I can't help but feel a mix of shock and sadness when reading headlines like these:
Obama Defends Roe v. Wade As Way for ‘Our Daughters’ to Have Same Chance As Sons to ‘Fulfill Their Dreams’
Brave New World: UK ethicist wants women to abandon motherhood, use artificial wombs
Drugs halt sexuality until children choose gender
It's just another sign of how far our society has fallen when headlines like these become all too common. Rather than see life for the precious gift that it is, President Obama sees a child as an obstacle to a girls dreams. This is the same man who, while campaigning, compared an unexpected pregnancy to being punished. As shocking as this may seem, he is just echoing the selfish and self-centered mentality that is so prevalent in our culture.
The next headline reflects a similar mindset. Dr Amada Smajdor, an ethicist from the U.K. views pregnancy as a burden or a disease in need of a cure. Her disturbing idea is to use science to completely destroy what Blessed John Paul II in The Theology of the Body called the bond between the unitive and the procreative aspects of human sexuality. Not only is this a selfish use of sexuality, it is the very root of Original sin, man trying to make himself into a god by controlling God's gifts of procreation and life .
The final headline takes "man playing god" even further as misguided parents and doctors are playing with children's' gender as if it is something that we choose rather than are born with. What kind of a dark and disturbed world are we living in when children become lab mice for us to experiment on? Why have the specific differences God created in male and female become a big target for these attacks by scientists, feminists, gay activists and other misguided people?
Our world is growing more aggressive in its attacks on God's gifts of life and sexuality. Many of these scientists and so called scholars feel with all the advancements in science and medicine, man no longer has a need to cling to God. Precisely the opposite is true. My whole point here is while science and technology have enabled us to accomplish what was never dreamed of before, it has made us arrogant and more selfish. We have now, more than any other time in history, made ourselves into our own gods by trying to control life and the creation of life. We are now experimenting with gender and sexuality in order to make man in our own image and likeness and not God's. Our world is closing itself off from God's graces, leading to all the social and economic problems plaguing us today. I fear for the future unless we embrace a culture of life and turn back to Christ.
Showing posts with label Children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Children. Show all posts
Where the real solutions are found.
I want to share with you a letter I wrote recently to our Diocesan newspaper in response to the articles in the links below:
- Failed policies and misguided morality do not help our youth
- A ‘True Christian’
- Deal with issues, not personal attacks
As I was reading the Commentary section of the November 10 edition of the Rhode Island Catholic, two articles really stood out to me because of how the issues they address are related. I am referring to the editorial "Failed policies and misguided morality do not help our youth" and the letter by Patricia Fontes of Hopkinton, "Deal with issues, not personal attacks".
The editorial is rightly critical of First Lady Stephanie Chafee's severely misguided views on distributing condoms to children. She has actually stated that rather than prevent our children from engaging in sexual practices, we should instead teach them about "safe sex". However, all she will accomplish with this is encouraging irresponsible and reckless behavior by our youth. I agree with the editor that our children deserve better than this. Contrary to what this culture of death telling them, our youth don't need "safe sex", rather they need to learn about the beauty and sacredness of the gift of human sexuality and human life. But most of all, we as parents need to take a stand to ensure that the guidance and values we give our children are not deliberately undermined by political leaders, Planned Parenthood, or teachers with messages of promiscuity and irresponsibility.
In the letter by Patricia Fontes, the writer criticizes the Rhode Island Catholic and the Catholic Church for apparently focusing on issues involving sexuality and not doing enough for the poor. Her accusations, such as this paper being "neo-conservative", a lobbyist for the Republican Party, and the Church silenced by the "1%", just serve to underscore her misguided support for the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. Unfortunately, her political leanings prevent her from seeing that some of the demands of the occupiers and the actions of the Obama administration are directly contrary to Catholic doctrine and deserve the condemnation they have received by the RI Catholic and the Church.
But how is this related to Stephanie Chafee's desire to distribute condoms? Whether the issue is teenage promiscuity and contraception, or a faltering economy and income inequality, the solutions all start in the same place. If we want to rebuild this country and save our youth, the first place we need to start is to strengthen and support the family in our culture. The seeds of the the ills our nation faces today were planted years ago when family came under attack and Christian family values were replaced with materialism, greed, and sexual license. Contraception and socialism are not the answer, as history has shown. Restoring the family and reopening hearts to the grace of God are where the real answers are found.
