c. 1996 Religion News Service

(Samuel K. Atchison is an ordained minister and has worked as a policy analyst and social worker to the homeless. He currently is a prison chaplain in Trenton, N.J.)

(RNS)-It’s an idea that has some merit. But the real key to parental responsibility is morals, not laws.

A bill called the”Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act,”now pending in both houses of Congress, would require federal agencies to show”a compelling government interest”before displacing a parent’s authority to supervise a child’s upbringing.

Not only that, government would have to use the”least restrictive means”of intervention.

A number of conservative religious groups, including the Christian Coalition, endorse the bill, saying government intrusion into people’s private lives has gone too far. Others, including child-welfare advocates, oppose the measure, arguing that it would lead to an increase in unreported cases of child abuse and neglect.

I believe the religious groups have a point. Still, I think their time would be better served preaching on parental responsibilities from the pulpit rather than pushing for greater parental rights at the Capitol.

To be sure, our world has changed a great deal in the past few decades. When I was growing up 35 years ago, the right of parents to direct and discipline their children was a given. No rules or limits seemed necessary.

Even such popular parental expressions as”I brought you into this world and I can take you out”were rarely meant as literal threats. To the contrary, they were used as a means of persuasive discipline, to ensure that an unruly child understood that he or she was treading on thin ice. Most of us remember these expressions fondly, as terms of endearment that have become fodder for such comedians as Bill Cosby.

It wasn’t until genuine abuses began to emerge-abuses that led to tragedies-that government intervention became necessary. Regrettably, that intervention has, at times, been excessive. Little wonder that groups like the Christian Coalition want parents to regain some of their traditional authority in the home.

Still, attempting to codify parental rights takes us into murky legal waters. Better that religious groups focus on their chief mandate: preaching biblical wisdom and instilling a moral sense in their followers.

Children, says the biblical Book of Psalms,”are an inheritance from the Lord”and”a reward from Him.”This means that as a parent, I have received a gift for which I am ultimately accountable to God.

It also suggests that I have been given a sacred trust, which I should be permitted to manage without outside interference. Whether in guiding my children’s education, leading them in worship or occasionally swatting them on the backside, the choice of when and how to do so should be mine.

For most of us, this bequest is handled with care, for we believe that the life of a child is precious and should be protected at all costs. It is only when parents forget that they are the progenitors of a divine legacy-and thus abuse their bequest-that government regulation should be necessary.

Within this context, the role of the religious community is paramount. For what we bring to this issue is a moral certitude that cannot be legislated. While not ignoring the need to temper governmental zeal, religious leaders should focus chiefly on equipping their members to be responsible parents.

Such training should focus as much on the biblical responsibilities of parenthood-including the need to provide for the child’s emotional and spiritual nurture-as on the assumption of parental rights.

Nor should this instruction be limited to traditional congregations. As a prison chaplain, I make a point of relating the topic of nearly every sermon, Bible study or seminar to the inmates’ role as parents.

Why? Because I want them to understand that every habit, attitude and vice they harbor has implications, not only for themselves, but also for their children. Since many of them were themselves abused or neglected, they usually are receptive to the point I’m trying to make.

Over the past 12 years, I have viewed the parental rights debate from a variety of perspectives: as a welfare policy analyst, social services administrator, family counselor providing court-ordered therapy to abusive parents, prison chaplain and parent.

I am well aware of the need to protect our children. But the best way to do this is by investing in their parents.

MJP END ATCHISON