“Sacramento, California (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law Monday barring school districts from passing policies that require schools to notify parents if their child asks to change their gender identification.
he law bans rules requiring school staff to disclose a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to any other person without the child’s permission. Proponents of the legislation say it will help protect LGBTQ+ students who live in unwelcoming households. But opponents say it will hinder schools’ ability to be more transparent with parents.” https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/15/us/california-schools-parents-pronouns/index.html
The fact sheet for AB 1955 (Ward LGBTQ Caucus) SAFETY Act Factsheet __0.pdf states: “Parental involvement in their children's lives is desirable and often necessary, however a student's gender identity is generally a matter to be discussed between the child and their parents in the time and manner chosen by the family. No teacher, administrator, or others outside of the family should be forcing families to have conversations.”
It also states: AB 1955 does not limit students' ability to discuss their gender identities with their own families in the manner they choose, nor does it prohibit a teacher from disclosing information when they feel it is appropriate or necessary, such as in order to protect the student’s safety. Overall, this bill ensures that teachers, school staff, and governmental entities are not forcing families to have conversations.”
I find it interesting that they use the following terminology “Parental involvement in their children's lives is desirable and often necessary.” Since when did children start raising themselves? Children from point of conception on need the nurturing care of parents. The baby in the womb is protected from the external environment and fed by the mother until birth. At birth, normally, a family unit provides for the baby’s needs. As it matures and becomes a toddler those needs change, and the family unit adjusts the care of the child to meet these needs. This goes on until the point of emancipation as the State of California describes it.
In traditional families’ children live at home, in a loving environment, until they can provide for themselves, normally after graduation from high school. The family and the school system should work together to provide essential training to allow the child to become self-sufficient. It is the family’s responsibility to provide moral guidance as well as material care. Parents and schools work together to ensure the child has a well-rounded education enabling him to think for himself and draw rational conclusions. Schools have no right to usurp the parent’s authority in imposing moral principles that the parents don’t agree with. “6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 King James Version.” This is referring to the family not the school system training the child.
In Jewish and Christian homes, the Ten Commandments are taught to guide children in what is right. “6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9 New International Version
Followers of Yahweh are usually either Jewish or Christian. He is acknowledged as the only true and living God. Creator of all things. Worthy of all praise and worship. And one way we can worship Him is to live according to His laws. “3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,” 1 John 5:3 New International Version
What are His commandments? 3“20 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
13 Thou shalt not kill.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.” Exodus 20 King James Version
From the perspective of the world, I can see where a few of these can be objected to. Some people do not believe in God, others believe in other gods. As a Christian I have no objection to any of these laws.
I think most people can agree to not killing, not stealing, not lying or bearing false witness, not committing adultery and not coveting. These are good laws for a moral society.
As a Christian who believes that Jesus is the only way to eternal life through the shedding of his blood, death, and resurrection I feel I should tell others about this great gift. They are not obliged to believe, but from my perspective, the cost to them is great. It is eternal death. If I am to love others as myself, I must speak the truth as I see it. It is not my place to force it on another. God gave man free will. He will not impose Himself and His laws on another. I certainly cannot and should not impose anything on another. But to not speak the truth from my perspective in hoping to spare someone from eternal death would be a sin.
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