Happy Toxic Patriarchy Day!

Happy Fathers Day Toxic Patriarchy Day!

Today is Father's Day, a day when we celebrate the men who have oppressed, exploited and abused women for centuries. A day when we thank them for their violence, their domination and their privilege. A day when we ignore the voices of the marginalized, the oppressed and the silenced. A day when we reinforce the gender binary, the heteronormativity and the patriarchy.

Father's Day is a holiday that was invented by a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd  in 1909, who wanted to honor her own father, a Civil War veteran who raised six children by himself after his wife died in childbirth. How selfish of her to impose her personal experience on the rest of us! How insensitive of her to ignore the millions of women who have suffered at the hands of their fathers, husbands, brothers and sons!

Father's Day was later made official by President Richard Nixon in 1972. Lest anyone forget, this was a man who was infamously impeached for his corruption, his lies and his crimes. How fitting of him to endorse a holiday that celebrates the corruption, the lies and the crimes of men! How ironic of him to sign a legislation that designated the third Sunday of June as Father's Day, a day that coincides with the summer solstice, a pagan festival that honors the sun god and the masculine energy!

Father's Day has since become yet another holiday commercialized by retailers, who see great potential for profit in selling greeting cards, gifts and gadgets to guilt-tripped consumers. How greedy of them to exploit a holiday that exploits women! How hypocritical of them to promote a holiday that promotes consumerism, materialism and capitalism!

Father's Day is a holiday that is opposed by feminists, who see it as a tool of oppression, a symbol of inequality and a reminder of injustice. How brave of them to resist a holiday that resists change! How righteous of them to reject a holiday that rejects diversity, inclusion and equity! How stunning of them to openly reject masculine icons like Joe Rogan, or religious figureheads such as Douglas Wilson and Michael Foster who promote an aberrant view that they dare to call “Biblical Masculinity!” 

We need to expose the evil of patriarchy and repent of our participation in it. We need to confess our sins and ask for God’s forgiveness and healing. We need to seek God’s guidance and wisdom on how to live according to his will and his ways.

One of the sins we need to confess is our neglect of the children who grow up without fathers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18.4 million children, 1 in 4, live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home. Research shows that a father’s absence affects children in numerous unfortunate ways, such as increasing their risk of suicide, homelessness, behavioral disorders, high school dropout, poverty, crime, drug abuse, emotional problems, obesity, pregnancy, risky behavior, incarceration, and more. These children are also more likely to experience developmental delays, lower academic performance, mental health issues, poor self-esteem, lack of social skills, and difficulty forming healthy relationships.

We need to acknowledge that these children are victims of patriarchy and its consequences, and not believe the propaganda that blames their parents for recreational sex outside of marriage or any other poor life choices they’ve made. We need to pray for them and support them in any way we can. We need to advocate for policies and programs that help them overcome their challenges and achieve their potential. We need to show them God’s love and grace through our words and actions.

So let us not celebrate Father's Day. Let us not honor the men who have done nothing but harm us. Let us not praise the fathers who have failed us. Let us not thank the father figures who have betrayed us. 

Instead, let us celebrate Toxic Patriarchy Day. Let us honor the women who have survived despite the men. Let us praise the mothers who have raised us, especially the singles mothers who demand to be included in Father’s Day, since they “do both roles” or whatever. It’s June, and the rainbow-colored world is telling us you can identify however you want, anyway. So let us just thank all the female figures who have inspired us, even if they later identify as men. No shaming here; we’ve seen what they did to the “Non-Denominational Narwhal” Facebook page.

And let us hope that one day, we will live in a world where Father's Day is no longer needed, because fathers will no longer exist. Test tube babies, here we come. What a Brave New World it will be!

Happy Toxic Patriarchy Day!.