Morality in America
When studying the founding of the United States, you can’t help but encounter the faith of the nation’s forefathers. Time and again they recognized God’s hand in the shaping of America. You will find Him repeatedly mentioned in their words and documents. And you will find Him having an active, vibrant role in the country’s early history.
Today, God continues His work in America – but it’s in a nation that has clearly lost its moral compass. Every week, “Morality in America” will address the myriad of moral concerns facing the United States and undermining its Godly heritage:
- Sanctity of life – abortion and euthanasia.
- Sanctity of marriage – same-sex marriage and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.
- Sanctity of the family – divorce, spousal and child abuse, out-of-wedlock pregnancies and absentee fathers.
- Judicial activism (Supreme and lower court decisions).
- Revisionist education in the public schools.
- The perceived rise of Socialism and one-world government trends.
- Attacks and media bias against Christianity.
- And much more…
After you read, remember to intercede in prayer for America – that this nation will return to the Christian standards that once defined it.
Sexual Purity Under Attack
Facing the intolerance over abstinence
By Linda Gilden
“We’re waving the banner of tolerance over the nation, but the one thing that’s not tolerated is abstinence and sexual purity.” So writes author, speaker, and sexual purity advocate Dannah Gresh. In a recent interview with the Christian Post, she added, “Something parents don’t understand is that their teenagers are living in an age where virginity isn’t tolerated.”
Ignoring an opportunity for collaboration between parents and educators, most public schools show a tolerance for almost everything else except purity education. They may mention abstinence as part of their sexual education programs but it’s in passing or without discussing the ultimate reason for remaining pure – because it is what God tells you to do.
According to Focus on the Family, the statistics are alarming:
– Approximately 822,000 pregnancies occur among 15-19-year-olds
– Seven out of ten adolescent mothers drop out of high school
– About 18.9 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases occur each year
Gresh, author of Get Lost: Your Guide to Finding True Love, urges parents to “take seriously the fact that the risk of suicide is 12 to 24 percent higher among teenagers who are sexually active.”
Those statistics alone should be enough to bond parents and schools on the issue of abstinence and encouraging all teens to practice purity. But, along with the intolerance of purity beliefs, comes the prejudice against Christian values in the schools.
So what’s a Christian parent to do? The lot of teaching Christian values in sex education falls to you as a parent or grandparent. Not only must you teach the biblical view of sex – and the importance of keeping oneself pure for the man or woman God intended – but you must also teach children to stand firm against the peer pressure to engage in sexual activities that may come from their friends.
Several things will help you prepare your children to stand strong against worldly values:
1. Realize that the biblical foundation children need has to come from home and the values they see lived out there. Talk to your children about sex. When they ask questions, be honest in your answers, even if that is a difficult conversation to have. If you made a mistake, tell them the consequences and why having sex was a bad choice. Share biblical values and the blessing of waiting until marriage, if that was your experience.
2. Find role models that are biblically solid and stand by saving themselves for their mates. Kylie Bisutti was a recent guest on national television talk shows because of a decision she made to step down as a Victoria Secret Angel. She says trading in being an Angel for her quest to be Proverbs 31 woman was the best decision she has ever made. Kylie’s new book, I’m No Angel, is filled with encouragement for young women. “Beauty isn’t about what you look like, it’s about what’s in your heart. That’s the most important thing,” she says.
3. Equip your teens with practical ideas:
- Encourage them to say no before they get in a compromising situation
- Help them make the decision to save themselves for marriage
- Limit time alone with the opposite sex
- Respect friends and only go out with those who respect you
- Commit to being “God’s girl” or “God’s guy” on the dating scene
- Dress modestly because any teen who thinks that is doesn’t matter what he or she wears is mistaken
- Allow your teens to use you as an excuse to remove themselves from a compromising situation
- Speak up against pornography and promiscuity and promote the beauty of sex as God intended it
4. Get involved with your child’s school in any way you can. You can encourage
your children more specifically if you know what they have been taught at
school.
Above all, pray for the nation’s school leaders, that they will commit to leading students in lives of purity and help them build good solid values for life. Ask God to speak directly to those leaders about the importance of sexual purity.
And, pray for the hearts of the students to be focused on God and His plan for their lives. It is a difficult thing to do in the world today but heeding the advice found in Proverbs 4:23 is wise: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Linda Gilden is director of writing programs for CLASSEMINARS, Inc. She holds degrees in French and Religious Education and not only writes full time but also directs two writers conferences, Carolina Christian Writers Conference and CLASS Christian Writers Conference where she enjoys plenty of opportunities to encourage writers.
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Thank you for this information. Although I am a grandma now, I will use it in my church and/or as a teacher at a Christian Camp.
Tolerance is a two-way street.
These are certainly words to the wise parents. Think how much anguish could be saved if all followed this advise. Conversely, only heartache and pain await those who follow the easy path that popular society embraces. <
I am a missionary
Abstinence is out of necessity but also for love of Christ.
Values such as these are not often a topic.
Standards or raised standards come from somewhere, but examples of them
are not widely used in commercials, movies, television or other media
I am glad you are dealing with the subject, god bless you….!
Claudia Humphrey, missionary
[Edited to remove links and to remove Caps Lock]
People often think rules in the Bible are “Because I said so type”. In fact the Scripture’s rules are for out spiritual , mental and physical health. I have not heard a peep out of the Surgeon General, which could be done similar to Mr. Koop’s war on cigarettes , as well as some other health issues. Kids think they see consequences on many tv programs. They can’t feel the anguish of things happening to oneself, especially if the results are permanent.
Most girls do not realize the permanence of a baby….a mother is responsible for ever, every day. Which is why we see so many girls dropping out of school.
And the idea of young men, producing without any attached responsibility, is a real situation in the real world.
Having young people lose many chances for their future is a disservice to them.
These are terrific suggestions.
It is unfortunate that as a society the practice of abstinence is lost, but however the teaching of values such as abstinence should not become dependent upon society, but parents should step to the plate and be prepared to address such issues with their children. Why should those outside the faith be prepared to teach your children what you believe??? It is difficult to speak of such things at times, but truthfulness and openness begins when they are young. Start talking with your children when they are young, so when the time comes to approach these tougher subjects the ground work is laid. I do not believe Christians are called to be tolerant of sin, they are called to be tolerant as in to show patience and love, not wanting that any should perish. A Christian is called to be light in darkness, love not hate, truth not lies, and that means sometimes separating yourself from sin and evil works,or shaking the dust off your sandals and depart. If you are given the chance you share the truth so that others might find salvation and share in the kingdom.
I know the focus of this article is Christian teens, but in 1990 a crisis pregnancy center in Oregon developed an abstinence program to take into the public schools. My daughter is now the Director, and she says they have requests for the program from all over the country, and internationally. They are welcomed into the public schools to present their program (as is Planned Parenthood) and invited back. They need funds and more staff, but their concepts and the way it is presented could have a great impact on all teens, Christian and otherwise. So many of these kids come from homes where values are just not taught.
[Edited to remove links]
Yeah!!! Sounds like a wonderful program, I do know there are some places that promote abstinence,
I say atta girl, it is a shame that s spot isn’t set up so other people could find out more about the program and support it. I understand the need to not display on this sight but couldn’t there be a sight set up so others could do more research on on their own? I just wanted to say how wonderful that is to hear. Thank you Margaret and thank you Margret’s daughter.