WHITE RIBBON SUNDAY
Watch this clip – http://youtu.be/_ghqblX8kxM (Warning: This clip contains disturbing scenes)
What is the White Ribbon Foundation?
http://www.whiteribbon.org.au/
This is a world wide organisation to work for prevention of violence against women.
Plenty Valley Church’s stand against Family Violence.
Culture Changers – Christians in a sick society
Our calling is to change the culture we live in – to be salt and light (Matt 5:13-16); to influence for righteousness. An example of this was Daniel.
The story of Daniel was how he brought change to Babylon and King Darius
Daniel 6:25-28
In the modern day we have examples like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. These were Christians who stood for righteousness and worked to change the prevailing culture of their own society.
The effectiveness of their stand varies, but the fact that they stood up for righteousness against the ungodliness of their surroundings is a result of their Christianity being outworked.
Christians have stood for change, for righteousness in many different arenas. Often it is a tiny voice against an ocean of unrighteousness. Their results can be:
- A standard marker to set direction for righteousness for the generation (Mother Theresa)
- The movement creator who led massive change (Nelson Mandela)
- A Martyr who’s presence and unjust death galvanised the forces for good into action. (Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr.)
We are called to be salt and light, to be culture changers.
In our local area family violence is a major force. It is the enemy.
Stats and figures are showing an increase 288% in 10 years.
More stats see – http://tinyurl.com/8jzzu53
Explain Family Violence:
It often begins with Violence against women, and includes abuse of children.
Violence against women is understood to occur on a continuum from psychological, economic and emotional abuse through to physical and sexual violence.
It refers to ‘any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life’. (United Nations 1993)
Forms of violence against women
• Physical: hitting, slapping, choking, stabbing, murder, murder-suicide…
• Sexual: rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual abuse…
• Emotional and verbal: put-downs, insults, deliberately undermining confidence, humiliating, degrading, threats of violence or punishment, manipulation…
• Social: controlling and isolating, smothering, abusing in public
• Economic: controlling/denying money…
• Spiritual: eroding a women’s cultural or religious beliefs…
Family Violence also includes bullying and harassment
Violence against children includes most of these forms of abuse as well as witnessing the abuse of their mothers.
How we are going to fight it?
- Prayer
- Self-awareness in the church
- be different
- be salt and light
- Network with other groups and work together
- Offer resources to assist families
- Marriage counselling and enrichment.
- Budget counselling
- Assisting Teens issues
- Men’s groups
- Pull together community leaders to create cultural change.
Violence in the home is wrong. Violence is out of place in the world except as self defence. The home is for love, acceptance and nurture.
Usually it is men behaving badly. Why do men commit violence?
It is learned culture.
– Violence begins at a young age with video games, cartoons, television and movies.
– This leads to bullying at primary school which leads to bullying at high school
– Leads to family violence when adulthood is reached.
When men feel impotent and powerless they act out. They choose violence to affirm their manhood. This is in part caused by:
– No affirming fathers
– No celebration on the sporting field, as more and more young boys turn from active sport to sedentary digital screens for recreation.
– No healthy initiation into manhood.
ANSWER – EQUALITY
The foundation of the home is love and respect. While the bible clearly teaches that the man should be the leader in the home, this role is to nurture, protect and provide.
God calls men and women to equality.
Gal 3:28 In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. (MESS)
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, (AMP)
In the workplace, street, school or uni God calls us to honour love and respect one another regardless of gender, race or age.
Rom 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honour to one another. (AMP)
THERE IS NO PLACE FOR VIOLENCE IN OUR HOMES OR IN SOCIETY.
The only righteous place for violence is self defence. In law this must be demonstrated at a lesser level than the attacker’s violence.
Rom 12:16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits. [Prov. 3:7.]
Rom 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. [Prov. 20:22.]
Rom 12:18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Rom 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God’s] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord. [Deut. 32:35.]
Rom 12:20 But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. [Prov. 25:21, 22.]
Rom 12:21 Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good. (AMP)
When we witness violence we must
- Protect the vulnerable
- Speak up
- Call for help
MEN ARE OFTEN THE PERPETRATORS, MEN MUST LEAD THE WAY IN CULTURAL CHANGE.
ACTION PLAN
- Pray against the spirit of violence.
- Eliminate Family Violence in our homes
- Men – take a stand – take the pledge – speak up
- Take every opportunity to be salt and light in your workplace, Street, school, uni.
craigmanderson 
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