Article 28: No Regrets No Apologies
What will be our legacy when our time on earth has passed? Do we want to be remembered for the number of homes or cars we owned, the partying we did, or for the family and friends we leave behind?
On May 11, 2024, Kansas City Chiefs kicker and three-time Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker, gave a faith-centered commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic college in Atchinson, Kansas, which caused uproar in secular society. Butker’s speech was a call to courage at a time when our family, traditional, and religious values are under attack. By acknowledging that “the world around us says that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”, Butker began his admonishment of today’s degenerating culture; he acknowledged how we are expected to keep our comments to ourselves, should they go against what is popular.
We forget that we are called to live in the world but not be of it. When addressing the women in the audience, Butker encouraged them to live out their purpose and calling, “I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.” The leftist meltdown was as expected. Fans, celebrities, the legacy media, and even the cowardly NFL rushed to portray Butker as just another sexist, repressive neanderthal who wants women to be servants to their husbands.
At a time when society is more concerned about the individual ego and individual desires, that everything in the world exists for pleasure and that which stands in the way should be annihilated, Butker’s speech was a beacon of hope that not all is lost in this crazy world. When leftist ideology is consumed by destroying the nuclear family, redefining words, history, and reality, it is most welcome to find a public figure brave enough to stand up to the violence and hatred of today’s cancel culture, and stand up for freedom and religious principles. We are called to courage in these times, to stand up to the deadly progression of leftist ideology, Marxist ideology…the ideology of victimhood and perpetual slavery.
As expected, the spineless and pandering National Football League (NFL) released a statement distancing themselves from Butker, stating that he was not of the opinion of the league, “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity…his views are not those of the NFL as an organization.” Had the speech been in support of the LGBTQ+ community, or the Marxist and violent Black Lives Matter movement, the NFL would have taken credit for a “champion of progressivism” in the league. Where is the outrage when their own NFL players engage in dog fighting or domestic violence? Silence. But they have plenty to say if they fear being cancelled themselves.
Back to the homemakers, the time has come when homemakers are seen as a backsliding vocation for women and society. What matters today is the money you make and comforts you acquire. Talk of having a family and children, raising them with one parent at home, and sacrificing whatever is required in order to afford this lifestyle choice is considered an affront to progress, undoing the advancements that have been made for women since the suffragists of the 18th century.
Though the vast contributions made by stay-at-home moms (and dads) may, at the outset, be invisible or intangible to the world around us, studies have shown that children in a stay-at-home family arrangement are much more likely to succeed in life. For one, they are less stressed and have less aggression as the parent is able to have greater involvement in the child’s day-to-day life. Pew Research Center’s Social and Demographic Trends reports that 60% of Americans say a child is better off with at least one parent at home. Having a parent who is able to be more involved in school makes a difference in the child’s academic performance and how long they actually stay in school. The benefits are endless! We should celebrate the families who are willing and able to make the sacrifices in order to raise children in a more dedicated environment, following religious principles.
Freedom of speech and religious liberty are under attack and have been throughout Joe Biden’s presidency. Progressivism has been emboldened, and traditional, conservative opinions attacked. These days, expressing one’s faith in a public square, especially when it counters popular culture and progressive ideology, evokes a fury of attacks, harassment, and intimidation.
Fulfillment comes through family, not work. Our greatest vocation is that of a mother and father to our children; the richness of our legacy is found in the family we build and leave behind. For an NFL player to cause outrage over statements protecting families, supporting and encouraging a different lifestyle, and praising women who choose to stay at home, disappointedly reflects the moral weakness of today.
Religious liberty is the cornerstone of how we live with each other and must be respected. We should all celebrate the wherewithal of Harrison Butker. As he aptly stated, “Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is being afraid and then acting in spite of it.” We must remember that Heaven is our goal. Speak the truth, and let the chips fall where they may.
