article by site founder, Connie Rice
A culture that turns on its youth cannot long endure. Those of us who have lived longer can remember when the culture protected children and looked out for their well-being and innocence – not just parents, but also movies, TV programs, news agencies, schools, the government, and society at large. In only about 75 years (one generation), our children have gone from being protected by every aspect of society to being targets for destruction, confusion, taught that they were random products of evolution, and have been victims all too often of physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse. Instead of recognizing that children are precious and made in the image of God, our culture is treating children as a market with incentive for profit, as future activists to be indoctrinated, as sexual targets, or as pawns in a political game with increasing levels of fear and confusion. The past year and a half has brought unprecedented lockdowns, masks, social distancing, and removal of everything normal in the daily lives of children with separations from school, family members, sports, teams, & friends. Now they are targeted for vaccine mandates even though the risk from this experimental gene therapy (long-term effects are unknown) could be higher than risks of the illness. As a society, we have gone from protecting children to not protecting them, and have recently moved beyond that to intentionally harming them. God will judge those who are responsible. He loves children and warns those who bring them harm or keep them from Him:
“If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in Me – to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!”
Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:6-7
“People were bringing little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these’.”
Mark 10:13-14
Let’s break down some of the other changes that have shifted our culture’s previous protection of children to its current influences:
Abortion legalized in 1973 – unborn children are the most innocent and vulnerable among us and have no voice of their own – this is the ultimate form of child abuse; how can we as a culture continue to defend this barbaric intrusion into the womb? I remember when people wanted to point out the safest place possible, they would use the phrase, “safety of the womb”. We don’t hear that any more, do we? Without the right to life itself (affirmed by God and guaranteed by our Declaration of Independence), what other rights matter? For those like myself, who at one time believed culture’s lies on this topic and have taken the life of their own child through abortion, our merciful God forgives those who repent and ask for His forgiveness. In fact, He’s even had me step out to be available to lead a small group study to help other women find complete healing as I have. Much discussion is made about rape and incest, but the vast majority of abortions are focused on timing, finances, goals, etc. More babies were killed worldwide via abortion in 2020 than from all of the other leading causes of death combined.
“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”
Psalm 139:13-16
“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.”
Psalm 127:3
There has been a concerted effort throughout the 20th Century to change education in America. It began with John Dewey (who spent time with communist dictator, Josef Stalin) and Horace Mann. Their progressive philosophy on public education sought to shift it away from a focus on academic knowledge toward education focused on the child within society. The ideas and goals were adopted in America and spread to other countries as well. A couple of quotes from John Dewey reveal how his influence has perpetrated American public education over the years:
“There is no god and there is no soul. Hence, there is no need for the props of traditional religion. With dogma and creed excluded, then immutable truth is dead and buried. There is no room for fixed and natural law or permanent moral absolutes.”
John Dewey, philosopher, author, and called the “Father of American Education”
“I believe that the school is primarily a social institution. Education being a social process, the school is simply that form of community life in which all those agencies are concentrated that will be most effective in bringing the child to share in the inherited resources of the race, and to use his own powers for social ends. I believe that education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.”
John Dewey, philosopher, author, and called the “Father of American Education”
Prayer was removed from schools in 1962 (although at the end of 1963, my teacher still gave our class time to pray when the announcement came across our intercom that President Kennedy had been shot); prayer was removed from all schools because of a lawsuit from a single atheist, Madeline Murray O’Hare, who spent 30 years trying to remove God from the public sphere before her disappearance, later determined to be murder. Interestingly, her older son became a strong Christian in spite of his atheist upbringing.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
“The Lord is righteous in all Hs ways and faithful in all He does. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise His holy name for ever and ever.”
Psalm 145:17-21
Daily Bible reading was removed from schools in 1963. This is an excerpt from a 2012 article from The Billy Graham Evangelical Association (BGEA):
“Gigi Savant has been teaching since the mid-’80s. She’s been in both public high schools and Christian schools, and she certainly does not like what she’s seeing in the public sector. ‘Our nation was founded on Christian values of what’s right and what’s wrong, founded on the Ten Commandments,’ Savant said. ‘But if you remove the basis of scripture, it’s everything. It’s our world view. And it has cataclysmic results.‘ Savant currently teaches at a Lakeland, Fla., school, where Classical Christian curriculum is being taught. ‘We stress goodness, truth and beauty,’ she said. ‘In public education, there is no standard of truth.’ Well, there is one standard, but it’s nowhere to be found in the public arena. ‘The Bible teaches there is truth. Jesus is the truth, the way and the life,’ Savant said. ‘Truth really is a person, the person of Jesus. When you remove the Bible as your standard, what becomes truth?‘”
Excerpt from article, “Taking God Out of School” by Trevor Freeze
“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.”
Jesus’ words in John 17:17
Prior to 1963, Creationism was taught in most every school; now, evolution is taught as fact in all public schools, even though no scientific evidence is possible for any belief of origins – the scientific method requires that ideas be testable and repeatable. Neither belief can be scientifically proven, so neither belief falls under the purview of science. A 1973 article from the “Institute for Creation Research” (ICR) discusses this: “Evolution, Creation, and the Public Schools” by Dr. Henry M. Morris. Children are not descendants of ape-like creatures; they were created by a loving God in His image.
“For this is what the LORD says – He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited – He says: ‘I am the LORD, and there is no other’.”
