Family—The Basic Unit ‘There are only three institutions God ordained in the Bible: government, the church, and the family. ‘The family is the God-ordained institution of the marriage of one man and one woman together for a lifetime with their biological or adopt. ed children. The family is the fundamental building block and the basic unit of our society, and its continued health is a, prerequisite for a healthy and prosperous nation. No nation, has ever been stronger than the families within her. America’s families are her wength and they symbolize the mirtcle of Families in search of freedom to educate their children according to religious principles originally settled this land. Families in search of religious freedom, determined to work ‘and enjoy the fruits of their labor, tamed this wild continent and built the highest living standard in the world. Families educating their children in moral principles have carried on the traditions of this free republic. Historically the greatness ‘of America can be measured in the greatness of her families. Bat inthe past twenty years a tremendous change hat taken lace. ‘There is a vicious assault upon the American family. More television programs depict homes of divorced or of single parents than depict the traditional family. Nearly every major family-theme TV program openly justifies divorce, homosex- uality, and adultery. Some sociologists believe that the family unit, as we know it, could disappear by the year 2000. Increased divorce and remarriage have broken family loyalty, unity, and ‘communications. We find increased insecurity in children who are the victims of divorced parents. Many of these children harden themselves to the possibility of genuine love, for fear that they will be hurt again. Their insulated lives make them poor future candidates for marriage, and many young people have no desire to marry whatsoever. But T believe that most Americans remain deeply committed to 104 inex mie BASIC UNIT 105 the idea of the family as a sacred institution. A minor people in this country is trying to destroy what is most fmportent to the majority, and the sad fact is that the majority is allowing it to happen. Americans must arise, and accept the challenge of preserving our cherished family heri+ tage. T quote again from the Washington Post poll of December 16, 1979, “Americans’ Hopes and Fears About the Future": “To be slone—those are dreadful words to most Americans, expressed repeatedly in this era supposedly dedicated to self." Trecently read that one of cur leading political commentators sald that Ioneliness will be a major political issue in the 1980s. God said in the Book of Genesis that it was not good ‘that man should be alone, God made men and women with the need for fellowship and the desire for a family life "The home was the first institution established by God. God's program cannot be improved. In the Book of Genesis in the Bible we find these words: “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: And he ‘took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; ‘And the 1b, which’ the LORD God had taken from man, ‘made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: She’ shall be called Woman, because she was taken ont of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, ‘and shall cleave unto his wife: And they shall be one flesh. ‘And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were ‘not ashamed.” (Gn, 2:21-25) Nothing is more right than a ‘man and a woman joined together in boly wedlock, As a family, they are in submission to the Lordship of Jesus Chist—the most heavenly thing on earth. ‘A commentator from one of the major networks once asked me, “What right do you Baptists have to promote your jdeas about the family boing the acceptable style for all of humanity?" I replied that it was not Baptists who started the family; it was God Almighty, and He is not a Baptist. God ‘made a helpmeet for man. The family is that husband-wife relationship that God established in the Garden of Eden, later producing children. God gave Adam authority and dominion Deer the ereation and told him to multiply and replenish the arth, The family is that basic unit that God established, not coaly to populate but also to control and contain the earth. ‘The happiest people on the face of this earth are those who. are part of great homes and families where they are loved,Fe ee te ae cer ae at So een, ace in Sot ee ee to Sea te oo 2 vs ood oo eee a ee to ab Lm ten Se ee nr ts sone a Se eee dings Net eee ee eer elpeeerreg yet ee es Fite mov inp enitmac ca ns IO ae Sa sc od wally of fxnib creas 1 YO Bere canine sony a nal eo Be ey ee Ce te ce es os ay een pee et ey ly ol cares pint te fen ne oe Sen ae Seat ae reat or a eae oa note lors et nel erg rye er ee te Seay Set eo aad Meee oe ae Fe ee ha ant oe a ey Be geitcni ian < eee ee soe eee Be eer ae a oe et en Fa conta a bas as rats cen Serta re Hone ea Oe cr avaty—re Basic Ue 107 fpousewife, She is dedicated to making a happy and rich life for us and our three children. She does not consider her life ‘work of making my life happy and that of loving and shaping the lives of our precious children inconsequential or demean- ing. Women who choose to remain in the home should never feel inferior to those working outside, but should know they are fulfilling God's command for the home. ‘We have been living in a distorted and decaying society ‘where women are made to feel a loss of self-esteem and a loss Of status when they choose to be full-time housewives. Wom- fn are finding today that they feel they must justify them- selves if they choose to remain in the home. Edith Schaeffer, fn her book What Is a Family? points out the glory and the seriousness and responsibility of being a full-time housewife ‘Answering the question, “What is a family? she says: “A formation center for human relationships—worth fighting for, worth calling a career, worth the dignity of hard work.” She says, “The family is the place where the deep understand- ing that people are significant, important, worthwhile, with a purpose in life, should be learned at an early age. The family is the place where children should learn thet human beings have been made in the image of God and are therefore very special in the universe.” (p. 69) She says: “The environment ina family should be conducive to the commencement, of natural creativity, as natural as breathing, eating, and sleep- ing. A balanced, ‘created person can come forth, developing ‘and branching out in a wide number of areas, if some ‘amounts of imagination and care are used. The