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Background

Dave has spent his life defined by his religion and faith in Jesus Christ. He has lived a somewhat quiet and simple life, but places all his success in family, career, financial, and service in his community to his religious beliefs as a foundation for who he is. This is his story:

The Past

Dave has lived most of his life in California, with family roots and ties and time in Utah as well. He felt that growing up most of society had similar values to him in regarding kindness, family, drug use, and values. He felt that most families valued marriage, had goals to raise children as good people, hard working and contributing citizens to society. He felt that both the United States as a whole and the different communities he lived in, both in Utah and California, had a sense of valuing the community and the group as a whole rather than put individual rights above that of the community.

Growing up in faith based community, Dave had a focus on a traditional family with parents raising children to value education, hard work and faith in God. He followed examples of parents and others in his community and got married young, focused on family and found his greatest joys in life in his wife and children and his belief in and following Christ and Heavenly Father.

His perspective of life all centers on this upbringing and the views and values taught and learned at a young age. He believes in peace, in kindness, in service, in sacrifice, in working for the good of his family and his community. Yet he has seen a slow, but consistent distancing of his belief on the good of the whole, with a focus on the good of the individual

Change

Dave has seen a rapid change in recent years where, “in an effort to protect every right, belief and idea of the individual, we have accepted everything as right and given up a focus on what is good for the sustainability of our society.” He points to issues of undervaluing parents raising children, sexual promiscuity, unlimited use of drugs and alcohol and a desire to act in any way and remove any consequences. His beliefs have become much more politicized and polarizing in his area as well as the country as a whole.

“It seems that we are heading down a path where instant gratification for the individual is the highest priority, instead of the long term, sustainable lifestyle that promotes healthy, cooperative and growing communities. Instead we profess a need to be accepted without any willingness to both accept others or put in effort to contribute and work towards acceptance. We are going down a path where if everything is right and nothing is wrong will lead soon to every individual for themselves.”

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The Future

Dave is not fully hopeless about the future of his community and country. He believes there is a silent majority or at least a silent large portion, who also still values family, faith, hard work and selfless sacrifice for a greater good. He is an advocate for such people and works to lobby and campaign for family values and against several political issues he worries will tear down laws that help maintain a moral society.

“It used to be that being a Christian was a great advantage in this country. People would see you as kind, honest and trustworthy. It is slowly becoming something people either judge against you as being naive, bigoted or backwards. Yet many of us still believe in being honest and true and faithful, even if not everyone believes as we do.”

His Perspective

Dave acknowledges that the world has change significantly, even if it was gradually, since his days of growing up in tight knit, family centered communities. Not all changes have been bad, and in fact he even would go as far as to say most changes have been good. But we have a tendency to focus on what concerns us and his Christian perspective sees a moving trend that puts individual beliefs above societal morality. His belief system compels him to find active ways to “turn the other cheek” while fighting for a society that continues to value morality.

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