Mothers and Fathers

Nowadays it is not fashionable to even point out that there is a difference between men and woman but less than 50 years ago the nuclear family was considered normal, and male and female roles were fairly well defined. The father was the breadwinner and went out into the world; the mother maintained the house – looked after the children, at least two, cooked the meals and provided support. There was, and still is in many families, a difference in the way men and woman provided support and discipline to their children. I first examined this in ‘The Art of Loving’.

The mother provides unconditional love. A mother loves her children regardless of what they do. This isn't to say she always approves, simply that the love is always there. A child knows that whatever they do they can always return to their mother. This provides stability and assurance, a solid base on which a child can build confidence.

The father’s love is conditional. He is approving or disapproving. This gives the child guidance for what is right and wrong, what is correct behaviour. Traditionally fathers used to be rather taciturn. The child had to work out what was correct or incorrect behaviour. Nowadays talking is considered fashionable – guidance is given on a plate. It’s like a teacher giving a student an exercise and then doing the work himself.

It’s been found that children inherit intelligence from their mothers but social skills from their fathers.

God has typically been referred to as ‘He’ although feminists, many of whom ironically attempt to emulate men, like to refer to God as ‘She’. I've pointed out previously (‘The Drop and the Ocean’) that God has an infinite number of attributes. Some of these attributes are masculine, for instance the attributes of the protector, the destroyer and the punisher. Others are feminine, for example the merciful and the peaceful. The nuclear family is the microcosm of the universe the mother represents the feminine qualities of God, the father the masculine qualities.