With the ever increasing rate of technological advances, the acceptance of behaviors that were once considered taboo by our society are so commonplace and readily viewable, it is very likely the set of values we term "family values" has evolved in a negative rather than a positive direction.

To reiterate, it was once considered highly immoral for a woman to have a child out of wedlock. But, with the rise in the insistence for individual rights reigning supreme over mores of our society, is it now taboo and immoral?

As our society has become somewhat less suppressed sexually speaking, early exploration has become more accepted and is discussed openly by young people. When once most would not consider speaking out about having had sex, it is a common topic among the youth of this nation, the media, print sources, and others.

A problem is no one knows exactly what effect any one act or statement by a high profile person in a youth’s life will have on their developing value system.

High profile in this case may be just another student, a friend, relative, entertainment personality, teacher, or, and this is paramount, any other source.

As an example, what if parents and their children are watching the news and a story comes on of a woman who is known for promiscuity and the news reporters make light of it by joking about her behaviors. While watching, the parents laugh about it. What is the effect?

Another very common occurrence is a student or teacher becoming pregnant. Rather than the behaviors that led to it being ostracized, social acceptability is shown by the girl or woman being allowed to remain in the school system. What does this tell young people?

With the rise in individual rights over societal mores, many behaviors once considered taboo are now accepted. Thus, the values that made up the set we call ‘family values’ has evolved. What is morally or ethically acceptable has changed and will continue to change as these concepts are relative to the society at the time it is being observed.

Indirect teachings, whether negative or positive, can have as strong or stronger effects on young minds as direct teachings.

Take unethical behaviors of Congress or the general consensus that Congress is full of felons. When the public once again votes a person known to have committed immoral, unethical acts into office , then the message is quite clear - it is okay to be immoral or unethical.

"It is okay to have pre-marital sex since Ms. Having-a-Baby did. Well, Mr. Live-With-a-Woman is doing it so it must be okay for me to do it."

"Why shouldn’t I show my body? Look in any magazine, watch movies and popular drama shows or sitcoms on TV. Lots of women are nude or nearly nude."

"Popular kids are using drugs. Therefore, if I use drugs, I will be popular."

"Wait a minute - you cheered when the guy in the movie beat up and shot the other person. So, violence against others must be okay."

With our society evolved into a society that virtually relies on others, including TV, movies, and the like to raise kids, there is very little positive family time in which positive family values can be reinforced. Such training has been essentially lost in the bombardment of the young by aspiritual sources.

Spiritual training essentially boils down to an hour a week for most who do profess to being religious, that hour being spent in church. This short time must overcome hours per day of seeing or hearing exactly the opposite. (And what if the church doesn’t allow people of other races or denominations into its fold?)

Even if a family practices spiritual training at home, does it necessarily take hold? Is it strong enough to overcome all the negatives seen, such as the youth seeing the people who so often get ahead doing so by stepping on others, by being unethical, and the resultant power developed?

Will the combined training result in developing inner strength that gives a young person the strength to perceive himself as unpopular by refusing to do as his peers do, to refuse, e.g., seeing a sexually explicit or violence-filled movie, to pop a ‘harmless’ little yellow pill, or to leave a party because of drinking alcohol, drug use, or open sexual behaviors?

Based on the negative evolution of family values I have seen in my 52 years of life, the answer is regrettably ‘no’.