From our Introductory Post:
“The righteous have sat back and allowed the wicked to take over our relationships to God, families, churches, governments, schools and colleges, journalism, entertainment, sports, sciences, and a whole litany of other endeavors in our society.”
Families – Threats – Cohabitation Before Marriage
In our previous post we considered the topic of Threats to Families, specifically Absentee Fathers. We will now take a look at another threat to the family, Cohabitation Before Marriage.
Now we move into areas that may create some ire among certain readers. Generally, when pet sins are exposed, even professing “christians” take exception. I am really not concerned about sparing feelings at this point so will be as objective as I can about this topic and other topics as they present threats to the family. The usual argument goes something like, “You wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes unless you tried them on!” Excuse me; trying on a pair of shoes does not equate to a lifetime commitment to a man or woman in marriage. Those who take offense need to deal with it between themselves and God.
Before considering the effects of this phenomenon, we should investigate the extent of it. The United States Census Bureau has reported that “. . . the number of cohabiting households increased from 1.1 million in 1977 to 4.9 million 20 years later in 1997. Cohabiting households made up 1.5 percent of all households in 1977, increasing to 4.8 percent by 1997.” A more ominous aspect of the extent of the problem of cohabitation is revealed when we consider that “. . . in 1997, 43 percent of unmarried couple households contained children . . .” and “. . . the proportion of unmarried couple households containing children has increased from 29 percent in 1977 to 43 percent in 1997.” The entire report, Historical Estimates of Cohabitation by Lynne M. Casper, Philip N. Cohen, and Tavia Simmons, may be read at:
http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0036/twps0036.html
The June, 2003, Catholic Update reports numerous negative effects of cohabitation such as “higher risk of divorce, less satisfactory adjustments in marriage, harmful effect upon children, ducking tough issues, repressed anger, avoiding criticism of each other’s annoying behavior, failure to develop realistic and satisfactory financial habits, suffering strained relationships with parents, close family members and treasured friends, and struggling with an undercurrent of guilt by this violation of one's conscience or religious upbringing.” See the report, Cohabitation Before Marriage by Joseph M. Champlin, at:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0603.asp
The Washington Post is hardly a religious publication. The August 16, 2009, piece, Force of Cohabit: Making or Breaking a Marriage? by Ellen McCarthy, discusses the phenomenon of cohabitation in a somewhat more balanced fashion but is surprisingly negative. Scott “Stanley, a University of Denver psychologist, has spent the past 15 years trying to figure out why premarital cohabitation is associated with lower levels of satisfaction in marriage and a greater potential for divorce.” Stanley discovered that “. . . almost 19 percent of those who lived together before getting engaged had at some point suggested divorce, compared with 10 percent for those who waited until marriage to live together.” "Cohabitation may not be making some relationships more risky," Stanley says. "What it may be doing is making some risky relationships more likely to continue." Read the whole article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/13/AR2009081304118_pf.html
What is the solution to the problem of cohabitation? It may be nothing more than old fashioned preaching against sin. See “Flee also youthful lusts:” (2 Timothy 2:22) and “Flee fornication.” (1 Corinthians 6:18), among others.
Summary
This post has examined Cohabitation Before Marriage as a major threat to families. We discovered that the solution is found in observing Biblical injunctions. Our next post will take a look at another threat to families, Pornography.
I remain yours in the name of Jesus Christ, the Creator and Name above every name.
“Mr. Phil”
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
The Stop Sign, Part 2
The Stop Sign, Part 2
Encouraged by the professor, and hoping to stand his ground in what he felt would be a decisive give and take, Billy Lynch pushed on.
“No disagreement there professor. We put up stop signs to encourage people to stop. So my next question, if I may, is this: Why do you want people to stop?
Although he was feeling the urge to quickly do away with the question, Dr. Wilson sensed that he should continue.
