Veritas Rex

Marriage Law and Children

From a recent radio commentary by Linda Harvey, Founder and President of Mission: America:

More and more parents are being told what their children will be taught regarding homosexuality in opposition to the will of the parents.  Christians need to stand up for what is right despite what others may claim to be their rights.

Several weeks ago, first graders in the San Francisco area were taken on a field trip to City Hall. The purpose was to toss rose petals on their just-married teacher. That sounds sweet, until you understand that the female teacher ‘married’ another female teacher, with the mayor of San Francisco officiating at the ceremony.

I visited San Francisco recently to be part of a press conference on the steps of City Hall. We supported the passage of an amendment to the California constitution, affirming marriage to be what it’s always been: the union of one man and one woman. This became necessary because a court ruled last May that same sex couples can get ‘married’ in that state, even though voters passed a measure in the year 2000 affirming man/woman marriage.

I too saw same sex couples emerge after their ceremonies, posing on the City Hall steps for photos. It made me realize how quickly something so unthinkable a decade ago can become the norm, when those who want it are determined to make it happen. It’s up to those who disagree to be just as determined not to let immorality become the new benchmark. And one of the biggest reasons is exhibit A: what our culture will then teach and model to children.

If immoral behavior becomes legal, there’s almost no way to prevent most children from accepting the new standard. It has all the weight of government endorsement behind it. Schools will teach it, the media will jump on the bandwagon, and parents will struggle in vain to transmit a different value to their kids.
 
In Massachusetts, parent David Parker learned what happens to a parent’s rights  once homosexual ‘marriage’ becomes the law.  He asked his son’s elementary school to notify him prior to any lessons about homosexuality. The school refused, claiming that all children should learn to accept homosexuality. After all, in 2004, it became legal as ‘marriage’ in that state. The courts upheld that position.

Last year, California passed an education law requiring that positive messages about homosexuality be taught. No opposing viewpoint criticizing this lifestyle is allowed in schools. Did you think the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and speech? Well, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear David Parker’s case from Massachusetts. Evidently this new invented “right” forcing all children to learn about homosexuality now trumps the rights of those who disagree.

Even with this descent into lawlessness, many Christians still don’t think the marriage issue is their concern. Will there always be the security of Christian schooling or home schooling to teach biblical morality? The advocates of same sex ‘marriage’ want those options to end, too. They want all kids to learn the new code of misconduct.

We need to speak out with just as much conviction about traditional morality, as the proponents of San Francisco values do. It’s not hateful, but the opposite. It’s one of the best legacies we can give our kids.

More Info: download a transcript of this or other commentaries at Mornings, Daily Archive, WMBN Moody Radio.

Becky Skillman is the new model of women's leadership

Out:  Women's Liberation  

In:  Women's Leadership

If we've learned one thing during this election cycle, it's that the old-school women's lib is out, and a new style of women's leadership is in.  Out with Hilliary, in with Michelle.  Out with Jill, in with Becky.  And totally in with Sarah.

We now understand that much of the women's lib movement was a lie.  We've matured -- now it's ok to love God, to love our husbands, it's ok to raise our kids (and it's wrongto kill them before they've had a chance to be born)...and 'by golly' it's ok to have a rational debate on the issues without scratching anybody's eyes out.  It's even ok to hunt and fish, and then come back and knit some booties - just tell me I can't!

For women in politics, it's also ok to be strong, committed leaders. Yesterday the Susan B. Anthony List praised Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman:

"Jill Long Thompson, Emily's List and the feminist movement must see the handwriting on the wall.  Becky Skillman is the new model of woman's political leadership -- centered on her obligations to nation, community and family. The old worn-out model, the 'me' centered standard staged by women four decades ago remains unfulfilled. Indiana women now know abortion can't be the center of a sustained feminist movement."

Hoosiers are obviously very impressed with Becky Skillman's leadership in matters of state.  But we women are especially blessed that she is a role model of femininity and grace, of faith and family.  Politics aside...she is a lovely example of a strong female leader with a commitment to values and integrity that help to shape how we all work and live today. 

I thank her for that, and I pledge to come alongside corporate, non-profit and government women in the new leadership style as we celebrate our strengths, live our family values and are grateful for our many blessings.

Now finish your vegetables and go start your homework. 

Gov. Sarah Palin will do-si-do with Mark Souder and Hank Williams, Jr. in Fort Wayne on Saturday

Alright, so maybe I'm mixing up genres, but it's a good teaser line.

