The Bible, The Constitution, and Father’s Day 2024
The current condition of society is the result of the failure of youth to read and understand two documents, the Bible and the Constitution.
One lays out how you are to live, the other the limitations of government.
We need to bring back the teachings
of both.
I grew up in a time when both were taught in school and the home.
I started writing this on Mother’s Day and am just now in the middle of June getting back on it for the umpteenth time to hopefully make progress. It hasn’t been easy with all I am currently involved in.
The Bible
On Mother’s Day, I listened to a long-time friend give his sermon not praising the mothers of his church but the church family and family as a whole. While he and I have not talked in a while, he is “Family” to me, as were his parents and grandparents. That relationship continued into my adult life.
Many of you
reading this only know me as someone who helps fathers with their rights and those
of their 
children. You
don’t see or hear about what else I do with the fathers that I help, keeping
them centered with God.
I shared a story with his brother about the last conversation I had with his father and mother that impacted me deeply.
Dallas’ parents lived next door to my grandmother, her backyard, and their yard along their driveway. When the golf tournaments were at Firestone, they would have people from the church parked at their house. Charles came home and headed to get the mail as we said hello. I wanted to make sure they had enough room and was walking towards him when the conversation began.:
Charles: Hello
Me: Hello
Charles: Ray, you look like you need a beer.
Me: I do.
Charles: Well, we don’t have any but come on in and we’ll find you something to drink.
I went in with him and we sat down at the kitchen table with his wife Eileen. She was across from me as Charles sat to my right. We talked about things in general including what we were doing with my grandmother’s house and life. This was a conversation between adults, not adults and a child. As you get older, these will be the type of conversations you will cherish as well as the smiles and laughs they bring.
Charles: Ray, I have something I need to say to you.
Eileen: Ray, you need to listen.
Me: I always listen.
My mind went into a race and I figured I was about to get chewed out for not attending church.
Charles: Ray, I know you do not come to the building. I do not want you to come to the building. You do and have done me and the church, you do more good by not coming to the building.
Me: Thank you, I just do what I can.
To this day I am still surprised by what he said. I don’t know if the handwritten letter I sent to every church found his desk or if some father told him what I did for him through prayer. I told his older son about it and he replied “That was Dad.”
To this day I am honored and humbled by what his heart spoke to me.
Yes, Dallas, there is a church family that will influence your life. Yours did me and a lot more than you will ever know.
I do encourage everyone to listen to his message from Mother’s Day.
Rev Dallas Billington Mother’s Day 2024
Dallas, one of the things you mentioned was that you did not understand the law. That is where I come in. What you know about the Bible, I know about the law and how it affects families across this state. I know what is going on in the Statehouse and who is working on what. We will talk soon and I do promise to keep it PG.
The Constitution and Law
“It isn't so much that liberals are ignorant. It's just
that they know so many things that aren't so.”
―
President Reagan’s words can be applied to so many people and so many situations, in both parental rights and politics.
I had a teacher in high school who taught government and stressed understanding the Constitution. She taught us to read it and understand why things were placed in the Founding Document and why they were done in the order that they were. There is a close relationship between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration of Independence laid out, in order, what our Founding Fathers found to be the most important issues, in the order that felt would remain the most important moving forward. The principles laid out became the first Ten Amendments to the Constitution which remain the same today.
Too often I have heard people misquote and misrepresent what the Constitution says and try to use that warped thought pattern within a case and then they can’t figure out why they lost. There was someone that I knew who attempted a constitutional argument in his divorce and lost both the divorce case and custody as well. It’s a false and bad argument that shouldn’t be used. Still think parenting is a Constitutional right? Read the Constitution and show me where it is listed. It is not. Fundamental rights on many aspects related to raising your child? There is a ton of case law to support that.
Social Media has become detrimental to fathers, families,
and all who want to get current laws changed and brought up to date. I see so
much false information about the law and what is the fault of problems within
the current, outdated legal system for families. Too many feed the line that
all we need is a “Presumption
of Equal Custody” and that this type of legislation solves the 
problem. That could not be further from the truth and yet
social media praises those who do this and fail to verify what the reality of
the situation is, what they have done to the big picture, and how they have
misled lawmakers and others.
If it were true, every custody battle in Ohio would result in equal custody since Ohio has had a presumption since 1981.