first require- ‘ment is @ dignity of attitude toward the family. This dignity involves accepting the seriousness and excitement of having your own home be a very specific creativity center. ne, two, three, or more new little beings, one at a time, adopted ar horn to you, you have an opportunity to develop & growing, changing, constantly better environment for budding ‘and blossoming creativity ...someone has 10 have time 10 sive to this.” (p. 58) Te is sad that we find in our major magazines articles such as that in the July 9, 1979, US. News & World Report entitied, “Full-time Homemaking Is Now ‘Obsolete,’ It says: “Shirley Johnson, the Vassar economist, figures that for teach additional $1,000'a woman earns, the chance of divorce increases by 2 per cent.” A January 15, 1979, U.S. News & World Report article entitled, “Working Women Joys and Sorrows” states, “Women are swelling the work force at athe shift from howe ston Comat inger than the sto, dicts that the vi may alter the lives gp te mothers to children, ow Bait Schaal sive to each of fis mae soaturies and is not mega Shatere, woken pea ess and in health is 0 be oh ‘We are in the land of ivion Ra care for ach other, aad’ ae a old age.” (p. 118) * any wet aay iu the family, i ‘meant (a be fa y Americans feral cars in the drivew. ay, «bestia ‘stable tig 1979, U.S. News & World Ram erson’s character is detern her word Hi "Soar ee a try, ‘the intimacy, secur, and ge Pat tine ve spent 109 ne tess than 100 EF Byer any lst then, 100 er Maiti to teach to cilren ¢ Fetsdonti. ont; mare ‘a mew re a Lot Freer, But ett a0, Washington Post Be geneaitad forte eines fr the Merion that gave ws the free. Beet cape, fee Viewoam, the Ta decwak, women and Sally efocted homemsking “a rk knew vty their children than wrth the theory that it hour children that this Wore a I we cule Be toeniien a the nl pretest Berets meme a te a pl wi of FS tm ji hgh schoo! a es ve pr ees Bee Tent ve tee Bs ao ow eens tt BBE s fs. How should we teach our Ely of marriage when we're in the Be arsecond ot third spouse? How do we Bomyerous and they should stay away Bey can get pot in our dresser drawers? fp excel inthe public schools when foo tired to help them study ion seems 10 ave suv Tot of fim bur something must be paid. The f teen-age suicides, burnouts, ending vs joie for our children. Blimarches, of protests. We are adults he parenis, We can" take over the Building in-an effort to get dopene onscere—THE DECI FACTOR Outof the restrooms and le I tte nd learning back into the clsroa ae ve 10 be cautious, mature, thoughtful, resourceful, andi Feiss We who cilenad and ducade the asda life styles of our parents now have the far trickier ce fashioning new standards for our children, waren toe ‘mutually acceptable guidelines between the fresdone, OE Sj ads end te recdor hey want for tenses children. And somehow, both the fathers and mother a funy tne oath tes nore aha We lt te ren: I takes large quantities of hiph-qualiy realities we do it trough mow pertiine work fathers and mothers, through more flexitime, throu, b pared sale of os thie fire me ee rental co-operatives, and other forms of sharing child: Faisingresponsibiitis, we now need to free more of sar ties to raise our children. ne in the eights, the baby-boom gene sam be the aby-bom seman Sly gag The answer to sable faa wit chi maori ith children who grow up to in our society and who thomecies Bam able homes wil not come from, ax Judy Mann sats, nove Part-time work for fathers and mothers, or parental leaves of tency oihiny our weky or paral coupes and er fomis of sharing chidrasng Texponsiics, 1 wl Some only as men and women In'Ameicn get in right igo fo God and princi for hehe. Sate at couples who profess a born-again rlationsh have much happier, healthi 2 healthier marriages. ta a Japua 199, US. News & World Report ntcrviow wih Dr Robert Binoy in fale ne “Bend th Surnen roken Marge” De, Tayo say “We nd tat coves wo are atively ali fed to have mote sable maria, Waring ogtier snd ating cue sc ies help develop strong couple bonds that are er bres Te Bigs men and Sipe ‘Scripture declares that God has called the father to spinal leader inhi fea, The husbands not to be the Gictstor of the family, but ihe sprit! leader, There i Brat ieee teteen a disor and fee Pepe foo dictators beans hy re ocd od Tey fog Keds tease ty want te, Good habe whos od Ben tre god ender,‘ wies and chien ant fo em and be under ther protection. The husband i fo ‘PaMerty—tiie RAstc UNIT nt tbe the decisionmaker and the one who motivates his family Bath love. The Bible says that husbands are to love thelr Rives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself For it, A man is to be a servant to his family while at the same {fone being « leader. A husband and father is first of all to be f'provider for his family, He is to take care of their physical ‘Jueds and do this honestly by working and earning an income Jo meet those needs. Then he is to be a protector. He is to fprotect them not onfy from physical harm but from: spiritual arm as well. He is to protect them from television programs pad from magazines that would hurt them. Child abuse favolves much more than physical abuse. We have Title Eivldren today who are growing up in homes where mothers Shd fathers literally hate each other. Those children are tiving, fra constant perpetual hate war that is destroying them. A father has a God-given responsibility to lead his family in their worship of God. A father is to be a godly example to his Wife and children; he must be consistently living a good Tife Style before his family. He is to pray with his family and read {fo them from the Word of God. A man cannot do these things if he does not know Jesus Christ as his Lord and ‘Savior. The Bible says, “But as many as received him, to them igave he power fo become the sons of God, even to them that Believe on his name.” (Jn. 1:12) The love of God is available fo every man, and God has made an offer to us and asked us, fo Teoeive the gift of salvation. Until men are in right Felationship with God, there is no hope for righting our Families of our nation, Because we have weak men who bave Suk homes, and children from these homes will probably row up to become werk parents leading even weaker homes. ‘Dr, Harold M. Voth, M.D., senior psychiatrist and psysho- analyst at the Menninger Foundation, Topeks,, Kansas, bas SSthe correct development of a child requires the com mitment of mature parents who understand either consciously or intuitively that children do not grow up like Topsy. Good Grothering from birth on provides