Fatherless children and the christmas spirit
As Christmas comes along again we are confronted with the child that has no father-on-earth. We are confronted with virgin mothers. Perhaps we have begun to take the role of God upon ourselves. Or is it that our little Jesus child is just another private commodity?
It is common today for a child to be born without a father and especially common for no male name to be attached to the child. A woman can have that virgin birth. It is common today that a child born in this way may find it impossible to know the father-sperm involved. Maybe the best way to handle this situation is to tell the child that it was God that created ”you”. Or must we say that it was Science and technology that created you? Then again we might go so far as to say that it was our political-economic commodity that created ”you” as a ”thing” for ”me” to own. All very confusing for Christmas. Too confusing I guess.
Let us stay here on earth with our feet on the ground. Let us take a look at the reality of our society and parenthood.
Women can ”have and own” children even if they are homosexual. Men find this rather difficult and homosexual men usually find this just about impossible. But let us be fair here. Debates are going on all the time concerning this inequality. The main debates however all too often centre upon the so called ”rights” of the female or male, the homosexual (sorry should I use the word ”gay” – what a waste of a good old word) or the legal system. All too often the nature of a child-in-society is almost ignored as the rights of an individual owner is raised high above to the heavens.
But surely Jesus was raised by both a male and a female and this was quite successful. This even if that Jesus was not owned by the male sperm or the female overy. In fact Jesus became one of the most world famous celebrities ever to be recorded in history. Only the likes of a Buddha could claim equal status. So maybe a child is best brought up with both a male and a female connection. Maybe that is a balanced way to think. Often.
Sometimes, of course, this male and female link gets a bit thrown around. The ”Lion” male may sometimes be brutal or just way way away leaving the female to do the daily work of bringing up the family. At other times the female is equally useless as any reindeer herder knows. But in the main I cannot see a more surviving system in the world than some kind of male and female togetherness. Often this is called a family. But there is more to it than a mere ”A-social-Darwinism”. Family remains, all too often, as an isolated unit in a stormy sea.
Family is thrown around especially in times of socio-economic brutality. Nothing is simple here. But from the position of a child it does seem that a male and a female togetherness is best. I say this because our recent debates seem to centre upon the ”rights” of adult individuals and rarely centre upon the child. If we are to be Gods then surely we must give away much of our individualised self-rightousness. What is best for the children of the coming world?
Christmas is nothing unless it is simple. Make Christmas too complicated and we have lost it. With this in mind I remember one of the most powerful comments that I have ever heard from a debate in public. The comment was: ”The Village Is Important”.
As we are all less than Gods and as we are all fallable our children need just that which we need. That is ”The Village”.
Such a ”Village” is not an internet community. That I think.
I am not sure if this is a Christmas message or not. I guess it all depends on how you want to define ”The Village”.
Steve Bowles
