“Live Not By Lies” Review of Rod Dreher (Part Seven): The Importance of Families

When you’ve lost Bill Maher . . .

You’ve lost.

Bill Maher launched a broadside against “cancel culture” this past weekend on Showtime (link: Profane Language Warning). Maher’s ridicule is not to be missed since he himself belongs to the culturally progressive. But that’s not all. There were more cancellations this week. [See my past reviews of Dreher’s book to see other examples.] The cartoon strip ‘Mallard Fillmore’ was dropped by Gannett newspapersacross the country because of cartoons “critical of President Biden and transgender participation in women’s sports” (link). “The Quartering,” a YouTube channel with over 1 million subscribers, is being attacked, its sponsors being harassed, the financial future of Jeremy and his employees is being placed in jeopardy (link). And – this one is the hardest of all to stomach – Amazon took down the popular documentary about Clarence Thomas, created by Jason Riley (link). There are many more examples that should cause concern for the broad spectrum of freedom-loving people, no matter their political-cultural-sexual beliefs.

Freedom is essential to Dreher’s argument in Live Not By Lies but depends first and foremost on the family. Dreher notes what many Christians understand has been an “assault” on the family (129-35). The Bendas, a family in the Czech Republic, establishes the important reordering of family structure (135-45). These principles are solidified all the way through Scripture, practiced by anyone carefully raising their children. The Benda family bases their upbringing on the movie High Noon focused on these principles:

Model Moral Courage

Fill Children’s Moral Imaginations with the Good

Don’t Be Afraid to be Weird in Society’s Eyes

Prepare to Make Great Sacrifices for the Greater Good

Teach They are Part of a Wider Movement

Practice Hospitality and Serve Others

Parents should be “heroes” to their children (136). In the midst of fear, children should see their parents as both human (they will be scared) and mastering their fear (137). Watching movies like High Noon and books such as The Lord of the Rings provide strong internal construction for a child’s soul (138). Being “exceptional” is a good thing (139). Understanding who is cheering you on may speak louder than your words; your supporters mark your willingness to build moral fiber (140). Our view of “victory” must begin and end in eternity (141). Work

“with good and decent people outside the moral and theological community of the church” (142).

Renew a commitment to hospitality (144). Ultimately, we must teach our children “what to live for” (146). During Donald Trump’s tenure in office, the nation heard the word “resist,” a statement from a person standing against the President; those opposed to that bumper sticker, choose another word: persist. I would suggest both terms are appropriate in the correct context. Christians must “resist,” or stand against, ideas that sabotage The Faith. Christians must also “persist,” or stand with, people who stand with Christ. Jesus in Mark 9 makes clear that “those who are not against us are for us.” Matthew 25 explains that feeding, giving drink to, and clothing the poor, does so to Jesus Himself. “Doing good” is the centerpiece of outreach to pagan peoples (Titus 3:1, 8, 14). Having a good reputation before outsiders is the mark of an elder (1 Timothy 3:3).

But all of these practices begin in the home. Our closest neighbors live with us. If we want to love our neighbor, than love your spouse, your children, your extended family. One cannot say they love God or their neighbor if they do not first love their family members. Biblical principles abound about our responsibility to create “resistance” against a “cancel culture” that begins inside our house.

1. Note the ideas of heritage in the following verses also included (1) God’s people as God’s heritage (Deut 4:20; 32:9); (2) God’s law was given as a heritage for God’s people (Deut 33:4; Ps 119:11); (3) an allotment or land rights are used as a metaphor of the Psalmist’s life being “pleasant” and “beautiful” because he walks with the Lord (Ps 16:5-6); (4) The Lord Himself is the Psalmist’s “portion” or heritage (Ps 119:57; 142:5); (5) children are also considered a heritage contributing to the history of a family (Ps 127:3).

2. God-given inalienable rights are based on God’s image-bearing creatures: rights are given by God, to be protected by earthly authorities (Prov 28.12-16). Human rights produce human freedoms, creating an innovative climate for advancement, investment, entrepreneurs and profit (Prov 28.28; 29.2, 4, 7). When a nation protects the freedoms of the common person, the society at large benefits: jobs are produced, the arts are funded, hospitals are built and communities flourish (Jer 29:5-7).

3. Paul’s speeches before the Jews, Felix, Festus, and Agrippa (Acts 22-26) recite not only Israelite history, and Hebraic-Christian truth, but how Christians should function with pagan governments. We should give our children great speeches to memorize to show how people should against tyranny. One example is in C. S. Lewis’ The Silver Chair Puddleglum speaks of Aslan and Narnia. Puddleglum was on Aslan’s side, whether there was Aslan or not, and he believed in Narnia, whether there was Narnia or not. Read the speech and then ask young people to rewrite the speech in their own words for people today:

All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always like to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things—trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan Himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live like a Narnian even if there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we’re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives look for Overland. Nor that our lives will be very long, I should think; that that’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.

Mark is unapologetically pro-life and pro-freedom.

Picture credits: Snappygoat.com; LukeRenoe.com; “Bill Maher” By Angela George, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11568939