[Originally published in August 2012. — DJT]
By James Hindman
Christian dads, especially homeschoolers, place a huge burden on the shoulders of their wives.
Each morning most of us leave our often chaotic home with its timetables, unit studies, book laden tables for the quiet confines of our offices or place of employment. Many of us feel as though just giving the OK to our wives to stay home and sharpen our little arrows is victory in the battle.
The reality is that it’s just the beginning.
As the Christ-appointed leaders of our families, we face unique challenges. We have to be wise as we lead them through the fog of moral relativism, cultural decline, government intrusion. We would be well advised to solicit the support of like-minded men who are committed to strengthening one another. We need to train ourselves to think critically, act with a sense of urgency and learn to equip our children as they grow to become men and women.
We are blessed to have such a group of men who meet every week. The conversations of the Panera Posse dads range from heavy to light, from philosophical to practical, but always focus on how fathers are to serve our families better, to love our wives more fully and to train our children to be aware of what is happening to their country.
THE OTHER FRIDAY at the Panera Posse gathering in Hixson, the men came up with a list of 10 things that have brought the reassurances of despotism to Tennessee and the United States.
Sensing the importance of our topic, I quickly grabbed a brown napkin and begin writing. The list below is the fruit of our conversation.
We talked about the fact that America has slowly but surely slid into a country with government rules and regulations bordering on tyranny. The topic of tyranny is controversial and forces us to take a close look at our nation — and ourselves. For me, the list has served as a starting point for prayerful reflection, reading, studying and discussing the slow chipping away of personal liberty.
10 milestones toward servitude
1. Spiritual decline— The wavering ascendancy of an ever-weakening and constantly negotiating god, sovereign over nothing. (Theology is crucial, we suppose, dictating how one lives and thinks.)
2. War to prevent Southern independence, 1861
3. Progressive era. 1890s to 1920s — creation of agencies known by 3 letters of alphabet, such as FDA; loss of right to earn a living; rise of commercial government)
4. 9/11. Patriot act, TSA
5. Compulsory schooling laws
6. Erosion of family jurisdiction / sphere authority
7. The New Deal
8. Federal Reserve System, 1913, adoption of 100% fiat money 1960s, ’70s
9. Marbury vs. Madison, 1803, absorption into federal supreme court of prerogatives of constitutional interpretation (Andrew Huffman, attorney, pushed this one)
10. Popular election of senators (federal senators no longer elected by state General Assembly members)
