The battle against the sexualization of our children

As a father of two, I am ever aware of the challenges that our culture presents our children. Here is a helpful article by Vicki Courtney discussing some of these challenges and what we can do about them:

American girls are increasingly being fed a steady diet of products and images that pressure them to be sexy. From clothing to cartoons, choreography to commercials, the emphasis on sexuality undercuts parents' efforts to instill purity in their daughters.

The American Psychological Association (APA) warns that this sexualization of girls is harmful to their self-image and healthy development. "[Girls are] experiencing teen pressures at younger and younger ages. However, they are not able to deal with these issues because their cognitive development is out of sync with their social, emotional and sexual development," the APA reported.

The proliferation of sexual images also undermines a girl's confidence in her own body. In fact, research links sexualization with three of the most common mental health problems diagnosed in girls and women — eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression.

Let's take a closer look at some of the cultural influences bombarding our daughters.

Suggestive fashion
Have you shopped for girls' clothing lately? Toddlers to teens are inundated with adult fashions. Pop singer Beyonce now has her own clothing line that introduces the red-light district to the school lunchroom.

Popular clothing items among teens include thong underwear and shorts displaying suggestive words across the backside. The abundance of racy clothing emphasizes the message: Dress sexy.

Tarted-up toys
As young girls, most moms probably owned Barbie dolls and enjoyed collecting their clothing and accessories. Mattel today takes style to a new level with the introduction of Black Canary Barbie for adult collectors. Designed as a comic-book character, this doll is dressed in fishnet hose, a leather bikini bottom and a black leather jacket. She's available in toy stores, right next to Ballerina Barbie. Explain that to your preschooler. (More....)

Did Humans Invent God?

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Rites of Passage for Your Son by Robert Lewis

If you have a son and are a dad...this is must reading.

Click here

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Handling Social Media With Your Kids

I came across this article and it has some helpful suggestions. I am not an alarmist and am not arguing we return to the carrier pigeon--though there are days when it would probably be faster and more effective--but we do need to be wise. And children and teenagers lack one very essential ingredient for living well--experience. And the only way to get it is by living longer and/or trusting that your parents have acquired some wisdom along the way. These aren't the 10 commandments or anything, but if you are currently allowing unlimited /unmonitored access to your children in the area of social media, then you should reevaluate if this is truly wise course of action.

So here is some of the article by Jim Burns, PH.D...

"Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past few years, you're aware of the rise in popularity of social media with teens. From texting on cell phones to websites such as Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube, today's kids are engaging in social media at an ever-increasing rate.

I probably don't have to say this, but the reality is: Social media is not a fad, and has become part of the fabric of American youth culture. It's estimated that during this year (2009), 15.5 million teen Internet users (75%) will use social networking websites. Facebook alone is said to have 300 million active users worldwide. and is the third most-visited website on the Internet, behind Google and Yahoo! In the course of a month, some 24% of all Internet users visit Facebook. And, two other social media sites, YouTube and MySpace hold the fourth and fifth spots as most visited websites in the U.S. Still, parents have to make choices about whether they will allow their adolescent kids to use these websites. And, if they allow their kids access to these sites, parents must provide both boundaries and oversight to their usage.

Talking to your kids about social media should be a top priority. Here are some of my thoughts on handling social media in your home." (More...)

For the adults on facebook, here is a recent post about the possibility of facebook addiction and wisdom by Mark Roberts. Click here

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How To Be a Good Parent - Resources From A Christian Perspective

Anybody got parenting all figured out? I don't. But I am getting some good input these days. The good thing is that there is wisdom available. There are principles, questions, and relationships that can help us along the way.

I have put together a parenting resource page over at www.thinkchristianly.org under the card catalog section (there are links to videos, websites, DVD's and Books). Check it out and pass it along. No one is perfect--including the authors and teachers I recommend; but they can be helpful to your journey as a parent.

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The self-esteem myth

Will high self-esteem fix our kids? Marcia Segelstein comments on the evidence in the following opinion piece for World Magazine:

The theory that promoting self-esteem in children provides wide-ranging benefits has been debunked. Again.

A new book, NurtureShock, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, takes a look at a variety of recent findings about child development. Among them is evidence that teaching self-esteem doesn’t do children any good whatsoever.

Americans seem eager to embrace fads...(more)

I resonated with the simple, yet profound observation she made: "I know that Christianity is more complicated than the simple but profound fact that God loves each of us perfectly. But I’ve often thought that if we could know that—deep down, every moment—it would be the cure for our insecurities and the negative thoughts and actions they breed."

