By: Kristian Johnson
“Women tend to care for kids, and dads tend to play with kids, and kids need both… And it’s amazing how these two things complement one another… this is what men and women do naturally because of their biological differences, because of their brain chemistry differences, and the amazing thing is, it optimises child development.” ~ Katy Faust
Former Deputy PM of Australia John Anderson travelled to Portland, Oregon, to interview Katy Faust and Stacy Manning, co-authors of Them Before Us, a book which argues for a revolution in how we think about the family, and a re-focus on the needs of children above the desires of adults.
Since the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s and the legislative changes that followed – especially no-fault divorce – the desires of adults have been the central concern in discussions regarding the modern family. Katy and Stacy point out that we have forgotten the importance of family stability and the presence of both a mother and a father in the raising of children, and argue that, in fact, children have a right to such an upbringing.
Modern technologies have allowed same-sex couples and single-by-choice mothers to have children, and yet the empirical and anecdotal evidence assembled by Faust and Manning indicates that kids raised without both biological parents suffer unnecessary trauma and disadvantage. We need to consider government policies and social changes from the child’s perspective, because they don’t have a voice of their own.
About Katy Faust and Stacy Manning
Katy Faust is Founder and President of Them Before Us, a global movement defending children’s right to their mother and father. She publishes, speaks and testifies widely on why marriage and family are matters of justice for children. Her articles have appeared in Newsweek, USA Today, The Federalist, Public Discourse, The Daily Signal, the Washington Examiner, the American Mind, and the American Conservative. She and her pastor husband are raising their four children in Seattle.
Stacy Manning is the co-author of the Them Before Us book, Senior Editor for all other things TBU related, and an amateur Life Advice Professional. When she is not advocating on behalf of children’s rights, she is gardening and cooking, and always ready to help tackle the interpersonal challenges of friends and strangers.
John Anderson served as Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from 1999 to 2005. A committed Christian, John now hosts a podcast where he interviews various thought leaders from around the world on topics as varied as politics, culture, academia and faith. John is motivated by a desire to encourage open and honest discussion of important issues so that we can, as a society, reach the best possible outcomes for as many people as possible.
Article supplied with thanks to JohnAnderson.net.au.
Feature image: Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash