A Bloggin MinuteTwin babies have been killed by their whanau or caregivers and it's sad to think that maybe they could have been spared if the ones entrusted with their care had 'found God' through a church that organised the 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH' protests. I say "could have found God" because the media and various Members of Parliament came out and callously slandered the Christ- loving church (Destiny church) for having the 'audacity' to speak out about the moral degeneration of our small country.
It will be God who will bring an end to the bashings and killings, not an act of Parliament nor more money thrown at Social Service agencies already struggling with the burden of a society gone wrong. The Destiny church (NZ) has a proven track record of bringing the hope of Christ to the lost and the outcast and should be honoured, and those who would dare to call what is 'good' evil, have their agendas exposed in the very media that supports them.
"What Can We Do For The Kahuis" this from this weeks Real Issues email from www.maxim.org.nz
The nation has been transfixed this week by the tragic deaths of Chris and Cru Kahui. They join a long list of children killed in this country, many by their own families. We are stunned by such evil, and we rush to find someone to blame: the family, the Plunket nurse, the social worker, the hospital, the fragmented state of government services. This family has fallen off the top of every cliff there is, and we want to know who was in charge of the fencing.
But as the politicians promise a cross-party working group and CYFS review their procedures, it is easy to lose track of a few things. The most important is that Chris and Cru were killed by a person, not a race, not a context, nor a system. There are many beneficiaries, many poor, many unemployed, many alcoholics and many people from dysfunctional families of all races, who do not and will not kill their children. It is the perpetrator of this crime who is truly responsible.
No law can force people to be good, but the government can weaken or strengthen those things which restrain, encourage and warn. It can set a context in which it is easy or hard to be good, in which it is easy or hard to abuse. Research has shown us many of the factors which set the context of abuse: family breakdown, the loss of biological connection, poverty, unemployment, teen pregnancy, educational failure, substance abuse and ill-health, to name a few. The government can examine what it is doing in those areas to strengthen families, remove rigid laws and promote good ones.
An individual's decision to obey the law is shaped by the family, community and culture to which they belong. The bonds of affection, shame and conscience which are forged by that culture restrain most of us. They snapped this time, for this family. When we ask who is responsible, and what we can do, it is helpful to remember that the government can only do so much to shape the environment in which a person lives. Bonds of affection and strength of character are built by neighbours and friends, by churches and sports clubs and schools, by families and community initiatives. If we want to make them stronger, perhaps we should begin there.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Friday, June 09, 2006
Confusion Era...
A Bloggin Minute
A new teaching manual available for use in some Australian schools has courted controversy, by advising teachers to scrap the words "mother" and "father", in favour of "carer" or "parent" when talking about families. The manual also advises the use of gender neutral toys, and books and activities which promote alternative family forms.
The manual, titled Learn to Include: Learning about diverse families in a primary school setting, is aimed at classes from Kindergarten to Year Three, and is funded by the crime prevention division of the New South Wales Attorney General's Department, in an attempt to increase children's sensitivity to a "diversity" of family forms.
The elimination of universally accepted concepts like "mother" and "father" in favour of the neutral "parent" or "carer" removes the essential element of relational connection which comes from being part of an intergenerational family, belonging to a mum and a dad. This approach ends up dismantling the normative framework in which children see family life.
In the first few years of school, children are formulating ideas about themselves, the world, and their place in it. Seeing oneself in relation to a mother and a father is a part of this. All children have a mother and a father, and the majority are still raised by their mum and dad. Attempting to hide this fact does a disservice to all children, regardless of their personal family background. In search of a spurious and artificial 'equality', the realities of life and the natural framework through which to view it can both be obscured.
....And just when you thought you'd heard it all, there's more...
Following the government's law change mandating the compulsory microchipping of dogs, from Lassie the farm dog to Fifi the poodle, other animals are on the agenda, as the government continues to implement its Wildlife Registration Strategy.
According to latest reports, cats will be microchipped by 2008, followed by rabbits, canaries, goldfish and 'other dangerous predators' by 2012.
