Empower Your Kids to Understand and Live out God’s Design
By Pastor Tom Anderson
Are you smarter than a fifth grader when it comes to human sexuality? Do you wonder how to respond to what your children are learning in school or from social media? Are you sometimes lost for words?
Hillary Ferrer and Amy Davison have written a guide for parents titled, Mama Bear Apologetics Guide to Sexuality. Both Ferrer and Davison are busy moms and leaders in a Christian parenting organization called “Mama Bear Apologetics.” Their style is down-to-earth, well documented by copious footnotes and deeply Christian. It’s 254 pages but easy to read for busy parents.
The book is in large part a response to the mainstream of sex education being carried out in public schools across America. Of particular concern are the “National Sexual Education Standards” published by several private advocacy groups. While these standards are unrelated to the U.S. government, they are being used in 40% of school districts nationwide.
The standards call for 5th graders to be able to define such terms as cisgender, transgender, gender expansive, gender identity as well as the role of hormone blockers in transitioning to other genders. The messages sent in these materials strongly undermines Biblical understandings of the meaning and purpose of human sexuality. So how do Christian parents strengthen their children to maintain their faith and respond respectfully to the anti-Christian messages promoted by the primary authority figures in school?
This is not an easy task but it is urgent. The good news is that for the vast majority of children the people of greatest influence on their lives are their own parents. The authors lead parents to recognize the messages their children are getting from school, social media and friends; to offer discernment; argue for a healthy approach and reinforce through discussion, discipleship and prayer. While the title says “Mama Bear” it’s a book dads could read with great profit!
The book is divided into 3 parts. Part One is about the Biblical view of human sexuality or as the authors put it, “Things I probably already knew but kinda forgot” Part Two focuses on what passes for sex education in American public schools or as the authors put it, “Wait, my kids are being taught what?!” The final section is called “Things that are tripping everyone up” including pornography, gender identity and same-sex attraction.
The tone of the book is strongly Christian but respectful and appreciative of those voices which are at odds with that faith. Ferrer and Davison do not demonize those they disagree with. Their desire is to point out the distinctive Biblical approach to life so parents and children can grasp it.
Each chapter concludes with prayers and discussion questions. A generous bibliography of resources is provided at the end. Ferrer and Davison are two competent parents who have written an accessible resource for Christian parents. My eyes were opened to what passes for sex education–it's a very different ballgame from what was being offered just 10 years ago. If you read this book, you won’t be at a loss for words anymore. You’ll be in a strong position to help the children in your life stay grounded in Christian ethics.