“I would want people to stop because if they didn’t stop, they might get hurt, even killed,” he said. The students’ attention switched from Wilson to Lynch, wondering where this was leading.
“True enough,” said Lynch. “I believe we can agree that this would be likely. I simply wonder why you care that people not be hurt or killed if they fail to observe a stop sign.”
The professor quickly responded: “You don’t want people to get hurt or killed, do you?”
Billy Lynch began to feel pressured to respond as the professor expected but he knew there was a better way.
“Meaning no disrespect Professor Wilson, but it is not my role to provide an answer since you were the one who asked for questions. It is to you that I am looking for an answer to my concern. Here I am wondering why you care if someone gets hurt or killed at a stop sign…and your answer should not be in the form of a question to me. I know how I would respond but I wonder about your response.”
The class was a little stunned at Lynch’s bravado. He was actually putting the professor in the hot seat and this fact was not lost on Professor Wilson. He was being asked something very important, but didn’t really know what to say. Neither Professor Wilson nor the other students knew much about Billy. They didn’t know that he was a brilliant young man, having entered college at the age of 16, after quickly going through a home school program taught by his mother. It was at her knees that he had learned to be alert and to think deeply about ideas. He had, at her insistence, heard all about evolution and its many faults. He had been encouraged to study carefully the evidence for evolution and, in the process, had come to see that the evidence for evolution was actually interpretations which had been turned around as evidence; that the concept of evolution was nothing more than a clever scheme to deny the existence and work of God. He had a big advantage over his classmates who had been nearly forced to accept, what some have called, “an adult fairy tale” in order to graduate.
“You are right, absolutely right Mr. Lynch. I did ask for questions and this is what you’ve done. It is up to me to provide answers. When it comes to not wanting anyone to be hurt or killed because they fail to observe and obey a stop sign, I believe my answer is that I wouldn’t like it. And that is my final answer.”
This brought a few laughs from throughout the lecture hall as they recalled the now famous line from a popular TV quiz program.
Dan Schobert, W9MFG@charter.net
Encouraged by the professor, and hoping to stand his ground in what he felt would be a decisive give and take, Billy Lynch pushed on.
“No disagreement there professor. We put up stop signs to encourage people to stop. So my next question, if I may, is this: Why do you want people to stop?
Although he was feeling the urge to quickly do away with the question, Dr. Wilson sensed that he should continue.
“I would want people to stop because if they didn’t stop, they might get hurt, even killed,” he said. The students’ attention switched from Wilson to Lynch, wondering where this was leading.
“True enough,” said Lynch. “I believe we can agree that this would be likely. I simply wonder why you care that people not be hurt or killed if they fail to observe a stop sign.”
The professor quickly responded: “You don’t want people to get hurt or killed, do you?”
Billy Lynch began to feel pressured to respond as the professor expected but he knew there was a better way.
“Meaning no disrespect Professor Wilson, but it is not my role to provide an answer since you were the one who asked for questions. It is to you that I am looking for an answer to my concern. Here I am wondering why you care if someone gets hurt or killed at a stop sign…and your answer should not be in the form of a question to me. I know how I would respond but I wonder about your response.”
The class was a little stunned at Lynch’s bravado. He was actually putting the professor in the hot seat and this fact was not lost on Professor Wilson. He was being asked something very important, but didn’t really know what to say. Neither Professor Wilson nor the other students knew much about Billy. They didn’t know that he was a brilliant young man, having entered college at the age of 16, after quickly going through a home school program taught by his mother. It was at her knees that he had learned to be alert and to think deeply about ideas. He had, at her insistence, heard all about evolution and its many faults. He had been encouraged to study carefully the evidence for evolution and, in the process, had come to see that the evidence for evolution was actually interpretations which had been turned around as evidence; that the concept of evolution was nothing more than a clever scheme to deny the existence and work of God. He had a big advantage over his classmates who had been nearly forced to accept, what some have called, “an adult fairy tale” in order to graduate.