the psychological core ‘upon ‘which all subsequent development takes place, Mother- fag is probably the most important function on eacth. This is PF aiktime, demanding task. Tt requires @ high order of Gentleness, ‘commitment, steadiness, capacity to, give, and Sinny other qualities. A woman needs a good man by her side sarah will not be distracted and depleted, thus making it possible for her to provide rich humanness to her babies and Piidren. Her needs must be met by the man, and above all2, MORALITY —THE DECIDING FACTOR she must be made secure. A good man brings out the best in g ‘woman, who can then do her best for the children, Similarly, 8 good woman brings out the best in a man, who can then do his best for his wife and children. Children bring out the best 4n their parents. All together they make a family, a place ‘where people of great strength are shaped, who in turn make ‘song societies. Our nation was built by such people.” The Threat of Government to the Famity Since the family is the basic unit of society, parents kaye the responsibility of rearing their family. Families reared in the correct way contribute significantly to the success of a ‘constitutional government. It should be in the home where Christian character is formed and where adherence to moral Jaw is taught, encouraged, and enforced. Our government is trying to enact laws that I feel are contrary to the traditional American family. The Domestic Violence Prevention and ‘Treatment Act (LR. 2977) is a bill that has passed in the House and is pending hearing in the Senate. The bill originat- ed after HEW created the Office of Domestic Violence CODY) as part of the Administration for Children, Youth, ‘and Families. If H.R. 2977 is passed it would appropriate sixty-five million dollars to the ODV, which would enable this ‘new bureaucracy to develop and implement federal programs fargeted toward the families. The ODV would inevitably sppervise the conduct of the local and community programs that are already established to deal with the problems of domestic violence. The plans of this new bureaucracy are to “prevent” domestic violence. Dr. Murray A. Straus, who is the director of the Family Violence Research Project at the University of New Hampshire, suggests that we should “Gradually climinate physical punishment as a mode of hildresring ... eliminate the husband as ‘head of the family" from its continuing presence in the Taw, in religion .. .and Un] family life.” If HLR. 2977 is passed the federal govern ‘ent could become directly involved in the area of husband- wife relationships and other intrafamily relationships. ‘The Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Act could establish a federal bureaucracy to intervene in matters relat- {ng to husband and wife. Admittedly, there is in our country a problem with domestic violence, but it is an inappropriate Tesponse to legislate a federal bureaucracy to take care of this roblem, Pending in the Senate is another bill, S./ 1722. Included in FAMILY THE BASIC UNE ey tis bis the means for preventing the federal goveninest tie proneuting any form of pornography. There woul be feo the a family could protect Huet from the onslaught me hn cype of material. Currently there isa bit of protection, ot ough weak, But this new criminal code reform would itmte that totaly. Should this il pass the federal gor armen could got ftervene in the importation of pornow rey ner could it intervene ia the intersate transportation ee mopraphy. The mall woul be allowed to carry virtual ff coving. This new criminal code reform would legalize ¥ titans. There Would be no penalty attached fo the posses af marijuana, and only the sale of marijuana in lage Shanin woud bw a misdemeanor, Thi bi would ho aie it impouble to prosecute anyone forthe transportation Baber stats ines of & pil or t woman unles it could be scion at there was a connection wis prosition ring der this law the death penalty would be completely 7e tated. Women could sue their hurbends for rape ‘iis oor ow government that has atiacked the familys rol at primary edvetor of chilren, The Intemal Revenbe Setvce now seeking to contol private and Christian schol The HEW hes underaion th reeing of tet cok to purge tational moral conceps. Court. decisions ave at butt mandated. the replacement of religion with ‘eShat hummnnm. Almost insrmountable nancial obstacles set pene perents who wih to educate thelr children soups schools. The Department of Education bas been ie aped at the request of the National Education Association, ich aleve atthe Sate and not the family has the vary responsiblity to educate children. Ironically, the Pibumnment' alacking the one ‘axittion that bolts i ‘FST gains federally funded day-care centers that would tring tne age of mandatory school attendance down 19 {¥ Pree fia. This would ge children away from their parenis Teal under disearlyinftence of public education. ttned fate chapter on communism, communism hes no at forte family. Communists belies i ang chides ap tren the family and raising them separately 0 they can Hrucerinnte them wih goveroment loyalty. How I fear this ‘wil happen fo our own clea. Nor nly bas ts United States Government threatened its tantly, trough asis of commision, but also i attacks the Aimy ja sch of emission, The mom notable example of_ us MomAEFY rm, coe F4CTOR sun ecm government malfeasance in its fami gover a ite family obligations is of defense. As 1 Teult of our governments uniter ee Hae See Un ing eal But dal aren aco ov matte change, no fewer than ten Americans would 7 oe eee ee eae far behind in each of these agua ie ree eles es wae ae oa Rae a ers sia coms e ing on American families. Our President “that the eters ee Sats aeaee oct a aaa Soot eee ate a eter ttre aoe or ee eee eee =e peerage re =p ee Boe rte oo alin an cory eerie ‘reach out, not only to scholars and to expert ‘itso 0 ec aa a ge ‘experience what makes a family toa oe se ae en Sea em pice! hace eer n aad pee eee ies ee olf el eee paveny—Tim PASC UNTT us create new government programs to regulate families, care, fon, A problem concerning the fand federal funding for aborti $0pite House conference regarded the definition of the fa Wit Was finally decided that any persons living, together 4y, tated a family. This could mean two homosenual Tes cones Tesbian women living together. The new definition was or toed a better reflecting “the differences ta structure #98 fl majority across this fife style” It is time that the mor rey insists that the rights and duties of the family sf ft and of bureaucracy. T agree with dependent of government