Goodbye, Pinocchio

Next Tuesday, March 15, Disney is putting Pinocchio back in the vault. If you don't have a copy you should get one.

I'm sad to see Pinocchio get locked up. Oh, I know he'll likely be back someday---that's part of Disney's marketing strategy.

I think we need him now more than ever. Remember his theme song? "Give A Little Whistle." Here's the lyrics, if you've forgotten:

When you get in trouble and you don't know right from wrong
Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle!
When you meet temptation and the urge is very strong
Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle!

Not just a little squeak, pucker up and blow
And if your whistle's weak, yell, "Jiminy Cricket!"
Right!

Take the straight and narrow path
And if you start to slide
Give a little whistle! Give a little whistle!
And always let your conscience be your guide

Take the straight and narrow path. Always let your conscience be your guide.

But if you don't have a conscience, how can you let it guide you? Many researchers are suggesting that we have a "conscience crises"---a generation without a conscience.

Kids are whistling and there's no Jiminy Cricket. Some are not even whistling.

More than 20 years ago; Dr. Ken Magid, Carole McKelvy, Dr. T. Berry Braelton of Harvard, Dr. Foster Cline, Dr. Edward F. Zigler of Yale and others conducted an in depth survey on their changing culture.

Among their findings was the title of one of the books written from the survey, "High Risk: Children Without A Conscience."

They said, "We live in a transition time," urging parents to put aside professional and career pursuits in favor of "parental bonding" particularly during the first 2 years of the babies life. Otherwise, they discovered, they were putting their children at risk. The risk of having no conscience.

Now, a generation later, we see the consequences. The people at Josephson Institute on Ethics have released a recent study that found, guess what, that kids are growing up without a conscience.

H.C. Trumbell has said, "Conscience tells us to do right, but does not tell us what is right."

After 50 years of secularizing the culture and our public education---attempting to create a "morality neutral" culture, with parents who have put their career before their baby's development, we are now reaping the consequences of kids and young adults without a properly developed conscience.

Our contemporary society sees conscience as a defective emotion, robbing people of their self esteem, while creating guilt. When guilt or conviction is eliminated, so is the opportunity of recognizing one's need for forgiveness and restoration.

How do we mold a child's conscience?

5 Things I Strongly Suggest.

1. Develop a bond and attachment with your baby during the first 2 years---particularly the first 9 months. The most important event in that child's life during the first year is the formation of social attachments. They will attach. You must decide to whom.

The most beneficial attachment is to the child's biological father and mother. Certainly there are circumstances that cause exceptions, however, children do not need nor deserve "two mommies or two daddies."

2. Help your child to recognize the Bible, God's Word, as the ultimate authority for knowing right and wrong.

Deuteronomy 6: 5-7 is a great formula.

A. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I commend you shall be in your heart."

It's got to be in the parents heart. Internalize God's truth and principles.

B. "And you shall teach them diligently to your children. And you shall talk of them when you sit in the house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, when you rise up and you shall bind them as a sign on your hands---and you shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates."

After bonding with your child, this is about teaching, modeling and living a lifestyle that affirms your teaching.

3. Teach them to be responsible for their actions. Post modern thinking strives to eliminate the concept of sin, while advancing the notion of no-fault living. In this environment, everyone becomes a victim of circumstances and is responsible for nothing. Or they suffer from a deficient disorder, disease or addiction.

4. Teach your kids to "Love Your Neighbor As Yourself." Loving, caring and helping others is not defined by affirming sin and immoral lifestyles. Tolerance can and should be practiced. However, your child can love, care and help while rejecting unacceptable behavior. And rejecting it being enshrined into law.

5. Keep their conscience tender and pure. Their conscience can become diluted, defiled and "seared".

I Timothy 4:2, "Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron."

A "seared" conscience is incapable of properly discerning the truth---distinguishing between right and wrong, and the conviction of wrong behavior.

The importance of a morally based conscience cannot be overstated, in experiencing a meaningful and balanced life, and an orderly, free society.

Moral Relativism destroys civilizations. And people.

Titus 1:15-16: "To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. But even their minds and consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but in their words they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient and disqualified for every good work."

Very strong words.

Good bye, Pinocchio. Please come back soon.

______________
Gary Randall
President
Faith and Freedom

Click here to add these blogs to your email inbox.