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Articles by Benjamin Watson
Father’s Day Is for Recommitting to the Job
Being an advocate for mothers is part of a father’s role. (Photo by Eduardo Barrios via Unsplash.) (Photo by Eduardo Barrios via Unsplash.) Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. In football, people often misunderstand what a tight end, like me, does. For 16 NFL seasons as a tight end, I often had to clarify what my position did.
The Jewish Journalist at the Flea Market
I started freaking out when I saw the vintage coat. It was Saturday, a sunny and unusually warm day, the first day of spring, and I wanted a break from the endless immigrant rights meetings, the sign-making prep for No Kings 3, the bleak New York Times, Free Free Free Palestine, the strictly correct Guardian, the internet in general. I wanted the buzzy, soothing, wacky, shopping of a good flea market. I went to the one in Chelsea, at 25th and Sixth.
A different sort of championship Sunday
Benjamin Watson: A different sort of championship Sunday Benjamin Watson (Photo courtesy of Arise With The Guys) This Sunday, families across the country will crowd around tables loaded with food. There will be silence and then eruptions of cheering. Children will sprint across yards and open fields. Tears of joy will roll down jubilant faces. I’m not talking about the Super Bowl. I’m talking about something bigger, the event that makes every other event feel small by comparison: Easter.
Easter: A different sort of championship Sunday
Add us as a preferred source on Google - OPINION: This Sunday, families across the country will crowd around tables loaded with food. There will be silence and then eruptions of cheering. Children will sprint across yards and open fields. Tears of joy will roll down jubilant faces. I’m not talking about the Super Bowl. I’m talking about something bigger, the event that makes every other event feel small by comparison: Easter. For Christians, this is our Super Bowl.
Q&A: Eric Mason on Ministering to Men and Witnessing in Politics
The Philadelphia-based pastor discusses how the church can engage Black men and have a biblical approach to government. Church conversations about masculinity are rooted in biblical truth but can sound different among Black Christians who have to contend with false ideological and religious movements, such as the Nation of Islam. Here are edited excerpts from their conversation.
Fathers benefit from improved policies on paid leave and child tax credit
When I was 24 years old, I won a Super Bowl. While sidelined with a knee injury, it was nonetheless the fruit of decades worth of sacrifice, teamwork and perseverance, for all of us. As the confetti fell I tried to fathom our arrival at the zenith of the sport. But later that year, I married my wife Kirsten and realized that, unlike sport's fleeting glory, we were embarking on a journey that would last a lifetime.
Fathers benefit from improved policies on paid leave and child tax credit
Opinion There’s no better investment our government can make than one that rewards men who show up for their families. "There’s no prouder achievement than being a husband and a father," writes essay author Benjamin Watson, a dad of seven and a Super Bowl champion. (File) By Benjamin Watson – For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 3 hours ago When I was 24 years old, I won a Super Bowl.
The Structure of Winning
⸻ We often treat the league table as a settled fact — points earned, goal difference tallied, the hierarchy revealed. But the truth is more delicate. Not all victories are equal, and not all dominance is built to last. This is a reflection on the shape of winning: how results are constructed, how they deceive, and how, in the end, the simplest numbers may carry the deepest truths. So, what kind of winning wins?
The Stupidest Generation in History (So Far)
The Stupidest Generation in History (So Far) ⸻ There will come a time – perhaps sooner than we think – when historians look back at Britain in the early 21st century and shake their heads in disbelief. Not at the brutality of its rulers, nor their tyranny, nor their greed. But at something rarer, more tragic, and far more corrosive: their stupidity. Because what other word is there for a government that pays a foreign country to take its own territory?
“The Spectrum That Wasn’t: On Gender, Identity, and the Integrity of Truth”
It’s become something of a modern mantra: gender is a spectrum. It’s repeated with such confidence, such casual certainty, that to question it feels like heresy. But what does it actually mean? More importantly, does it mean anything at all? At first glance, it sounds scientific – “spectrum” evokes images of light, of measurable gradations, of sliding scales with precise variation. But the more you examine the claim, the more it begins to fall apart.
