The Challenge of Techno-Parenting By Steve Klein I found this message in the e-mail of my nine-year-old daughter on January 14, 1998. It was headed, "Subliminally Seduce Women Instantly!" The message was sent out mass e-mail and was designed to hook men into connecting to a hardcore pornographic web site. Continually inspecting our child’s e-mail before allowing her to read it prevented her from being exposed to this and several other similar letters. I finally had to use the Parental Controls on our internet server to block e-mail being sent to my child from any source other than ones which have been pre-approved by me. When I was a teenager (just over twenty years ago) hand-held calculators were just becoming available to the general public. Most people had one or two TV sets in their homes, but cable was not generally available; viewing choices were limited to one of the three major networks or public television. There were no VCR’s, home computers or CD players. Even in that time of the dinosaurs, the world was still a very wicked place. Popular music contained ungodly messages, salacious movies were being cranked out by Hollywood, and drugs, alcohol and sex were common temptations for young people. But with just a little effort, concerned parents could shield their children from exposure to the most vile works of Satan. Sure, children of Christians could find Satan’s world if they went out looking for it, but it usually didn’t attack them in their homes. Those days are gone. Today, parents are not meeting their responsibility to bring their children up "in the training and admonition of the Lord"(Eph. 6:4) if they are not constantly monitoring the technology their children are using for entertainment and education. There can be no doubt that, if left unchecked, internet computers, TV, movies, videos and stereos will teach our children the Devil’s devices, not the lord’s ways. Recently, the local newspaper (The Athens News-Courier) carried an article with this headline: "Parents must take active, caring role in monitoring kids’ online use." The piece advised parents to "Go online with your children…tell children never to give their name, phone number, address, or password to anyone online…use parental control tools…place the computer in a central place in your home (not in the child’s bedroom where it can easily be used without parental monitoring)." This is good advice. It was given to the general public (many of whom are not particularly concerned about raising children God’s way). Parents who are Christians surely ought to be more vigilant than the general public!There may be parents reading this saying to themselves, "But we don’t even have a home computer!"
In this brave new world of technological immorality, parents must now more than ever heed the ancient and simple wisdom of God: "The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child let to himself brings shame to his mother."(Prov. 29:15) Do not leave your child to himself while he is plugged-in to circuitry programmed by Satan’s servants. Via The Exhorter, March 8, 1998 * * * * * * * * * * Moral Ethics CAN Be Taught! By J. J. Dancer, Jr. I had a couple of articles on the idea that moral ethics in teens is more "caught" than "taught." Evidently they were read for I was questioned about the basic principle on the idea of being "caught" and not being "taught" – the question was, "Can’t moral ethics be taught to today’s youth?" And of course, the answer is very plainly "YES," they can be taught. In fact the main point of the two articles was that we teach the youths of today "and those who are no longer "youths). But, we teach them in TWO ways—by what we tell them and by what we show them.! Usually what we show them is learned first and more easily. Ephesians 6:4 teaches parents are to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Proverbs 22:6 states a general principle that a child trained in the way he should go will not depart from it when he grows older. Both passages teach that youths can and should be taught. But, and most important in regard to the lessons in these articles—they watch to see what other youths and adults do and more than often they will follow the example of one or the other. Why do young people have a "hero" of some sort that they have never spoken with? Maybe a sports figure, or a musician, or a singer, etc. They see how they are treated, they see the material possessions they have, they see and the learn. Their moral ethics are "caught"—thecy come as a result of their association (in whatever way) with the "hero" of their choice. It is not enough for parents and others who are trying to help the youth grow up with respect for God to just tell them the way they ought to live. We have to do that! But, we have to do more. We have to show them that living for God is a happy life, an enjoyable life, a profitable life and one they can (and should) imitate. This is a part of what is involved in Matt. 5:13-16 – one lets his light shine. It is part of what is involved in I Tim. 4:12 – being an example of the believers. Now, to re-emphasize the point. We tell the youth to be honest, yet they see and hear us lie. We are teaching them it is o.k. to lie under some circumstances. We tell them to say "no" to drugs, yet they see us on tobacco, alcohol, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and other such. We are teaching them it is o.k. to become dependent upon drugs. We tell them to drive safely and legally but they see us speeding, getting tickets and then boasting about it. We are teaching them that such is o.k. We tell them they ought to attend Bible classes and other services of the church regularly but they see us miss in order to work overtime, to go visiting, to go on vacation, etc. We are teaching them it is o.k. to forsake the gathering of the saints. Yes, moral ethics can and are being taught. No one just "catches" them like they catch the chicken pox. We teach by word and by deed and usually that which we teach by deed is that which is more quickly and easily learned. Let us be sure our light is shining as well as our mouth is telling what God’s word says ought to be done. In this way the youths will be impressed with the importance of obeying God. What are you teaching by your example? What are you teaching by your words?
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Jesus said, "For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"(Matt. 16:26) Are you doing anything presently that could cost your soul? Even if you could gain all the real estate in Alabama, and sacrificed your faithfulness to the Lord to obtain it, you would have made an eternally bad deal. Most people sell their souls for much less! Our soul is so important that we should let nothing come between us and the Lord. How is it with you? –p.a.o. * * * * * * * * * * * * "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matt. 6:26)
Said the Robin to the Sparrow, Said the Sparrow to the Robin, by Elizabeth Cheney * * * * * * * "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:9-10) Jeris E. Bragan wrote about an old violin-maker who chose the wood for his instruments from the north side of the trees because this was the side that faced the fiercest windstorms. When the storms raged the trees groaned under the lashings but this is what gave them their strength. As the violin-maker said, "They are simply learning to be violins." Let us take pleasure in difficulties and hardships because by them we are made strong. -- via David Riggs * * * * * * * * * * * * Not For Sale A well-dressed couple came into a toy shop with their two children. "We want some toys that will keep the children entertained," the mother said. "My husband and I both work and the children are alone a great deal." The sales girl showed them a variety of games and play equipment, bot to each there was some objection. "It seems to me," the mother finally said impatiently, "that if you knew what we are really looking for, you could find it among all these toys." The sales girl sighed, "I’m sorry, ma’am, but I believe what you are really looking for—what your children want—is a mother and a father, and we don’t sell those here." |