Family Values

By Joseph Harris
Apr 25, 2012
CDN

Have you ever had a tempting offer that seemed too good to be true? One example that comes to mind would be the work at home ads that promise you will make $10,000 the first month and as much as you want after that. The old saying “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” is an axiom of truth.

After hearing one of these ads on radio, I reflected back on an offer from a few years back that could have been a lucrative deal, if only those pesky Christian values had not gotten in the way. The casting producer for a show on ABC contacted me about being on their program. She said it was a hit show on ABC’s Disney family hour. Since I do not watch much TV, and never watch regular network programming, I had never heard of the show. The casting producer was looking for an illusionist and his family, and came across my web site (I still perform several ministry illusion shows each year). The filming would have taken a couple of weeks of my life, and though I have no experience as a film actor, I have 17 years’ experience in live entertainment, have dabbled as a contributor in screen writing and at one time produced and directed a weekly radio program. The appearance on this program would have paid $20,000.00. I admit, this amount caused me to raise an eyebrow, but if my family and I had appeared on the program, it would have been the end of my ministry. The potential to corrupt my children was assured because of the nature and content of the show. Though I had never watched the program, the show’s name was enough to turn me off. I declined and soon found out how corrupt it was. To this day, I still have not watched an episode of the show and do not plan on it.

The offer came soon after asking God for some extra income for a specific need. AND it was on ABC’s DISNEY FAMILY hour. I had been told by the casting director it was a family show. Surely, this was God answering prayer. However, I learned long ago that the world doesn’t have a clue, when it comes to real family values. I rented a cartoon film from a video store when my daughter was young, and asked the clerk about the film. She assured me it was a clean, child friendly, wonderful animation. Five minutes into the film, curse words began. I turned it off, took the film back, and with charity, told the employee the film was not a children’s film. Just because a show is centered on a family or families, does not mean it is fit for family consumption. After checking into the situation, it appeared they wanted a Christian family, but I suspected it was for the opportunity to mock Christianity and challenge real family values. Even though I was encouraged by some to consider it, it was never a possibility from the beginning.

The importance of a stable, Godly family cannot be overstated. No single institution has been attacked as vehemently and viciously as the family has been attacked. The emasculation of the male, blurring of the roles of the sexes, and laxation of the discipline of children, have all weakened the family in the last 50 years. Family values begin with placing value on God as the foundation of the family, led by the Father and supported by the Mother. Discipline and standards motivated by love, will establish the children in habits, manners and a Christian world view philosophy that glorifies God, strengthens churches and produces good citizens. Parents have only one shot with their children. That’s why it’s so important to guard them from that which would steal their innocence and purity and establish and enforce real family values.

Joseph Harris, joey@stupidpoliticians.com has been a college professor and pastor since 1987 and his writings have appeared on WND, Sword of the Lord, Intellectual Conservative, Conservative Daily News, Canada Free Press, Land of the Free, and The Post Chronicle.