He Created Them Male and Female
I'm actually feeling some hesitation about writing this post because the subject matter really makes my blood boil. There are so many things wrong on so many levels in these following news stories that I am not even sure where to start.
I'll begin with the story that has been creating a lot of buzz on the internet over past week:
Parents keep child's gender secret
In the latest episode of "political correctness gone wild", these "enlightened" and "progressive" parents have decided to turn their children into a lab experiment by raising them "free of societal norms regarding gender". They have actually refused to identify the gender of their newborn baby to anyone even family and friends. I can only shake my head is disbelief at these quotes from the parents as they try to rationalize the harm they are doing to their children:
Transgender Clownfish? Gender Diversity Lesson at California School Riles Critics
As part of the latest fads in anti-bullying education, children as young as kindergarten in public schools in California are being taught about being transgender as well as the following:
Secondly, while I am tempted to harshly criticize the parents in the first story and the educators in the second story for their harmful decisions, I want to focus on the bigger picture. When did gender become a dirty word in our culture? When did having a specific, clearly defined gender become such a negative in our society? In other words, why are we so afraid to let men be men and women be women?
My point is that God "created them male and female." (Genesis 5:2) God created specific roles for men and women. In His infinite wisdom, He created gender for very specific reasons. This was so beautifully detailed by Blessed John Paul II in the Theology of the Body. We are all created in the Father's image and likeness and our body, including our gender, is an integral part of who we are along with our soul. These parents and educators, by believing that gender is something we feel or should decide for ourselves, are making the same mistake that Adam and Eve made in the Garden of Eden. It is the basis of all sin. Rather than submit to the will of God, we foolishly think we know more than God and choose to follow our own wills. We want become our own gods when we think that gender and sexuality is something we can determine more appropriately than the Creator.
I'll begin with the story that has been creating a lot of buzz on the internet over past week:
Parents keep child's gender secret
In the latest episode of "political correctness gone wild", these "enlightened" and "progressive" parents have decided to turn their children into a lab experiment by raising them "free of societal norms regarding gender". They have actually refused to identify the gender of their newborn baby to anyone even family and friends. I can only shake my head is disbelief at these quotes from the parents as they try to rationalize the harm they are doing to their children:
Witterick and Stocker believe they are giving their children the freedom to choose who they want to be, unconstrained by social norms about males and females.
In an age where helicopter parents hover nervously over their kids micromanaging their lives, and tiger moms ferociously push their progeny to get into Harvard, Stocker, 39, and Witterick, 38, believe kids can make meaningful decisions for themselves from a very early age.
“What we noticed is that parents make so many choices for their children. It’s obnoxious,” says Stocker.
“In fact, in not telling the gender of my precious baby, I am saying to the world, ‘Please can you just let Storm discover for him/herself what s (he) wants to be?!.” Witterick writes in an email.Now if this isn't enough proof that our society is spiraling out of control, there is this next story about "Gender Spectrum training" in California:
Transgender Clownfish? Gender Diversity Lesson at California School Riles Critics
As part of the latest fads in anti-bullying education, children as young as kindergarten in public schools in California are being taught about being transgender as well as the following:
“Gender identity is one’s own sense of themselves. Do they know themselves to be a girl? Do they know themselves to be a boy? Do they know themselves to be a combination?” Baum said. "Gender identity is a spectrum where people can be girls, feel like girls, they feel like boys, they feel like both, or they can feel like neither.”I have had several reactions going through my mind about these news stories. The first is that my wife and I have sacrificed a lot to put our three children in a Catholic school. While I may not be able to afford the biggest houses or fancy cars or great vacations, I thank God every day for the fact that my children are in a school with a very orthodox Catholic environment. I can sleep easy at night because I know my kids will not get exposed to this politically correct insanity.
Secondly, while I am tempted to harshly criticize the parents in the first story and the educators in the second story for their harmful decisions, I want to focus on the bigger picture. When did gender become a dirty word in our culture? When did having a specific, clearly defined gender become such a negative in our society? In other words, why are we so afraid to let men be men and women be women?
