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Family under pressure says ACL

2:43pm Saturday, 15th October 2011

John Sandeman at the Australian Christian Lobby National conference

Richard Eckersley, formerly of the Commission of the Future and a one time SMH science writer took aim at the idea that life is getting better for young people. He compared two competing views on young people.

“The ‘official view’ is this is the healthiest current generation of young people with mortality rates declining” said Eckersley. “In this view troubled youth are an island in a sea of happiness.”

“But there’s a ‘new story’. Those stats don’t reflect non-fatal chronic problems experienced by young people. Troubled youth, in this view are the tip of an iceberg.”

“The question is ‘which statistic is a better indicator': mortality (theres a falling rate of mortality among youth) or mental health (there’s rising rate of mental problems)”.

Eckersley presented evidence that mental health among the young is deteriorating (for example a 5 to 8 fold increase in metal illness in US college youth since the 1930s).

Eckersley and another speaker at the conference Professor Patrick Parkinson cautioned that the causes were complicated and complex.

“For example parental supervision and monitoring has increased in the last few decades particularly in single parent families", Eckersley said.

“But we have seen an increase of youth problems in all family types.”

The rise of materialism in our culture, has contributed to the problems of youth.

“A shift from intrinsic goals to extrinsic goals such as status and money and unrealistic goals” has contributed to insecurity.

“You can see this in the increasing busy-ness of our lives, in part imposed but also chosen reflects this shift.”

Vishnal Mangalwadi, author of “The book that made Your World: How the Bible create the soul of western Civilisation” asked “Must the Sun set on the West?"

Despite living in the US (or perhaps because of it) he told the conference “the American Eagle is falling”.

Borrowing from philosopher Michael Novak, he described the American Eagle as having two wings “Faith in the Bible” and “the enlightenment faith of common sense”.

“America became great because every denomination in the 17^th to 19^th centuries founded universities and colleges. This meant the leadership was always godly.”

“The second wing, common sense, took over the universities from the Christians in the 20^th century. And begins to clip the first wing – faith in the Bible.

“Then inexplicably the common sense wing falls off. That’s because common sense is a myth. 'All men are created equal' is actually a theological statement .

“The priesthood of all believers is what transforms inequality in society towards equality.

“The reason America accepted the myth is because common sense was in fact a shadow of the Bible. The pulpit was shaping the common sense of America. Now Holly wood and the media are shaping it. Walls Street they don’t know the difference between ambition and greed.”

Mangalwadi lifted the spirits of the conference saying there was a solution: he told the ACL audience that they should band together to found a university, as part of a vision of creating a generation of disciples.

At the conference ACL launched a petition drive on same sex marriage, targeting the Labor party conference. They are seeking 100,000 signatures, opposing gay marriage.

australianmarriage.org.au