“You are right, absolutely right Mr. Lynch. I did ask for questions and this is what you’ve done. It is up to me to provide answers. When it comes to not wanting anyone to be hurt or killed because they fail to observe and obey a stop sign, I believe my answer is that I wouldn’t like it. And that is my final answer.”
This brought a few laughs from throughout the lecture hall as they recalled the now famous line from a popular TV quiz program.
Dan Schobert, W9MFG@charter.net
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Families – Threats – Lack of a Stay at Home Parent
From our Introductory Post:
“The righteous have sat back and allowed the wicked to take over our relationships to God, families, churches, governments, schools and colleges, journalism, entertainment, sports, sciences, and a whole litany of other endeavors in our society.”
Families – Threats – Lack of a Stay at Home Parent
In our previous post we considered the topic of Threats to Families, specifically Absentee Fathers. We will now take a look at another threat to the family, Lack of a Stay at Home Parent.
First, we should consider what none other than the venerable United States Government Census Bureau has to say about this problem. According to a Statistical Bulletin, SB/94-5 issued in April, 1994, “In fall 1991, there were 31 million children under age 15 living with their employed mothers.” Between 1988 and 1991 “a fairly substantial number (8 percent, or 1.6 million 5 to 14 year olds) were ‘latchkey’ kids – they spent some or all of these hours home alone.”
Wow, you say, those are really old statistics! Consider this from associatedcontent.com, by Jareb Collins, October 23, 2006. “Every day, as many as 77 percent of American youth are labeled by special definition: Latchkey Kids. Latchkey kids are children who carry a key in their pocket, bag, purse – anywhere on their personal being. The reason they carry this key, and derive the namesake, is because the abodes for which those keys are intended are empty when they arrive there.” Jareb pegs this as a growing problem.
Parentpedia asks, “When is a child old enough to stay home alone?” The answer: “In fact, the statistics provide many reasons why your child should not be home alone; studies have found that latch-key kids are more likely to use alcohol, cigarettes, and illegal drugs than children who are supervised after school.”
So, how do we fix this problem? The mother, as the primary nurturer and care provider, must become a Proverbs 31 woman, and men must be the husbands and fathers God expects. We need to care for our children according to the principles found in Ephesians 6. A mother can work to earn income as long as the needs of the children are met. A husband and father should continue to be the primary income generator as well as participating with their mother in educating and bringing the children up in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Parentpedia offers positive suggestions for keeping children safe and secure: “Instead of letting your child stay home alone, exhaust your options. Look to family members, neighbors, and after-school activities or sports to keep your child busy.” The answer is not mere “busyness” but options for productive at-home time for the kids.
Summary
This post has examined Lack of a Stay at Home Parent as a major threat to families. We discovered that the solution is found not only in observing Biblical injunctions but providing positive practical alternatives to “home alone” scenarios. Our next post will take a look at another threat to families, Cohabitation Before Marriage.
I remain yours in the name of Jesus Christ, the Creator and Name above every name.
“Mr. Phil”
“The righteous have sat back and allowed the wicked to take over our relationships to God, families, churches, governments, schools and colleges, journalism, entertainment, sports, sciences, and a whole litany of other endeavors in our society.”
Families – Threats – Lack of a Stay at Home Parent
In our previous post we considered the topic of Threats to Families, specifically Absentee Fathers. We will now take a look at another threat to the family, Lack of a Stay at Home Parent.
First, we should consider what none other than the venerable United States Government Census Bureau has to say about this problem. According to a Statistical Bulletin, SB/94-5 issued in April, 1994, “In fall 1991, there were 31 million children under age 15 living with their employed mothers.” Between 1988 and 1991 “a fairly substantial number (8 percent, or 1.6 million 5 to 14 year olds) were ‘latchkey’ kids – they spent some or all of these hours home alone.”
