Monday, April 27, 2009

Family breakdown


Last night I spent my evening at our Walkerton coffeehouse.

We discussed relativism and the lines that are often blurred between right and wrong.

My group talked a lot about the differences between boundaries (or the lack thereof) set by parents today and those that were set by our parents, back in the day.

Then I came home a caught a piece of the CBC news: Sunday night.  I happened to see an interview with journalist and author Victor Malarek.  He has spent years following the illegal sex trade and much of what he was saying last night stems from a breakdown of the family.

He shot straight about the need for parents to talk to their boys about treating girls with respect and dignity.  He also talked about the link between prostitution (sex for money) and power.

I wondered how many of us Jesus followers are talking to our kids about sexuality and healthy boundaries between boys and girls & men and women?  If we're not, then we'd better start because the media (internet, video games, movies...) is sending a strong, self-serving message about sex and power.

For a great book on the relationship between money, sex and power, see Richard Foster's book, The Challenge of the Disciplined life: Christian reflections on money, sex and power.

You can see the CBC interview by clicking here.  (Warning, some parts are uncomfortable)

1 comment:

Carolyn said...

Interestingly, I just had this discussion with a fellow mom over lunch the other day. I went to a 'Stag and Doe' on the weekend and was commenting to my friend how uncomfortable I was with both the way the young adult woman are dressing and behaving with regards to the young men in the room. They were dancing together exactly like I have seen on music videos etc. portraying themselves as sexual objects. Objects, quite honestly, that my generation (and I am only 42) would have had to pay for the 'service'.
Is this the message we are sending our girls? You have to not only show your body off, but that to be attractive and attract your mate you have to be just slightly this side of a stripper or prostitute? I felt sad that these young women feel that way, believe that to be true, and are unwilling to see themselves as valuable and wonderful. I took particular offence to those who, not only were showing off their 'skills' with who appeared to be their 'significant other' but were open to this type of display with any young men who asked them to dance.
Seriously, ladies....BELIEVE you are worth more than this. We have come too far as women to let this happen.

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