My point is that God "created them male and female." (Genesis 5:2) God created specific roles for men and women. In His infinite wisdom, He created gender for very specific reasons. This was so beautifully detailed by Blessed John Paul II in the Theology of the Body. We are all created in the Father's image and likeness and our body, including our gender, is an integral part of who we are along with our soul. These parents and educators, by believing that gender is something we feel or should decide for ourselves, are making the same mistake that Adam and Eve made in the Garden of Eden. It is the basis of all sin. Rather than submit to the will of God, we foolishly think we know more than God and choose to follow our own wills. We want become our own gods when we think that gender and sexuality is something we can determine more appropriately than the Creator.
The Model of True Manhood
The one point in the article that really stood out for me was about St. Joseph teaching us the difference between our vocation and our career. Too many of us forget that our vocations are our families and that takes priority over our careers. Here is an excerpt from Msgr. Pope on this topic:
A man whose vocation is more important than his career – In Bethlehem Joseph is warned by an angel in a dream: Get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him (Matt 2:13). Joseph may well have had much to lose in this flight. Back in Nazareth he had a business, a career if you will. He had business prospects, business partners and contacts. Fleeing to a distant land might mean others would take his business etc. But Joseph was a father and husband before he was a businessman. His child was threatened and his first obligation was to Jesus and Mary. His vocation outweighed his career. In a culture like ours where too many parents make their careers and livelihoods paramount and their children are too easily placed in day care Joseph displays a different priority. It is true that many parents feel they have no choice but to work. But it is also true that many demand a lifestyle which requires a lot of extra income. Perhaps a smaller house, less amenities etc would permit a daycare free childhood for more of our children. Joseph points the way for parents: vocation has priority over career. For fathers especially Joseph shows that a man is a husband and father before he is a businessman.Please take the time to read St. Joseph and Manhood, from Msgr. Charles Pope, as it include powerful lessons that we all can learn from this great saint. It also include two videos that provide more insights into the life of the protector of the Holy Family. St. Joseph pray for us!
10 Things to Pray For and With Your Child
One of the regular features on All Pro Dad is their daily Top Ten List which provides daily tips on topics such as raising children, improving your relationship with your wife and living your faith each day. I posted in its entirety the 10 Things to pray for and with your child. It is based on the Our Father and is contains great advice on not only what we as dads should pray for, but what we can teach our children to focus their prayers on. Please visit All Pro Dad and pass it along to others.
10 Things to Pray For and With Your Child
We all want the best for our children, and prayer can be an important part of helping them to grow up. But how should we pray for them and with them?
Well, there's no better guide for prayer than listening to Jesus. When His friends asked him how to pray, He suggested an outline we have come to know as “The Lord's Prayer.”
This “10-Ways” list is based on these words of Jesus:
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. Your kingdom come, Your will be done - in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, as we forgive the sins of others. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Forever and ever. Amen.”
Pray that your kids make a real connection with God: this is the starting place. The fact of prayer assumes a God who is not distant. This is where we all must begin.
Pray that your children honor the Creator: It's important that kids learn to believe in a real God, a Being of light and power who we can't help but respect and honor – a Creator they can revere rather than the light-weight “Heavenly Santa Clause” of myth. Prayer becomes more meaningful in the context of respect and reverence.
Pray they translate that honor into action: Kids who honor God are more inclined to participate in their Creator's work. It's the way “Thy will be done” turns into, “Yes, and we'll do it every day.”
Pray that they are well-equipped to meet every daily need: Prayer as a vehicle to honoring God, is less concerned with “God - give me what I want”, or “me, me, me” as a matter of course. But it is absolutely appropriate to pray that our kids acquire the wisdom and the skills to live in freedom, without going hungry and without fear.
Teens and ‘Sextortion’
The following article by L. Brent Bozell is something all parents should read. Teens are already facing various pressures and temptations from a sex saturated society, but this latest threat is just sick and twisted.
Teens and ‘Sextortion’
According to the article, perverted individuals are using social network sites to blackmail teens into taking indecent photos of themselves or even committing sexual acts. It is frightening to think about how much of a threat that sites like facebook or myspace have become to our kids. You don't have to look very far to find reports of teens who have gone as far as suicide all because of harassment they endured on social network sites.
