THE LOW COUNTRY SINKS LOWER

A common picture of Holland is one of windmills, wooden shoes, tulips and a
brave people who stood up to the Nazis in World War II. And while you can
still find a lot of windmills and such, the moral fortitude that
distinguished the Dutch Resistance is sadly lacking in 21st century Holland.

Consider that full nudity is common on Dutch television after 9 p.m., and
that one can find pornographic movies on television during weekends.
Consider that homosexual marriage is legal in Holland. Consider that
Holland also recently made euthanasia legal; it has been tacitly accepted
for at least the past 20 years. Supermarket racks are full of magazine
covers featuring photos of nude women--all in open view. And hard drugs are
consumed openly in so-called "coffee houses." (If you're ever in Holland,
don't wander into a coffee house assuming you'll find the Dutch version of
a double frothe.) And abortion is yawned at.

Even the Christian church in Holland is not immune from the evidence of
moral decay, with professing Christians engaging in immoral activities in
almost the same percentages as the surrounding culture. For example,
divorce is accepted as normal by 60 percent of the Dutch, and that
percentage is the same within Christian homes, says Rob Hondsmerk, director
of Focus on the Family Netherlands.

Even the Christian church in Holland is not immune from the evidence of
moral decay, with professing Christians engaging in immoral activities in
almost the same percentages as the surrounding culture.

"Family life here is not family life anymore," he says. "There were more
social structures 10 years ago and larger extended families." Families are
more isolated today, and parents need information on some very basic
questions such as disciplining children. "Some parents believe a temper
tantrum requires psychological counseling," Hondsmerk says. "And how do
they teach sexual abstinence in a society with free sex?"

The movement toward free sex began in the 1960s, as in many other places.
"The children of those years are parents now," Hondsmerk says. "Add in a
declining belief in God and it has an impact not just on society, but the
church. Our children are the first generation where we have to explain
God's plan for marriage."

And perhaps most shocking of all is the incidence of incest in Dutch
culture, even within Christian homes. In 1989 a national survey found that
1 in 7 girls and 1 in 20 boys were victims of incest. In 1999, a repeat
survey found those figures to be 1 in 5 and 1 in 10, respectively.

"We deal with one new incest case a day from Christian homes," Hondsmerk
says. "It's not even a big news story anymore. In 10 years the penalties
for incest went from, for example, 15 years in prison to 240 hours of
community service."

Many children already think incest is normal because their parents tell
them so and they don't know any better, he adds, and while the current age
of consent is 14, some are trying to lower that to age 12.

A Crying Need

Hondsmerk gave up a military career in 1990 to start a family outreach
ministry called Chris. (In a culture where Christian terms might as well be
in Chinese, he thought teens calling a hotline for Chris would make more
sense than calling for Christ.) He was motivated by a book named Weid Mijn
Lammeren--Feed My Sheep--by Else Vlug in which she argues that it is the
church's responsibility to look out for the emotional and spiritual care of
children.

The Chris hotline took 400 calls its first year from young people with
problems at home and school ranging from bullying to incest. (Its
equivalent for parents is called Center for Pastoral Counseling.) Last year
the hotline took 5,000 calls, 90 percent from kids with a Christian background.

"When Satan wants to destroy the church, he starts with families. The
culture is asleep, and I'm expecting a collapse."

"By 1997 we realized we needed to help prevent problems, and that's where
Focus on the Family came in." In 1998, Focus came alongside Chris to
provide assistance with professional counseling for teens and parents,
support for childrearing classes and marriage seminars.

Focus on the Family Netherlands now distributes two Dutch-language
magazines, including Plugged In, Focus' magazine on youth culture.

It also distributes newsletters, books, including Dutch versions of Dr.
Dobson's, and is in the process of translating Focus on the Family videos
such as No Apologies (about sexual abstinence) and the Adventures in
Odyssey series.

Hondsmerk, who has a doctorate in child psychology, writes a newspaper
column every two weeks with plans to compile them into a book similar to
Dr. Dobson's Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide.

And the Life on the Edge conferences for parents and teens have been well
received in Holland. "Some parents want to go the way of the Lord, but they
don't know how," Hondsmerk says. "It's not just with sexual abstinence, but
what it means to be a mother and a father."

The average age for a mother in Holland to give birth to a first child is
32. "The culture says get everything you want first," Hondsmerk says--nice
home, stereo, television, vacations and so forth.

God's Faithfulness

"When I read the Bible, I see it's about families," Hondsmerk says. "When
Satan wants to destroy the church, he starts with families. The culture is
asleep, and I'm expecting a collapse."

But, he adds, "People pray when they're in need."

The existence and continued success of both Chris and Focus Netherlands,
Hondsmerk says, is a story of God's faithfulness. "It's hard to exist and
grow in a post-Christian society. Whenever we needed money or help, He
provided."