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Is Father's Day a Religious Holiday?

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by Marcia Goldlist
 
 
I doubt anyone would say that Father’s Day is a religious holiday, but perhaps we should. Father’s Day is not related to any one religion, but honoring our fathers is listed as one of the Ten Commandments in the Bible. To honor your father and your mother is listed in both the books of Exodus (chapter 20) and Deuteronomy (chapter 5).  This is quite remarkable considering what the other nine commandments are. The Ten Commandments as written in Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist are:
 
God spoke all these statements for the people to attend to:
 
“The Lord, God I am to you.
 
I have taken you out from Egypt land,
 
From the house of slavery with My hand.
 
You should not have any other gods but Me.
 
You are not to make for yourself a statue, or a picture to use or see,
 
Nor any likeness of what is up above in the sky,
 
Or down on the earth below, or in the water that beneath the earth does lie.
 
To bow down or worship them you are not to do
 
For I am the Lord; I am God to you.
 
Know that I am a jealous God with expectations
 
Punishing the children of My enemies for the sins of their fathers to the third and the fourth generations.
 
But to those who love Me and follow My laws with affirmation
 
I show kindness until the thousandth generation.
 
In vain you are not to use God’s name
 
For this you will not be absolved: you will be held to blame.
 
Remember the Sabbath day
 
To keep it holy in every way.
 
For six days, work you should pursue.
 
All your labor you should do.
 
To your God the seventh day
 
Is a Sabbath and from work you should stay away:
 
You, your son, your daughter, and the servants that belong to you,
 
Your male and female slaves, your animal, and the convert within your gates too.
 
For six days God made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them in their array
 
And He rested on the seventh day.
 
Therefore the seventh day God blessed.
 
He made it holy – a day of rest.
 
Honor your father and your mother so that your days may be lengthened upon the land
 
Which the Lord your God has given in your hand.
 
You shall not kill.
 
Adultery is against My will.
 
Do not take anything you did not earn with your own labor.
 
Do not give false witness against your neighbor.
 
You should not covet your neighbor’s house,
 
Nor his spouse,
 
Nor his male or female servant, ox, donkey, or anything else that he did accrue.
 
It does not belong to you.”
 
It really is amazing that among only ten commandments which deal with our relationship with God and how to treat other people we have a commandment to honor our parents. Since it is one of the commandments it must be very important. Father’s Day, which this year is celebrated on June 21st, should be seen in light of this fact. So, Father’s Day should be celebrated; but, not just by giving gifts. Gifts are great, but words should not be overlooked. They are a very powerful means of communicating to our fathers how important, valued, and loved they are. However, many people have trouble with words and getting them to transmit exactly what they are feeling. It is for this reason that a book was just published to help people transmit their feelings to their fathers. Cards & Toasts for Father’s Day: Express Yourself in Rhyme provides 85 rhymes to enable anyone to express their sentiments to their father or grandfather on this important day. Now anyone can write a meaningful greeting card, letter, email, or tweet on Father’s Day, or give a toast that will not be forgotten!
 
Don't let this year's Father's Day pass by without honoring your father in some way.

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