indepen from the National Pro-Famlly Coafiion that te fhe Fiion of @ family is: A family consists of persons who definited by blood, marriage, ot adoption.” When = man are Tyiwoman come to a mafriage altar and are legally ane setitually united, a family bas been born, When, childre 9 spiritually opted fato that union the family is being enlarged. bor Ghat, f simply what a family is. You cannot recresle And’ God has established, God did not make « mistake when Wet Gsted Adam and Eve and brought them together 10 He ereaigne flesh. Now our government is spending three tereen dollars on these White House families confereness, wae ace headed by sntifamily people seeking to redefine ‘what 2 family is. net itamily, forces. in the White House Conference, on Passion were dealt a severe setback in November 1979 when eae Ok the state conferences was held in Fredericksburi, Virginia. Profemily forces mounted, and fundreds of const, Virginia: Poughout the state, upon hearing of the polenta) Tree Gr ihe conference, showed up to frustrate. liber} danse uo bad hoped to dominate the conference. Of twenty” forees Megates to the White House Conference on Families four elie Virginia. Conference, twenty-two were endorsed OF the profamily coalition in what one Richmond newsPepes by the protsrunning. victory by conservatives.” Roles were eaiStly changed to prevent this from happening again. Ca quickly cyuPannouaced that no more delegates would be elected by the public T respect the decision of Gc who has decided that bis state of Al pha nas oesre White House Conference on Families. The in tach wife, Bobbie, wrote in a letter to Chairman fm Bovernucker thet as a sacred trust to the people of Alabants Guy TaeEe ould not Participate in any conference that die their sett ah traditional Judeo-Christian values concerning jovernor Forrest H. James, 1 iabama will not participate16 MORALIFY-—THE nEcrORNG FACTOR pect neh ei Sie a are Panty me waste UNIT 7 ccsions that permit or promote government funded “tat= fee" of counscling, contraception, and. abortion t© minor ‘hildren without parcatal Knowledge and conseat Child Abuses the child has the ihe to protection from the moment of conception, through every sage of develop tient, the government, acting for the common good, should {ake prudent and appropriate action to protect the life and safety of any child threatened. Actions shouldbe taken at the Slate and local levels, with duo regard for the rights of the tila and the parens concerned. ‘EdueationParents have the primary right and responsi- bilty to educate their children according 0 the philosophy of theif choice without government interference’ or faancial al P*Fomilles and the Medlo—We expect the communications media to eerie tevin, ducreton, and tate a thee rogrammning. There is grave concern that traditional family Flues are increasingly attacked, denigrated, twisted, and Fileuted in the medi. We aio support strong national, tte, nd focal laws that restrict the disemination of porsographe materia Religious Freedom—We believe tat th rights of parents to rear ther children according to their religious belies is a fundamental order of God and nature, It must aot be under mined or counteracted, directly or indiecly, implicitly oF explcly, by any government ction ‘Goverment Programs and Polcies—We endorse Senstor Paul Laralts Family Protection Act and the famly-protect- ing approsches embodied in tan approach that encour Fatally community, and local initiate to sopport families. ‘We recognize thai solutions to family problems will not be {ound inva proliferation of goverment programs. We reject the unfounded assumption that bureaucrats oF vices personnel” Know better than parents what is best for Si fen sty Prone Av‘ wo exmtenet “The purpose of the Family Protection Act is to counter disruptive federal intervention into famly fe in the United States and to encourage restoration of family unity, parental tuthorty, and a climate of traditional morality. The Family Protection Act, 8/1808, was introduced in the United States Senate on Seplember 24,1979, There are thirty-eight separate concepts in the Family Protein Act dealing with such things as education, taxation, welfare, domestic relations, and the puarantees provided by the First Amendment. Everyhingin that bill supports traditional values, encourages fal Stay together, upbolds parental authority, and seaforces ditiona! husband-and-wife relationships. “3 Setter Sse Hele told me recently that be recived lees fom people who ae sorely troubled by thei nabilty to have any inp on the plc decison ta re bring Our country closer nd eoter to cllectvam Sesto Helns fnduring contibution they fan make cat comuy ane te Shr pltical sem i fo'mark forthe secu, nab and lee oftheir families” “This ithe unt that God as ards as baste to human ie and baplnes,” sys Senator Ee may pu oF a a poere the family as the focus sonal and social well-being and. the. stronges! defense we have against the tolalitarian state.” ecole Children’s Rights “Your grandpa would shake his head and sigh that the younger generation is going to hell in a handbasket.” ‘Thus begins an article by William Rasberry entitled “Children Without Character” in a December 31, 1979, issue of the Washington Post, In his article, Rasberry quotes, profesor Edward A. Wynne, associate professor of education at the University of Hlinois, who has compiled statistics revcaling steady increase in adolescent conduct that can be described as cither other-destructive or self-destructive. Wynne reveals these statistics: Deaths by homicide of white males aged 15 to 19 increased from 2.7 pet 100,000 in 1959 to 7.5 per 100,000 in 1976—an increase of 177 per cent. Between 1950 and 4976, the annual suicide rate for young white males rose from 3.5 per 100,000 to 11.9 per 100,000—an increase of 260 per cent. In addition, there is statistical evidence of major fnerzases in the youthful abuse of illicit drugs and alcohol sexual promiscuity, in illogitimacy, and in veneral disease. ‘Wynne says that these statistics reveal a steady increase in thowe acts demonstrating a lack of what is traditionally edlled “goad character.” ‘Wynne believes that the failures in the lives of children Ihave intensified continuously over the past twenty to thirty years and produced @ generation of “self-centered, withe Srawn, unsympathetic, ireligious, unpatriotic, and character. fess young people.” Wynne asks, “The growing decline of ‘youth character raises the central question of social continu- ity: Is our society rearing adults who can keep the country ‘Boing? He believes that the