How do our children and young people learn about sex if not from us? What are we teaching them?
I am remembering a time when we used to talk about AIDS and other STDs. It was at a time when the rate of infections were lower. Why have we stopped? Is it because there is now a cure in some cases? I heard a case on ABC radio where somebody is living longer than what the doctors told her to expect.
But there are still the morality issues. Fiona Philips said that "our children are being failed by a lack of proper, structured information about loving partnerships and how to negotiate them because a squeamish, ignorant few would rather their children found out the hard way.". They learn from porn, etc. because their parents and school teachers forget or are too squeamish to tell them the real story. Would you agree?
Does church have a role to play also?
Another article that caught my eye is a father's letter to Victoria Secrets. The letter basically said that advertising, etc. has made the work of the parents a lot harder, in upholding morality when manufacturers and sales encourage our young people to "flaunt it". What do you think of that?
Because we who should know better are not educatiing your younger ones the way we should, Rebekah Maxwell reckons that our youth are more likely to get STDs than to get a job. Do you think she is exaggerating?
What is the truth about this matter? How should young people behave sexually? Who has the power and right to teach them? What do you think?
Showing posts with label youth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label youth. Show all posts
05 April 2013
06 March 2013
Beliefs of young people
Many people were shocked to hear that Mosese Fotuaika killed himself. The natural question people asked was "why"? Mosese was a young man, and a rising football star with the Balmain Tigers. He shouldn't be feeling depressed and upset about his life. He had a promising career ahead of him. Why would he do such a thing?
I suppose we will never know for sure. Some think it could be because of a mental health issue. This leads me to the next question - what do young people think about themselves? Do they see themselves as able to face the world? Do they feel that life is worth living?
As many people grow up, they are told many things about themselves. Some are told that they are wimps. Ugly. Lack potential. Etc. Some are told other things. People can grow up believing the truth, some end up believing lies.
I found http://www.charismamag.com/life/culture/16886-an-open-letter-to-gay-teens interesting. The article addressed an issue where a teenager believes that he is gay, when his parents know he is not. Are young people around you similarly deceived? What other deceptions do young people face?
I am sure some would be told very positive things as well. And in this culture of positive thinking, one would rather believe a positive lie than to believe the truth or believe a negative one.
I believe that Steve got it right when he said that "human beings are paradoxical. We are mere dust, and yet we have the breath of God within us." I think we should not be too proud of ourselves, but at the same time, also realise that we are something of value in the eyes of God.
What do you think? What would you encourage the young people around you to think?
I suppose we will never know for sure. Some think it could be because of a mental health issue. This leads me to the next question - what do young people think about themselves? Do they see themselves as able to face the world? Do they feel that life is worth living?
As many people grow up, they are told many things about themselves. Some are told that they are wimps. Ugly. Lack potential. Etc. Some are told other things. People can grow up believing the truth, some end up believing lies.
I found http://www.charismamag.com/life/culture/16886-an-open-letter-to-gay-teens interesting. The article addressed an issue where a teenager believes that he is gay, when his parents know he is not. Are young people around you similarly deceived? What other deceptions do young people face?
I am sure some would be told very positive things as well. And in this culture of positive thinking, one would rather believe a positive lie than to believe the truth or believe a negative one.
I believe that Steve got it right when he said that "human beings are paradoxical. We are mere dust, and yet we have the breath of God within us." I think we should not be too proud of ourselves, but at the same time, also realise that we are something of value in the eyes of God.
What do you think? What would you encourage the young people around you to think?
21 February 2013
Kids leave church
"The American church is declining" would be my synopsis of https://marc5solas.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/top-10-reasons-our-kids-leave-church/. This blog asserted that 70% of kids leave church when they leave high-school. Half of them return a decade later.
If these statistics are true and the trend were to continue, then the church would be losing 35% of its population with every generation. (I do not know how reliable the source of these statistics; nor do I know if the trend will continue.)
The point that the blogger seems to be making is that we are packaging church wrongly. Church is a culture that they do not feel the need for. It feels superficial. It does not answer all their questions or all their needs. Theology is "dumbed down" such that when the kids are treated as intelligent enough to ask the hard questions, the church does not have the answers.
Do you find church to be like this?
The blogger seems to think that our children and youth need to be confronted with the weight of the law and the freedom of the Gospel in order to appreciate church. What do you think?
I think that people need to meet the real Jesus. Church does not have to be a culture of its own. Church does not need to be light Bible studies all the time. Church does not need to be separated from community as though Christians are weird.
I think Church is really ordinary people who have met Jesus sharing together. It does not need to be a separate culture, apart from trying to live God's way instead of any other way. What do you think?
If these statistics are true and the trend were to continue, then the church would be losing 35% of its population with every generation. (I do not know how reliable the source of these statistics; nor do I know if the trend will continue.)
The point that the blogger seems to be making is that we are packaging church wrongly. Church is a culture that they do not feel the need for. It feels superficial. It does not answer all their questions or all their needs. Theology is "dumbed down" such that when the kids are treated as intelligent enough to ask the hard questions, the church does not have the answers.
Do you find church to be like this?
The blogger seems to think that our children and youth need to be confronted with the weight of the law and the freedom of the Gospel in order to appreciate church. What do you think?
I think that people need to meet the real Jesus. Church does not have to be a culture of its own. Church does not need to be light Bible studies all the time. Church does not need to be separated from community as though Christians are weird.
I think Church is really ordinary people who have met Jesus sharing together. It does not need to be a separate culture, apart from trying to live God's way instead of any other way. What do you think?
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