Little media attention is being given to a quiet tug of war going on over the right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children. On one front is the government (public) school system backed by the socialist philosophy of the secular humanists in control of it, backed by the proponents of the UN-based one-world government.

On the other side is the Biblically-based tradition that God established the family for that purpose. Most Americans take for granted these parental rights. They generally refuse to believe stories of children offered condoms and abortions without the parent's consent. Or children yanked from their homes by government agents on rumors of child abuse.

But the foundations are being laid for a lot more government meddling with families. Central to one-world planning is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This is a treaty that nations sign with the UN agreeing to pass laws supporting the articles of the treaty.

The object of the treaty is a world-wide human rights standard for children protecting them against economic and sexual abuse and guaranteeing them education, health care, and recreation. It also declares their right to privacy, to freedom of expression, to freedom of conscience and to associates of their choosing.

It is these "rights" which disturb men like James Dobson of Focus on the Family. In his Citizen magazine he questions whether "freedom of conscience" could mean parents had no control over their child's involvement in other religions, cults or even the occult. Would "right to privacy" mean right to abortion and condoms without parental consent?

Would "freedom of expression" (which also includes right to "see, receive and impart information...of all kinds...") mean parents could not forbid Planned Parenthood from giving sexually explicit material and even condoms to their child? Or not even turn off the TV unless the child agreed? Would "freedom of association" include gangs, or other unsavory friends?

"No specific right of parents in regard to discipline or decision-making is mentioned anywhere in the treaty," says Citizen magazine and quotes Senator Dan Coats: "The [treaty], under the guise of protecting children, would rob parents of authority over their children."

The scary aspect of this one-world-government thrust is that 187 countries have ratified (agreed to pass laws supporting) this "convention." Only 6 countries have not, including the U.S. and Switzerland.

In February of 1995 President Clinton signed the treaty but has not submitted it to the Senate for ratification. Sen. Jesse Helms, re-elected for another 6 year term, head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has sponsored a Senate resolution opposing the treaty because it would override the constitution. For this reason the White House has not submitted it for ratification.

While it is important to let our lawmakers know, in no uncertain terms, how dangerous this is, a more important job waits us.

We must re-evangelize our children. A generation ago, most of the adults in this country had at least a basic knowledge of the Bible and the way of salvation. The Sunday schools, vacation Bible schools, etc. had done a pretty good job.

But now we have a generation coming up "which knows not God." If we don't move quickly, we may not have the freedom to win them to Christ. And we have to start early. George Barna, in his new book "Generation Next" says, "...if children are not reached with the gospel by age 13, the chances of their accepting the gospel after that point are greatly reduced."

It is essential that soul winners target today's children. Hitler, Stalin and now the UN knows that if just one generation is diverted from the Bible, the whole nation can be conquered.