"We are very concerned at the wanton and unregulated carnage going on in the environment, and we are determined to do something about it", said Ministry of Wildlife Affairs spokeswoman Bledin Hart.
"We will follow the same approach as dog microchipping" said the power-suited Ms. Hart brightly to Our Reporter, as she sat in her Wellington office,
"There is a very simple chain of logic here. The microchip will be designed to be read at a range of 2 inches. This means that, after the cat kills the baby kakapo, and if there's a DOC ranger around, and if the cat hasn't run away, and if we can catch it, then, well, provided we've got a machine, of course, then, we'll be able to see who the cat belongs to, and send the owner a very strongly worded letter indeed. A jolly good telling off, you might say." She laughs merrily, and pauses. "Unless the owner has been rather naughty, of course, and hasn't paid his registration fee".
Confederated Cat Owners spokesman A. Farmer, speaking at the Show in Gore, called the proposal "ridiculous", as "half of cat owners do not register their cats already. A $110 dollar fee is going to mean fewer registrations, all for a useless microchip that will not save one kakapo".
This does not phase Ms. Hart. "It's about interspecies partnership" she says, with an embracing gesture. "I'm sure it's going to be best for all the members of our ecological family in the long run".
These items were received in the latest "REAL ISSUES" email received from MAXIM INSTITUTE NEW ZEALAND.
If you'd like to receive them weekly sign up here: http://www.maxim.org.nz
A new teaching manual available for use in some Australian schools has courted controversy, by advising teachers to scrap the words "mother" and "father", in favour of "carer" or "parent" when talking about families. The manual also advises the use of gender neutral toys, and books and activities which promote alternative family forms.
The manual, titled Learn to Include: Learning about diverse families in a primary school setting, is aimed at classes from Kindergarten to Year Three, and is funded by the crime prevention division of the New South Wales Attorney General's Department, in an attempt to increase children's sensitivity to a "diversity" of family forms.
The elimination of universally accepted concepts like "mother" and "father" in favour of the neutral "parent" or "carer" removes the essential element of relational connection which comes from being part of an intergenerational family, belonging to a mum and a dad. This approach ends up dismantling the normative framework in which children see family life.
In the first few years of school, children are formulating ideas about themselves, the world, and their place in it. Seeing oneself in relation to a mother and a father is a part of this. All children have a mother and a father, and the majority are still raised by their mum and dad. Attempting to hide this fact does a disservice to all children, regardless of their personal family background. In search of a spurious and artificial 'equality', the realities of life and the natural framework through which to view it can both be obscured.
....And just when you thought you'd heard it all, there's more...
Following the government's law change mandating the compulsory microchipping of dogs, from Lassie the farm dog to Fifi the poodle, other animals are on the agenda, as the government continues to implement its Wildlife Registration Strategy.
According to latest reports, cats will be microchipped by 2008, followed by rabbits, canaries, goldfish and 'other dangerous predators' by 2012.
"We are very concerned at the wanton and unregulated carnage going on in the environment, and we are determined to do something about it", said Ministry of Wildlife Affairs spokeswoman Bledin Hart.
"We will follow the same approach as dog microchipping" said the power-suited Ms. Hart brightly to Our Reporter, as she sat in her Wellington office,
"There is a very simple chain of logic here. The microchip will be designed to be read at a range of 2 inches. This means that, after the cat kills the baby kakapo, and if there's a DOC ranger around, and if the cat hasn't run away, and if we can catch it, then, well, provided we've got a machine, of course, then, we'll be able to see who the cat belongs to, and send the owner a very strongly worded letter indeed. A jolly good telling off, you might say." She laughs merrily, and pauses. "Unless the owner has been rather naughty, of course, and hasn't paid his registration fee".
Confederated Cat Owners spokesman A. Farmer, speaking at the Show in Gore, called the proposal "ridiculous", as "half of cat owners do not register their cats already. A $110 dollar fee is going to mean fewer registrations, all for a useless microchip that will not save one kakapo".
