Th* Crins in Morality (continued) Most of the books I have dipped into warn against sexual experiment. But in doing so they merely point out the physical dangers, the emotional in volvement, the inconveniences and the distresses of furtive passion. Not once did I come across a reference to right or wrong in regard to the great act of love and man’s responsibility to God.” As God’s people, we must keep true Biblical principles before our young people. Sin is sin! It is not for' us, as individuals, to white-wash what God has called blackness and unrighteous ness. Unfortunately, many Christians have become disinterested, or perhaps they have thrown up their hands in despair, thinking there is little they can do about the activities of youth to day. As an example, think of the Easter weekend parties or the more- recent graduation orgies. A recent issue of the Parent Teach ers’ Association magazine, certainly not in any sense a religious journal, has stated, “The difficulty is not to find illustrations when such problems are so prevalent. Unless something is done now, the future is in grave ques tion.” A Georgia teenager, who fin ished high school last year, described her graduation night brawl to the local newspaper, The Atlanta Constitution. “We began our party in a night spot where mixed drinks were served. As the evening went on, we progressed to one night club after another. Then we went to a lake cottage owned by the parent? of one of the boys. We sat around, talked, played records and drank. After a while couples began wandering off to the water’s edge, into the woods or to side rooms. We felt that after graduation from high school we were adults and could do anything adults could do, and we were out to prove it.” In Ohio, a chief of police told of swooping down on a prom night beer bust in a city park and arresting nude couples. Death and tragedies result in the chasing of hot-rodders and bar hop ping adolescents. A North Carolina Parent Teachers’ Association president
reported, “We dread these graduation events from the time our children en ter high school. Our senior prom has stretched into a weekend night mare with wild house parties in the beach cottages, drinking and vandalism.” “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” The Bible teaches us that we as parents are to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Unfortunately today, t h e truly Christian home, even among so-called believers and church families, is the exception and not the rule. The Psalm ist asked, “If the foundations be de stroyed what can the righteous do?” But are.our youth totally responsible? Think of the rapidly increasing divorce rate across the nation. The Associated Press recently reported that in Ala bama one can get a divorce by mail if both parties are willing for the action. The cost is $300. One attorney, according to the Birmingham, Ala bama dispatch, reportedly handles 43 cases a week, and has made about $50,000 in a four month period. Do you remember that in the Bible the Word of God declares, “And the wick edness of man was great on the earth, and the Lord said I will destroy man.” The divorce rate in America is one out of every four. Here in Los Angeles County, however, it is one out of every two and a half. After all, juvenile de linquency has no degree of lawlessness that does not have its direct counter part on the adult level. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge A. A. Scott, warned parents, “It’s time you assumed the responsibility for your own children rather than shirking your duty and passing the chores on to the school, the church or to some youth-serving organization. In 95% of the cases, I’m satisfied we can point the finger directly at the parents of children involved in serious trouble. Times have changed. Many mothers are now working outside their homes instead of staying there taking care of the children. This doesn’t refer to the mother who must supplement the family income because of illness, or 22
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