President Obama will today place a major emphasis on responsible fatherhood by delivering comments from the White House and hosting at-risk young men for afternoon activities at the executive mansion. Mr. Obama grew up with an absentee father which has made this cause a deeply personal one for him.

Earlier this week Faith and Action chief of program, Peggy Neinaber, personally discussed the Responsible Fatherhood Initiative with Rev. Joshua DuBois, the president’s point man on religious and social outreach.

“President Obama deserves to be commended for taking priority time to address this serious problem in our society,” said Rev. Rob Schenck, president of Faith and Action. “Absentee fathers are the cause of enormous suffering for young mothers and for their own children. Irresponsible fathers are also one of the major causes of abortion. Many women who suffer abortion do so at the bullying of an unwilling father who threatens or pressures them to destroy their own children.”

Faith and Action has pledged to work with the Obama Administration in its fatherhood programs. “The Bible says that a man who is unwilling to take care of his family is worse than an infidel,” said Rev. Schenck. “In other words, it’s worse to be an irresponsible father than it is to be a fallen-away Christian. That’s serious.”