This is going to be a little different than anything I normally post, but I want to hear your thoughts on these questions. This week in Family Relations, we were discussing culture as it relates to family an Brother Williams posed and interesting question: Are all cultures equally valid?
So here are a couple of things we had to define in order to answer this question as a class. What is culture? What is the meaning of valid? And can something be valid in one's eyes, but not the eyes of another? So we looked up the words valid and culture. As defined by dictionary.com, "valid is sound, just, or well founded" and culture is, "the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group". So, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that the validity of one culture, may vary from culture to culture and even in the eyes of God and man.
Here's my question to all of you, keeping in mind the definitions of valid and culture-- Are all cultures equally valid in accomplishing the purpose of the family unit?
Children are raised in all kinds of circumstances....some good, some bad. But all around the world, there are families who love their children even though they may train them, and teach them differently. There are bad families in every culture. My thought, however, is that everyone is just doing the best they know how to do, to get through this life. We all make mistakes, and we all have a different view of the world depending on our situation. It's wrong for any person to judge another's actions or motives when they really don't know what is going on in the life of the other person. I'm sure we are ALL valid in God's eyes because he has given all of us different lives and trials.
ReplyDeleteI love your comment that we are all valid in God's eyes because it is completely true. Heavenly Father knows, loves, and cherishes each and every one of His children. However, in my class we discussed that a culture or cultural practice becomes invalid in His eyes when they are not accomplishing His purposes. I thought it was an interesting insight. Just food for thought.
DeleteI took a class a long time ago and learned there are cultures that are so superstitious of twins, that they let the older twin live and put the younger twin in a bull pen and let the bull kill the younger twin baby. I would say that tradition in that culture is not conducive to the family unit. While there may be other things in that particular culture that further the family unit, that particular tradition in the culture diminishes the family unit.
ReplyDeleteI personally know and love someone who lives a lesbian lifestyle. (You know her too.) She and her life partner have fostered and adopted several children over the years. She and her life partner are good mothers, and they love those children. It is yet to be seen how this will affect the children in adulthood. Some of them have reached adulthood now, and I wish I was closer to them to see how it all works out. My gut feeling, however, is that while these children were given a good home to two loving mothers, they have missed the relationship of a father. They have also missed out on the example of the family unit as designed by God. I think The Family: Proclamation to the World gives plenty of warning that this particular culture or lifestyle will not accomplish the purpose of the family unit.
I love both of those examples!! I think it is completely possible for some cultural practices to be valid and for others within the same culture to not be valid. And yes, I think MANY answers to our questions can be found in The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
Deletethere are various sub-cultures within an 'established' culture...there are also 'cultural lifestyles' based on political and financial thought that are, in effect, their own sub-cultures...that said, the effect on families or 'family values' can be somewhat detrimental to a cultural norm...also, 'american values' , interpreted as those inclusive of south and central america, are largely still influenced by a 'highly invasive', mainly european, religious culture, however, even with native/ethnic cultures, almost all consider the family unit to be central to their individual identities...the judgement of 'validity', taking the proclamation in mind, may or can be clear as mud (in our own eyes)...anyhow, that's my perception...thanks for letting me rant on...
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