PREFACE

Much has been written in recent days about the need to teach Family Values in order to improve our society. In an effort to help meet this need, we have put together a list of Values with brief explanations that we think will be helpful to those who wish to be better informed for their own good, and particularly, for teaching their children. Values represent who we are and what we stand for ... Values dictate behavior

1. HONESTY

... with ourselves with members of our family ... with friends and strangers alike ... at school or at work ... in business ... with our Government . . . with our employer ... a day's work for a day's pay

2. DEPENDABILITY

... our word is our bond ... do what we say we will do ... be on time

3. RESPECT

... for ourselves ... for parents and all family members ... for teachers and all in authority . . . for our elders ... for the property of others ... for all forms of life, particularly human life ... for the law

4. RESPONSIBILITY

... for our own life ... for the life we bring into the world, being a good father or mother, a good role-model ... for all our actions ... not blaming others when things go wrong . . . for setting and reaching our goals for this life and the next

5. SOCIABILITY

... being kind, unselfish, patient, compassionate, forgiving, loyal ... accepting others as they are ... making and keeping good friends ... avoiding companions that are a bad influence

6. LOVE

... for our Creator and His Son Jesus ... for our Country ... for ourself... for family and friends ... for all that is good and beautiful

7. SELF-CONTROL

... in our speech ... in our actions at play, school, work ... in our bodily appetites for food, drink and sex... for entertainment, particularly television, movies and song

8. TRANQUILITY

... be calm in confrontations ... get the facts right before reacting ... try to understand the other point of view ... be quiet or walk away when we feel our temper starting to surge ... be a peacemaker

9. COURAGE

... to stand up for what is right. . . to say NO when the "world" says YES, particularly to drugs, alcohol and premarital sex ... to get an education and diploma ... to develop our God-given talents ... to take a positive attitude with everything we try to do ... to develop the "work ethic" . . . to persevere to the end and not give up

10. SEXUAL CONTROL

We know that there are many conscientious, hard working single parents. However, we believe that every child deserves a father and mother committed to each other in marriage. To accomplish that ideal, we must refrain from sexual intercourse until that commitment is made. With few notable exceptions, "children who do not live with mother and father are more likely to be high-school dropouts, more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and more likely to be dependent on welfare than children with both biological parents." More importantly, our sexuality is a gift from God. It is our responsibility that we use this gift according to His Will as revealed in the Bible, which says that fornication (sexual intercourse outside marriage) must be avoided.**

11. OBEDIENCE

... to parents and guardians and to all in authority.*. . to the words of God our Creator as expressed in the Old Testament and of Jesus His Son as expressed in the New ... to the laws of our Nation

12. GENEROSITY

... always be willing to lend a helping hand ... assist those who are worse off than we are in their need for food, clothing and money as we are able ... volunteer our time and our talents ... visit the sick, the lonely, the elderly

In conclusion, we would agree that there are other values than those expressed but these are our top twelve. In a world tainted with a half-century of moral decay caused primarily by the demise of the two-parent family (divorce and illegitimacy) and assisted by the entertainment industry (violence and illegitimate sex on TV and the screen), the time has come, at the dawn of a new century, to "wake- up" to what has happened and each do his/her part to change our behavior by practicing and promoting and teaching our children values that conform to our Creator's plan for an orderly society as expressed by Him and His Son Jesus in the Holy Bible.

*Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, Secretary of Health and Human Services (1989-93) **Matthew 15:19, Mark 7:2 1, 1 Corinthians 6:9

St. Vincent De Paul Society Cincinnati, Ohio

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