridge can be built to those who are without faith but see the consequences of children raised without married parents. It can provide a point of agreement, that can lead to discussing why God’s clear plan for family is based on what’s best for the children AND the adults. Rather that gloat, we can look to use this “breakthrough” to reinforce how following God’s Word will make living more fulfilling and with purpose.