Wow, you say, those are really old statistics! Consider this from associatedcontent.com, by Jareb Collins, October 23, 2006. “Every day, as many as 77 percent of American youth are labeled by special definition: Latchkey Kids. Latchkey kids are children who carry a key in their pocket, bag, purse – anywhere on their personal being. The reason they carry this key, and derive the namesake, is because the abodes for which those keys are intended are empty when they arrive there.” Jareb pegs this as a growing problem.
Parentpedia asks, “When is a child old enough to stay home alone?” The answer: “In fact, the statistics provide many reasons why your child should not be home alone; studies have found that latch-key kids are more likely to use alcohol, cigarettes, and illegal drugs than children who are supervised after school.”
So, how do we fix this problem? The mother, as the primary nurturer and care provider, must become a Proverbs 31 woman, and men must be the husbands and fathers God expects. We need to care for our children according to the principles found in Ephesians 6. A mother can work to earn income as long as the needs of the children are met. A husband and father should continue to be the primary income generator as well as participating with their mother in educating and bringing the children up in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Parentpedia offers positive suggestions for keeping children safe and secure: “Instead of letting your child stay home alone, exhaust your options. Look to family members, neighbors, and after-school activities or sports to keep your child busy.” The answer is not mere “busyness” but options for productive at-home time for the kids.
Summary
This post has examined Lack of a Stay at Home Parent as a major threat to families. We discovered that the solution is found not only in observing Biblical injunctions but providing positive practical alternatives to “home alone” scenarios. Our next post will take a look at another threat to families, Cohabitation Before Marriage.
I remain yours in the name of Jesus Christ, the Creator and Name above every name.
“Mr. Phil”
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Guest Post - The Stop Sign, Part 1
Guest Post
I am happy to present another guest post by my friend, Dan Schobert. I thought I would do this one like the old-fashioned serials. Enjoy! Dan said he would like to hear from anyone who wants to email him.
The Stop Sign, Part 1
“And that, my dear students, is the end of my talk on evolution.” Professor James Wilson began putting his notes away. It was the conclusion of Evolution 101, a 13 week class in which college students were given an introduction to the background of evolutionary science. As was his usual procedure, and without lifting his eyes, he asked: “any questions?” It was the question he always asked when concluding a day’s lecture but he seldom received any responses from the close to 300 students crowded into the state university lecture hall. Wilson sometimes wondered if the students were alive, let alone awake. But he didn’t care because, in a few weeks, he would be going into retirement.
Little did he know that things were about to change. Believing things were normal, Wilson lifted his head and scanned the audience to see, if by some slim chance, someone actually had a question. Moving from left to right across the hall, he was surprised to see an uplifted hand in the fourth row, fifth seat.
“Oh, what a surprise. We have a question. Stand up young man and lets hear what you have on your mind.” Slowly the student rose. It was 20-year-old William (Billy) Lynch. A quiet student, Billy seldom made much fuss in class, keeping to himself most of the time. His six feet, two inch frame was attired in the typical fashion of the day; army fatigues, Nike shoes, torn shirt. At least the clothes were clean. He rose slowly from his seat, ran his fingers through his wavy brown hair and cleared his throat.
“Thank you Professor Wilson,” he began. “I’ve been sitting here for these several weeks as you have lectured on evolution and I have found your comments very interesting. I have been trying to put all these things together, to make sense to me.. and I’ve come up with a question.” “Well spit it out boy; we’ve got things to do,” said the Professor, with a bit of anxiety in his voice, hoping he could be finished with this student in quick order. “With all due respect Professor Wilson, I realize you have been teaching the course for years and you will probably think my question to be unreasonable but I was just wondering this: Why do we have stop signs?”
The class broke into an uproar with laughs, whistles, hoots and hollers. Professor Wilson had to restrain himself to not join in the ruckus, knowing that no question is unreasonable though this one seemed a bit out of context. Clearing his throat and hoping the question would easily be answered, Professor Wilson said: “My boy, that seems like a good question and my answer is this: We have stop signs to inform people that they need to stop at a particular intersection.”