100,000 women will face unexpected pregnancies in Georgia this year. Are we ready?
There are about 100,000 women in Georgia who will face an unexpected pregnancy this coming year. That’s 100,000 women who will need our help — and who might or might not be able to receive it. Georgia’s legislation to protect the unborn is among the strongest in the nation, but its maternal and postnatal outcomes are among the worst.
Benjamin Watson: New Orleans' love for people and life should fuel its care for all Original
There is no city that celebrates life like New Orleans does. A lot of people only think of “Girls Gone Wild” or Bourbon Street when they think of New Orleans. Others recall images of Mardi Gras parades. This year, they’ll think of the Super Bowl. But what makes the city truly great — and unique — is its unflagging love for the people who live and visit there. When I first moved to New Orleans while playing for the Saints, people from the neighborhood dropped homemade food off on our porch for weeks.
Juneteenth and Dobbs Anniversary Commemorate Wins in Long Fight for Respect for Human Dignity
At the height of the Civil War, enslaved men, women, and children sat together in Watch Night services all over America as they eagerly waited for Lincoln’s measure, the Emancipation Proclamation, to go into effect on Jan. 1, 1863. Along with the enslaved were free blacks and abolitionists intent on grasping the freedom they had collectively envisioned and relentlessly pursued through their advocacy, sermons, speeches, and courageous escapes.
Benjamin Watson: What the pro-life movement can learn from Planned Parenthood
OPINION: New research suggests that chemical abortions are responsible for a greater share of abortions in America than ever before — and that abortion numbers have gone up after the fall of Roe. It is, or should be, a sobering moment for anyone invested in the pro-life cause, in part because it underscores the fact that our battle to save children in the womb begins long before a mother receives those fatal pills in the mail.
NFL Benjamin Watson tackles Marco Rubio's legislation to force men to cover pregnancy costs
OPINION: The abortion debate generally centers around two people: the mother and her child. Of course, there’s a lot of back-and-forth over how to define her child, when her child “becomes” a child, what that means, how or whether to support her as a mother and so on. But somehow, another necessary party is almost always missing from the debate — namely, the father. I find this baffling. Subscribe to have The Washington Times’ Higher Ground delivered to your inbox every Sunday.
As for me and my house
OPINION: The home is the world’s oldest and most vital institution. Civilization’s other two great institutions, the church and the government, find their roots in the nurturing influence and subsequent trajectory of its members. Without strong families raising tomorrow’s confident and capable leaders, a nation will suffer internally and become increasingly vulnerable to outside threats.
As for me and my house
OPINION: The home is the world’s oldest and most vital institution. Civilization’s other two great institutions, the church and the government, find their roots in the nurturing influence and subsequent trajectory of its members. Without strong families raising tomorrow’s confident and capable leaders, a nation will suffer internally and become increasingly vulnerable to outside threats.
Benjamin Watson: It's time for Ohio to stand for life
OPINION: The tell was when they changed the wording to something that better reflects the brutal reality. In September, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the language of Issue 1 – a radical proposed amendment to the state’s constitution that would legalize abortion until birth for almost any reason – must be updated.
Ben Watson on the Sanctity of Life and True Justice
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Collin Hansen He calls abortion the spiritual battle of our lives. And he firmly believes that abortion will end when men make it so, Roe v Wade has been overturned but this former football star says the fight for life is only reached halftime.
If You Want the Pro-Life Vote, Stop Negotiating on Abortionists’ Terms
Pro-life advocate Christina Bennet co-authored this article. Pro-life voters need to wake up before the GOP debates are over, and one of their best chances to press ostensibly “pro-life” candidates for real answers – and real commitments– has passed.
