Category: Family
Famous Atheist Richard Dawkins Wants to Keep Parents from Imposing Religion On Kids – While Imposing His Religion
Posted on April 1, 2015 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Richard Dawkins recently made one of the most ironic statements I’ve heard this week. During an interview for The Irish Times Dawkins, speaking about children, said:
“Children do need to be protected so that they can have a proper education and not be indoctrinated in whatever religion their parents happen to have been brought up in.”
The irony of the statement is found in the fact that Dawkins is one of the world’s foremost atheists, which is just another “religious” ideology.
I suppose people don’t often consider atheism a religion, but rather than absence of or rejection of religion. But that is a misnomer. Religion, at its core, is a framework of convictions and beliefs that are intended to guide ones thinking and give direction to one’s life. It’s a sort of roadmap for living each day. Considering this simple but fundamental definition of religion it is easy to conclude that atheism is just another religion.
If I were to ask Dawkins if he thought children should be brought up Christian, or Jewish, or Mormon, he would probably say no. Dawkins would tell me that they should be allowed to make their own decision and that parents should not force their religion on their kids. However, if I asked Dawkins if he would encourage atheism via scientific exploration, philosophy, and thinking critically and logically with his own kids, he would almost certainly say yes.
Is It Really Important for Kids to Be Raised By Their Mother and Father?
Posted on December 22, 2014 in Family, Marriage by Nathan Cherry
Is it fair to say that children do best with their mother and a father? Is that statement both specific enough and true to be made without argument? Maybe, but it might need just a little editing to make it the most accurate and true statement possible.
Of course LGBT activists would argue that children do just as good with two moms or two dads as they do with a mother and a father. They might have a solid argument if we leave the statement as is. But, if we edit the statement by adding just one word, it becomes a nearly irrefutable statement. That one word: biological.
The statement now reads: children do best with their biological mother and father.
That statement can hardly be argued by anyone considering the rapidly growing body of evidence that shows the truth in the statement. We know from decades of evidence that children with step-parents and children in single parent homes do not do nearly as well as those in homes with their biological mother and father. And try as they may, advocates of marriage redefinition have a hard time arguing that children in same-sex homes do as well as children in homes with their biological parents.
Sex Conference for Middle School Students Encourages Bathing Together, Lap Dances
Posted on December 9, 2014 in Family, Sexuality by Nathan Cherry
All you need to know about a taxpayer funded sex conference in Oregon is what a spokesperson for the event had to say about what the event is all about:
“We really think the message that they are bringing to these children is not value oriented. It’s about helping youth make good choices on their own personal sexuality. It’s about making good decisions about their relationships; it’s about giving them skills to just anything that has to deal with health.”
In other words, one of the organizers of the event says that the event is not about teaching values, but about teaching youth to “make good choices on their own personal sexuality.”
The problem with this statement is that every choice comes from a place of values, which begins with morality. So, for a person to make a “good choice” regarding sexuality that person must first have a moral understanding of his or her sexuality that will enable a good choice. The result of not teaching any values associated with sexuality is exactly the problem, it’s how we arrived at this particular point in our culture.
Do Kids Really Need Stay At Home Moms?
Posted on November 10, 2014 in Family, Marriage by Nathan Cherry
President Obama supports a woman’s choice.
Unless that choice is to be a stay-at-home mom, then he doesn’t want you to make that choice. He would rather you choose your job and earn more money than to stay home with your children.
That’s the main take away from his recent speech at Rhode Island College in Providence, RI recently. It sounds as though our president would like the government to discourage mother from staying home with their kids. As though money, career advancement, and those things the business world offers are more important than raising children. The President said:
Dr. James Dobson: America Will Not Survive If We Allow the Family to Disintegrate
Posted on September 25, 2014 in Family, Marriage by Nathan Cherry
Dr. James Dobson is a world-respected psychologist, author, and speaker. For more than 40 years he has spent his life teaching and training parents on how to raise children in the healthiest way possible. As a Christian, Dr. Dobson infuses his biblical beliefs into every aspect of his ministry and helps parents to learn biblical truth regarding child rearing.
After leaving Focus on the Family, the organization he began, Dr. Dobson founded ‘Family Talk,” to continue his efforts in helping parents to leave a legacy of biblical values in their kids. His new book, “Your Legacy” is centered on this idea of leaving a legacy, and the difference between inheritance and legacy.
In the video below Dr. Dobson talks about a variety of issues that he is concerned about in society. One of the first issues is that of the epidemic pornography problem. An oft-overlooked aspect to sexual crimes – whether against adults or children – is the link between the perpetrator and pornography. But Dr. Dobson makes it clear that many, most sexual crimes are at least in part due to the presence of pornography in a person’s life.
A Very Clear Warning to Churches Regarding Youth Ministry (Kids Ministry Too)
Posted on August 20, 2014 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
The following article from the Christian Post should serve as a very sobering warning to every church regarding youth ministry. I would also suggest that it applies to kids ministry as well. Churches that are quick to entertain and lack the ability to challenge their kids and students could be setting them up to reject faith entirely during their college years.
As parents it should be our most sincere desire to be in a church that will intentionally challenge our kids and students in their faith. We should be looking for leaders that are not just convicted in their beliefs, but know the Bible and how to communicate it. At the end of the day the fun and games must take a back seat to imparting solid doctrine and teaching biblical values to the impressionable people in our care.
I encourage you to take a few moments and read this article if you are a parent or church leader. Let us be reminded of the eternal nature of our charge to share our faith and disciple our kids and students.
Learning From Young Atheists: What Turned Them Off Christianity
It’s something most Christian parents worry about: You send your kids off to college and when they come back, you find they’ve lost their faith. The prospect of this happening is why many parents nudge their kids towards Christian colleges, or at least schools with a strong Christian presence on campus.
But in many ways, the damage has been done long before our children set foot on campus. That’s the message from a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly.
My Son Might Grow Up to be Really Selfish
Posted on August 13, 2014 in Family by Nathan Cherry
Have you ever had one of those experiences with your child that makes you beam with pride and want to tell the whole neighborhood? I had just such an experience my oldest son; and I was proud to share it with several people. But their response made me pause and come to a startling realization that brought me back to the responsibility I have as a parent.
Here’s what happened.
Sex Education for Parents: Why It Should Matter Who Teaches Your Kids
Posted on July 23, 2014 in Family, Sexuality by Derick Dickens
But here is also where the problem arises. My wife and I talked to our kids about sex from very early in their life. We always answered their questions truthfully, but never more than necessary at every age. When asked how “Mommy got pregnant”, We explained how God designed men and women, and Daddy’s seed fertilized mom’s egg. For a while that satisfied their curiosity. Later they would ask other questions, and the more questions the more detail we gave.
We see sex as a beautiful thing, something wonderfully created, something that is more than a way to orgasm, but full of purpose, meaning, and containing tremendous substance.
Why would I want someone to teach anything less?