answer is “No.” He says, “It's a {goed deal harder to inculeate simple morality when we keep felling our children, by precept and example, that morality is relative. Its difficult 10 engender patriotism when we no Tonger take for granted that America is a special plact, oF that its institutions and {ts guiding principles are based on something other than making a dollar. ...In the end, the ngThe Feminist Movement I believe that at the foundation of the women's liberation movement there is a minority core of women who were once bored with life, whose real problems are spiritual problems. ‘Many women ‘have never accepted their God-given roles. ‘They live in disobedience to God's laws and have promoted their godless philosophy throughout our society. God Al- mighty created men and women biologically different and ‘with difering needs and roles. He made men and women to ‘complement each other and to love each other. Not all the ‘women involved in the feminist movement are radicals. Some fare misinformed, and some are Ionely women who like being housewives and helpmeets and mothers, but whose husbands spend litle time at home and who take no interest in their ‘wives and children, Sometimes the full load of rearing a family becomes a great burden to a woman who is not ‘supported by a man. Women who work should be respected ‘and accorded dignity and equal rewards for equal work. But this is not what the present feminist movement and equal rights movement are all about. “The Equal Rights Amendment is a delusion. I believe thet ‘women deserve more than equal rights, And, in families and in nations where the Bible is believed, Christian women are hhonored above men. Only in places where the Bible is believed and practiced do women receive more than equal rights, Men and women have differing strengths. The Equal Rights Amendment can never do for women what needs to be done for them. Women need to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and be under His Lordship. They need a man who knows Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savier, and they need to be part of a home where their busband is a godly Teader and where there is a Christian family. ‘The Equal Rights Amendment strikes at the foundation of our entire social structure. If passed, this amendment would ‘accomplish exactly the opposite of its outward claims. By 130 ‘rm renee MOVEMENT 131 ‘mandating an absolute equality under the law, it witl actully take away many of the special rights women now enjoy. ERA 4s not merely @ political issue, but a moral issue as well. A Gefiite violation of holy Scripture, ERA defies the mandate that “the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church” (Ep. 5:23). In 1 Peter 3:7 we read that Ihusbands are to give their wives honor as unto the weaker ‘vessel, that they are both heirs together of the grace of life. Because a woman is weaker does not mean that she is less important. T deeply respect Mrs. Phyllis Schlafly. Mrs, Schlafly is a conservative activist. She is a lawyer and bas an extensive background in national defense. At services in the Thomas Road Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Virginia, Mrs. Schlafly made these comments: “The more I work with the issue of ERA, the more I realize that the women’s liberation move ‘ment is antifamily. ‘The proof came in November 1977 when the conference on International Women’s Year met in Hou- ston. It passed twenty-five resolutions which show very clear= Iy what the feminists are after. They are for the Equal Rights, ‘Amendment, which would take away the marvelous legal rights of a woman to be 2 full-time wife and mother in the hhome supported by her husband. They are for abortion on. demand, financed by the government and taught in the schools. They are for privileges for lesbians and homosexuals to teach in the schools and to adopt children. They are for the government assuming the main responsibility for child ccare because they think its oppressive and unfair that society expects mothers to look after their babies. All their goals and dogmas are antifamily. They believe that God made a mistake ‘when He made two different kinds of people. “They believe that we should use. the Constitution and legislation to eliminate the eternal differences and the roles that God has ordained between men and women. They want to require all laws and regulations and all schools to treat ‘men and women exactly the same. They want to do it with federal control. That is what Section 2 of the Equal Rights ‘Amendment would do. Another dogma of the women's Iib- ‘erntionists is that you have no right to make a moral judg- ‘ment between what is right and what is wrong. They want £0 five the homosexuals and the lesbians the same dignity as husbands and wives. They want to give the woman who has an illegitimate baby the same dignity as the one who has had ‘one in holy matrimony. The Equal Rights Amendment, uses,132 MoRAEETY rte DECIDING FACTOR the ward ‘ser,’ not the word ‘woman,’ ERA puts sex into the Covstilution—-a mandate dat one could never make a rea sonable common-sense difference of treatment between male ‘and female, or between good sex and bad sex. ERA would do this with the power of the federal government. Moral Ameri- cans have beaten ERA forces for seven years. Then the proponents passed their unfair time extension. They are {tying to use the power of the federal government to force the ‘unratified states 10 switch from no to yes. Meanwhile, they are trying to use the courts to deny states the right to switch from yes to no. We must continue to fight against the ERA ‘and to win this battle for God, for the dignity of women, and for the institution of the family.” Phyllis Schlafly, one of the most knowledge people I know, continued to outline the ERA movement. The next several Paragraphs are a synopsis of her presentation ‘The Equal Rights Amendment offers women nothing in the ‘way of rights or benefits that they do not already have. In the ‘areas of employment and education, laws have already been enacted to protect women. The only thing the Equal Rights ‘Amendment would do would be to take away rights and privileges that American women now have in the best country fn the world, Let us look at some of the women who are the leaders in the feminist and ERA movements. Betty Friedan, founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW), made this statement in a NOW-ERA fund- raising letter: “The ERA has become both symbol and substance for the whole of the modern women's movement for equality. ...1 am convinced that if we lose this strugsle