Morality – PaulThompsonBlog

How Did the Para-Church Become the Expert?

Posted on July 8, 20192 Comments

Last week I met with local pastors in the Magic Valley from Burley to Hagerman, Jackpot to Twin Falls to prepare ourselves for a strategic plan to speak to the Twin Falls, City Council and prepare to engage God’s people to interact with state legislators concerning the abolishing of abortion in the state of Idaho.

As I Read Scripture and pray over this day with desire to remain focused on the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as described by the Bible only I’m finding myself shocked at how little many expect from the church anymore.

Does anyone turn to the church to know about reaching children and youth? Maybe, but be sure of this, the church will turn to the para-church publishing house to train and program the methodology. What happened to a day when God’s people would turn to their Bible and seek God for the best way to reach the children?

Does anyone expect a leading voice from the church when it comes to feeding the poor? Likely the church is going to turn to the para-church food kitchen or food bank to regulate how to do this for them.

There was a day when the community would turn to the church to care for the orphan, sadly, today, the church has largely given this God ordained duty to the government.

If you want to influence city, county, state, or national issues with a moral base you will be hard pressed to find a church anywhere willing to engage. There was a day when all would look to the moral buttress, the church, the pillar of truth. The danger today is that the church has abdicated this off to the para-church lobbyist. We’ve been encouraging God’s people to contribute to the para-church so that the para-church can represent our values. The problem today is that many of the para-church lobbyist are not held accountable to the church and the church assumes they are the experts. It is time for the church to not only continue pressing the government to defund Planned Parenthood, it may as well be time to defund the para-church.

It is time, church, we must not leave our post as an abandoned post.

We are told (we even tell ourselves) “you can’t legislate morality.” We seem to have forgotten that that is part of the work of the government, to legislate moral and just laws. We also must know that a government does not have the capacity to be moral or remain moral if an imputed righteous people remain silent.

It is a more true statement that you can’t legislate righteousness. Righteousness is something that only God deposits upon an unrighteous person because of his depravity, inability to be righteous.

But, because the church has largely stepped out of the conversation on the topic of humanity and decided to hire the “experts” to speak for us we are now in communities that are not that interested in what we have to say about morality, or righteousness on any matter. Our communities look at the “right to life” groups and pregnancy centers as the “experts” on matters of life and they view the church more as the “experts” on summer daycare extravaganzas and free cotton candy.

This is for sure, if morality is not legislated, and that from a position of absolute truth, it will not be long before the immoral community begins to legislate immorality.

Welcome to today.

Church, return to your post in the community as a pillar and buttress of truth. From this place don’t forget your need to proclaim the gospel and call all people, everywhere, to believe and repent.

It’s a good day to be the church.

Is Your Church a Church or A Community Group?

Posted on February 17, 2018Leave a comment

Yesterday, February 16, 2018, I exercised my privilege as a citizen of the great state of Idaho to appeal the House Education Committee not pass out of committee House Bill 579. The experience is always a breath taking experience. If you’ve never engaged in the process of your government you should find a bill some time and make it a family project to follow it from start to finish. It is best experienced with a field trip to the state house while a bill is being introduced and public hearing is available.

Really, you should try that some time.

Hose bill 579 was sent to “General Orders”. That’s a normal path many bills take that need more work. I was pleased that the bill was not directly sent to the House floor for a vote, even though I’m confident it would have died there. The bill did not die yesterday but it is not out of committee yet either.

I have expressed several concerns with regard to the bill 579. Here is the audio of my testimony before the House Education Committee on February 16, 2018 in Boise Idaho.

How Important Is It To Know?

Posted on February 6, 20182 Comments

When state legislators are in session the people better be paying close attention.

There is a bill right now before Idaho legislators to address the language of the law concerning Family Life and Sex Education. (section 33-1608 Idaho State Legislature). The link I have referenced is the current law, amended last in 1970.

