My childhood years in the 1950s were a time of innocence and isolation from so many evils in the world we see today on a regular basis.
Saturday mornings were usually filled with watching cartoons like The Woody Woodpecker show, Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, Mighty Mouse, and Yogi Bear. Parents didn’t have to worry about what we were watching. The cartoons were harmless fun.
And many shows like “Father Knows Best,” and “Leave it to Beaver” taught some basic moral principles that were generally accepted by most people. Today it’s different. If parents thought the PBS Kids Cartoons were a safe place, they might want to reconsider. The popular Kids cartoon series Arthur recently broke new ground by inserting a same-sex wedding into the plot.
Arthur is a third-grade anthropomorphic aardvark who lives in Elwood City. His teacher, Mr. Ratburn, is getting married to someone named Patty, whom the kids assume is a woman they dislike. So, they decide they must stop the wedding.
However, when the kids arrive at the wedding, they are surprised and shocked to learn that Patty is not the bride. “Who is Mr. Ratburn marrying?” one of the students asks. The camera then shows Mr. Ratburn walking arm-in-arm down the aisle with another man, Patrick, who winks at the kids. Arthur is shown smiling. At the reception, the two men are dancing and one of Arthur’s friends, Francine, remarks, “Yep. It’s a brand new world.”
The episode, “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone,” was defended by Maria Vera Whelan, the PBS senior director of marketing communications who said, “PBS Kids programs are designed to reflect the diversity of communities across the nation.” “We believe it is important,” Whelan added, “to represent the wide array of adults in the lives of children who look to PBS Kids every day.”
While pro-homosexual advocates applauded the show, Monica Cole of One Million Moms criticized the episode, saying the “discussion of such controversial topics and lifestyle choices should be left up to parents.” “PBS Kids should not introduce this to young children,” Cole said. “Just because an issue may be legal or because some are choosing a lifestyle doesn’t make it morally correct. PBS Kids should stick to entertaining and providing family-friendly programming, instead of pushing an agenda.”
The point of this article is not about the sin of homosexuality or same-sex marriage. We’ve written numerous times on this issue. And the Bible clearly condemns both. Jesus clearly stated that God ordained marriage between one man and one woman for life.
We are constantly reminded, however, that we do live in a brand new world. Parents must address issues that my parents never imagined they needed to discuss. Children are being exposed at a younger age to the perversion of the world in all of its debauchery, deviance, and depravity. Far-left humanistic hedonists are bent on promoting their immoral agenda. So, Christian mothers and fathers must be alert, aware, and active in repudiating their pernicious and poisonous propaganda.
Know your kids. Know their friends. Know their teachers. Know what they’re being taught. Know what they’re watching. Know where they’re going. And know we’re fighting a culture war that’s undermining the family.
Parents, also know that you are responsible to God and to your children for their religious education and moral training. If you don’t, secular schools, a corrupt culture, and immoral media will.
Moses’ counsel to Israel of old is still good advice for modern-day parents (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). We can’t isolate our kids from the wickedness in the world. But we can insulate them with Divine directives from God’s Word.
Adapted from Ken Weliever
