Jason Evert's Message To Parents:

Jason Evert, founder of the Chastity Project, visited Evansville Feb. 11-12 for presentations to junior-high and high school students. While he was here, he also gave a seminar on “Parenting for Purity” Feb. 11 at Reitz Memorial High School.

His message to those raising children is simple – it’s time for parents to educate their kids.

“Parents need to get over their insecurities about talking (about purity and chastity),” Evert said, a few hours before the presentation. “Kids need to hear from their parents on this, and they can’t afford for their parents to be silent because the world is not shy about talking to our kids about a very perverted notion of human sexuality. Yet it’s so sad that the No. 1 educators, which are the parents, are so bashful when it comes to speaking on the subject.

“So they need to get over that and really educate the kids,” Evert added, “even if their parents never taught them. It’s time to change that.”

“Chastity is a virtue,” Evert continued. “If you want them to catch this virtue, you have to show it to them by the way that you live. You’ve got to model the virtues that you hope they’re going to practice.”

Evert said that parents face challenges today unlike any their parents and grandparents had to face. “Parenting is nothing like it was even 25 years ago,” he said – adding that computer literacy is a very important part of the equation. “Parents need to know how to check history files in the web browsers they use – at the minimum,” Evert said. “I recommend that families use the Covenant Eyes software (www.covenanteyes.com).

“It not only blocks porn and other inappropriate content, but you can set it up to send a report every day or every week that shows all of the sites you’re visiting. Kids can see where Mom goes and where Dad goes, too. Also with cell phones – parents have to educate their kids on how to protect themselves from themselves.”

Evert also encouraged parents to round up the family at least once a month for a visit to the confessional.

“You should go to confession at least once a month as a family,” he said. “It’s spiritually potent for a teenager to see their Dad and Mom in line for confession. To them it’s like ‘Oooo … even Dad has to tell his Father he’s sorry and Mom has to tell her mother the Church that she’s sorry.’

And it’s also a good time to examine your conscience,” he continued,  “because if you don’t think you sinned a lot you’ve got four people next to you who will give you a litany of all your imperfections for the last 30 days.”

Evert gave presentations to junior-high and high schools students on Feb. 11 at Reitz Memorial High School and Feb. 12 at Mater Dei High School.

Resources for young people, parents and families are available at the Chastity Project website: www.chastityproject.com.