Dan Schobert, W9MFG@charter.net
I am happy to present another guest post by my friend, Dan Schobert. I thought I would do this one like the old-fashioned serials. Enjoy! Dan said he would like to hear from anyone who wants to email him.
The Stop Sign, Part 1
“And that, my dear students, is the end of my talk on evolution.” Professor James Wilson began putting his notes away. It was the conclusion of Evolution 101, a 13 week class in which college students were given an introduction to the background of evolutionary science. As was his usual procedure, and without lifting his eyes, he asked: “any questions?” It was the question he always asked when concluding a day’s lecture but he seldom received any responses from the close to 300 students crowded into the state university lecture hall. Wilson sometimes wondered if the students were alive, let alone awake. But he didn’t care because, in a few weeks, he would be going into retirement.
Little did he know that things were about to change. Believing things were normal, Wilson lifted his head and scanned the audience to see, if by some slim chance, someone actually had a question. Moving from left to right across the hall, he was surprised to see an uplifted hand in the fourth row, fifth seat.
“Oh, what a surprise. We have a question. Stand up young man and lets hear what you have on your mind.” Slowly the student rose. It was 20-year-old William (Billy) Lynch. A quiet student, Billy seldom made much fuss in class, keeping to himself most of the time. His six feet, two inch frame was attired in the typical fashion of the day; army fatigues, Nike shoes, torn shirt. At least the clothes were clean. He rose slowly from his seat, ran his fingers through his wavy brown hair and cleared his throat.
“Thank you Professor Wilson,” he began. “I’ve been sitting here for these several weeks as you have lectured on evolution and I have found your comments very interesting. I have been trying to put all these things together, to make sense to me.. and I’ve come up with a question.” “Well spit it out boy; we’ve got things to do,” said the Professor, with a bit of anxiety in his voice, hoping he could be finished with this student in quick order. “With all due respect Professor Wilson, I realize you have been teaching the course for years and you will probably think my question to be unreasonable but I was just wondering this: Why do we have stop signs?”
The class broke into an uproar with laughs, whistles, hoots and hollers. Professor Wilson had to restrain himself to not join in the ruckus, knowing that no question is unreasonable though this one seemed a bit out of context. Clearing his throat and hoping the question would easily be answered, Professor Wilson said: “My boy, that seems like a good question and my answer is this: We have stop signs to inform people that they need to stop at a particular intersection.”
Dan Schobert, W9MFG@charter.net
Friday, November 20, 2009
Families – Threats – Absentee Fathers
From our Introductory Post:
“The righteous have sat back and allowed the wicked to take over our relationships to God, families, churches, governments, schools and colleges, journalism, entertainment, sports, sciences, and a whole litany of other endeavors in our society.”
Families – Threats – Absentee Fathers
In our previous post we considered the topic of Threats to Families, specifically Materialism. We will now take a look at another threat to the family, Absentee Fathers.
This one is personal for me because my dad, except for his money, was absent from my life beginning at the age of 10 until I became an adult. As I got older and gained a little wisdom, I discovered that my dad was a hard working person who loved his family, but did not understand how to show it. He wasn’t nearly as bad a fellow as I had been led to believe. Sadly, he died at an early age so I did not get to know him very well.
It is safe to say that the problem of absentee fathers is of great concern to our whole society regardless of political affiliation or religious belief. Absentee fathers are easy targets, and everyone considers them a lower form of life. Many state legislatures have passed “dead beat dad” laws in an effort, not to get dads back in their homes, but to recover money to be distributed by dedicated government bureaucrats.