Isaiah 45:18
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Romans 1:18–20
Sexuality – Beginning with the “sexual revolution” in the 60’s, our culture began to intentionally dismantle cultural norms and reject God’s teaching on sexuality. This has had far-reaching and devastating effects. It began with adults, but eventually worked its way into every aspect of our children’s lives. Prior to this time, the innocence of children was seen as something to value and protect. In one lifetime, sexualization of children became rampant on every front – at school, from movies & TV, and even in so-called “family entertainment”. They are intentionally confused about their sexual identity at a time when they are still developing. Elementary children generally want to play with and choose to spend their time with others of the same sex – it is part of their normal development. Activists have been successful at invading their world and confusing them at this critical time, under the guise of “safety” and to prevent “bullying”. Some children have been greatly harmed by thinking they were homosexual or lesbian and are then encouraged to act on it, leading them into earlier sexual experiences. Somehow, the rights of leaders became more important than the safety of children in organizations like the “Boy Scouts of America” (BSA). The predictable result was that many young boys were preyed upon and sexually abused by leaders who took advantage of this focus on the rights of leaders at the expense of boys – the organization now faces bankruptcy with over 82,000 claims of sexual abuse.
“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person – such a person is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.”
Ephesians 5:3-7
“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”
1 Corinthians 6:18-19
Internet & Social Media – Technological advances have brought wonderful things into the world, but with it come inherent dangers and harmful influences. Pornography used to require effort to find, but now it shows up without even looking for it. Social media has provided the blessing for family and friends to stay connected even when far away geographically, but also allows people to say things to others anonymously that cause great emotional and mental harm. The Internet has made it much easier to find information, but much of that information is inappropriate or harmful to children. Sexual predators have found ways to attract unsuspecting children and teens and the result is that sex trafficking has become a very real danger in every community.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9
Climate Change – Children have been subjected to continual hysterical doomsday predictions from public school and vocal climate change activists. This places undue stress for students, creating more fear and anxiety. For those of us who are older, we remember when there were doomsday predictions about a coming ice age in the 70s. This did not occur. Then it was global warming and that did not prove to be correct either. Then they changed the term to climate change so that no matter what happened – it could be blamed on climate change. In every case, the predictions are based on models that have been consistently wrong. Changes in climate patterns and natural disasters existed long before cars and the industrialization of nations. The Bible teaches that our seasons will continue; we do not be fearful:
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
Genesis 8:22
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Jesus’ words in John 14:27
Critical Race Theory (CRT) – In my lifetime, great strides have been made regarding racial differences. I and most everyone I know have adopted Dr. Martin Luther King’s idea that all everyone should be judged on is the content of their character and not on the color of their skin. With CRT, white children are being told that they are inherently oppressors and non-white children are being told that they are oppressed and are victims. Some classrooms have even used a color wheel to determine students’ levels of oppressiveness or victimhood based on their skin color. This is extraordinarily harmful to children and only serves to create anxiety, fear, insecurity, and conflict where none previously existed. Anyone who works with children sees that they play with all manner of other kids; skin color does not affect them. Instead of carving out particular groups, we can teach children to treat everyone else with respect and dignity and to be the friend they would like to have. The Bible does not separate people on the color of their skin, but says that ALL people are made in God’s image and therefore have intrinsic value. CRT also corrupts the history of America with untrue accusations and assumptions, seemingly in an attempt to prevent children from having any understanding of how amazing their own country is compared to other civilizations and governments throughout history. It seems that immigrants from other countries may see this more clearly than those who have taken for granted the freedoms that so many have fought for and died to protect. An article, “What’s Great About America?” from “The Heritage Foundation” by immigrant scholar, author, & filmmaker, Dinesh D’Souza, explains this further.
“So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it’.”
Genesis 1:27-28a
Gender– Although gender dysphoria does exist and we should have compassion on anyone who suffers from it, the idea that one can choose his or her gender from multiple options conflicts with science, nature, common sense, all of human history, and the Bible. Previous research in this area shows that 80 – 95% of children will outgrow this if those around them help to reinforce reality. Of all the confusion foisted upon children, this one causes them to be confused over their innate identity and if encouraged, can open the door to a lifetime of confusion and even body mutilation. Biology recognizes only male and female with XY and XX chromosomes, respectively. This is what the Bible also teaches and what Jesus Himself affirmed. Activists keep adding more and more “genders” to their list (upwards of 60 now). The aggressiveness and intensity of this movement as well as the growth splurge of those identifying with gender dysphoria at the same time social media, schools, and other influencers push these ideas into the mainstream further reveals where the path leads when people reject their Creator and seek answers with emotional intensity rather than seeking truth from the One who created them. It is so important that children to understand that they are precious in God’s sight and are either a girl or a boy. Jesus referenced passages from Genesis when answering a question:
“’Haven’t you read,’ He replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Matthew 19:4-6 (Jesus includes quotes from Genesis Chapters 1 & 2)
We must protect the children – it is the responsibility and privilege of every adult. The greatest gift we can give children is to teach them that they have a loving and merciful heavenly Father who loves and values them, that they find their identify in Him, and that they were uniquely created with their own fingerprints, DNA, personality, gifts, and abilities. They need to be protected from those who try to sexualize them or bombard them with destructive and harmful messages. Children should be allowed to have a childhood free from the lies, confusion, unnecessary exposure to sexual themes, and the ugliness in the world. Most of us had the benefit of more protection than children today have for them. Those who accept the free gift of salvation through our Savior, Jesus Christ, not only have hope, strength, joy, purpose, and supernatural help to follow Him in this life, but also look forward to when God makes all things right and evil is put away forever.
“The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.”
Romans 8:7-11
“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
1 Thessalonians 16-18
© Constance Rice 2021
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