I don't want to misquote him, so I tried to listen to the actual speech ...but it was of poor quality. I will therefore leave the responsibility to you ...to look it up yourself, but I will do my best to write down what I feel I did hear.

Vice-President to Bill Clinton, Al Gore ran for President ...but lost.

He then went on speaking tours. He won a Nobel Peace Prize ...and had a movie documentary, entitled, "An Inconvenient Truth".

Around that time, and just before a transitional presidency, he was speaking to a group of preteens.  I didn't want to paraphrase, but with the poor quality, this is what I got:

When I was your age we asked our parents why there are laws that discriminate against people.  Our parents couldn't answer that question ...and that's when laws started to change.  Parents do try to tell their kids the right things, you know.  But, there are certain things about our world that you know, that the older people don't know.  What does that mean?  Well ...in a period of rapid change, the old assumptions sometimes don't work anymore ...because they are outdated.

I didn't listen to the end, but that short beginning was very effective in getting the attention of children, and obviously some adults ...myself included.

I was not so much bothered by that statement as I was humored.

Humor often gets my attention.

I'm not assuming you find me humorous, but I have to admit I am also using that opener as a stimulus to what I'm going to say.

My subtitle statement is: There are certain things children don't know ...that parents don't say, to spare them the possible embarrassment.

I'm saying this from a general perspective of a Christian parent who has Christian children.

Christian children are often labeled ...and they are often unfairly labeled by others who feel that most Christians label people.

I believe that Christians, more than anyone else, understand we are all sinners. And we believe what the Bible says about sin being sin ...separation from God is separation from God.  But, when we acknowledge that separation, what do we do about it??

Should we develop our own rating scale ...rationalizing on our own how God dispenses mercy??

Certainly not!!

The difference is ...when a Christian is motivated by a standard, not a personal success scale.  The idea of a standard consisting of a higher moral value ...only brings success when one thinks highly of the standard.

Because someone looks to a higher standard, does not equate to judging others ...though it does frequently involve judging one's own level of priorities.

The part that Christian parents often don't say, is that though Christian youth may appear at times detached from certain emotions and reserved to a point where others may feel they are not even very affectionate ...this is not really true, and Christian youngsters find themselves falling in love many times, but just not in the way that others may detect.  And this may be because they may struggle harder to have a level of morality they believe in.

Yet, we know that ...though the stereotype of 'Christian' may not be fair ...there is actually, really no 'type'.  People are people.  And all kinds are found in all places.

When I was in school, I studied different cultures ...some present cultures, and some past cultures.

Somewhere in those studies, I was introduced to the concept of arranged marriages.

I am not talking about a marriage arranged between adults ...for a preteen and a fifty year old to get married. That is beyond disturbing ...and very sick.

I'm talking about a proper age to get married, and two families arrange the union between a son and a daughter.  I never thought that is something I would have wanted to get involved in.  When I thought of it ...it scared me.  I can't imagine the horror those innocent little children had to go through.

But, if two graduates from high school, at the age of eighteen, have a cultural acceptance for families to arrange marriages ...well, I sort of see how many of the struggles that young adults go through would possibly be minimized.  

For our children's birthdays, we let them choose where they wanted to go out to eat.  A good portion of what drives happiness and friendships alike ...is that each person can choose their happy times, and friends. On the other hand, I worked in a prison ...and saw the result of those who unwisely chose friends.

Yet, still ...don't worry, besides not having favored it for myself, I would not be in favor of doing this for my children either.  I believe that people should enhance their relationship with God, and trust Him to help with the arrangements.

Like I said, my intent is not to embarrass ...yet, what I'd like to say ...

What I'd like to say as a parent is:  

My daughter/son is a Christian.

If you feel your affections are not received, perhaps it is because they are not perceived as wholly sincere. Or if you expect some reciprocal affections of the nature of what you'd like them to be ...would I be wrong to perhaps think you may be trying to break down not just some communication barriers, but morals ones also??

Whether you realize it or not, there is the same tendency to 'fall in love', and perhaps even as quickly ...though their is a resolve to restrain those emotions to a degree that perhaps your hormones can't handle.

Or perhaps you have no intentions to use wiser judgment.

Falling in love is not really a whim, and those who value it to a higher degree of commitment don't deserve to have their heart broken by your lack of it.

If I had said this, my children would possibly feel no person would dare date them ...after hearing an introduction like this.

So, I don't say anything ...but, this is the way I feel.

And I guess, I just did say it ...but, I think I'm safe because most of you don't read anything longer than a simple Twitter feed. And if anybody does read more of what I'm saying, then perhaps there would be less understanding.

Speaking of understanding ...or the lack of it, misunderstanding??

What of that which cannot be easily understood, or if somewhat understood, then difficult to describe??

And what of that which is definitely not possible to prove???

In order to solve something, one must start somewhere.  And beyond what I described earlier, we should probably not start with trying to understand each other.

I've talked with my children.  I've had them tell me that I can't help ...because I don't understand.  And I responded to that by suggesting we pray to the One who does understand ...both of us.

Yes, I'm speaking of God.

I don't know of any book that makes more sense to me than the Bible.

Not all of us agree with all that we read ...and we may see things slightly different.

I guess I will cover a few of them to add just a few comments more here.  I see much conflict with evolution and the Bible ...and I believe the Bible each time.  Yet, I think there is much missed ...and either succumbs to overthinking, or underthinking.

I absolutely believe that man & woman were created, not evolved ...and that event happened not much over six thousand years ago.  Now, the universe ...well, I'm not so sure about that. I believe the angels sang at Creation ...so, they had to exist before that, and when precisely they were created we don't know.  Actually, we don't really have a clue ...we weren't given any.  But, I'd think they had to have a habitation.

I believe only two types of beings were created to know God ...the angels, and us human beings.  The only true significance is in knowing God.  And we can't even image the magnitude of events that spun throughout the universe before those events were brought under control.

But, we are given understanding of what happened after that, much of that purpose, and a vision of how it will all work out ...not specifically, but generally.

And it is good to have a general hope and peace about it.