St Paul's Lutheran Church
Ashland, Kentucky
“The Cold Hard Facts”
This is information I received from Dr. James Dobson and if you haven't read it or addressed it, now is the time! We need to stop loving the enemy, the devil, and know that he is after our youth! The casualties are mounting every day and the statistics are suggesting that we are losing the battle. Raising “good” kids is not enough, but raising kids that are “saved” and walking with Jesus should be our goal.
- Here is what we know:
- By their senior year of high school, over half of all American students admit to using illicit drugs.
- 5.1 million teens say they binge drink – downing 5 or more drinks at one sitting. Teens now drink one quarter of all alcohol consumed in the U.S.
- This year alone 9,000,000 youth will contract sexually transmitted diseases.
- Homicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24. More than 1 in 5 high school boys took a weapon to school in the past year.
- Almost 1 in 4 of the country's brightest teens have contemplated suicide.
- 60% of teens in one survey said they looked at porn on line, engaged in some form of cybersex, or both.
- Every day in America:
- 1,106 teenage girls get abortions.
- 4,219 teenagers contract sexually transmitted diseases.
- 135,000 kids bring guns or other weapons to school.
- 3,610 teens are assaulted.
- 80 teens are raped.
- 6 teens commit suicide.
30.3% of 8th graders admit to drug use this past year. 44.9% of 10th graders make that admission. For 12th graders the number is 52.8%. Marijuana is still the gateway drug for our teens. It is NOT the same drug of the 60's and 70's. It contains 25 times the concentration of THC with an additional 400 other dangerous chemicals.
Our kids , our youth, our families are affected by these statistics. Please PRAY with your children and TALK to them about their choices. Make sure your kids know how you feel about issues like these. DON'T dismiss them as “just a phase,” or “I was so much worse when I was their age,” because it is a different world today. Satan almost roams at will chewing up and spitting out our youth. It happens in the best of families and in the best of churches and in the best of youth programs.
Parenting is a FUL-TIME JOB! Stay Strong in GOD'S WORD!
Pastor Kloha