One of the major problems facing America today is fatherless families. Today, fathers are an endangered species. It’s gotten so bad, President Bush and Congress have proposed "buy back the fathers" programs offering cash incentives just to encourage fathers to marry. The father’s role in a family can not be overemphasized. Look at the following alarming statistics: 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. [U. S. D.H.H.S. Bureau of the Census] 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes. 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. [Center for Disease Control] 80% of rapist motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes. [Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 14 p. 403-26] 72% percent of adolescent murders come from fatherless homes. [William J. Bennett, The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, p. 61] 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. [National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools] 70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come from fatherless homes [U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept., 1988] 70 percent of long-term prison inmates come from fatherless homes. [William J. Bennett, The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, p. 61] 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home. [Fulton County Georgia Jail Populations and Texas Dept. of Corrections, 1992] Nearly 2 of every 5 children in America do not live with their fathers. [US News and World Report, February 27, 1995, p.39] 4.6 times more likely to commit suicide 6.6 times to become teenaged mothers (if they are girls, of course) 24.3 times more likely to run away 15.3 times more likely to have behavioral disorders 6.3 times more likely to be in a state-operated institutions 10.8 times more likely to commit rape 6.6 times more likely to drop out of school 15.3 times more likely to end up in prison while a teenager A Heritage Foundation study found that growing up without a father is now the single most reliable predictor of crime. Louis Sullivan, former secretary of Health and Family Services, said, "Male absence from family life is the greatest challenge of our generation." Despite the overwhelming evidence testifying to the desperate need for fathers in our society, the radical feminists and lesbians have lobbied long and hard to diminish the role of fathers. Free Congress Foundation director Michael Schwarz truthfully writes about feminism: "Feminists take the position that fathers are largely irrelevant in terms of child rearing," The National Organization for Women (N.O.W) leaves no doubt to what the feminist think of fathers. A December 3, 1999 N.O.W., Action Alert included this statement, "It’s a father’s presence, not his absence, that is harmful to kids." www.alliance4lifemin.org/herestoyoudad.html If you really want to see a feminist "blow a gasket", just mention the word "patriarchy". Patriarchy basically means the father is the head of the home. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines "patriarchy" as: pa•tri•arch•y 1 : social organization marked by the supremacy of the father in the clan or family, the legal dependence of wives and children, and the reckoning of descent and inheritance in the male line; http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary One group of radical feminists calls themselves, Feminists Earning A Reputation United States [FEAR US]. According to their website, "Fear Us is a secret, underground organization whose sole mission is the elimination of patriarchy. . ." (www.fearus.org) Radical feminist and lesbian author, Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, was stylistic consultant for the "original" New International Version (NIV). Mollenkott is author of at least 11 radical feminist pro-homosexual books, including the highly controversial "Is the Homosexual My Neighbor" and "The Divine Feminine". Mollenkott, leaves little doubt, to the feminist position on "fathers" or "patriarchy". "Patriarchy is a profoundly mistaken social system that has caused misery to millions and could yet cause the destruction of humankind and the planet we share together." (Virginia Mollenkott, Sensual Spirituality: Out From Fundamentalism, p. 73) Got to get rid of those "fathers". . . After all, they’re causing ". . .the destruction of humankind and the planet we share together. . ." Well, Virginia, you will be glad to know, your NIV-NIVI-TNIV companions are certainly doing their part to get rid of "fathers". The TNIV removes "fathers" at least 55 times, and "father" over 100 times! If you doubt for one minute, the NIV and company are not following the feminist footsteps, the following statement is from the Preface of the New International Version Inclusive Edition [NIVI]: This is unbelievable. . . ". . . it was recognised, that it was often appropriate to mute the patriarchalism of the culture of the biblical writers through gender-inclusive language when this could be done without compromising the message of the Spirit." (Preface, New International Versions Inclusive Edition, p. vii) The NIVI translators are the same people, same methodology used in the NIV, TNIV, and NIVI. In fact, it was the translators original goal to completely replace the "original" NIV with the Inclusive NIVI. What do they swap the "fathers" for? "Fathers" is swapped 38 times for the generic non-masculine ancestors "Fathers" is swapped 2 times with the generic non-masculine parents/parent "Fathers" is swapped 1 times with the generic non-masculine people "Fathers" is swapped 4 times with patriarchs "Unto the fathers" is dropped in Acts 3:22 Are the TNIV translators and publishers gonna pull that "in today’s language. . .reaching today’s generation" propaganda? Is the word "fathers" outdated? Hmm. . . .? And "ancestors" is "today’s language"? Hmm. . .? Clearly, it has NOTHING to do with reaching this generation with today’s language. I don’t guess it matters to the TNIV translators that the Greek word "pater" is the direct descendent to our English word "father". The etymology of "father" is Middle English fader, Old English f[ae]der; to Old German fater father, Latin pater, Greek patEr. In fact, the Latin word for "father" is the Greek "pater". Hebrews 12:5-9, is an example of a gross mistranslation of the Greek word "pater" or "father". Hebrews 12:5-10, KJB 5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Hebrews 12:5-10, TNIV 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as children? It says, "My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child." 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their parents? 8 If you are not disciplined —and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate children at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 Our parents disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness Note the change from "son" to "children" and "father" to "parents". In order to pull off this pro-feminist mis-translation madness the singular Greek word "huios" [son] must magically become plural [children]. And the singular Greek word "pater" [father] must also magically become plural neuter [parents]. Again, (as we’ve documented many times) we’re witnessing a deliberate, intentional, defiant, mis-translation of the God-breathed Greek text. The purpose of Hebrews 12:5-10 is to illustrate the chastisement of God the Father. By the TNIV distorting the comparison example of "fathers of our flesh which corrected us", there is clearly a subtle (see Genesis 3:1) murkiness to the parallel of God the Father. Verses where the TNIV changes "fathers" to "ancestors" (38 times) Matt 23:30 Matt 23:32 Luke 1:55 Luke 1:72 Luke 6:23 Luke 6:26 Luke 11:47 Luke 11:48 John 4:20 John 6:31 John 6:49 John 6:58 Acts 5:30 Acts 7:12 Acts 7:15 Acts 7:19 Acts 7:38 Acts 7:39 Acts 7:44 Acts 7:45 Acts 7:51 Acts 7:52 Acts 13:17 Acts 13:32 Acts 13:36 Acts 15:10 Acts 22:3 Acts 22:14 Acts 24:14 Acts 26:6 Acts 28:17 Acts 28:25 1 Cor 10:1 Heb 1:1 Heb 3:9 Heb 8:9 1 Pet 1:18 1 Pet 3:4 Verses where the TNIV changes "fathers" to "patriarchs" (4 times) John 7:22 Rom 9:5 Rom 11:28 Rom 15:8 Verses where the TNIV changes "fathers" to "parents" (2 times) Luke 1:17 Heb 12:9 Verses where the TNIV changes "fathers" to "people" (1 time) Acts 7:11 Completely Removed Acts 3:22 "unto the fathers"