Benjamin Watson's open letter to Mexico: Don't follow our lead on abortion
Mexico stands on the edge of a precipice that the United States tumbled off of 50 years ago. After its Supreme Court ruled this week that federal laws criminalizing abortion were unconstitutional, the court has paved the way for legal abortion throughout the country. Mexico now has its Roe moment, 50 years after the United States took the same dark plunge. Subscribe to have the Higher Ground newsletter delivered to your inbox every Sunday.
Benjamin Watson's open letter to Mexico: Don't follow our lead on abortion
Mexico stands on the edge of a precipice that the United States tumbled off of 50 years ago. After its Supreme Court ruled this week that federal laws criminalizing abortion were unconstitutional, the court has paved the way for legal abortion throughout the country. Mexico now has its Roe moment, 50 years after the United States took the same dark plunge. Subscribe to have the Higher Ground newsletter delivered to your inbox every Sunday.
In a post-Roe world, saving lives starts with changing lives
OPINION: The pro-life movement has been focused from its very beginning on legal reform. It started as a coalition effort to overturn Roe v. Wade. Now, Roe is gone — but abortion remains. Legal reform is essential, don’t get me wrong. That said, we’re being confronted by the fact that bans just aren’t enough to end abortion on their own. Don’t forget to subscribe to have the Higher Ground newsletter delivered to your inbox every Sunday.
Op-Ed: The End of Roe Is Only the Beginning of Our Fight
Everybody on the pro-life side is elated right now over the possible demise of Roe v. Wade. As unabashed pro-life advocates, we get it — we can’t wait for this unjust ruling to get tossed onto the ash heap of history. We have both been involved in the pro-life space for some time, cultivating many beautiful friendships and some sworn opponents. But no silence is more defining than that of these friends on social media after another black person is murdered with clear racial motives.
Abortion is a tragedy, not a workplace benefit
By Benjamin Watson, Op-ed contributor | Sunday, May 15, 2022 If the reports are true that the death of Roe is imminent, corporations will probably be vying to keep it on life support. One by one, they’ve championed abortion. Citigroup, Yelp, Amazon, Matchgroup, and Bumble promised to help cover costs for employees traveling for abortions. Rideshare companies Uber and Lyft vouched to cover the fines their drivers incurred for ushering women to abortion clinics.
Josey Johnson's Hair and the Holy Spirit
Josey Johnson's Hair and the Holy Spirit hardcover Length: 32 pages Dimensions: 9 × 9 in Published: May 10, 2022 In stock ISBN: 978-1-5140-0357-2 Item Code: A0357 Jerry Pinkney Children's Book Award Reader's Choice Award Winner When Josey wonders why people are so different, Dad helps her understand that our differences aren't a mistake.
9 Simple Questions to Free Yourself from Shame.
View this post on Instagram It’s like the song “Chain of Fools” by Aretha Franklin, but I have changed the chorus: “Shame, shame, shame, shame of fools…” Just like the real song, it is catchy and hard to stop repeating in my head. Or like James Stewart in “Vertigo,” I am falling off a building and spinning slowly into a repeating vortex, not of dizziness but of self-hatred. Call it low self-esteem, call it shame, call it lack of self-love. Whatever it is, it is powerful. It is addictive.
Finding a Church That Suits Our Every Need and Desire Is Not the Ultimate Purpose of Church
ShareTweetPinPocketFlipboard This morning, as we prepared to attend church, I felt discontentment in my heart. As a family, we have attended numerous churches as we have moved from city to city over the last 16 years. But throughout the journey, even in the warmest of congregations, there has always been a lingering remembrance of the temporary state we were operating in.
Finding a Church That Suits Our Every Need and Desire Is Not the Ultimate Purpose of Church
December 8, 2021 Note from Randy: I love this thoughtful and Christ-centered post that Benjamin Watson wrote last summer. In the last five years Nanci and I have come to know and love Ben and his wonderful wife Kirsten. For fifteen years Ben was one of the most highly respected players in the National Football League, and now he continues to have a ministry to many inside and outside the NFL. I’m grateful for Ben and Kirsten’s life and family and example.
