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Family Values

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NIJamesHughes

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In pitching my novel "The Outcasts" to publishers, I describe it as "the story of a family destroyed by the 'family values' of obedience and conformity."

I, for one, grew up in a traditional family, where obedience and conformity were THE top values.

And watching today's conservatives, who are careful never to mention Life (unless it's a fetus's life), Liberty, or (ESPECIALLY) The Pursuit of Happiness, I'm convinced that they see family values exactly as my own family did.

"Family values" is a rallying cry for those who want to dowse the fire of reason in men's minds, and bring us closer to the world of "Anthem."

Scratch a supporter of "family values," and you'll find: a Christian.

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Scratch a supporter of "family values," and you'll find:  a Christian.

I'm a big supporter of family values and I'm no Christian -- but then again I define "family values" as they can and ought to be.

A family CAN be a wonderful place where a mother and father pursue happiness by being parents and children are loved, protected, respected, and guided toward rational lives.

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I'm a big supporter of family values and I'm no Christian -- but then again I define "family values" as they can and ought to be. 

A family CAN be a wonderful place where a mother and father pursue happiness by being parents and children are loved, protected, respected, and guided toward rational lives.

In this respect, I'd like to say that I used to think that "family values" was a totally corrupt concept until I saw "The Incredibles."

I remarked to a friend, who is Objectivist (and has an adorable one-year-old daughter), that I now had some concretized insight into why many people value their families.

*******************SPOILERS*******************

When Mr. Incredible lamented the loss of his family, I was able to picture myself in the same situation, as Bob Parr reminded me in some ways of myself.

It is very possible that my appreciation of his family depended on their being valuable to him: his wife and kids were not strictly dependents in any sense of the word; they were latent geniuses who could not exist, in reality, as they did in the movie.

Does that mean I may be unrealistic in this respect [marriage]? Yes.

But, that does not mean I neither approve of, nor seek, marriage. A good marriage, in my opinion, is almost a necessary ingredient of an individual's existence. Possibly only the most integrated individuals can do without it. Marriage settles the self by providing a worthy, conscious catalyst for one's immediate and intermediate happiness - whch amortizes into one's long-term happiness.

And this valuation is true: after all, there is no free value, even in Freetown.

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I'm a big supporter of family values and I'm no Christian -- but then again I define "family values" as they can and ought to be. 

A family CAN be a wonderful place where a mother and father pursue happiness by being parents and children are loved, protected, respected, and guided toward rational lives.

That is a great examplary of a rational "family values". Unfortunately, most irrational families use those terms in a collective way. Such as using traditions as their ammunition against their children. I grew up in a very irrational, religious family... and my parents define "family values" as one that is based on their horrifying traditions. Therefore, "family values" relies on the actual life's values of rational or irrational individuals.

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I'm a big supporter of family values and I'm no Christian -- but then again I define "family values" as they can and ought to be. 

A family CAN be a wonderful place where a mother and father pursue happiness by being parents and children are loved, protected, respected, and guided toward rational lives.

You are, of course, absolutely correct. Defined rationally, family values are a positive supplement to childhood.

What I am refering to on this post, however, is the packaged deal "family values" as used by www.frc.com and other christian conservatives.

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