A book that powerfully brings this theme home is Love Beyond Reason by John Ortberg.

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Teen Role Models

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" - 1 Timothy 4:12

Students have an opportunity to stand out (for the right reasons) in everyday life as they courageously follow God. You can set the pace. You never know who may be watching. The question we all need to ask - young or old - is what will they see?

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Helping Children Think Christianly - Resources for Christian Parents Part 7

It's time for students to head back to school. Whether they are heading to high school or college, help them face the opportunities and challenges of following Jesus in today's world by giving them a copy of my book, Welcome to College: A Christ-follower's Guide for the Journey.



What people are saying:

"Wow! What a book! Quite frankly, this is the book I've been waiting for the last forty years to give to college students. It is the single best volume I have ever read for preparing students for how to follow Jesus and flourish as his disciple in college." -- J.P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

"Jonathan has both the intellectual resources as well as the practical experience to provide an effective students' survival guide to university life. I'm impressed with the wide array of issues he discusses, from intellectual challenges to financial problems to sexual snares to getting enough sleep! All this is done in easily digestible bits for the student on the run." -- William Lane Craig, Theologian and author, Reasonable Faith

"Reading this book is like having your own personal mentor and friend to guide you through the rough rapids of college life. College is a great experience, but it can also be faith-shattering if you are not adequately prepared. This book is perfect for the high school senior who is curious about what college life will be like. It is also helpful to the college student who is dealing with the day-to-day challenges and questions faced both in and out of the classroom. -- Mark Schmahl, Pastor of Student Ministries Believers' Chapel, Murfreesboro, TN

"This book will prepare anyone who is either enrolled in college or is planning to go to college for the daily challenges Christians deal with on campus. Jonathan Morrow is aware of the real college world and is dead-on with his excellent insight." -- Blake Smith, Junior, Texas Tech University

"Unpacking biblical truths, Welcome to College is a treasure book of wisdom that will literally save lives and help build a culture of life." -- Kelly Monroe Kullberg, Author, Finding God Beyond Harvard: The Quest for Veritas

"Whether you are an incoming freshman or upperclassman, Jonathan provides straightforward, practical insight for dealing with current issues regarding living the Christian life on campuses everywhere. Not only is this a great read, but you will find a place to turn to when questions or struggles show their face." -- Taylor McCabe, Junior, Baylor University

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Helping Children Think Christianly - Resources for Christian Parents Part 7

Yesterday, I talked about Summit Ministries. Today I want to tell you about another Christian worldview summer camp that is extremely well done and worth the investment for your student at least once during their high school years - Wheatstone Academy.

Here is the promo video:



It is hard to overestimate how important and formative these camps will be in laying a foundation for your child to thoughtfully walk with Jesus Christ for a lifetime and influence others to do the same.

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Helping Children Think Christianly - Resources for Christian Parents Part 6

Recently, I posted a story from CNN about atheist camps. But are there any good worldview summer camps for Christians? Absolutely! If thoughtful engagement is what you are looking for from a distinctively Christian, interdisciplinary perspective, then these 2 camps are for you (and I highly recommend them!!!)

The first is Summit.

"Summit Ministries® is an educational Christian ministry whose very existence is a response to our current post-Christian culture. Today, countless Christian youth have fallen victim to the popular ideas of our modern world. Most have adopted these ideas into their own worldview, while still others go on to renounce their Christian faith altogether.

Summit views its role in God's kingdom as a catalyst to counteract this alarming trend. However, our ultimate goal supersedes simply training. As Christians are challenged to stand strong in their faith and defend truth, they will also be equipped to have a positive influence on the society in which they live."

Tomorrow, I will blog about another outstanding summer camp to help ground your students in a Christian worldview.

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Helping Children Think Christianly - Resources for Christian Parents Part 5

We are now to the next resource for helping the next generation think Christianly. You need to know that relativism is everywhere. Truth, Jesus, Sexuality, and Morality are all up for grabs and are now considered a "personal preference." Are you prepared to address this with your children? Your students?

You can be if you pick up a copy and study Ethix: Being Bold in a Whatever World by Sean McDowell. It is clear, concise, and does not require any prior knowledge of the topic. Also, your students can read it with you and you can talk about it. I highly recommend this resource. If you would like to hear 5 reasons relativism is a really bad idea (in 10 minutes), click here for my latest podcast.

(Product Description)
High school and college students are bombarded today with mixed media messages of moral relativism. ethiX: Being Bold in a Whatever World helps young adults better understand how to make Bible-informed ethical decisions on the issues of abortion, homosexuality, marriage and divorce, the morality of war, cloning, euthanasia, capital punishment, sexuality, and more.