The Reasons why we all Connect so Deeply to Autumn.
I’m starting to panic a little. We are already halfway past the middle of October, and I have yet to see as many changing leaves, horror movies, or bowls of butternut squash soup on my table as I would prefer. Many of us love the fall. But I think I have an obsession. All year, I wait for it. I love all the seasons. The restorative calm and indoor comforts of the winter, with its books and hot teas and snowy transformations.
Ecosystem’s Winning Writers: September 24-30, 2021
Our Ecosystem” makes it easy to Get your message out to thousands—& get paid. Unlike Instagram or Facebook, Elephant is independent, and mission-driven—and despite having (slightly) fewer resources, we believe in paying our writers to offer quality to our readers. Elephant was one of the first major sites to pay our best, consistent writers.
7 Ways to Give Less F*cks & Age like a Boss.
View this post on Instagram So, what is your number one fear in life? Mine is aging. I have felt this way for some time, but I have now gone around the sun 51 times, and my fears begin to feel more based on reality. Fifty is the beginning of one’s older years. If you are still calling yourself middle-aged, then you are thinking you are going to live past 100.
Preborn babies don't have to prove their worth, dignity to us: NFL Super Bowl champion
Abortion is almost always in the news, and will be again when the Supreme Court hears the latest case out of Mississippi. But the news almost never gets abortion right. Some of our country’s leading politicians refuse to recognize that a preborn child is a human life. And when pro-life advocates fight hard to protect these preborn humans in our laws, they get painted as the bad guys. The problem here is that our country’s culture is built upon a pernicious lie about the preborn.
Preborn babies don't have to prove their worth, dignity to us: NFL Super Bowl champion
Abortion is almost always in the news, and will be again when the Supreme Court hears the latest case out of Mississippi. But the news almost never gets abortion right. Some of our country’s leading politicians refuse to recognize that a preborn child is a human life. And when pro-life advocates fight hard to protect these preborn humans in our laws, they get painted as the bad guys. The problem here is that our country’s culture is built upon a pernicious lie about the preborn.
How to Feed our Souls & Find Purpose.
Writers like to write about how writing is synonymous with torture from the Middle Ages, a spiritual rack or Iron Maiden their brilliance has forced upon them. Each word they pluck from their brilliant brains requires hard minutes—hours perhaps—of profound and overwhelming thought. The writer is deep in the coal-mine of their consciousness, waiting for the dirt ceiling to collapse or the canary to die of asphyxiation.
The Rumi Poem that Changed my Life.
Hearted by and 34 other readers You have been lied to. Especially in America. Everywhere you turn, you are admonished to be happier. Movies, TV shows, magazine articles, workshops, books. They all tell you that you are not quite enough. You should be more mindful! You should be doing more yoga! Eating better! Working through your traumas better! Being more productive! More calm! Essentially, being a better version of yourself means a happier, shinier, more spiritual you.
Another Mass Shooting. Another Day in America.
Just saw an email from @SpokaneCity that the flags will stay at half staff for the victims of the Boulder shooting. They never came up from the Atlanta shooting. THIS IS A PROBLEM, AMERICA. — Melissa Luck ☘ (@MelissaKXLY4) March 24, 2021 *Editor’s Note: Elephant Journal articles represent the personal views of the authors, and can not possibly reflect Elephant Journal as a whole. Disagree with an Op-Ed or opinion? We’re happy to share your experience here. ~ I am goddamn furious. Atlanta. Then Colorado.
Ben Watson: Black History Month - family and faith continue to inspire, sustain African Americans
In the human experience, the family is the first form of government, health care, community and early education an individual will encounter. This basic social building block is not a recent product of the Western mind nor is it an insignificant concept to be casually discarded.
