Happy Father’s Day, I Guess

Father's Day arrives every June with greeting cards, family cookouts, and well-wishes for Dads. Yet beneath the celebration lies an uncomfortable question: Does America still value fathers?

The statistics suggest otherwise.

Marriage rates have fallen dramatically.

Nearly 40% of American births occur outside marriage.

Fertility rates have dropped to historic lows.

Millions of children are growing up without a father in the home.

The social consequences of that reality are impossible to ignore.

Fatherhood is more than a biological reality.

It is an institution of any civilized society. Strong families produce stable communities, responsible citizens, and healthy children. When fatherhood weakens, society weakens with it.

This writer was blessed with a father and grandfather who, despite their imperfections, taught me what it means to be a man.

Their examples helped shape my understanding of responsibility, sacrifice, and duty.

Today, my wife and I are raising 10 children, and I lead medical pregnancy centers in the state of New York helping women choose life for their unborn children.

One difficult reality we often encounter is that many women seeking abortion feel abandoned by the fathers of their children.

Imagine an America where fatherhood was once again worthy of celebration.

Imagine men who willingly sacrifice for their wives and children, who understand that true leadership means service rather than self-interest, and who embrace the responsibilities that come with being husbands and fathers.

To rebuild that culture, we must first acknowledge how much has been lost.

For generations, American society was grounded in the belief that human beings are created by God and therefore possess inherent dignity, purpose, and responsibility.

That worldview helped establish the moral framework that sustained families, churches, communities, and civil society.

As that foundation has weakened, many Americans have increasingly embraced the idea that personal fulfillment is life's highest goal.

The result has been a culture that often prizes individual autonomy over family obligations and personal desires over long-term commitments.

The consequences are visible everywhere.

Marriage is delayed or abandoned.

Childbearing is increasingly viewed as a burden rather than a blessing.

Many young people struggle with loneliness, anxiety, and a lack of purpose.

At the same time, institutions that once reinforced family life have grown weaker.

One of the most damaging cultural messages of recent decades has been the notion that mothers and fathers are largely interchangeable.

Men and women possess equal value and dignity, but they are not identical. Children benefit from both maternal and paternal influences.

Fathers bring unique strengths, perspectives, and forms of leadership to family life that cannot simply be replicated by government programs or social services.

At the same time, modern culture has often encouraged Americans to think of themselves primarily as individuals rather than members of families and communities.

The family, however, remains the most important institution in society.

It's where values are taught, character is formed, and future generations are prepared for adulthood. If America hopes to reverse its current trajectory, fathers must once again embrace their responsibilities.

Men must reject passivity and self-indulgence and instead pursue lives marked by faith, integrity, hard work, and service.

They must become devoted husbands, engaged fathers, reliable neighbors, and active members of their communities.

Mothers also play an indispensable role. Strong families depend upon men and women working together, each contributing their unique gifts to the raising of children and the building of stable homes.

Churches, too, must recommit themselves to strengthening families.

Rather than conforming to every cultural trend, they should confidently teach the enduring principles that have sustained healthy marriages and communities for generations.

The benefits of restoring fatherhood would extend far beyond individual households. Stronger families mean fewer children growing up in poverty, lower crime rates, healthier communities, and a more stable society.

They create the social capital that no government program can fully replace.

Father's Day should be more than a sentimental holiday.

It should be a reminder that fathers and families matter, and that the future of our nation depends on them both.

If we want future generations to inherit a stronger America, we must do more than celebrate fathers once a year.

We must rebuild a culture that encourages men to become fathers, supports them in that role, and honors the sacrifices they make for their families every day.

Only then will Father's Day truly be a celebration worthy of the name, as it once was. 

Jim Harden, M.Div., is the CEO of CompassCare and author of Endure the Rising Christian Persecution. He is a leading voice medical ethics, government corruption, abuses of power, and anti-abortion strategies. CompassCareCommunity.com