GEORGIA: A NEW PARADIGM FOR LOVE, SEX AND FAMILY

Excitement and electricity were in the air as members of the Atlanta chapter of WFWP gathered together to revisit the critical importance of sexual abstinence before marriage as a necessary step for character building. They also sought to educate parents on how to build a supportive family environment for their teens and single young adult children who have decided to stay pure before marriage.

The stirring event took place on January 26 at the Atlanta Family Church. Among the 55 women, also some men, in attendance were Sen. Donzella James, Rep. Sheila Jones, Rev. Samuel F. Mosteller, Apostle Willie Malcolm, Mrs. Richadean Anderson, and Ms. Rena Moroquin.

The audience, who were eager to hear what we were about to share, were greeted by our emcee of the day, Ms. Rena Moroquin. She asked Apostle Willie Malcolm to open with a word of prayer and Pastor Tiffany Gaines gave a wonderful welcome to all. An opportunity was given to all special guests to come forward and offer their words of support. Rev. Samuel Mosteller gave an eye-opening five-minute presentation about the fall of the Roman Empire, saying it did not fall because it was defeated by a more powerful enemy, but because of the sexual promiscuity within. Georgia state Sen. Donzella James spoke of the last 20 years of knowing our movement and still being moved by Rev. Dr. Sun Myung and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon's call for purity and family. Georgia state Rep. Sheila Jones talked about the soaring rates of out-of-wedlock pregnancies that face our communities. We had more words of support from other special guests. Our MC, Ms. Moroquin, kept the pace moving with a youth group from Rev. Knox's church that sang a song.

After this, it was time for the main message, titled "The New Paradigm for Sex, Love, and Family." The first part was given by Mrs. Nandi Moton, chairwoman of WFWP Georgia. She opened with a slide presentation on "Love, Sex, and Dating: The Influence of Society on Our Moral Decisions and Discovering Myself." The message she brought home to the audience was the actual dangers of dating, including its harmful effects on self-esteem.

Then Mrs. Moton talked about "The Influence of Society," in which all discussed the many ways Americans follow media trends and the culture of Hollywood when looking for love. The point that had most of the audience on their feet was the knowledge that America did not become a sexually liberal society because it's a natural part of human evolution. Mrs. Moton explained how there was a well-thought-out philosophy that took center stage as the foundation for the "sexual revolution" and that its main characters were the young people of the '60s and '70s.

By this time the participants were intrigued and excited over what was being shared with them. The next chapter, "Discovering Myself," explained how singles and young people always do what they think will make them acceptable to others. This chapter explained that we don't need to be sexually active to be liked and accepted by others. Likeable people are those who are kind, truthful, compassionate, honest, and humble – and if we work on ourselves to develop these positive personality traits, it will eventually lead to lasting marriages.

We explained how we are not just teaching abstinence for abstinence but as way to build our character in preparation for our future spouses. Mrs. Moton took her seat to a standing ovation for her presentation.

For the second part of our main message, our WFWP Georgia co-chair, Dr. Ekaette Heyliger, introduced our WFWP USA vice president, Rev. Juanita Pierre-Louis, who presented the "Parent Centered Ideology" slide presentation titled "A Healthy and Happy Marriage May Be More Important Than We Think." The presentation was eye-opening to the parents, as it was meant for parents to understand the environment their couples need to have to support their children's decision to live an abstinent lifestyle. Rev. Pierre-Louis' explanation about the value of God-centered marriage had parents and pastors standing on their feet, with Apostle Malcolm saying, "I want this young lady [Rev. Pierre-Louis] to come preach at my church!" He asked Mrs. Moton on the spot to give him a copy of the curriculum so he could show it during his church district meeting.

Rev. Pierre-Louis went on to explain about "ideal" marriage – how couples should strive to become ideal in the eyes of God, rich in selfless love, like Adam and Eve should have done before the Fall. Falsehood and mistrust, she said, must never come between them, and a new life of purity and holiness is their destiny. Rev. Pierre-Louis sat down to applause and thanks for her presentation.

This seminar excited and invigorated all present to action about the issues we presented. As WFWP Georgia, we are truly looking forward to waking up our state with a new paradigm for love, sex, and family!