we will have little hope in our own lifetime of saving our right to abortion..." Betty Friedan states that a feminist ‘agenda for the eighties must call for “the restructuring of the institutions of home and work." As has already been stated, Gloria Steinem, editor of Ms. magazine, made this statement: “By the year 2000 we will, I hope, raise our children to believe in human potential, not God. ..." Dr. MaryJo Bane, associate director of Wellesley College's Center for Research ‘on Women, made this statement: “We really don't know how to raise children... The fact that children are raised in families means there's no equality... in order to raise chile dren with equality, we must take them away from families and raise them..." Humanist Manijesto II, signed by Betty Friedan, contains this statement: "No deity will savo us, we must save our rae YOANIST MOVEMENT 13 selves. Promises of immortal salvation or fear of eternal Samnation are both illusory and harmful." In the notes from the Second Year Women's Liberation we find these com- meats: “We must destroy love ... love promotes vulnerabili- fy, dependence, possessiveness, susceptibility to pain, and ‘prevents the full development of woman's human potential by. Sirecting all her energies outward in the interests of others.” In the document Declaration of Feminism, we find this: “Marriage has existed for the benefit of men and has been a Iegally sanctioned method of control over women... the end of the institution of marriage is 2 necessary condition for the fiberation of women, Therefore, it is important for us to encourage women t0 leave their husbands and not to live jually with men. We must work to destroy it {mar- min her speech in Houston, Texas, Gloria Steinem made this comment: “for the sake of those who wish to Tive in equal partnership, we have to abolish and reform the institution of legal marriage.” "The Equal Rights Amendment sounds deceptively simple. It contains only three sontences: “Section 1: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Section 2: ‘The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate Iegislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3: This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.” When ERA went to the floor of the House and Senate, a number of congressmen and senators tried to insert amendments. When ERA went to the floor of the Senate, Senator Sam Ervin proposed nine separate clauses as amend- ments to ERA, Every one of there clauses was defeated on a. follcall vote. They included such provisions as, “Except it ‘won't require us to draft women. Except it won't require us 19 send our young women into military combat. Except it won't fake away the rights of working women. Except it won't take faway the rights of wives, mothers, and widows. Except it ‘won't take the right to privacy of men or women, boys or Zils. Except it won't interfere with laws which are based on Physiological differences.” Every one of these clauses was defeated. TERA came out of Congress on March 22, 1972, and went to the states with a clause setting a time limit of seven years for ratification. In the first twelve months, thirty states passed it, most of them without any hearings or debates on the issu, ‘When concerned women became involved and went to theit riagel’134 MORALITY ti BEADING FACTOR State legislators and ERA was thoroughly examined, states began to realize that they had madg a mistake in passing the ERA. In the next six years, ive more states passed ERA, but five others rescinded passage. As the time limit neared expica- tion, proponents of the ERA asked Congress for a time extension. This was exactly like a losing football team de- manding a fifth quarter in order to give them time ta catch Up, and furthermore providing that only the losing team may ‘carry the ball. We are now in the three-year extension, which is actually illegal, The power move evidenced by this exten- sion has been unprecedented in the history of our Constitu: tion, Let us examine the Equal Rights Amendment. In the first section we find that the word “sex,” not “women,” is put into the Constitution, It is not clarified what meaning of sex is aseribed here. “Equality of rights” is an undefined term, ‘There is no judicial history for that term, ERA applies only to governmental action, laws, and regulations. Their terms are Vague and undefined. Thus one of the major defects of the ERA is that itis a blank check to the U. 8. Supreme Court to tell Americans what it means after it is ratified. It is probable that the ERA would require sex-neutral words to be put in all ‘our laws—words like person, taxpayer, spouse, and parent. If wwe look at our Constitution today we find that it is the most beautiful sex-neutral document ever written, It does not talk about men and women, male and female, The U. S. Constitu- tion uses only words such a person, citizen, resident, inhabit- fant, etc. Women have every constitutional right that men have. Employment Iaws are already sex-neutral. ERA has nothing to do with equal pay for equal work. ‘Our country has fought in nine wars, and has had a draft for thirty-three years of this century. No woman in America hhas ever been drafted or sent into military combat. The draft ‘act has always read: “Male citizens of age eighteen must register." This is an example of a sex-discriminatory law. ‘There is an exemption to females. This is the American way. We have laws that exempt women from military combat duty. ‘There is one for the Army, one for the Navy, and one for the Air Force. In November 1979, the House Armed Services Committee held four days of hearings on the women's libera- tion proposal to repeal the laws that exempt women from mallitary combat duty. There were women who held jobs in the Pentagon who said, “Women want their career advance- ‘ment to be generals and admirals and to be assigned to ‘Tam FeMnasY MovEMENT 135 ‘combat duty.” Men like Admiral Jeremiah Denton, who spent seven years in a POW camp in Vietnam, spoke about what it ‘means to be in combat. Should the ERA pass, the Constti- tion would compel us to force women to serve in the military and to go into combat zones. The ERA is an ameodment 10 ‘the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, and if ERA gocs into the Constitution it would immediately: wipe Out the laws that exempt women from military combat, The military would have to obey the Constitution, ‘The women's liberation movement is seeking to require sex integration of every aspect of all school systems, This would ‘mean that there could be no more all-men’s or allwomen's