The World's Greatest Deadbeat
by Adrian Banks
In doing legal and historical research, I never found the phrase "deadbeat dad" or "deadbeat parent" in any of the press articles I studied through 1940's. I read an article recently though that indicated that it was Ronald Reagan who coined the phrase "deadbeat dad." Now the phrase "deadbeat parent" is more politically correct. So the "deadbeat" craze is a development of recent times.
Indeed, there are millions of people, mostly men, who are labeled as "deadbeats" who are alleged to owe billions of dollars in back child support. Many web sites exist that hurl denunciations against these wretched members of society. One site, for example, has the "Deadbeat Hall of Fame." Press articles frequently are critical of this odious class of society. One I read said that people who do not pay their child support should be "held in public scorn." There are some who desire to see these "deadbeats" rounded up and put to forced labor. While incarcerated, all proceeds from the "deadbeats" labor, except what is necessary to keep the "deadbeat" alive and working, should go to the person to whom the child support is alleged to be owed. But who, of all the millions of "deadbeats" worldwide, should get the honors of "The World's Greatest Deadbeat?" Many who are labeled "deadbeats" quit paying child support after being gored by the system and/or being denied access to their children. They used to pay, but quit. Other "deadbeats" have been ordered to pay more than they can afford and therefore they steadily get further behind. Thousands of "deadbeats" are jailed every day without the right to a jury trial. Thousands more commit suicide every year to emancipate themselves.
Logically, the "World's Greatest Deadbeat" would be someone who obviously had the means to financially support their children, but did not do so during the course of their offspring's childhood. Imagine someone who fathered a child and then contributed not one red cent for the child's support. Someone who, although abundantly rich, placed the burden of supporting his child on other people. What a contemptible person! Who would do such a thing!
The answer: Almighty God. Even though he created the heavens and the earth, he contributed not one penny (denarius) to the support of his son Jesus. Surely He who created all things could have created a little money to help support his own son. According to the laws of today that have been enacted over the past few years, Almighty God is guilty of the crime of non-support. In fact, according to both federal and state law, he is a felon. Someone in the child support enforcement system should immediately start criminal proceedings against Almighty God and issue a warrant for his arrest.
Granted, God loves his Son, but according to today's standards, love doesn't count - only money counts. I have no problem with the way God handled matters concerning his Son, but according to those in power today, he should be jailed without the right to a jury trial and held in public scorn. Those who so righteously plunder and incarcerate millions of souls in the name of the children also cry out "God Bless America!" However, according to their own standards, God is a criminal - a felon at that. Surely when they cry out "God Bless America!" they cannot mean the Father of Jesus, for, according to their own standards, he is "The World's Greatest Deadbeat."