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Are the Christian teens you know prepared to respond when their beliefs are challenged at school? Considering the fact that about 90 percent of children attend public schools, this is a crucial question that will have significant impact on generations to come. Will we succeed in protecting religious freedoms for thousands of students, or will we see those rights eventually erode?
How did they do that? By voluntarily participating in an event sponsored by Focus on the Family—the Day of Dialogue®—which equips students to articulate a Christ-centered viewpoint when issues such as bullying, sexuality and "gender identity" are discussed on their campuses.
"It's a kick-off for us to start the conversation day in and day out, and keep the conversation going so people really know about God's deep love for us and what the Bible really says about His redemptive design for marriage and sexuality," said Charlie, a 17-year-old high school student from Ohio. "The reason I was so excited to hear about the Day of Dialogue was that we could talk about these issues and we didn't have to be silent about it."
If we don't want to lose our religious freedoms, we have to use them—and this is as true of students attending taxpayer-funded public schools as in every other sphere of the culture. The bottom line is that in order to protect our religious freedoms, we need to exercise them, especially when it comes to students attending taxpayer-funded schools. The Day of Dialogue helps ensure that Christian students have a place at the table and an equal opportunity to share their perspective on current social issues in a loving and respectful manner.
For faith and family,
Tom Minnery
Senior Vice President, Government & Public Policy
Focus on the Family
Watch this week's CitizenLink Report, as my colleagues Candi Cushman and Carrie Gordon Earll discuss how students often hear a message contradictory to—and sometime even ridiculing—what they're learning in church and at home, especially when it comes to issues surrounding relationships and sexuality.
Last week, thousands of students nationwide said they want to see those freedoms protected.
How did they do that? By voluntarily participating in an event sponsored by Focus on the Family—the Day of Dialogue®—which equips students to articulate a Christ-centered viewpoint when issues such as bullying, sexuality and "gender identity" are discussed on their campuses.
"It's a kick-off for us to start the conversation day in and day out, and keep the conversation going so people really know about God's deep love for us and what the Bible really says about His redemptive design for marriage and sexuality," said Charlie, a 17-year-old high school student from Ohio. "The reason I was so excited to hear about the Day of Dialogue was that we could talk about these issues and we didn't have to be silent about it."
If we don't want to lose our religious freedoms, we have to use them—and this is as true of students attending taxpayer-funded public schools as in every other sphere of the culture. The bottom line is that in order to protect our religious freedoms, we need to exercise them, especially when it comes to students attending taxpayer-funded schools. The Day of Dialogue helps ensure that Christian students have a place at the table and an equal opportunity to share their perspective on current social issues in a loving and respectful manner.
For faith and family,
Tom Minnery
Senior Vice President, Government & Public Policy
Focus on the Family
