THE tragedy of Lot could have been avoided; Lot had deliberately led his family into an environment of wickedness from which it could not emerge unscathed. It constitutes a warning for today. Our families can suffer likewise. We live in a Sodomic environment, and need to guard our children against it. Whilst Lot obviously protested at the prevailing wickedness, he did little more. A more vigorous action was required, particularly in regard to his family. Because he failed to take that action, the most terrible tragedy overtook him and it. When Lot took to his heels out of the doomed city, he realised that it had been an extremely poor bargain that he had made when he had left Abram for the cities of the plain. We, too, can bargain away the future of our children for apparent present advantage.

Evidence is accumulating which reveal the extent to which the world is claiming the children of its citizens; and those of Christadelphian families with the rest. Like Lot on the heights of barren Bethel, looking down upon the well watered plains of Jordan (as they were then), the world offers much of present, material advantage. Its rewards appear attractive: big money, ample leisure, respect of persons, material advantage. But the pay is poor compared with the riches that Christ offers.

To gain the most from its children, the world has to prize them away from the influence of the Word of God it does this by education, and the fruits of the fearful thing that the flesh has established under this caption is seen in the revolt of youth which is incidental to the Western World. Youth is revolting against every form of restraint, so that the wickedness of Sodom is becoming more obvious. The teaching of Evolution in the Schools is helping to that end, for once this is established in the mind of an individual, it lessens, if it does not altogether destroy, any responsibility towards God. Granted Evolution is a fact, it is obvious that the Bible is fiction; and it follows that the God of the Bible can no longer be viewed with respect. He is manifested as the Author of confusion, and not of peace. Evolution is being taught to the young children in the curriculum of State Schools throughout Australia, and this imposes a tremendous responsibility on parents. It is becoming more and more necessary for them to supervise what is being taught their children, and to warn them against such teaching. If necessary, a protest should be lodged with the teacher if the child is penalized in any way for refusing to accept this teaching which is opposed to the Bible. Evolution will destroy a child's respect for the Bible and the Truth; but now a worse challenge is in evidence.

This is an age of permissiveness, and this evil, immoral influence reaches right down into the schools, and challenges your children's spiritual development. It is normal school practice, in teaching composition and English, to direct children to certain reading which will help their vocabulary and word power. In the past, in English, novels by such authors as Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Hutchinson, and others, were placed in the hands of children for reaching. They were relatively harmless. However, such books are outmoded today, and replaced by modern writers, many of whom are so extreme in the language used, that obscene expressions find their presence in their books. The claim is that this is the language of today; and the children should learn it. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the teacher to educate the children in the use of such "language" if necessary.

Some of the literature used by the State Education Department would have been considered pornographic a few years back, but is today being placed into the hands of your children. The printed word is powerful, and it only needs a little of this to seep into the mind of the child, for the thought and idea of immorality to develop. What is the cause, of the wave of petty crime and immorality that today stems from the very seats of so-called learning; the schools and (worse) the universities? it is this very contempt of spiritual virtues engendered by such instruction as referred to above.

In Sodom, immorality had become the accepted thing, and the wicked were supported in opposition to the righteous. That is the situation today. Lot protested, but did little else, and his family was affected. Therefore in view of Christês warning, we cannot afford to be complacent. We might reason that our children would never be influenced by these conditions. The Word teaches otherwise: "Can a man take fire into his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" The children of such faithful men as Eli, Samuel, David and others, were adversely influenced by their environment. Our children can be likewise.

What is the antidote? Firstly, in the home. Carefully supervise the ideas being implanted in the mind of your child. Do not hesitate to protest to the teacher if such is necessary. Encourage your child to refuse to accept teaching that is at variance with the Word. Show how strongly the truth of the Bible is endorsed by fulfilling prophecy. Encourage him or her to give first place to the things of God, even in the choice of a career. We claim that Christ is at the door: how foolish if when doing so, we deliberately set temptations in the wav of our children in order that they mav find some material advancement. Teach them to be content with the humbler circumstances of life, and to render service to their Creator in the days of youth (Eccles. 12:1). Warn them of the conditions that might be expected as indicated by the predictions of Christ "as in the days of Lot and Noah," and teach them to resist such influences when met with in the school yard or in the school room. Secondly, we feel that a protest should be lodged with the Education Department, in regard to the type of Literature being placed by it into the hands of children to read. At present, if the child refuses to read the book, it will be penalized as regards progress marks; but surely we have a conscientious objection to this Literature being officially forced upon our children, requesting that if necessary, alternative literature be made available to our children, without them being penalized as far as their school status is concerned.

Let us not be complacent about this, otherwise the tragedy of Lot's family might become our personal tragedy. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Christ has forewarned us, and underlines his exhortation with the words: "Remember Lot's wife." Let us remember her, and play our part to protect our children from the vicious. evil environment in which they are today found, and which shall become an increasing trial to them as the age moves to its close.

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