One can find all kinds of statistics at the website, http://www.dads-daughters.com/absentee-fathers.html . I encourage you to visit this site to see how bad the situation really is. According to an older article in USA Today we learn that, “Communities across the country are experiencing success with counseling for unwed fathers plus other mentoring initiatives.” See http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2638_v127/ai_20954306/ . Apparently a real genius wrote this article because the conclusion is, “kids still need two parents to protect and prepare them for life as adults.” Imagine that! Even “Manchurian candidate” Obama went after absentee fathers in the black community, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/us/politics/15cnd-obama.html . Has anyone heard him say much about it since his election as president? Well, at least he models fatherhood with his two girls as far as we can see. However, some of the comments offered by his daughters during his campaign did make one wonder about their respect for their father.
Analyzing statistics and assessing blame is all well and good. The solution to the absentee father problem is found in Scripture. “1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:1 – 4) If a father is to bring children up, he must be present in the family, the mother must support him in his efforts, and the children have an obligation to obey the parents and honor the father and mother. Perhaps the situation with the “absentee” fathers is being aggravated by un-submissive wives and disobedient children. Just a thought!
Summary
This post has examined Absentee Fathers as a major threat to families. We discovered that the solution is obedience to the commandments of God for fathers and children found especially in Ephesians 6:1 - 4. Our next post will take a look at another threat to families, Lack of a Stay-at-Home Parent.
I remain yours in the name of Jesus Christ, the Creator and Name above every name.
“Mr. Phil”
“The righteous have sat back and allowed the wicked to take over our relationships to God, families, churches, governments, schools and colleges, journalism, entertainment, sports, sciences, and a whole litany of other endeavors in our society.”
Families – Threats – Absentee Fathers
In our previous post we considered the topic of Threats to Families, specifically Materialism. We will now take a look at another threat to the family, Absentee Fathers.
This one is personal for me because my dad, except for his money, was absent from my life beginning at the age of 10 until I became an adult. As I got older and gained a little wisdom, I discovered that my dad was a hard working person who loved his family, but did not understand how to show it. He wasn’t nearly as bad a fellow as I had been led to believe. Sadly, he died at an early age so I did not get to know him very well.
It is safe to say that the problem of absentee fathers is of great concern to our whole society regardless of political affiliation or religious belief. Absentee fathers are easy targets, and everyone considers them a lower form of life. Many state legislatures have passed “dead beat dad” laws in an effort, not to get dads back in their homes, but to recover money to be distributed by dedicated government bureaucrats.
One can find all kinds of statistics at the website, http://www.dads-daughters.com/absentee-fathers.html . I encourage you to visit this site to see how bad the situation really is. According to an older article in USA Today we learn that, “Communities across the country are experiencing success with counseling for unwed fathers plus other mentoring initiatives.” See http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2638_v127/ai_20954306/ . Apparently a real genius wrote this article because the conclusion is, “kids still need two parents to protect and prepare them for life as adults.” Imagine that! Even “Manchurian candidate” Obama went after absentee fathers in the black community, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/us/politics/15cnd-obama.html . Has anyone heard him say much about it since his election as president? Well, at least he models fatherhood with his two girls as far as we can see. However, some of the comments offered by his daughters during his campaign did make one wonder about their respect for their father.
Analyzing statistics and assessing blame is all well and good. The solution to the absentee father problem is found in Scripture. “1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:1 – 4) If a father is to bring children up, he must be present in the family, the mother must support him in his efforts, and the children have an obligation to obey the parents and honor the father and mother. Perhaps the situation with the “absentee” fathers is being aggravated by un-submissive wives and disobedient children. Just a thought!
Summary
This post has examined Absentee Fathers as a major threat to families. We discovered that the solution is obedience to the commandments of God for fathers and children found especially in Ephesians 6:1 - 4. Our next post will take a look at another threat to families, Lack of a Stay-at-Home Parent.
I remain yours in the name of Jesus Christ, the Creator and Name above every name.
