Why was
Reflections of Moral Innocence written? (5)
"Even
those who are casual observers of societal trends clearly
recognize that
much of Western
civilization has been on a moral decline for many years.
Due to widespread moral perversion found throughout our
society, appropriate sex education of children has been
made very difficult. The fact that the subject is so
popular is in fact part of the problem. The critical
question to be asked is, 'How can we teach our children
a biblical view of sexuality when, from a very early
age, they are saturated with details and images that
constantly challenge the very concept of biblical purity?'
There
is an answer. Train those who have access to the hearts
of the children
? train the parents.
No one can do the job better than a rightly trained parent,
because no one can represent the parents' value system
better than themselves. As a parent, you should determine
what is morally and biologically appropriate for your
children and when they should receive that information.
The goal of this series is to put courage into the hearts
of parents to step away from the noise of the crowd and
to listen for God's voice on this topic."
What
is meant by the title Reflections of Moral Innocence?
(7)
"The
term innocence in the title does not refer to the theological
aspects of
human innocence,
which include innocence lost in the Garden of Eden and
the ultimate effect of sin on the human race.
The
term is used to refer to a healthy naivete, the lack
of experience with the
world, or lack
of exposure and defilement. It is the innocence referred
to by the apostle Paul in Romans 16:19 when he wrote
to be "innocent in what is evil".
We
believe it is right to let children be children as
long as they can, and we
believe it is
wrong to rush children into adulthood. There is no faster
way to rob a child of the innocence of childhood than
with inappropriate sex education."
How can
we teach our children a biblical view of sex, when
from a very early age, our children are inundated with
information that directly conflicts with biblical values
and a Christ-centered worldview? (8)
Parents can teach their children a biblical
view of sex despite these obstacles through protection
and preparation.
"Protecting
the sexual innocence of our children involves taking
steps to prevent or
at least
minimize the intrusion of moral perversion in the minds
of our children until they are old enough to develop
a moral value system that can internally regulate their
moral behavior and their moral decisions. Preparation
not only identifies the process by which the parents
communicate moral values to their children, but also
how they live out their value system in front of their
children."
What
is the goal of sex education? (9)
"The
goal of sex education is not to teach your children
how to have safe sex,
but rather how to
be masters of their passions instead of being enslaved
to them.
For most of history, the preparation side
of sex education was the only challenge that parents
faced. Protecting was never an issue because it was a
part of our collective social obligation. This lasted
until the late 1960's.
Today,
as it was in the day of Nehemiah, we must build and
prepare with a trowel
in one hand,
and protect with a sword in the other."
What
are the benefits of training parents in how to instruct
their children in sex education? (13)