FATHERLESSNESS: IMPLICATIONS FOR GOD'S WORD, CHURCH, AND WORLD.

The implications of fatherless families--be they single-mother households, same-sex marriages, or matriarchal cultures--has too often been a neglected (perhaps avoided) topic within the context of the local church. Consequently, there is a cacophony of secular voices competing for our attention. Some of these voices argue that the role of "male"fatherhood is superfluous; however, this essay will argue that fatherlessness is, indeed, a pervasive problem. Fatherlessness, an epidemic arising primarily from two root causes in the Western world: divorce-on-demand and unwed pregnancies, has severe implications regarding God's word, church, and world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]