Here is how it currently reads:

TITLE 33
EDUCATION
CHAPTER 16
COURSES OF INSTRUCTION

33-1608. FAMILY LIFE AND SEX EDUCATION — LEGISLATIVE POLICY. The legislature of the state of Idaho believes that the primary responsibility for family life and sex education, including moral responsibility, rests upon the home and the church and the schools can only complement and supplement those standards which are established in the family. The decision as to whether or not any program in family life and sex education is to be introduced in the schools is a matter for determination at the local district level by the local school board of duly selected representatives of the people of the community. If such program is adopted, the legislature believes that:

a. Major emphasis in such a program should be to assist the home in giving them the knowledge and appreciation of the important place the family home holds in the social system of our culture, its place in the family and the responsibility which will be there much later when they establish their own families.

b. The program should supplement the work in the home and the church in giving youth the scientific, physiological information for understanding sex and its relation to the miracle of life, including knowledge of the power of the sex drive and the necessity of controlling that drive by self-discipline.

c. The program should focus upon helping youth acquire a background of ideals and standards and attitudes which will be of value to him now and later when he chooses a mate and establishes his own family.
History:
[33-1608, added 1970, ch. 119, sec. 1, p. 282.]

Notice a few things with me…

The state of Idaho believes (in 1970) that the primary responsibility for family life and sex education, including moral responsibility, rests upon the home and the church.
The school can only complement and supplement those standards. The standards established in the family.
Local school districts/boards is the level that determines how this is implemented.
The state of Idaho (in 1970) saw that the jurisdiction of family life and sex education was chiefly, the duty of the family.
The state of Idaho (in 1970) believed the best place for children to responsibly establish their own families was in the authority of the family.
The state of Idaho (in 1970) set law in place to ensure that children would primarily receive their moral, scientific, physiological instruction for understanding sex and its relationship to the miracle of life, and set its moral compass of the sex drive and self discipline as high priorities of family and church.
The state of Idaho (in 1970) was satisfied to be a supplement for what was to be primarily taught in home and church.
The state of Idaho (in 1970) believed that parents were qualified to give their children the necessary background, attitude and morality to help them make informed decisions now and to later choose a mate and establish their own homes.

Our duty now is to consider what is being presented to legislators today. We need to ask good questions about why they are suggesting changes and why have they deliberately chosen the wording of such and what are they saying about home and church today in relationship to what was previously thought about them both.

This demands our attention.

Here is the new wording of the proposal…

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. 414
BY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
AN ACT RELATING TO SEX EDUCATION; REPEALING SECTIONS 33-1608 THROUGH 33-1611,
IDAHO CODE, RELATING TO SEX EDUCATION; AND AMENDING CHAPTER 16, TITLE 33,

IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 33-1608,

IDAHO CODE, TO ESTABLISH PROVISIONS REGARDING SEX EDUCATION.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
SECTION 1. That Sections 33-1608 through 33-1611, Idaho Code, be, and
the same are hereby repealed.

SECTION 2. That Chapter 16, Title 33, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and
designated as Section 33-1608, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

33-1608. SEX EDUCATION.

(1) For purposes of this section, “sex education” means the study of:
(a) The anatomy and physiology of human reproduction; and
(b) The development of healthy relationships.
(2) The decision to include sex education in the school curriculum
shall be made at the district level by the board of trustees. If a sex education
program is included in the curriculum, the program shall:
(a) Be medically accurate according to published authorities on which
medical professionals generally rely, which authorities shall be designated

in rule by the state board of education; and

(b) Adhere to the Idaho content standards for health education as
established by the state board of education.
(3) School districts shall involve families and community groups in the
planning, development, evaluation and revision of any instruction in sex
education offered as part of the school curriculum.
(4) A child may be excused from sex education if the child’s parent
or legal guardian files an excuse request to the school district board of
trustees on a form made available by the board. Alternative educational programs shall be provided for excused children

Acknowledgement: I am not a lawyer. I make no pretenses on this matter. I’m writing with an attempt to be a well informed and responsible follower of Christ. This is my one and only agenda. Nothing hidden in my observation of this change in Idaho law.

