WHAT'S A FAMILY FOR? (1 OF 4)
by Tony Thomas
Scripture: Proverbs 14:26
This content is part of a series.
What's a Family for? (1 of 4)
Series: Family 2.0 (It's Time for an Update)
Tony Thomas
Proverbs 14: 26
Numerous forces are at work in an attempt to distort the concept of family. The 1992 dictionary defined family as, ''The basic unit in society consisting of two parents and their children.'' The 1993 dictionary changed, defining a family as, ''A group of individuals living under one roof.''
What happened? The short answer is Dan Quayle and Murphy Brown. During the 1992 Vice Presidential debate the moderator, Judy Woodruff, asked Senator Dan Quayle an innocent question: ''What do you consider a family to be?''
The whole debate on ''family values'' began several days earlier in a speech in which Quayle made a controversial statement. He criticized TV character Murphy Brown for ''... mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone, and calling it just another lifestyle choice.''
Twenty-seven years later, our concept of family has changed. The family, however, has always been in a state of flux. The first family was Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. But Cain killed his brother, and God banished Cain into obscurity, leaving the first family childless and grieving.
Abraham's family consisted of one wife and son, and a mistress who bore another son out of wedlock. Isaac's family consisted of one wife and two sibling rivals. Jacob's family consisted of two wives, two concubines, and twelve sons living under one roof.
David's family included seven wives. Six of them who bore one son each, and the seventh wife bore him four sons. Altogether David fathered nineteen sons and one lonely daughter who was raped by a half-brother.
Samuel's family included a father and mother. But he left home as a toddler, lived with Eli the priest at the temple, and his surrogate brothers were ''wicked men who had no regard for the Lord'' (1 Samuel 2:12).
Jabez was raised by a single mother, Hosea's wife was unfaithful many times over, and Timothy grew up with an ...
Series: Family 2.0 (It's Time for an Update)
Tony Thomas
Proverbs 14: 26
Numerous forces are at work in an attempt to distort the concept of family. The 1992 dictionary defined family as, ''The basic unit in society consisting of two parents and their children.'' The 1993 dictionary changed, defining a family as, ''A group of individuals living under one roof.''
What happened? The short answer is Dan Quayle and Murphy Brown. During the 1992 Vice Presidential debate the moderator, Judy Woodruff, asked Senator Dan Quayle an innocent question: ''What do you consider a family to be?''
The whole debate on ''family values'' began several days earlier in a speech in which Quayle made a controversial statement. He criticized TV character Murphy Brown for ''... mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone, and calling it just another lifestyle choice.''
Twenty-seven years later, our concept of family has changed. The family, however, has always been in a state of flux. The first family was Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. But Cain killed his brother, and God banished Cain into obscurity, leaving the first family childless and grieving.
Abraham's family consisted of one wife and son, and a mistress who bore another son out of wedlock. Isaac's family consisted of one wife and two sibling rivals. Jacob's family consisted of two wives, two concubines, and twelve sons living under one roof.
David's family included seven wives. Six of them who bore one son each, and the seventh wife bore him four sons. Altogether David fathered nineteen sons and one lonely daughter who was raped by a half-brother.
Samuel's family included a father and mother. But he left home as a toddler, lived with Eli the priest at the temple, and his surrogate brothers were ''wicked men who had no regard for the Lord'' (1 Samuel 2:12).
Jabez was raised by a single mother, Hosea's wife was unfaithful many times over, and Timothy grew up with an ...
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