DEAR CHRISTINE: I HAVE been a long-standing reader of your column and I would like to congratulate you on a job well done. I am writing, however, not to share a personal problem but to make an observation.
I am a Christian and have been concerned about the problems you deal with daily – problems too common in all the homes of our nation. We need to pull together to solve them. Too prevalent are fornication and adultery.
Usually this happens when one partner is running from his or her responsibilities. Many claim to be Christians but their way of life is a contradiction because they do not obey the high moral standards which Christ stressed as being of the utmost importance.
One real problem is that the older generation does not teach the younger one not to have sexual intercourse before marriage. That the older generation has learned by the way of “sad experience” should encourage them to warn the young ones in their care. I believe this is where we have failed.
We must teach them moral cleanliness, commitment and responsibility in our schools, in our churches and most of all, in our homes. We have lost our children to social media of all sorts – smartphones, tablets, you name it.
In many cases the children are living at home with parents, grandparents and siblings, but while they are there physically, they are not there spiritually or emotionally. They are, in essence, living in their own little world which has been created by all the latest communication technology, which their parents purchase or which the children obtain by any means they deem necessary.
What do you think?
– D.H.
Dear D.H.,
I agree that there is a cause for concern over the type of living our youngsters and even adults are indulging in. There is no doubt that a major contributing factor to this situation is a lack of discipline, and in many cases we can blame the adults.
Just the same, we have a lot of intelligent youngsters and I would hope that they themselves can take control of their lives.
We are all human and we will err, but we must learn to recognise our mistakes and try to overcome them with or without the help of anyone, but it starts in the home. Schools and the church also need to play significant roles in getting our children back on track. In fact, prayer still works.
– CHRISTINE