Here are the following initial observations of the change in Idaho law Section 33-1611

First, note that this revision of a law starts with scrapping the entire previous law. Maybe that’s the normal way to keep a law clean, but when what was previously the law and the intentional language of the law is completely removed I want to know why and I want to pay close attention to what the new law has to say.
Second, I note there is no mention of church. It may be implied by the language of “community groups” but that is no small change and should not be overlooked.
Third, I note that the state law seeks primarily to “involve” families rather than treat families as the primary educator on this matter.
I then see that there is, what appears to be, intentionally dangerous language that leaves the matter of morality to the subjective wind of “published authorities” on which medical professionals “generally” rely.
The law gives parents right to excuse a child from the “sex education” curriculum on a form made available by the local school district board of trustees. Then it gives unclear direction as to what the alternative curriculum that is to be provided for excused children is.

I will be writing my legislators today to inform them of how I read this and express desire that they not alter the good law we already have. I urge you to do the same. Even if you don’t agree with me in how I read the proposal.

What do you think about this?

Where is the Nation’s Morality

Posted on November 22, 20171 Comment

The current spiraling of sexual immoral behavior of politicians, news reporters, and Hollywood producers is tragically really nothing new. But it is ruling the news most days.

A nation troubled by the sexual misconduct of irresponsible men and women are at the same time complicit by the promotion of a hyper sexualized nation.

If we, as a nation, are going to be honest in our conversation about what’s going on (really, about what’s been going on) then we are going to have to not only talk about Hollywood and politicians, we are going to have to talk about the public school campus, we are going to have to talk about the half time show at the Christian school basketball game, we are going to have to talk about what our home-schooled children are doing on the internet, we are going to need to talk about morality.

Hollywood has been pushing the envelope since the industry began. It set standards because it knew there were limitations. Then the government began to set standards because even the government knew there needed to be limitations and standards that a moral nation needs to have in order to have a decent behaving population.

This is complicated and yet quite simple. The institution ordained by God to be a moral compass in any nation is not the movie industry or a self appointed wise man, who eventually will show himself to be the worlds greatest fool but is a church of redeemed followers of Christ. The pillar of truth in the land is not a senator, school teacher, sports coach, dance team sponsor, actors, athletes, news anchors, or movie producer. It is a duty given to a unique people of redeemed from the wrath of God known as a church.

Where are you church? Is Dancing with the Stars really your standard for wholesome entertainment for your children? Is American Idol really your clothing standard for the coming Lord’s Day? Is any sitcom on any network really going to instruct your children on acceptable behavior and appropriate topics to talk about?

What if the church spoke into our culture again with conviction? What if we spent our money differently? What if we reconsidered the source of our entertainment? What if we looked to not just elect “moral” people, but godly people? What if we reinvented the education system? What if we engaged social media differently? What if we didn’t let the industry that pushes immodest clothing styles tell us how to dress? What if we didn’t let the immoral nature of our old flesh entice us to look at them?

Here you are church! Here is your day. Speak with compassion, conviction, and godly authority. Secure godly ministers to lead God’s church, not cleaver people in the ways of men.

We must stop being surprised by the failure of letting immoral people being the standard of morality and stop letting our children see them as their heroes. This year, instead of flooding the movie industry with our money, consider investing in books of real heroes. Introduce biographies of heroes of the faith to your children. These heroes are not perfect in all their ways, but they are governed by a holy God and redeemed to live differently.

What Follows When Sin Becomes Legal

Posted on April 17, 2014Leave a comment

It is a short path to “ethical” once a sin is redefined, over ruled, and made legal by human courts. Once that short path is seen, the propaganda train begins to move. That train has left the station; who will warn all the passengers of the structurally compromised bridge just ahead? Ready the medical/rescue teams, disaster is imminent and care will be needed.

Posts Tagged with Morality