“Rise stands for Restoring Integrity and Sexual Ethics,” explains Jessica Langrell, one of the conference organisers who describes the Conference as the start of a nationwide movement set up to challenge current sexual standards.
“But instead of opposing these standards we want to replace them with a new set that restores dignity to sexuality and human relationships,” she says.
The Conference which will run over two days will include workshops, group discussions, inspirational speakers and participation in a breakfast at Parliament House on 13 August to celebrate National Marriage Day.
Representing the young Australians at the conference, the organisers of Rise Australia will attend the 500-strong assembly of politicians and leading national marriage and family organisations for breakfast, and will have the opportunity to address the gathering.
“Our report to them will focus on how marriage today is under stress and how Rise Australia intends to counter this by fighting for a return of sexual ethics and traditional values,” Jessica says. “We see the breakfast as our national launching pad and a way for people to see that contrary to the popular image of teenagers and young people, casual sex is not for us and that there is a growing movement across the country intent on restoring dignity to relationships as well as sexual integrity.”
I welcome and applaud this attempt to counteract the destructive trends in western society with regard to marriage and sex, by offering a positive message, an attractive alternative to the prevailing hedonism of our times. In particular, I heartily agree that we Christians can’t just condemn sex outside of marriage and easy divorce, we must fight to restore DIGNITY and MEANING to both sex and marriage. For alas, both have been cheapened and trivialized in contemporary western culture.
So I love it when Jessica, one of the organizers of this youth conference asserts, [i]”casual sex is not for us and…there is a growing movement across the country intent on restoring dignity to relationships as well as sexual integrity.”[/i]
Splendid.
David Handy+
I hope I’m not the only one to note the (surely coincidental) juxtaposition of this article with the previous posting, “In New Jersey Faith in commitment for gay couples”?
Two churches, 180º.