I am curious to know what people's responses, reactions, and thoughts are on the video, the story of Dinah [Genesis 34], and what it means.
Hi Mary. In essence this pastor is correct, as we want to protect and even shelter our children from the evilness of this wicked world. But to say with definiteness that his daughters would NEVER commit fornication is simply naive and ignorant. We can't force people to serve our Creator, even if these people are our children. Here are some additional thoughts:
1 Corinthians 10:12: "Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation]." Any child and especially a teen can fall into sexual temptation, just as adults do. There is no way to so tightly control a teenager as the pastor suggests without breaking the law, as to do so would be in violation of an 18 year-old's right to direct her own life. It would be folly to believe otherwise.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15: "According to the undeserved kindness of God that was given to me, I laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, but someone else is building on it. But let each one keep watching how he is building on it. 11 For no one can lay any other foundation than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will be shown for what it is, for the day will show it up, because it will be revealed by means of fire, and the fire itself will prove what sort of work each one has built. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward; 15 if anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved; yet, if so, it will be as through fire."
In writing to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul used metaphoric language to illustrate the need for durable qualities that can help us face trials. Such fire-resistant materials as gold, silver, and precious stones correspond to godly qualities. On the other hand, fleshly traits are likened to combustible materials. Here again, the Bible explains that all of us will inevitably face some form of fiery test and so to say that the pastor's daughters could never fall into the trap of sexual immorality is contrary to what is predicted in the Bible.
There are so many more scriptures that counter-refute what the Pastor is saying, but the Bible is replete with examples of children who deviated from the Way, including at least one sibling of Jesus, so no one in immune.
My two sons were raised in a Christian household and I did my best to raise them to avoid the temptations of the flesh (they NEVER went to public school and instead were home-schooled; they worked part-time since childhood in our family business and were around only servants of God and they were not allowed to have any worldly friends and they STILL found a way to engage in scripturally inappropriate behavior and sadly to this day, they are non-believers)
I wish it were as simple as the Pastor proclaims to keep our children chaste, but choosing a Christian life-style MUST be something that each of us truly wants to do as the inclination toward sin is so strong. I wish all Christian parents the best as you raise your children in a Christian way while living in an ungodly world!