schools or colleges. All classes and dormitories would have to be coed. All sports programs would have to be coed, There could be no single-sex fraternities or sororities, no Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, YMCA, YWCA, or Campfire Gils There could be no Girls State or Boys State. There could be ‘no mother/daughter and father/son school events. Under ERA it would be unconstitutional to have any of these things because they “discriminate on account of sex.” ERA not only would apply to public schools, but it would also extend to all Private schools and colleges’ whether or not they receive Public money. ‘The Founding Fathers who established our grest nation separated the power of government between the federal government and the states, and then again between executive, legislative, and judicial branches. We have maintaiced great freedom under this system. Under this distribution of power between the states and the federal government, a larg area of Jaw has been retained at the state level. Many of the laws at the state level have traditionally made differences of treat- ‘ment based upon sex, and they are the type of laws that would be subject to ERA. These laws include: marriage, divorce, child custody, adoptions, homosexual laws, incest laws, prison regulations, and insurance rates, These are alll laws that traditionally have made some (ype of difference of treatment based on sex. Section 1 of ERA would prokibit any common-sense difference of treatment based on sex. Section 2 would shift the total decision-making power over these laws to the federal government. Under Section 1 of the ERA they ‘would be forced to make these laws sex neutral, There could never be a law that says a husband should support his wife, Laws such as this were not designed to diseriminate against one's sex. They merely defined responsibilities designed for138 MORALITY —tue pecmING PacTOR {be all-male traditional role, is beginning to show up for the Ghshood it is. The military services are unable to get cue Stank S2ldiers to enlist or stay in the jobs that requee des Paar omen Ae finding out how tough this traiving ie nad {hat they will spend considerable time in the fide Arne Feld sane SF a¥Oiding nonglamorous career managenent SRag uch a8 air defense, arillery, paint mechanien Hecoote Snmbing, and the like, causing large overstrength in’ ine ‘medical and administrative fields ml, 8 desperate attempt to overcome this shortage in the seenbat support areas, the Army is now experimenting wit the program that offers special bonuses, free edication anc Tread time of service from three to two years, fo encourage ntly, they to the military from a Zits approach is also failing, for appronizately 50 pee eat of women enlistees are not finishing their tour of service, ae, ,Convince the American public that women could Perform all jobs in the military as well as men, one of sic Greatest psychological-warfare” efforts, on the battlefield. When the studies came back shor Women as a whole were inadequate in ‘Were sent back for re-evaluation. its Next move was to have senior civilian defense officials 4nd military feaders hail the sex-integrated all-voluntese toves Ss.a Seat Suocess. Today even top defense officials have te js @ dismal failure, as they“cannot meet recruiting Seals and the quality is low. Having seen their plan shattered same officials -have begun to Teditect their efforts to a strategy that calls for the draft or wren, Recently, the Secretary of Defense, Harold Brown eked the House Armed Services Committee to register won Shick, Nell aS men for the draft. Very shortly thereafter, al hist of the four military services—Army, Navy, Marines Sanciit Foree—went before the Senate’ Armed Soviee, Subcommittee for personnel and manpower and reconaveat, 4 that women be required to register for the draft Fit the draft is ever implemented, and ERA is ratified, all barriers will be removed from placing women ia eat, ‘Tam PEmasr Movescesr 139 roles. The proponents of ERA wil tll you that this wil never happen nd only a very few women wil be pi in conta tice al miltary"amigancns wr” baaad aS a cae hyscal profile and his tained cil. Even though thoes are the rules anyone who ha eer ben in comer een ae umber of people are always improperly assigned do te te fact that pipeline replacements do not how went aes complex system—replacements never ame when ‘nected, And the nature of casualties fs never wo pretisable thet os can requisition the proper type and exact nunber tf he Job vacancy require, The normal procedure ato teach inte tho locally available noncombat resources for teplacng con bat shortages “For example, after my company had been thrown off of 4s postions by a large Communist Chinese stask One ean moming, we were left with only 42 men out af 19); Sexe there were no combat-ype replaccments a handy Tose forced to muster my noncombatype,perionnel auch a clerk, cooks, and vehicle drivers far the countratacgng force needed to eject the enemy from Hil 268, The pot be made is that, when the slution i crite, homeonbee ualifed women who are focally availble In topo one Wil be sed, “Let me comment what placing women ia combat ross vil mean to them and to miliary combat eecvens, The combat environment isan ugly ont. For the ground salieri 4s characterized by drudgery, indlenity, and anonymous hor Tors. Tt calls for toughness that wemen donot mommy Posen, for battle is primitive, vicious, brutal and exhaeetre, 1 is coupled with depresion and rippling fatigue eh together create teror inthe sldiesy hears sal wonder as he ses the night coming down if fe wi see ihe ie of dawn. His feelings Muctuts from sya 0 eaters hate and biterness, which tend to bring forth it mow sual instincts, “AE he is feng in the Mokong Delta, he must endure lving in mosquito infested paddies, immersed fithy wales UP to his wet and armpits for continuous periods of een four to forty-eight hour, where he is subjected to fenety Sater infections, and Immersion foot. The stn beatae with tiny red scale vesicles onthe foot snd other pars of she body. The fost become swollen and top layers of deed okie Skin come off in sver-dllar patches! These condense140 MonALiTY—ri pxcimiNG FACTOR aggravated by body leeches, which the soldier must alsa endure, The loss rate for male casualties in this Kind op ‘peration averaged 50 per cent in my command, “Hf be is fighting in the hills of Koren, he ix subject to bitten £014, frostbite, and diseases such as the plague resulting from living in rat-infested bunkers. If his mission tums {0 the Middle Bast or Africa, he suffers from