'Resurgence of moral virtue' is necessary
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AMSTERDAM
"We all know that every nation is ultimately at the mercy of its families," she said. "If families are riddled with problems, society eventually collapses under the weight of problems too vast for any government to meet. If families are strong, society is strong."
Further, she said, "A virtuous life is an easier, more fulfilling life. And it is one of the most powerful keys to strengthening families and therefore to strengthening our world."
Sister Dew began her address by answering the question of why a woman with no nuclear family of her own is qualified to speak at a congress about families.
"I am not married and have not had the privilege of bearing children — which are, candidly, the heartbreaks of my life," she said. "This isn't by choice. My dream was to marry and have a house full of children. The answer to why I haven't yet married is simple: No one has ever asked me. So you may wonder why am I here, and why do I care so much about the family.
"I care in part, precisely because I haven't yet been blessed with a husband or family of my own. I know firsthand that the passage in Genesis is true: It is not good for man or woman to be alone (see Genesis 2:18). This is not just good theology; it's terrific sociology. As grateful as I am for many things, I am painfully aware that I am not complete without a faithful husband."
The world tries mightily to uncover secular solutions for societal ills, but in the end there is no substitute for morality and virtue.
"We tend to focus on policies, legislation and court opinions related to family," Sister Dew said. "But today I invite you to consider that the single most pervasive threat to the stability and future of the family is sexual immorality in all its forms. Nothing would do more to strengthen the families of the world than a resurgence of moral virtue, particularly sexual purity."
According to Sister Dew, many men and women would follow a path of sexual purity if they only knew the truth. Therefore, it's imperative for those who know the merits of virtue to boldly share that truth in its unadorned simplicity.
"The world is filled with good people who may not know that virtue would transform their lives and who only need to be shown the way," she said. "If defending virtue requires sacrifice and discipline, then so be it. We have a choice to make. We can either watch our societies crumble under the weight of moral impurity, or we can lead out in the cause of virtue.
"May we go forward, determined to make this world better by making it
more clean. May we champion virtue as a key to building strong families.
God will help us. No one cares more about our families than He does. As we
honor Him by embracing the virtue He has ordained, He will help us preserve
the foundational unit of every society, the family."
— Jamshid Askar
Click here for Sister Dew's complete talk...
