Much has been written about the importance a good father plays in his children’s ability to trust God. Most of these studies have been written from a Christian perspective and cited examples of Christian fathers who passed along their belief system to their children. One of the best academic studies was put together by Dr. Paul C. Vitz, and he took the opposite approach. His study was titled; “Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism”. This study traced how the poor relationships that many of the best known atheists had with their own fathers contributed to their denial of Christianity.
Friedrich Nietzsche, who is famous for stating that “God is dead”, had a pastor as a father. However, his father died when he was four years old and Nietzsche came to associate Christianity with weakness, sickness, and death.
Bertrand Russell, another well-known atheist was raised by grandparents after his mother and father both died, before he was five years old.
Voltaire hated his father so much that he actually changed his last name from Arouet to Voltaire, so that no one would associate him with his father.
Madalyn Murray O’Hair was certainly no mental giant, but she did manage to get public prayer out of most public schools. She hated her father so much that she attempted to kill him with a butcher knife while screaming, “I’ll see you dead. I’ll get you yet. I’ll walk on your grave.”
Sigmund Freud’s father was a poor provider and a sexual pervert. Yet, his father spent many hours discussing the Jewish religion with his son. Freud later wrote; “Psychoanalysis demonstrates to us how youthful persons lose their religious belief as soon as the authority of the father breaks down”. Wow! At least Freud was wise enough to recognize what had happened to him.
The latest statistics released by the federal government tell us that 41% of all babies in the U.S. are now born to unwed mothers. Within the black community that percentage is 71%. It is extremely difficult for children who grow up without a father to actually feel like God is a loving HeavenlyFather and that He can be trusted to never desert them.
If you were raised by a father who, at least tried to be a Christian example, then you are fortunate indeed. Please do pray for a great revival among the men of our nation, and for those children who have no idea what a Christian father would be like.
Bro. Dennis