12 Video Views·Mar 12, 2025 #family #parents #life The Bible never commands us to love our parents, but it does command us to honor them. So, why have so many adult children decided to hurt their parents in one of the worst ways possible?
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Script:
There is a pandemic in the Western world—especially, but not only, in America—that few are talking about, let alone addressing.
This pandemic doesn't actually kill people. But it does ruin lives, crush families, and cause debilitating pain—far more than most cases of COVID-19.
What pandemic am I talking about? The pandemic of people who do not speak to one or both of their parents.
Why have these people decided to hurt their parents in one of the worst ways possible—to the extent of not even allowing their parents contact with their grandchildren?
There are three primary reasons.
The first is the rise of the therapeutic mentality. Prior to the explosion of psychotherapy, people were governed by “shoulds.” But beginning in the 1960s, the therapeutic model replaced the moral model as the guide to one's behavior. A popular phrase at the time was, “there are no shoulds.”
I will use a family story to illustrate this point. Despite the fact that his mother was a very difficult woman, my father called her every night, and every night she would yell at him. As a child, I heard this, because instead of holding the phone to his ear, my father would periodically place the phone on the kitchen table.
Had my father been born a generation later and told a therapist how much he dreaded calling his mother, the therapist would likely have led my father to believe there was no reason he should talk to her. The therapist would have declared my grandmother “toxic” and given my father “permission” to avoid calling her. A culture that declared, “there are no shoulds,” would have concurred.
But my father lived in the age of shoulds. Moreover, he was a religious Jew who had been taught the Ten Commandments since childhood—the Fifth of which is, “Honor your father and your mother.” And he believed, as did most Americans, that the Ten Commandments were given by God.
In our secular age, the Ten Commandments are largely ignored. In fact, there are no God-given commandments. Instead, you do what you feel is right. If you don't feel like talking to your mother or father, you don't. My father, governed by the Ten Commandments and many other shoulds, called his mother every night despite the fact that he rarely felt like doing so.
A second reason for this pandemic is parental alienation. This is usually caused by one parent against the other during or after a divorce—frequently, though certainly not always, by the mother against the father. She is so angry at her ex-husband that she has decided to hurt him in one of the worst possible ways—by convincing one or more of their children that their father is a terrible human being, unworthy of their love, respect or even time. The children should have nothing to do with him.
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#family #parents #life
there is a pandemic in the Western World
especially but not only in America that
few are talking about let alone
addressing this pandemic doesn't
actually kill people but it does ruin
lives Crush families and cause
debilitating pain far more than most
cases of Co
19 what pandemic am I talking about the
pandemic of people who do not speak to
one or both of their
parents why have these people decided to
hurt their parents in one of the worst
ways possible to the extent of not even
allowing their parents contact with
their
grandchildren there were three primary
reasons the first is the rise of the
therapeutic
mentality prior to the explosion of
psychotherapy people were governed by
shs but beginning in the 1960s the
therapeutic model replaced the moral
model as the guide to one's Behavior a
popular phrase at the time was there are
no shoulds I'll use a family story to
illustrate this point despite the fact
that his mother was a very difficult
woman my father called her every night
and every night she would yell at him as
a child I heard this because instead of
holding the phone to his ear my father
would periodically place the phone on
the kitchen
table had my father been born a
generation later and told a therapist
how much he dreaded calling his mother
the therapist would likely have led my
father to believe there was no reason he
should talk to her the therapist would
have declared my grandmother toxic and
given my father permission to avoid
calling her a culture that declared
there are no shs would have
concurred but my father lived in the age
of shuds moreover he was a religious Jew
who had been taught the Ten Commandments
since childhood the fifth of which is
honor your father and your mother and he
believed as did most Americans that the
Ten Commandments were given by
God in our secular Age The Ten
Commandments are largely ignored in fact
there are no god-given
Commandments instead you do what you
feel is right if you don't feel like
talking to your mother or father you
don't
my father governed by The Ten
Commandments and many other shs called
his mother every night despite the fact
that he rarely felt like doing
so a second reason for this pandemic is
Parental
alienation this is usually caused by one
parent against the other during or after
a divorce frequently though certainly
not always by the mother against the
father she is so angry at her ex-husband
that she is the decided to hurt him in
one of the worst possible ways by
convincing one or more of their children
that their father is a terrible human
being Unworthy of their love respect or
even time the children should have
nothing to do with
him a third reason for this pandemic is
ideological this is the newest excuse
for cutting ties with parents I suspect
few people in previous generations
encountered parents whose children did
speak to them because of how the parent
voted many Americans hated Richard Nixon
but it's hard to imagine grown men and
women in the late 1960s or early 1970s
who refused to speak to their parents
because the parents voted for Nixon but
many parents who voted for Donald Trump
have a child who does not speak to them
for the record I am not speaking about
myself my two sons and two stepsons and
I speak frequently love one another and
and share values but I know how lucky I
am I have met a lot of good people who
have at least one child who no longer
speaks to them yes there are times when
a parent is so abusive pathological or
evil that communication becomes
essentially impossible and it is
important to note you do not have to
love your parents just talk to them even
the Bible which commands people to love
their neighbor to love the stranger and
to love God never commands us to love
our parents but at the very least we owe
them this not to inflict terrible pain
on
them indeed the infliction of such pain
on a parent is about as great an act of
Cruelty as most people will ever inflict
on another human
being if there is a God who gave the Ten
Commandments these people will be judged
according ly I'm Dennis Prager if this
video helped to clarify your thinking
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