In June 1969, the Stonewall Riots occurred in Greenwich Village following a police raid of a bar purchased by a Mafia family to capitalize on profits from gay patrons shunned from other establishments. The following year, the first commemorative Pride marches were held in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. It was not until 1999 that then-President Bill Clinton issued the first official federal declaration of June as Pride Month. Celebrations amplified following the June 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision, requiring states to license marriage for same-sex couples. A 2024 report from the Public Religion Research Institute found that nearly one-third of Gen Z adults identify as gender-nonconforming, as compared to 16% of millennials and only 7% of baby boomers. More than 50 years removed from the riots, cultural chaos and conflict abound in the public square as our children watch.
I often hear from parents extremely concerned about their children’s exposure to these public celebrations and their associated messages. The truth is that our children are bombarded daily with all kinds of cultural messages that are not only contrary to the tenets of our Christian faith but are downright dangerous.
Messages glamorizing alcohol find teens who experience brain alteration, drinking-related injury, physical and sexual assault, and even death. Savvy marketing messages entice children to vape and use other nicotine products despite damaged brain development, nicotine toxicity, addiction, lung disease, cancer, and death. Canny messages normalizing sexualization of children are eagerly consumed by kids simultaneously experiencing exploitation, sexually transmitted infections, sexual abuse and assault, alongside modern-day dangers like sexting, sextortion, deepfake pornography generated by artificial intelligence, and trafficking.
Living at the speed of a smartphone is an accelerant spreading cultural messages like wildfire in a world hosting a significant youth mental health crisis.
This is no surprise as we remember the words of Jesus from John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
Cultural messages are much more pervasive and sophisticated than they used to be. As parents and grandparents invest in nurturing future generations, we face what feels insurmountable, and fear runs rampant. However, I encourage you to adopt a faith-informed parenting approach for cultural threats. You can’t lecture your way to leverage behavioral change, argue your way into right relationship, or threaten your way to a biblical worldview. Faith and values are most successfully adopted when shared through healthy relationships with authentic faith practices of your own. The way to influence your child’s worldview is to start by viewing the world as they see it and be a trusted guide-on-the-side to navigate cultural chaos.
Here are three steps to get started.
▶ Pray earnestly. We cannot parent on our own power but must rely on God’s wisdom to guide us. Invest in your own spiritual growth, as faith is more effectively caught than taught.
▶ Cultivate curiosity. Get on your children’s level to see the world as they do. Listen and ask questions, so you can advise them at their exact point of need, at the moment they need guidance.
▶ Speak the truth in love for continued conversations that build convictions. Create firm boundaries and clear expectations with an open door to a safe space with you in an unsafe world.
Editor’s note: Pediatric nurse practitioner Dr. Jessica Peck, also known as Dr. Nurse Mama, engages, encourages, equips, and empowers families to raise holistically healthy kids. She guides parents and grandparents to navigate challenging parenting moments with grace, hope, and courage. The Dr. Nurse Mama Show airs weekly on American Family Radio, and now Peck is bringing her expertise to The Stand each month.