Road to Victory Rally in Ft. Wayne, IN featuring Gov. Sara Palin and Hank Williams, Jr.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2008
4:00 PM to 7:30 PM
 
Saturday October 25th
 
Memorial Coliseum
4000 Parnell Ave.
Ft. Wayne, IN 46805

Call the Mark Souder for Congress committee for tickets at (260) 436-5230.

Good. Luck.

Fireproof Trailer

Below is the trailer for an excellent upcoming movie, Fireproof.  I got the chance to see an early glimpse of this movie a month ago and I will be going again when it opens in theaters on September 26th (yeah, that's next weekend).  It's got a strong message about preserving your marriage and about faith.  For a movie mostly produced by a church in Georgia (and not a Hollywood studio) it is well done.

The Top Ten findings regarding Parental Involvement and Children’s Academic Success

Top Ten findings regarding Parental Involvement and Children’s Academic Success (from familyfacts.org):

1.  Increased school readiness. Preschoolers whose parents are very involved with their schools score higher than their peers in all aspects of school readiness. full details

2. Reduction in behavior problems. Children who have a positive relationship with their mothers when they are in kindergarten are less likely to have behavior problems and more likely to excel in middle school. full details

3. Greater academic achievement. Children whose fathers are involved in their education have greater academic achievement than their peers, even when taking into account their mothers’ involvement. full details

4. Increased study of math and science. Children of parents who promote math and science through toys and family activities they engage in are more likely to study math and science later on. full details

5. Boosted high school graduation rates. Youths whose parents are highly involved in their education during elementary school are more likely to graduate from high school, complete high-school requirements, or complete a higher grade in high school. full details   

6. Increased math, science and English course completion. High school students whose parents are highly involved and have high expectations for them are more likely to enroll in an academic program and complete courses in mathematics, science, and English. full details   

7. Enhanced academic achievement of low-income children. Low-income children whose parents are involved with their school activities tend to exhibit higher levels of academic achievement from kindergarten through mid-adolescence. full details

8. Greater school success among minority students. Minority students whose parents are highly involved with their education tend to have higher grades, score higher on standardized tests, and exhibit better school behavior than peers of less involved parents. full details   

9. Involved parents boost school success. African-American males whose parents adopt an authoritarian style, are involved in their schoolwork, and convey their cultural heritage are more likely to succeed in school than peers of less involved parents. full details 

10. Extracurricular monitoring and academic achievement. Mexican-American students tend to have higher grades if their parents more closely monitor their extracurricular activities and their families are involved with their schools. full details

The Governor discusses faith

Here is a very thoughtful speech given by Governor Daniels to nearly 630 faith leaders from across the state.  It is much longer than I prefer for a youtube clip, but it is worth the effort.  The point I found most interesting was the Governor's position that (I'm paraphrasing...he says it much more eloquently in the video) he should not use his public office to promote his personal faith, yet government should embrace people of faith because those motivated by faith can do what government cannot...address matters of the heart (which leads to true solutions).  Do you agree? 

A Study of Freedom: Russia v. China

Paul Weyrich has a very interesting article on TownHall.com, "Contemporary China and Contemporary Russia, A Dramatic Contrast."

His position is that though Russia is far from holding a perfect record on allowing political freedom, they are far ahead of China.  He questions our free trade policy with China (I'm much more of a free trader than Mr. Weyrich, but I find his argument worth some thought).  However, what is most interesting to me is this concept:

"Economic conservatives in this country have argued for decades that economic freedom inevitably leads to political freedom. Where is the proof? In ways China has some economic freedom. Is there any political freedom? I am open to be convinced but I can't find any."

I tend to agree with "economic conservatives" that economic freedom leads to political freedom (and would argue that China needs more time before we conclude anything).  However, I wonder if both Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals don't miss a major point here (and I thank Weyrich for getting this much needed conversation going).  Perhaps we all focus too much on economics.  Economic freedom is certainly important.  I am just as conservative economically as I am socially (and that is saying something...lol). 

However, perhaps the key lies with a concept my colleague Curt Smith has put a significant amount of thought into.  Perhaps the answer for attaining the most measure of freedom in all areas (economic, political, religious, etc.) involves the proper balance of the 3 primary institutions of family, church and government.  What if the absence of freedom in any country is really due to the imbalance of these three original institutions created by God?  Look for more as we attempt to further unveil this topic in future posts.