Please read the article above as well as those below just so you can become aware for the sake of protecting your children. Pray for our children as well. It just seems that with each passing year our world becomes a darker and more threatening place for our kids.
Teens and ‘Sextortion’
Please read the article above as well as those below just so you can become aware for the sake of protecting your children. Pray for our children as well. It just seems that with each passing year our world becomes a darker and more threatening place for our kids.
What We As Dads Need to Protect Our Kids From
For quite some time now, there has been a fascination with vampires in the media. What was once a symbol of evil has become the object of obsession by teens and even some adults. The stuff of nightmares has now become the stuff of dreams and infatuation. In my opinion, it is a sad commentary on society when a vampire, once regarded as the consummate villain, is now heralded as a hero and a role model. It appears as if the once black and white concepts of good and evil are now blended together into one shade of gray.
As a parent, I find it extremely disturbing that this is being marketed so heavily to children as well. The Twilight saga has become the hottest selling brand in books, movies, and even toys. You can't walk very far without seeing some piece of merchandise with Edward or Bella's face on it. My wife and I had made up our mind long ago that we didn't want our kids getting wrapped up in this unhealthy craze. My oldest daughter, who is, 9 had already come home and told us that some of her friends and even a cousin had seen the first movie and read the book. Now I realize that it is the responsibility of parents to decide what their children read or view, and that these books and movies are intended for a more mature audience. But our jobs as parents becomes increasingly more difficult when the marketing executives behind this series intentionally market a PG-13 movies to young children well below the age of 13 in the form of toys and even fast food children's meals.
Recently, I was disgusted when I visited a local Burger King with my wife and three children, all under the age of 10. As usual we ordered the BK Kid's Meal for my daughters and my son. That's when we noticed that Twilight was being promoted on the Kid's Meal. My wife and I were repulsed that a PG-13 movie about vampires and the occult is being purposely pushed to children. (Take a look at the photo to the left. It is from a Burger King promotion advertising the Kid's Meal toys from Twilight. ) My wife asked if there was any other toys available besides Twilight, and the teen clerk at the counter said no. She was then in disbelief when my wife told her to throw out the Twilight toys because we thought they were inappropriate for our kids.
I know some people think we may be overreacting when it comes to this movie. But my point is why in the world would anyone think it is a good idea to market to small children a PG-13 movie about vampires and werewolves? What was running through the mind of Burger King executives when they thought this was a good idea? Lets look at the facts here. First, as I have said repeatedly, this is a PG-13 movie. How many 13 year olds actually go into Burger King and order Kids Meals? I am willing to bet very few. The overwhelming majority of consumers of Kid's Meals are well below the age of 13. In other words, this was no oversight by anyone at BK or the movie studio. This was a blatant attempt to sacrifice the innocence of our young children at the altar of the almighty dollar. Good job BK, that's why I have been urging other parents to avoid you at all costs.
As a parent, I find it extremely disturbing that this is being marketed so heavily to children as well. The Twilight saga has become the hottest selling brand in books, movies, and even toys. You can't walk very far without seeing some piece of merchandise with Edward or Bella's face on it. My wife and I had made up our mind long ago that we didn't want our kids getting wrapped up in this unhealthy craze. My oldest daughter, who is, 9 had already come home and told us that some of her friends and even a cousin had seen the first movie and read the book. Now I realize that it is the responsibility of parents to decide what their children read or view, and that these books and movies are intended for a more mature audience. But our jobs as parents becomes increasingly more difficult when the marketing executives behind this series intentionally market a PG-13 movies to young children well below the age of 13 in the form of toys and even fast food children's meals.
I know some people think we may be overreacting when it comes to this movie. But my point is why in the world would anyone think it is a good idea to market to small children a PG-13 movie about vampires and werewolves? What was running through the mind of Burger King executives when they thought this was a good idea? Lets look at the facts here. First, as I have said repeatedly, this is a PG-13 movie. How many 13 year olds actually go into Burger King and order Kids Meals? I am willing to bet very few. The overwhelming majority of consumers of Kid's Meals are well below the age of 13. In other words, this was no oversight by anyone at BK or the movie studio. This was a blatant attempt to sacrifice the innocence of our young children at the altar of the almighty dollar. Good job BK, that's why I have been urging other parents to avoid you at all costs.
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