June 25, 2000
KBYU, Brigham Young University's public television station, began airing the series "In Favor Of The Family" today. This
series focuses on the work of the World Congress of Families in solidly re-establishing the family as the fundamental unit of society.
See your local television listings for dates and times.
You also can order the full series on videocassette at www.creativeworks.byu.edu
Here (excerpted from www.kbyu.org) is the program guide:
- Episode #1 "World Congress of Families II: An Introduction"
In May 1998 a Call from the Families of the World was issued from Rome, Italy that invited pro-family activists and sympathizers of all faiths and nationalities to celebrate the family-and to explore its importance in modern society. In addition, it was an invitation to do what had never been successfully accomplished on such a large scale-to bring together committed adherents to the world's religions with scholars and activists in support of the common theme that "the natural family is the fundamental social unit."
One year prior to that call, the First World Congress of Families had convened in Prague under the direction of the Howard Center for Family, Religion, and Society, headed by Dr. Allan Carlson. Soon after, The Howard Center was joined by the World Family Policy Center, headed by Dr. Richard Wilkins of Brigham Young University, and in 1999, the two organizations spearheaded the Second World Congress of Families, which met in Geneva, Switzerland, in an attempt to unite and celebrate families. In Part 1 of our series we will give an introduction to the World Congress and the international context in which it functions.
- Episode #2 "The United Nations"
In Part 2 of the series, we'll look at the interrelationship between the family and the United Nations-as well as how the family fits in with various international agendas. Along with that, we'll discuss the UN's basic functions and then address the question of whether those concerned with the well-being of the family have cause for concern, given the direction the United Nations is taking in matters which have real impact on families around the world.
The idea of getting the United States out of the U.N. is a familiar phrase that many view as conspiracy hype from radical conservative groups. However, several delegates at the World Congress were experienced participants in the UN system who have seen first-hand what goes on. And they've formed some very firm opinions.
- Episode #3 "The Population Crisis"
In part 3 of the series, we explore the issue many refer to as the population crisis. But the crisis we're referring to may not be the one that immediately comes to mind. Slogans like "zero population" and the "population bomb" have excited and scared people for decades. In 1798, the Anglican Reverend Thomas Malthus alarmed audiences with the idea that the human race is essentially a virus that will eventually increase in number beyond the level of resources needed to sustain
itself.Since his time, the Malthusian sentiment of doom and gloom has grown in strength, and for the last half century has occupied a dominant position in the agendas of policy makers from the United States to the United Nations.
<·r>
The Malthusian concept of over-population typically conjures-up tragically vivid images of squalors and starving children, and it was against this backdrop that the world's 6-billionth citizen was born in October of 1999. Instead of setting off a
celebration, this arrival only fanned the already raging inferno of fear over the perceived crisis of over-population. And it appears that in spite of the torrent of anti-natal and Neo-Malthusian propaganda, the population is continuing to grow. In
fact, the attainment of a 6 billionth citizen represented a quadrupling of world population since the year 1900. Yet, the reasons for the population boom are not quite what they may seem.
- Episode #4 "The Family and Government"
In Part 4 of the series, we'll look at the complex and dynamic relationship that exists between the family and government. In particular, we'll focus on the heated debate over the extent to which the family or government is responsible for creating-and
then repairing--the ills of society.
In the last thirty years, the United States has seen teen violence and homicide rise at a rate of 300 percent, the most vivid
illustration of this increase being the massacre at Columbine High School. Other issues of great concern to both parents and
governmental leaders are teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, rising welfare rolls, and so on.
Activists, social scientists, politicians and others from across the ideological spectrum are seeking to understand the cause and remedy for these social ills. And many pro-family activists believe they have the answer.
- Episode #5 "Children's Rights"
In Part 5 of the series, we'll explore the rights of children. What rights are they entitled to? What rights should be preserved for parents? What is the interplay between each others' interests? And why is sex education for youth such a controversial subject linked to the topic of children's rights?
Since Thanksgiving Day, 1999, the world has watched an international custody battle unfurl over the six-year-old Cuban refuge, Elian Gonzales. The voices and images have reached a deafening pitch as we have beheld demonstrations from the streets of Miami to the streets of Havana. Major political, judicial, and legal debates have raged over the rights of the respective nations and the rights of the respective family members, while giving what appears to be mere lip service to the question of the rights of the child. In light of such a vivid display, why would some suggest that providing for children's rights is possibly not a good thing? Because, from the arena
of the U.N. have come documents, specifically the Convention on the Rights of the Child, that could not only encroach on our national sovereignty and interfere in the basic parent-child relationship, but in essence, legally abandon children to their
own resources.
- Episode #6 "Motherhood & Fatherhood"
In part six- the final episode in this series, we explore the significance of motherhood and fatherhood-specifically, why are both a mother and a father, joined in marriage, so important to society, and why is this fundamental union under attack? For the past few decades there has been a trend toward a post-marriage society, a society in which the idea and institution of marriage and its union of the complementary sexes has become passe to some-and, to others, antithetical to an individual's interests. But not everyone shares that view.
For years family activists have spoken out on the virtues of the institution of marriage and the role a mother and father play in the healthy development and socialization of children. Many have explained that, in the name of gender equity, marriage has been labeled by many as a prison into which women are forced and subjugated to the will of men, while others, fueled by the ideals of individualism,
cast marriage aside as an outdated institution that keeps women and men from achieving their own dreams and aspirations. Many fear the effects such cynicism will have on the next generation. And their fears many be well founded, studies show that not only are today's youth at best ambivalent or clueless about marriage, but they are also being affected by the high rate of divorce in ways we seldom
consider. Studies are showing that the high incidence of divorce leads a child to an increased expectation that he or she will eventually divorce--and that divorce is tied to higher rates of crime, abuse, neglect, and drug abuse among our children. In fact, researchers have found that divorce may increase juvenile crime rates by up to 12 times.
|