(A Dialogue Sermon)

And he said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.' " — Luke 11:2-4

Man: If two of the sacred idols of our nation are said to be motherhood and apple pie, no one has ever exalted fatherhood and hamburgers to the American pantheon — although hamburgers are getting close! Despite the complaints of the feminists about patriarchal systems, American matriarchy has fared quite well.

Woman: Well, I have to admit that fathers have not come off too well in recent American history. I remember the old program Bringing Up Father, where not only the mother but even the children knew more about …