Fatherless

"Free To Thrive
By Julia Davidson (RAP Syndicate)

A friend of mine recently informed me she wants to have a child. She's not religious, but her parents are devout Catholics. They have an opinion on the matter. Actually, two opinions.

First, they want their daughter to find a partner (husband to use their word) before becoming a mom - something less than 25% of women do for good reasons I've covered in earlier columns. (Why do religious fundamentalists criticize our generation for avoiding parenthood yet complain when single women choose motherhood?)

Second, my friend's parents disapprove of a practice that has become standard medical procedure, even among heterosexual domestic partners. In vitro selection (IVS) brings enormous benefits to parents, children and society. But they've cautioned their daughter against 'engineering her child" by vetting common genetic imperfections. They believe IVS puts humans in place of God and fear we have become "picky shoppers" rather than "grateful recipients" when it comes to the "gift of life."

Caving to parental pressure, my friend postponed her selection appointment. I suppose I should celebrate the decision. One fewer carbon footprint polluting the planet. But I hate to see her give up something she wants just because her parents view technology as a moral bogeyman.

These are the facts. Eight out of ten women who wish to have a child use in vitro selection, otherwise known as common sense. In our day and age, why would anyone risk giving birth to children with costly health challenges? Women no longer have to fear receiving bad news after teh birth of a child due to unforeseen disabilities and complications. Only children born to parents who opt out of the genetic vetting process risk the heartache, burden and expenses associated with the most common disabilities and age-related illness. Those expenses, by the way, will end up hitting federal and state budgets as "faith children" survive their well-intentioned but misguided parents. You and I will inherit costly care and medical obligations associated with our aging parents and grandparents.

If my friend decides to have a child, I hope she will give the baby the freedom to thrive by eliminating the risk of unnecessary disease and disability. I only wish we could give the same freedom to those of us already burdened by both." (excerpt pg 81-82.)

It's the year 2042 and while the world struggles to come to terms with a failing economy in every country, they notice that this is the first time the scale are tipping downward. This is the first time that senior citizens outnumber the younger generation. This places a burden on not having enough productive hands necessary to maintain the standards of productivity while the high cost of caring for seniors is skyrocketing. The only solution is to provide transition services to those who have become more of a debit than an asset to their families and society. They can opt out of life through volunteering to transition and leave their wealth behind to their families. But surely something like this is only for fictional novels right? Or is it?

Best selling author and speaker of Family Talk, Dr. James Dobson has teamed up with Kurt Bruner to write the novel Fatherless, which was inspired by the foretelling of the ominous trends discussed in this novel by the late Chuck Colson. They use this information to write a very chilling story of what could happen when the very old outnumber the very young. With a decline in marriage and parenthood fueling an unprecedented drop in fertility, then the growth in global population will soon end, then reverse. We are already seeing this happen in places like Japan and Russia. Just what importance is there in a world where growing up with the protective love of a father becomes the exception rather than the norm? I think these two brilliant authors have given us a taste of what may lie ahead of us in the future if we continue this pattern.

I received Fatherless by Dr. James Dobson and Kurt Bruner compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are my own unless otherwise noted. While this is a fictional based novel, we are seeing more approval for physician assisted suicides among the terminally ill or aging that simply want a way out rather than liquidating all their financial assets. What happens then when people stop having children or opt to avoid getting married when they can have a baby in a lab and thus move on with life without the benefits of the family unit. Through a variety of characters this is the premise of Fatherless. This is the first book in the series with Childless and Godless being added to the series. Just the opening and closing stories alone are chilling in their future implications. I easily give this a 5 out of 5 stars for every single person to read, especially believers who know the truth that comes when light is revealed in dark places.

For more information about Fatherless, Dr. James Dobson, Kurt Bruner or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Fatherless by Dr. James Dobson and Kurt Bruner

You can also find Dr. James Dobson on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords; Reprint edition (October 1, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1455513105
• ISBN-13: 978-1455513109
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches

To read more reviews on Fatherless, please visit Faith Word's website.