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Helping Children Think Christianly - Resources for Christian Parents Part 4

Kids have questions about life and faith...do you have answers? The good news is that there are answers out there and you don't have to have PH.D behind your name to have access to them. Here is a resource that gives short, solid answers(1 page or less...isn't that good news??) to the toughest questions out there.

It would be good to just have this around the house (bedside table and bathroom are two good spots). Who Made God? And answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith by Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler



Product Description
A single-volume accessible summary of answers to the most commonly raised apologetic questions by some of the foremost evangelical apologists to equip lay persons as well as Christian leaders with biblical and practical answers to tough questions about the Christian faith, as well as its relationship to other faiths in an era where many listen with their eyes and think with their emotions. Companion book to Is Your Church Ready?: Motivating Leaders to Live an Apologetic Life.

From the Back Cover
In the quest for the truth, you need to know what you believe and why you believe it. Who Made God? offers accessible answers to over 100 commonly asked apologetic questions. Bringing together the best in evangelical apologists, this guide is standard equipment for Christians who want to understand and talk about their faith intelligently.

Part one answers tough questions about the Christian faith such as: • Who made God? • How can there be three persons in one God? • What is God’s ultimate purpose in allowing evil? • Where did the universe come from? • How long are the days of creation in Genesis? • Did Jesus rise from the dead? • Are the records of Jesus’ life reliable? • Does the Bible have errors in it?

Part two answers tough questions about other faiths, including Islam, Mormonism, Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation, Yoga, Reincarnation, Buddhism, and Black Islam. Relevant stories, questions for reflection and discussion, and a comprehensive list of suggested resources help you dig deeper so you can be prepared to give careful answers that explain the reasons for your faith.

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Helping Children Think Christianly - Resources for Christian Parents Part 3

Today we are going to talk about the older kids a little (6-14). Earlier this year, Theologian Bruce Ware came out with Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God by Bruce Ware that teaches the basics of theology in 2-3 pages snippets with a key verse of scripture to read and questions. This book project came out of his nightly bed time routine with his own kids -- a captive audience and they don't want to go to bed just yet ;).



Parents will learn a ton from this book! It is well written, but very accessible. You could buy it, and stay a day ahead of your child. Ware does a good job on teaching what Christians believe. This is a wonderful resource!

Reviews:

"A theologically rich resource to aid parents in training their children. Anyone who wants to help children grow in their love for Jesus and understanding of the Bible needs this book." - Mark Driscoll, Pastor of Mars Hill Church, Seattle; President of Acts 29 and The Resurgence

"This is a great book for children and their parents on the classic doctrines of the faith. I heartily recommend it to every parent!" - Dennis Rainey, President, FamilyLife

"My conversion and discipleship as a young girl were significantly influenced by my parents reading to our family a book that taught biblical doctrine to children in a systematic way. The church today must be intentional in passing on to the next generation the core and precious beliefs on which our Christian faith rests. To neglect that responsibility is to leave those who come behind us vulnerable to every wind of (false) doctrine and to risk their rejecting our faith altogether. Big Truths for Young Hearts is a rich resource for parents, teachers, and others who care about helping the next generation know and love God and his ways. In addition to being a theology course for children and young people, it is also a great refresher course for adults." - Nancy Leigh DeMoss, author; host of Revive Our Hearts radio broadcast

"Imagine a respected theologian devoting himself to training a new generation of pastors and scholars in the seminary classroom. Now imagine him driving home at night to teach that profound theology in simple terms to his children at their bedsides. Now imagine this father compiling those bedside conversations into a book available to all pastors, parents, and children alike. Imagine no more. My friend Dr. Bruce Ware has done it." - C. J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries

Product Description
Equips parents to guide their young children through all major doctrines in an understandable, chapter-a-day format.

Sure, it's easy to teach your children the essentials of Christian theology when you're a theology professor. But what about the rest of us?

With Big Truths for Young Hearts, Bruce Ware, (you guessed it!) a theology professor, encourages and enables parents of children 6-14 years of age to teach through the whole of systematic theology at a level their children can understand. Parents can teach their children the great truths of the faith and shape their worldviews early, based on these truths.

The book covers ten topics of systematic theology, devoting several brief chapters to each subject, making it possible for parents to read one chapter per day with their children. With this non-intimidating format, parents will be emboldened to be their children's primary faith trainers-and perhaps learn a few things themselves along the way.