filth, relentless heat, and the dryness of the desert. In the highlands of Vietnaan, he's plagued by bamboo viper snakes, torrential rains, jungle Tot, malaria, and the like, In Europe itis the deluge of mud, the slime of dripping dugouts, and the weariness of contiavt ‘ous marches along the hot, dusty road. “These are only some of the daily environmental living conditions of the ground combat soldier, let alone the night. mares of mortal combat. These are not the kinds of condi. tions in which we wish to place anyone. But can we, as civilized people, even begin to entertain the thought of fending our women into such an environment against their ‘To survive these conditions and to function effectively at the same time against a determined enemy, it is mandatory that the individual soldier be in top physical condition with the long-term inborn stamina that will not wane after long grueling hours of trudging toward the objective. It is « kind of strength that keeps the soldier ft to fight after he reaches the enemy, regardless of the obstacles he must overcome before contacting them. “The concerted drive to convince the public that women can do as well as men in combat is at its height today, Listen to the statement made by our Secretary of the Army, Clifford Alexander, who has never been in combat and has only bad six months of active military service in the Army National Guard as a private first class: “There-are few things that men can do that women can't. By law, they don't fight. My. Personal opinion is contrary to what the law says’ The Army ‘chief of staff says, ‘I see no reason why women cannot serve effectively in combat roles further to the rear?” “All kinds of tests—field tests, training tests, and readiness fests have been conducted over and over again showing Conclusively that women are not ft for combat and that by ‘ature they are smaller, physically slower, physically weaker Particularly in upper-body strength to throw a grenade effec: tively, dig a fox-hole, hack a path through the thick jungle with & machete, fight an enemy soldier with a rifle butt and a ‘THE PasAnOST MoveMeNT 11 ayonet, pull oneself throvth 1 Tong. narrow tunnel with feavy demolitions to xh an enemy sper out of Bis hide place, Yet the power of the women's liberation movement prevails in the U.S. Army, and theve results are not accepted, ‘hey counter by saying, Women may be Weak ln these creas, buat they are better educated and score better in aptitde tests? There is some truth to this since all females must have 4 high-school education to qualify for the service. But ihe difference lies in the fact that edication i not the ingredient that wins battles for the combat soldier. It is simple tactical plans, guts, stamina, and brutal physical force dat, bring victory. “Whats s0 tronio about all ofthis is that most of the motivated volunteer female soldiers do not want to, g0 iat0 combat; it is the women liberationis leaders who wil bever hie to go who are pushing so hard fo th “Lonly wish those who push for placing women in combat ould seo i as Ihave. Are they ready to seo their daughters and wives exposed to the wrath of the enemy because they ould not dig in the hard ground in time for protection? Should they have to hear the screams of burning. human forches trapped in the entanglements of barbed. wie after fapalm can are exploded along the main ine of resistance? Must they become the victims of suffocation in a covered Position resulting from burned-out oxygen du to white phos: phorus? Are we really ready to have them face the cold weal bayonet of the male enemy soldier? Or be horribly mangled Jn @ trapped minefield that no one can penetrate? Think of that young cighteen-yearold moist-eyed i with homesick- nes, looking at the faded twilight; she beliove the sky lost. forever. Do they need to hear that dreaded noise of incoming axilery Beating like a kettle dram, which i Iike two sea needles pressing on the eardrums? Have they thought about What our women would suffer as prisoners of ‘wat at ihe hands of the enemy who uses the pressure waterhove tet nique of blowing one's stomach ‘up like a balloon, tala miliary information? And what a trump card our eae ould have in blackmailing the United States while holding large number of women prisoners! How ean we reconcile Gut oral perceptions of women with these immoraliies of war? No one who has seen real combat could bellove that our congresimen and goveramental leaders would talk sbout ralting women and placing them in combat, yet they ase doing this very thing today."12 MORALITY tH DemING PAcTO Hidden avay throughout all the bre Hundreds of litle advisory commas ear ete, te nd, The Right to Life Tife is a miracle. Only God Almighty can create life. God said, “Thou shalt not kill” Nothing can change the fact that abortion is the murder of life. Sitting in an airport in Washington, D.C., recently, T picked up the Tanuary 9, 1980, issue of the Washington Post, There I read horrifying statistics in an article entitled “Legal Abortion Seen in 30 Per Cent of Pregnancies.” That article eported the grave fact that in 1978 nearly 30 per cent of all Pregnancies in the United States were terminated by legal abortions. A family-planning perspective study estimated that there were 1,374,000 legal abortions in 1978. About one third of the abortions were obtained by teen-agers, and about three uarters were for unmarried women. Last year more than 1.5 million little babies were murdered in America. Experts estimate that between 5 million and 6 million babies have been murdered since January 22, 1973, when the U. Supreme Court, in a decision Known as Roe v. Wade, granted women en absolute right to abortion on demand uring the first two trimesters of pregnancy—thet is, the frst six months of pregnancy—and an almost unqualified right to abortion in the last trimester, the last three months of Pregnancy, for health reasons including psychological, social, ‘and economic well-being. No other major civilized nation in history hhas ever been willing to permit Inte abortion except for the gravest of medical reasons, Abortion stands as an indictment of murder against America for killing unwanted babies. Human life is precious tp God. Jesus Christ died upon the ross for every man and woman who has ever lived and who ever will live. In the past, America was known for her honoring and protecting the right of a person to live. No one will disagree that the state exists to protect the lives of its citizens, From the days of Hammurabi, civilized people have Always looked upon abortion as one of the vilest of crimes. 3