“Mr. Phil”
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Families – Threats – Materialism
From our Introductory Post:
“The righteous have sat back and allowed the wicked to take over our relationships to God, families, churches, governments, schools and colleges, journalism, entertainment, sports, sciences, and a whole litany of other endeavors in our society.”
Families – Threats – Materialism
In our previous post we considered the topic of Threats to Families, specifically Negative Influences of the Media. We will now take a look at another threat to the family, Materialism.
It almost seems un-American NOT to be a materialist and collect as many TOYS as possible. However, we discover from the Bible, a founding document of our American nation, that at the root of materialism is covetousness.
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” (Exodus 20:17)
“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12:15)
We would do well to consider the dictionary definition of materialism.
“materialism, noun.1. the belief that all action, thought, and feeling is made up of material things and not of ideas. Ex. In the latter half of the 1800's, materialism severely challenged the traditional spiritual view of man (Science). 2. the tendency to leave out or forget the spiritual side of things; worldliness. Ex. Our materialism has produced too much dependence upon industry (Atlantic). 3. the ethical doctrine that material self-interest should and does determine conduct.” (World Book Dictionary)
Some pretty good advice comes from a surprising source, Disney Family.com. This from what appears, on the surface, to be an organization dedicated to covetousness and “making dreams come true.”
“What do you do when you notice that your child is right -- she really is the only one at school without an iPod?”
• “avoid competitive ‘Keep up with the Joneses’ thinking”
• “set the stage for the discussion by explaining that each family is different”
• “learning to cope with disappointment is an important growth skill.”
• “Tell him (your child) that you'll make sure he has what he needs, but beyond that it's a process of negotiation.”
http://family.go.com/parentpedia/preteen-teen/behavior/teen-materialism/ (Disney)
The obvious solution to this threat to our families is “Thou shalt not covet.”
Summary
This post has examined Materialism as a major threat to families. We discovered that the solution is obedience to the commandment of God not to covet. Our next post will take a look at another threat to families, Absentee Fathers.
I remain yours in the name of Jesus Christ, the Creator and Name above every name.
“Mr. Phil”
“The righteous have sat back and allowed the wicked to take over our relationships to God, families, churches, governments, schools and colleges, journalism, entertainment, sports, sciences, and a whole litany of other endeavors in our society.”
Families – Threats – Materialism
In our previous post we considered the topic of Threats to Families, specifically Negative Influences of the Media. We will now take a look at another threat to the family, Materialism.
It almost seems un-American NOT to be a materialist and collect as many TOYS as possible. However, we discover from the Bible, a founding document of our American nation, that at the root of materialism is covetousness.
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” (Exodus 20:17)
“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12:15)
We would do well to consider the dictionary definition of materialism.
“materialism, noun.1. the belief that all action, thought, and feeling is made up of material things and not of ideas. Ex. In the latter half of the 1800's, materialism severely challenged the traditional spiritual view of man (Science). 2. the tendency to leave out or forget the spiritual side of things; worldliness. Ex. Our materialism has produced too much dependence upon industry (Atlantic). 3. the ethical doctrine that material self-interest should and does determine conduct.” (World Book Dictionary)
Some pretty good advice comes from a surprising source, Disney Family.com. This from what appears, on the surface, to be an organization dedicated to covetousness and “making dreams come true.”
“What do you do when you notice that your child is right -- she really is the only one at school without an iPod?”
• “avoid competitive ‘Keep up with the Joneses’ thinking”
• “set the stage for the discussion by explaining that each family is different”
• “learning to cope with disappointment is an important growth skill.”
• “Tell him (your child) that you'll make sure he has what he needs, but beyond that it's a process of negotiation.”
http://family.go.com/parentpedia/preteen-teen/behavior/teen-materialism/ (Disney)
The obvious solution to this threat to our families is “Thou shalt not covet.”
Summary
This post has examined Materialism as a major threat to families. We discovered that the solution is obedience to the commandment of God not to covet. Our next post will take a look at another threat to families, Absentee Fathers.