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See the Show, Be the Show (how the media we consume shapes us)

I know we are in the middle of a series about helping kids think Christianly. But I came across a story that fits right in with that (HT / Summit). It is an article called "see the show, be the show." And it is thought provoking to be sure. Now my intention here is not to censor everything or become the media place saying what "good christians" do and don't watch. But I think we are being naive if we think that what we watch does not affect us. And the younger we are the more of an effect it has (cf. our children). The evidence for this is not antecdotal, but empirical and well researched. Plenty of Government studies have shown the causal link between advertising and certian behavior (e.g., Cigarette smoking). The equation on that one is really quite simple. More advertising causes more smokers...but TV is neutral right?

Take a few minutes and read and reflect on this article by asking what you consume and how often you do? And then there is what we allow our young children to watch...if we are wanting them to form virtuous hearts and character, then what are we putting in their little hearts? Remember, lessons are always being taught and children are always listening. Whenever the TV is on; school is in session.

(excerpt) "If it seems that not much good comes from much of the media kids consume, well, that's exactly what researchers at the National Institutes of Health (working with Common Sense Media) concluded after examining 173 studies involving entertainment and behavior. Government researchers found that 80 percent of those studies linked media (defined as TV, movies, video games, music, the Internet and magazines) to adverse outcomes among children, including obesity, sex, smoking, drug and alcohol use, attention problems and poor grades. One of the five study reviewers, Ezekiel J. Emanuel, summarized, "The research is clear that exposure to media has a variety of negative health impacts on children and teens. ... We found very few studies that had any positive association [for children's health]." (more)

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Helping Children Think Christianly - Resources for Christian Parents Part 2

Ok, so here is part two of our adventure in helping our children think christianly. There are a lot of children's devotional books out there--and a lot of good ones--but Five Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God's World As a Family stuck out to me in the way that it helps parent and child interact about God and what he is saying. There are wonderful questions and very practical applications from God's Word (for 4-8 year olds). It is well illustrated and creativley incoprorates what God has made into what God has revealed in his Word.



Product Description
This delightful devotional is perfect for bedtime, dinnertime, or anytime. Each short devotion includes a story about an animal illustrating its dominant trait as created by God. That trait is then related to a child. Questions at the end are fun for the young child to answer, such as picking out something in the picture, asking what the animal is doing, and asking what God wants us to do. Each devotional concludes with a short bible verse.

About the Author
Pamela Kennedy has written gentle animal stories that children of all ages will love. Humorous and colourful illustrations by Amy Wummer complete this book and children and their parents will learn about God's love for all his creatures.

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Helping Children Think Christianly - Resources for Christian Parents Part 1

This week I am going to do a series of blog posts on resources for helping kids begin thinking christianly about all of life. Parents play a fundamental and irreplaceable role in the worldview and character formation of their children. We are called to impart our faith to them so that the next generation will know and walk with Jesus Christ for a lifetime.

The first resource is for ages 4-8 and was written and illustrated by my friend Joey Allen. These works cover 4 basic areas: Gospel, Scripture, Trinity, and Mission and have been endorsed by people like Al Mohler. These are wonderful little books and I highly recommend them!

Product Description
The Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers series introduces children ages four to eight to the fundamental teachings about God based on the Bible. The most foundational teachings of the Christian faith are presented in this four-book set at a level preschool and elementary children can understand. Colorful illustrations compliment every page of orthodox Christian doctrine, creating an enjoyable learning experience for the child. In contrast to self-centered theology and watered-down Bible storybooks, the Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers series promotes God-centered theology with simple and precise teaching while offering stability and a strong, lasting connection with the faith.

• For children ages 4-8
• Teaches fundamental doctrines of the Bible
• Promotes basic theological ideas
• Builds a lasting faith at an early age
• Includes colorful illustrations on every page
• Four-book series

The Trinity promotes the doctrine that there is one God who exists in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This teaching is foundational for a child’s understanding of God; a fact about the Trinity is presented on each page, leading the child to a stronger faith.

The Scripture teaches children that the Word of God is true, inspirational, reliable, and dependable in all circumstances at all times.

The Mission presents the Great Commission in a manner that is easily understood by children. The world is full of people who need a Savior, and it’s up to us to share the gospel with them.

The Gospel relates a gospel message of salvation to children, at their level of understanding, planting seeds that will hopefully blossom into a Christian life of dedication to our Savior and Lord.

About the Author
Joey Allen is a missionary and artist who desires to see people all over the world worship God for who He truly is, and has traveled the globe to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Georgia and was awarded the Cliff Chandler Graphic Design Scholarship. He is currently working on a Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. Joey and his wife Christy currently reside in Dallas, Texas.

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