This does not phase Ms. Hart. "It's about interspecies partnership" she says, with an embracing gesture. "I'm sure it's going to be best for all the members of our ecological family in the long run".
These items were received in the latest "REAL ISSUES" email received from MAXIM INSTITUTE NEW ZEALAND.
If you'd like to receive them weekly sign up here: http://www.maxim.org.nz
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
A Website Teens (& mums and dads) Can Trust
Here is a website you can fully trust for teens to sort out some everyday problems. Different from the sex education taught in NZ schools, these people can be trusted to deliver messages that will serve to save you from heaps of sorrow and there is definitely NO HIDDEN AGENDA, in other words, they won't teach you that homosexuality is normal for instance.
Go to: http://www.attitude.org.nz
Go to: http://www.attitude.org.nz
Friday, June 02, 2006
The Missing Ingredient IS Love
A Bloggin MinuteThursday, June 1, 2006
Where Is the Love in Sex Education?
Writers Opinion
By Dr. Ted Baehr, Publisher of MOVIEGUIDE®
HOLLYWOOD, CA (ANS) -- Every year, I have the opportunity to speak in different countries on how to make media-wise families. This year was Ukraine, which I visited a few weeks ago as part of the International Congress of the Family.
The problems in Ukraine are immense. Ukraine has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in Europe, a large white slavery prostitution trade, high alcoholism, and low wages. Its beautiful women are renowned around the world, but mainly as sex slaves and mail-order-brides in other countries.
In the midst of the conference on family issues, some of the government officials were proud that they had introduced American initiated sex education.
MOVIEGUIDE® has carried many articles exposing the fallacy of sex education. As Dr. Judith Reisman and other scientists have shown, sex education not only shows young people how to do it but also gets them excited about doing it. Thus, MOVIEGUIDE® supports abstinence, which has been proven to work, if taught properly.
But, it occurred to me, hearing about the abuses in the porn industry and the orphanages in Ukraine, that what we should propose is Love Education, which we all need. Love Education helps children learn that real satisfaction comes not from lust, which is self-centered, avaricious and often thoughtless, but from Love, which cares for the other person, supports the other person, builds memories that last, and gives long-lasting joy.
Where do we find Love Education? In the flesh, we find it in Jesus Christ, and, for more detailed information, we have the New Testament, which is the Word of God.
At its Ukraine conference, the International Congress of the Family discussed everything from sexually transmitted diseases to family planning, to the dignity of life, to the basics of sustaining a good marriage, to the importance of Christian faith.
One of their biggest concerns, however, was the influence of the western media. I was able to address those concerns and teach them the first steps toward media wisdom. Many people asked for permission to translate my MEDIA-WISE FAMILY book and its into Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Polish, etc.
In the battle for the culture, we often focus on the conflict between the various secular worldviews such as materialism and socialism. In its visit to Ukraine, however, the Congress showed that the most important worldview in winning the culture wars and redeeming the values of the media is the Christian faith and its foundation on strong biblical principles. This faith and these principles can teach everyone how to live a better life, not only in Ukraine but throughout the whole world.
What a difference it would make if sex education courses were replaced by Christian Love Education courses! And, what a difference it would make if the mass media promoted Christian Love Education rather than lustful sex education!
Divorce rates would go down, AIDS rates would go down, and abandoned children would find loving homes. Best of all, the joy of giving would melt the Scrooge-like hearts of the opulent societies of the West, including the lust-minded executives in the mass media of entertainment.
Of course, with God, all things are possible.
(c) baehr, 2006
NOTE from Dr. Ted Baehr: For more information from a Christian perspective, order the latest MOVIEGUIDE® magazine by calling 1-800-899-6684(MOVI) or visit our website at www.movieguide.org. MOVIEGUIDE® is dedicated to redeeming the values of Hollywood by informing parents about today's movies and entertainment and by showing media executives and artists that family-friendly and even Christian-friendly movies do best at the box office year in and year out. MOVIEGUIDE® now offers an online subscription to its magazine version, at www.movieguide.org. The magazine, which comes out 25 times a year, contains many informative articles and reviews that help parents train their children to be media-wise consumers. MOVIEGUIDE® also regularly broadcasts several international TV and radio programs hosted by Dr. Baehr. Also, if you want to train your family to be media-wise, call 1-800-89 9-6684 in North America to order the book, video or audio version of THE MEDIA-WISE! FAMILY, Dr. Ted Baehr's latest book. © baehr, 2001
Where Is the Love in Sex Education?
