In the current political campaigns, the discussion of "family values"
is a frequent theme. Each candidate has his own vague and subjective understanding
of what family values are. That subjectivity is the problem with politics
and society today. Our society has lost the direction that comes from an
objective standard of truth. We have exchanged the well defined absolute
and unchangeable truth for a multitude of wavering relative truths. The
problem is, truth never changes. If it does, it was not truth. If family
does not establish its values on truth, those values are not worthy of
passing on to the children. To do so will trouble society.
Years ago there was report of a study of the descendants of two New
England men that lived in the seventeen hundreds. Jonathan Edwards was
an uncompromising theologian and preacher who lived to please God. The
other was Max Jukes, a man devoid of moral character and the very antithesis
of Mr. Edwards. At the time of the study, the researcher learned that out
of 1,394 descendants came of Edwards, there were 13 college presidents,
65 professors, 60 prominent lawyers, 32 noted authors, 90 physicians, 200
ministers of the Gospel, 300 farmers, 86 state senators, 30 judges, three
Congressmen, and one Vice President of the United States. According to
the study, the history of 903 of Jukes' family revealed 300 delinquents,
145 confirmed drunkards, 90 prostitutes, 285 had social diseases, and over
100 spent an average of 13 years in prison. The report estimated that the
crimes and care of that one family cost the state of New York over one
million dollars. The family of Jonathan Edwards never cost the government
a single penny. Instead they made contributions of incalculable worth.
The values of the Jukes family were not worthy of passing on.
Today many are foolishly passing on values that are more destructive
than the values of the Jukes family. The entertainment industry, the biased
media reporting, the public education system, variant lifestyle activists,
and even the government seek to promote sinful behavior patterns as acceptable
and even preferable to the Biblical pattern. That pattern is the family.
God's best is a man and woman married for a lifetime. Each is to fulfill
his or her God-given role while nurturing children in the fear of God.
Only those values that are founded on the Word of God are right. Only those values should be taught to our children. God's people should support only those values when they go to the voting polls.