Making Up for Our Educational Deficiencies | National Review
The Corner Changes in society have left many young Americans poorly prepared to deal with all the stuff life throws at them. Our schools aren’t doing a good job at filling the void. In today’s Martin Center article, Florida State music student Eric Jansen argues that many students have been short-changed in the realm of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). He thinks that music education is one way to help them.
NY Health Commissioner Releases Nursing Home Death Tally after AG Report | National Review
News New York State Department Health Commissioner Howard Zucker speaks during a news conference at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, N.Y., January 13, 2021. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) New York health commissioner Howard Zucker has released a more complete tally of coronavirus victims who lived in nursing homes in the state, after a report from state Attorney General Letitia James alleged the Department of Health undercounted the death toll.
Coronavirus Lockdowns: Science Not Definitive on Effectiveness
Passengers wearing protective masks enter an underground railway station amid the spread of the coronavirus in Stockholm, Sweden, January 7, 2021. (Jessica Gow/TT News Agency/via Reuters) The jury is still out on the efficacy of hard lockdowns. Now that every cat and dog has embraced “science,” let’s see what science is telling us about the efficacy of hard lockdowns to combat COVID-19.
Movie Review 'Soul': Disney & Pixar Sell Numbing Mind Games to Family Market
Joe (Jamie Foxx) in Soul. (Pixar) Disney sells numbing mind games to the family market. Designed to alienate black music culture from its gospel roots, Pixar’s Soul goes all out for secular existentialism. It’s a devious kind of bedtime-story indoctrination in which a disillusioned public-school music teacher, Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx), searches to find a new meaning of life.
Pro-Justice Means Pro-Life | National Review
Pro-life marchers at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., January 24, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) You can’t have one without the other. The year 2020 was yet another inflection point in the American conversation about justice.
Trumpian Foreign Policy on Military Interventions and Post-Cold War Doctrines Here to Stay
U.S. Marines with Task Force Southwest in Bost Kalay, Afghanistan, March 17, 2018. (Sergeant Sean J. Berry/USMC) Americans are souring on military interventions, policies that empower China, and post–Cold War doctrines. NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE I s the future of Republican foreign policy Trumpian? Matthew Kroenig, deputy director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, thinks that Trumpism will not define the future of foreign policy.
Coronavirus & Public School Closures: Educators Don't Act as if Schools Are Essential
(DONGSEON_KIM/Getty Images) Despite the science, officials keep moving the goalposts for reopening. Americans believe that schools are essential institutions. That’s why public schools absorb half of local government spending, and why the nation spends $14,000 per year on each child in K–12 public schools. Yet, even as the educational establishment insists its response to the pandemic has been heroic, one must ask: Do America’s educators truly think their work is essential?
A call to the American Church
By Tony Dungy and Benjamin Watson, Op-ed Contributors | Thursday, January 14, 2021 God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Thou who has by Thy might, led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray. — From Verse 3 of James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (1900) God of our weary years. For nearly all of us, 2020 was the weariest of years.
Tony Dungy & Benjamin Watson: A Call to the American Church
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Thou who has by Thy might, led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray. — From Verse 3 of James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (1900) *** God of our weary years. For nearly all of us, 2020 was the weariest of years. With more than 20 children between our two families, at times, it seems that weariness has no bounds.
If We Only Knew - Benjamin Watson
If we only knew what was to come in 2020, how would we have prepared ourselves? Would we have done anything differently? I think if I knew what 2020 was going to hold, I would have tried to hit the rewind button again and again. More than that, I would have chosen to appreciate the “now” more, being more intentional and urgent in the here and now.
Opinion | A Call for Christian Revival in 2021
Last year was one of the weariest we can remember. It brought school conducted behind screens, fewer trips to restaurants, and no escapes to the ballgame. The weekly routine of sitting in a church pew on Sunday morning is gone for many. How can we not be weary? Having both worked in the National Football League for decades, we are creatures of routine. Our habits and the structure they create provide us with steadiness, but this went out the window in 2020.
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