Editor’s Note: This episode contains an extended discussion about emotional and physical child abuse and thus its content may not be appropriate for all listeners.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Exod. 20:12 ESV).
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord” (Col 3:20).
Scripture commands us to honor our parents, but how do Christians do that if they were abused by their parents? This episode covers the following topics: What constitutes “bad parenting” as defined today? What truly rises to the level of abuse? Who is responsible for stopping parental abuse? When does the child stop trying to honor the abusive parent and begin to protect himself and confront the evil? When does abuse rise to the point where legal authorities need to be notified and involved? What is the role of the church in the prevention and mediation of child abuse? Can a parent take her (his) children and leave her (his) spouse in cases of child abuse? Can divorce be a legitimate biblical option in such cases? How should we respond to allegations of child abuse in our “me too” culture? And much more.
This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Michael F. Ross about his Volume 42, No. 1 Viewpoint article “Honoring Dishonorable Parents.”
Viewpoint articles address relevant contemporary issues in discernment and apologetics from a particular perspective that is usually not shared by all Christians, with the intended result that Christians’ thinking on that issue will be stimulated and enhanced (whether or not people end up agreeing with the author’s opinion).
We’d also like to invite you to subscribe to the Journal. To subscribe to the Journal, please click here.
When you to subscribe to the Journal, you join the team of print subscribers whose paid subscriptions help provide the resources at equip.org that minister to people worldwide. These resources include our free online-exclusive articles, such as this review, as well as our free Postmodern Realities podcast.
Another way you can support keeping our resources free is by leaving us a tip. A tip is just a small amount, like $3 or $5, which is the cost for some of a latte, lunch out, or coffee drink. To leave a tip, click here.
Other articles featuring this author: