This book is about "the path to manhood" or how a man is made. It focuses on how young and old need heroes to demonstrate the characteristics of what a man should be: honor, duty, valor, integrity, etc. Bennett defines what he thinks a man should be, how a man should love, and how a man should live in war time, at work, during sports or play, with family, and in prayer and reflection.
Being semi-familiar with Bennett's Book of Virtues, I figured this book would really give good solid examples of a godly man with Character. However, Bennett fills this very thick book with NON-CHRISTIAN morally-questionably political figure and athletes and elevates these as the heroes that our Christian kids should be looking up to.
If you are politically active, believe in sending your kids into the military/war, and very pro-US government/politics/political figures as "heroes" "icons" or "idols", then you may enjoy this book and not mind these guys being your kids' heroes. But if that's so, then let's also hold Madonna, Britney Spears, Hilary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and every other famous female musician, actress, athlete, and political figure regardless of their character, virtue and morals up as heroes for our daughters. Hey, I bet I could even find a few "good characteristic" stories on Saddam Hussein, Richard Allen Davis, Jeffrey Dahmer and all the mass murderers, child molesters etc.
As a Christian, do you really want your kids to hold these guys up as heroes? Winston Churchill, Ronald Regan, Plato, General Douglas MacArthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Jack London, Mark Twain, William the Conquerer, Benjamin Franklin, Booker T Washington, Cal Ripkin Jr, Buster Douglas the boxer, Mario Andretti the car racer, Aristotle, Davy Crocket, Navy Seals, John F Kennedy, Homer, Nolan Ryan the baseball player, and dozens of others.
I strongly recommend against this book. There are dozens of other books about raising Christian men using men of God as examples. What's wrong with using Jesus, the apostles, or the forefathers? Bennett's book is shocking to me - how he can use secular political figures and athletes with questionable character and morals is beyond me.
Disclaimer: I gave my honest review. I received this book from the publisher but a positive review was not required.
No comments:
Post a Comment