Writers Opinion
By Dr. Ted Baehr, Publisher of MOVIEGUIDE®
HOLLYWOOD, CA (ANS) -- Every year, I have the opportunity to speak in different countries on how to make media-wise families. This year was Ukraine, which I visited a few weeks ago as part of the International Congress of the Family.
The problems in Ukraine are immense. Ukraine has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in Europe, a large white slavery prostitution trade, high alcoholism, and low wages. Its beautiful women are renowned around the world, but mainly as sex slaves and mail-order-brides in other countries.
In the midst of the conference on family issues, some of the government officials were proud that they had introduced American initiated sex education.
MOVIEGUIDE® has carried many articles exposing the fallacy of sex education. As Dr. Judith Reisman and other scientists have shown, sex education not only shows young people how to do it but also gets them excited about doing it. Thus, MOVIEGUIDE® supports abstinence, which has been proven to work, if taught properly.
But, it occurred to me, hearing about the abuses in the porn industry and the orphanages in Ukraine, that what we should propose is Love Education, which we all need. Love Education helps children learn that real satisfaction comes not from lust, which is self-centered, avaricious and often thoughtless, but from Love, which cares for the other person, supports the other person, builds memories that last, and gives long-lasting joy.
Where do we find Love Education? In the flesh, we find it in Jesus Christ, and, for more detailed information, we have the New Testament, which is the Word of God.
At its Ukraine conference, the International Congress of the Family discussed everything from sexually transmitted diseases to family planning, to the dignity of life, to the basics of sustaining a good marriage, to the importance of Christian faith.
One of their biggest concerns, however, was the influence of the western media. I was able to address those concerns and teach them the first steps toward media wisdom. Many people asked for permission to translate my MEDIA-WISE FAMILY book and its into Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Polish, etc.
In the battle for the culture, we often focus on the conflict between the various secular worldviews such as materialism and socialism. In its visit to Ukraine, however, the Congress showed that the most important worldview in winning the culture wars and redeeming the values of the media is the Christian faith and its foundation on strong biblical principles. This faith and these principles can teach everyone how to live a better life, not only in Ukraine but throughout the whole world.
What a difference it would make if sex education courses were replaced by Christian Love Education courses! And, what a difference it would make if the mass media promoted Christian Love Education rather than lustful sex education!
Divorce rates would go down, AIDS rates would go down, and abandoned children would find loving homes. Best of all, the joy of giving would melt the Scrooge-like hearts of the opulent societies of the West, including the lust-minded executives in the mass media of entertainment.
Of course, with God, all things are possible.
(c) baehr, 2006
NOTE from Dr. Ted Baehr: For more information from a Christian perspective, order the latest MOVIEGUIDE® magazine by calling 1-800-899-6684(MOVI) or visit our website at www.movieguide.org. MOVIEGUIDE® is dedicated to redeeming the values of Hollywood by informing parents about today's movies and entertainment and by showing media executives and artists that family-friendly and even Christian-friendly movies do best at the box office year in and year out. MOVIEGUIDE® now offers an online subscription to its magazine version, at www.movieguide.org. The magazine, which comes out 25 times a year, contains many informative articles and reviews that help parents train their children to be media-wise consumers. MOVIEGUIDE® also regularly broadcasts several international TV and radio programs hosted by Dr. Baehr. Also, if you want to train your family to be media-wise, call 1-800-89 9-6684 in North America to order the book, video or audio version of THE MEDIA-WISE! FAMILY, Dr. Ted Baehr's latest book. © baehr, 2001
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