Divorce custody and never-married custody cases are not argued to the presumption, they are argued to the factors as listed in ORC 3109.04 in every state, not just Ohio. The numbering and language may not be the same but the result is. Adding one word to an already existing presumption does not change the other sections or how they are applied. That is why I say, find out how old your state law is, and find someone who will write a bill that you can take to your legislators for introduction. That is what I have done and continue to do. I have also listened to those who are involved in cases and those who have testified and questions that have been asked by the committee so that problems that have no current solution get one. There is a night and day difference between what I worked on in the first bill and what was introduced in 2011 with SB144/HB253. There is a night and day difference in what is sitting on my desk from what has been done before and what needs to be done now.
Social media has talked many out of filing a case because of what they hear. Social media has also fed false information to guys about what state laws in various states.
Learn to read introduced legislation and what the various markings
mean. The most common are Underlined and strike-through,
underlined is new language and strike-through is what is being taken out or
replaced.
Check your state legislature for newly introduced bills. For Ohio, you can check here. I will also give you the status of a bill and what Committee it is in. Follow the bill and committee progress so you know when testimony on that bill is taking place.
Read your state's Rules of Civil Procedure.
Read your Local Rules for the court that your case is in.
If someone is claiming that they have the solution and the perfect piece of legislation, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t”. I admit that there may be room for improvement in the future of what I am presenting.
When or if you ever talk to a legislator don’t tell them about your case, ask them questions to get them interested in making changes. I have gotten many double takes with a simple question, “Why do we remove fit parents from the lives of children every day? “.
Father’s Day
Over the years I have written about fathers and Father’s Day. Most of those are archived for everyone to see on our website as this one will be. Some of the others will be listed below.
This year
for Father’s Day I want you all to do something that you have not thought about
for that day. Turn off the video games and the cell phones. You cannot parent
through
a screen; you need to do it with
both hands and both eyes.
Parenting requires your undivided attention.
Start your day with your children with some “Knee Time”. I have seen churches packed to the walls on Mother’s Day but not on Father’s Day. Change that this year and let others see that as a father you are present and more than willing to be active with your children. Like dirt, Knee Time doesn’t hurt. Over the years I have spent a lot of time with fathers getting them centered through Knee Time.
Spend the day doing things with your children that they think are fun and visit places that they think are fun but where they will learn something. That is part of being a father. Use the day as a teaching day. Ohio is loaded with plenty of free and inexpensive adventures for you and your children.
Keep an eye on the kids that your kids hang out with. Talk with their parents so you understand what their home life is like. Encourage the kids to come to you if there is something they are not comfortable[RL1] talking with their parents about.
Observe the children your children play with their parents may be missing a hidden talent. I had a neighbor who had three children. The first two were athletic and well-involved with the sports they liked. Nothing seemed to fit with the third. He, my son, and I were screwing around hitting golf balls and the boy had a natural talent for the game. I told his dad what I saw and his dad admitted it was about the only thing they had not tried. I gave him some old clubs and they were off the races.
Take them out and do something with them that they have never done. Life is a series of adventures that you and they can learn from.
Take your children out and “Get the stink blown off” – Only the Good Lord knows how many times I heard that as a child. My son heard it also.
Take your children to visit your
parents. If they are gone, you can still do that. Take them to the cemetery
where they have their final resting place. Show your kids the house you grew up
in and where your parents and grandparents lived. They deserve to know where
and how you grew up.
We see these posts praising things like Walk Your Kid to School, Take Your Kid to Work, and other programs that non-profits use to encourage father involvement. Use Father’s Day to make yourself and your involvement with your children highly visible in the community.
Happy Father’s Day to you and your children.
Ray R. Lautenschlager
Legislative Director
440-281-5478
president@ohiofamilyrights.com
Previous Father’s Day Messages:
http://www.ohiofamilyrights.com/Newsletters/Newsletters-1/Fathers-Day/fathers-day.html
http://www.ohiofamilyrights.com/Newsletters/Newsletters-1/Fathers-Day-2013/fathers-day-2013.html
http://www.ohiofamilyrights.com/Newsletters/Newsletters-2/Fathers-Day-2014-/fathers-day-2014-.html
http://www.ohiofamilyrights.com/New/Don%E2%80%99t%20Blame%20the%20Father.htm
http://www.ohiofamilyrights.com/New/Dads%20and%20School.htm