I remain yours in the name of Jesus Christ, the Creator and Name above every name.
“Mr. Phil”
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Negative Influences from the Media
From our Introductory Post:
“The righteous have sat back and allowed the wicked to take over our relationships to God, families, churches, governments, schools and colleges, journalism, entertainment, sports, sciences, and a whole litany of other endeavors in our society.”
Families – Threats – Negative Influences from the Media
In our previous post we considered the topic of Threats to Families, specifically Divorce. We will now take a look at another threat to the family, Negative Influences from the Media.
Marshall McLuhan, a futurist or philosopher of the 1960s wrote a piece in which he stated, “The medium is the message because it is the medium that shapes and controls the scale and form of human association and action.” Parents are increasingly aware of this in their children in today’s world. In fact, children seem to be lost in their iPods, G3s, cell phones, or whatever.
The dictionary definition of mass media, “any forms of communication, such as the press, television, radio, and motion pictures, which reach large numbers of people,” demonstrates the scale of the problem with the negative influence on families. Influence is “the power of persons or things to act on others, seen only in its effects.” Influence, in its verb form, works to produce “change the nature or behavior of.” In the case of today’s media the change is not for the better.
Although the mass media is influential in the life of the family, it has become irrelevant because it is sending messages that are “not important or meaningful.” In other words a family spending a lot of time interacting with mass media is wasting valuable time attempting to recover positive messages from irrelevance.
I suppose there are some good things running through our sewer systems on occasion or, perhaps, buried in dumpsters and landfills. Do we spend time cruising through the sewers or mining dumpsters and landfills in order to recover the few “gems” that might be there? Anyone doing this would not readily admit it for fear of being declared insane. Why do we continue allowing and even encouraging our families to cruise the sewers and mine the dumpsters and landfills of the mass media?
Summary
This post has examined Negative Influences from the Media as a major threat to families. Our next post will take a look at another threat to families, Materialism.
I remain yours in the name of Jesus Christ, the Creator and Name above every name.
“Mr. Phil”
“The righteous have sat back and allowed the wicked to take over our relationships to God, families, churches, governments, schools and colleges, journalism, entertainment, sports, sciences, and a whole litany of other endeavors in our society.”
Families – Threats – Negative Influences from the Media
In our previous post we considered the topic of Threats to Families, specifically Divorce. We will now take a look at another threat to the family, Negative Influences from the Media.
Marshall McLuhan, a futurist or philosopher of the 1960s wrote a piece in which he stated, “The medium is the message because it is the medium that shapes and controls the scale and form of human association and action.” Parents are increasingly aware of this in their children in today’s world. In fact, children seem to be lost in their iPods, G3s, cell phones, or whatever.
The dictionary definition of mass media, “any forms of communication, such as the press, television, radio, and motion pictures, which reach large numbers of people,” demonstrates the scale of the problem with the negative influence on families. Influence is “the power of persons or things to act on others, seen only in its effects.” Influence, in its verb form, works to produce “change the nature or behavior of.” In the case of today’s media the change is not for the better.
Although the mass media is influential in the life of the family, it has become irrelevant because it is sending messages that are “not important or meaningful.” In other words a family spending a lot of time interacting with mass media is wasting valuable time attempting to recover positive messages from irrelevance.
I suppose there are some good things running through our sewer systems on occasion or, perhaps, buried in dumpsters and landfills. Do we spend time cruising through the sewers or mining dumpsters and landfills in order to recover the few “gems” that might be there? Anyone doing this would not readily admit it for fear of being declared insane. Why do we continue allowing and even encouraging our families to cruise the sewers and mine the dumpsters and landfills of the mass media?
Summary
This post has examined Negative Influences from the Media as a major threat to families. Our next post will take a look at another threat to families, Materialism.
I remain yours in the name of Jesus Christ, the Creator and Name above every name.
“Mr. Phil”
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