by Ashley Corbaley
“Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” -Alexander Hamilton
Families are the fundamental unit of society. Everything good and bad in this world can boil down to the family. In today’s society the family is being attacked at every corner. Good family values seem to be a thing of the past and divorce and alternative family structures are becoming more and more common. That is why it is so important that we defend the family anyway that we can.
Here are three tips for defending the family without offending others:
- Understand the truth
It is hard to defend your beliefs on the family if you are unsure what those beliefs are. Make sure you have a firm understanding of your beliefs. If your beliefs about the family are strongly religious, spend time researching scientific evidence that back up your values. Although it takes time to gain a true deeper understanding through research, it will strengthen resolve in your position and help you be more understanding. By having both a spiritual and secular knowledge of the things you know to be true help you convey your beliefs to a wider range of people. Beyond understanding what you know to be true, be passionate about your beliefs! Live them and spark up conversations about them.
- Teach the truth with love
With a firm understanding in what we know to be true, it is our privilege and responsibility to let others know. Defending the family in this day in age is no easy task. There will be times when there seems to be opposition all around you. Whatever way you may go out and teach your beliefs, always do so with love.
Realize that others may be just as passionate about their own personal values about the family even if you don’t agree with them. When we love those we teach they will be more likely to listen to what we have to say.
- Be kind
Just because our values may differ greatly from a person does not give us the right to be mean. Share your beliefs in a kind way and take time to answer their questions. Listen to what they believe in, in return. Be careful of how you are saying things as this sometimes makes a bigger difference then what you say. We cannot change the minds of others and so all we can do is share our values and live what we know to be true. Use caution when approaching sensitive subject matter. Know your audience. However, don’t let those things stop you from expressing what you know to be true. Be bold but kind.
The time to defend our personal beliefs concerning the family is now. If fear of offending others is holding you back, follow the tips above. It is possible to defend without offending. If we don’t stand for our beliefs on the family who will?