a greater problem in Detroit: Fatherlessness

i know i’ve been slacking in regards to this blog… though i’m not sure how many people read this thing anyway…

if you read Metroblogging Detroit, one of the other blogs that i contribute to, you’ll find that many people talk about how much they love Detroit… it’s true, the people reading and writing on there really love the city… i love them for it… but there’s no mistaking that many of us have completely different views as to why the city is the way it is and we also differ greatly on how to handle the city’s problems…

one of the ways i serve the city is by praying for it… some might not consider that really serving city, but to those who believe in the power of prayer, we believe that it is one of the greatest ways to serve the city… as a result, i believe it is the best way to handle the city’s problems… the wife and i, and those who sometimes join us, pray every tuesday night at our loft in Midtown… if you ever feel like joining us, you’re more than welcome… shoot me an email…

in my prayer time, i am continually reminded of one problematic theme in our city: Fatherlessness… i have heard that 75% of the children in Detroit are fatherless… meaning, they don’t know who their father is, where their father is, or have limited to no access to their fathers… does this have any effect on Detroit??? here’s some statistics for ya from the Detroit Fatherhood Initiative Overview:

• 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in fatherless homes
• 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes
• 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes
• 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
• 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes
• The majority of African American teenage mothers have been raised in homes without fathers

these are some striking numbers… i am uncertain as to whether these are national, state or city statistics… but when praying for the city, i often pray that fathers will turn their hearts back to their children…

some will say that the city is the way it is because of it’s mayor or past mayors… some will say that it’s because of racism… others will say it’s because of the failing auto-industry… those “theories” may be true, but i think a greater, deeper reason why Detroit is the way it is, is because of Fatherlessness… and i believe that Fatherlessness has had a greater impact on the city of Detroit more than any of the aforementioned “theories”…