Family Friday: Chapter 1, part 2

I always wonder about how much voicing my opinion, or just lending a smile to someone standing up against opposition helps. Despite the fact that I describe myself as fairly anti-social, I can't help but create a little experiment when I'm in public. My favorite experiment happens every week at church. My family sits on the very front row... it's always open... and generally there are very few distractions for our children... From the front row I stare at the speakers and music leaders (that is, when I'm not trying to detangle my baby's hand from my super curly hair... read Japanese finger torture..., helping my 2 year old understand that he can't sit on daddy's lap right now due to a hernia he got last week that needs surgery, and helping the visibly tired 4 and 5 year old try to come away with something from the meeting besides pouty faces) and I smile. Yep, that's all, my experiment.... as I'm a political science nerd and not a real science nerd... consists of a simple smile that reaches up into my eyes and says "good job! keep it up!" And you know what happens every time? THEY SMILE BACK! I've made you suffer through my order of operations here because I have a hypothesis that has stood the test of time for me. I have been around tons of strangers, and no matter our backgrounds, a simple encouraging smile can give someone the added courage necessary to complete a difficult task. I dare you to try it! They may not smile back at you, probably because you haven't learned the art of smiling with your eyes too, but your encouragement, even when silent, can go very far.

We have to yell like all the Who's down in Whoville "We are here!! We are here!!" If Horton can hear us and we're bolstering his courage, eventually everyone will hear our cries. On the opposite side of this unexpected analogy, if no one is talking but an angry kangaroo, we're all going to get boiled in beezlenut stew.

Case in point of one way to stay out of the boiler: Sharon was at another conference which was negotiating a document that was being disputed because large groups that wanted to push a sexual rights agenda. Nations like Canada, the European Union, and the United states were pushing for these amendments, while those from Muslim countries, Sudan, Iraq, Poland, Syria, Nicaragua and others were against these provisions. My favorite line comes from a Nigerian delegate who asked Sharon, "So why is the West so obsessed with sex?" Seriously, come on people! A delegate from Pakistan said it best when he pleaded with the Western countries "to stop wasting the delegates' time with sexual rights provisions and, instead, to start working on the issues that matter most to women in poverty-i.e, basic health care, clean water, food and shelter."

Seriously, you may think I'm a complete nut, and that I'm making a big deal over something so small, but when there are people out there who are in dire need of basic necessity, "why is the West so obsessed with sex??"

Concerning the negotiations of this document Sharon writes, "social liberals and conservatives locked horns on issues related to sexual orientation, reproductive rights (abortion), sexual rights, and family-supportive language." With both sides frustrated and not going anywhere, the pro-family group distributed flyers that said.

"If the West was not so preoccupied with sex, the document would be done." As you can imagine, such a message received varied responses, but in the end the pro-family delegates were given an extra boost to stand against their opposition and were no longer afraid of being accused of holding up the proceedings (does the word BULLY not apply here?), and things were able to move along with "all references promoting abortion and broad sexual rights were eliminated."

What you need to know:

*There are very large, outspoken individuals and groups who "seek to create a right to sex outside of marriage without having to take responsibility for the consequences. When sex occurs outside of marriage, it doesn't matter if it is heterosexual, homosexual, premarital or extramarital; the evidence shows that any sexual activity outside of a traditional marriage, sooner or later, is damaging to the individual and to society, and especially to the institution of the family

*A UN official who represents the United Nations Population Fund, which gets millions of dollars every year to promote "family planning," recently spoke of divorce and out-of-wedlock births as a "triumph" for "human rights."

*You are one person, and you can and will make a difference if you are willing to do the hard work and prepare yourself in the event that a moment comes which requires the help you have to give.

So, I ask you, is your family important to you??

You may yet wonder why all these obscure thoughts should be important to you and your family, I promise that you'll understand where the UN fits in to all of this, and why you need to be observant and aware for the sake of your family. In the meantime, just think about this: If there are UN officials out there openly rejoicing in the breakdown of the traditional family, you can be sure that laws will be ratified in your area that will directly oppose everything you stand for.

Next week: Chapter 2, Deceptive Tactics.

-This chapter really is a must read. I'm not entirely sure how to impart all the information that I need to from this, but I will do my best. Be forewarned, this chapter removed rose colored glasses where I thought there was none, and helped me reestablish a footing I hadn't realized that I'd lost.

-If you want to get to reading on your own you're welcome to pick up there book here. All proceeds help to support Family Watch International. Feel free to grab a few extra for family/friends, you'll get a bargain for buying in bulk and you'll help embolden others to share the message that "We are here!"