Heritage Top Ten: Parents and Teen Sex

Heritage Foundation:  Top ten ways strong families help deter unhealthy teenage sexual behavior.

1. Delayed sexual behavior. Youths who report higher quality relationships with their mothers and who feel their mothers highly disapprove of their having sex are more likely to delay sexual activity. full details

2. Reduction in teen pregnancy. Adolescent girls who feel that their mothers highly disapprove of their having sex and say that they had a very good relationship with their mothers are less likely than other peers to become pregnant. full details

3. Reduction in number of sexual partners.  On average, youths who feel that their mothers hold more liberal views on teen sexual activity have more sexual partners than peers who believe their mothers hold less liberal views on teen sex. full details

4. Youth sexual activity.  Teen girls who say they have a close relationship with their fathers are less likely to become sexually active. full details

5. Youth abstinence.  Adolescents whose parents discuss what is right and wrong in sexual behavior are more likely to remain abstinent than peers who do not have such talks with their parents.  full details   

6. Parent/child discussions.  In spite of peers’ behavior that would encourage sexual activity, adolescents who engage in discussions with their parents about sex are less likely to be sexually active or have fewer partners than youth who do not have such talks with their parents. full details   

7. Delayed sexual behavior. Adolescent girls whose mothers communicate with their friends’ parents tend to become sexually active at a later age. full details

8. Risky behavior.  Teens who are closely monitored by their parents are less likely to take risks regarding sexual behavior. full details   

9. Parental rules.  Adolescents whose parents set clear rules are less likely to have had sexual intercourse than peers whose parents did not. full details 

10. Setting limits.  Teens whose parents set limits on their television viewing or watch television with them are less likely to initiate sexual activity. full details

Drive-thru Marriage...Drive-thru Divorce

A year or so ago a minister got the wacky idea of opening up a combination gas station/wedding chapel.  As soon as I heard about this idea I immediately thought of someone driving through and saying, "I had $40 on pump 6 and I would also like to get hitched." 

Thankfully, the idea met a chilly reception from the public and has been scrapped.

What's more disturbing to me, however, is that the law allows divorce to be almost as easy, ala "No-fault divore."  Regardless of how one gets into a marriage, it should be a committment for life.  Though some of us might differ theologically about what constitutes acceptable grounds for divorce, I think most of us would agree that the current divorce rate is unacceptable.  The research differs, but I think at least a 40% divorce rate is safe to assume in this State, given the limited data available. 

Most of those 4 in 10 marriages that end in divorce are not because of the serious situations that no-fault divorce advocates used to usher in the law decades ago.  It's not domestic violence that leads to the vast majority of divorces, many of the reasons are fixable and do not rise to the level where scrapping the entire marriage should be an option.  These reasons include:

Poor communication
Financial problems
A lack of commitment to the marriage
A dramatic change in priorities

Too many see marriage as nothing more than a one way road to happiness.  When the hard times come and the couple aren't so happy anymore, they are quick to jump ship.  The government is promoting this lack of committment through offering "irretrieviable breakdown of the marriage" as a ground for divorce.  Through this loopole anyone can get divorced for any reason.  Shouldn't we allow people to hold themselves to a higher standard?  It seems to me that we must end this loophole and come up with some sort of compromise on reasonable grounds for divorce.

How about infidelity, domestic abuse, abandonment, insanity and addiction along with the other grounds currently available within the law (accept for "irretrievable breakdown of the marriage" of course)?

It may not be perfect, but it would lead to fewer divorces than the current drive-thru divorce policy we currently have.   

What are the effects of experimental homosexual parenting on children?

Here is the follow up to a post I put up a couple of weeks ago.  In this video, Glenn Stanton makes the point that raising a child in a home with two homosexual parents rather than a mother and a father is a risky, untested social experiment.  As I mentioned before, the social science research is replete with examples of the positive results of children being raised by their own married mother and father, yet the same cannot be said for homosexual parenting (this report is very interesting on this topic). 

Gay activsts often argue (as one commenter did in response to my last post) that their opponents must prove that same-sex parenting is not good for children.  That seems rather unfair does it not?  Who wants to unleash this untested social experiment of homosexual parenting on the nation?...gay activists.  Therefore, shouldn't they be the ones to prove that, at the very least, this social experiment does not harm children, before we allow its societal and governmental acceptance?