These Icons of modem shopping promise everything under one roof AND easy -if not free -parking!

What more could you ask for?

For babies? -A plethora of baby foods for even the choosiest of tiny palates -and a selection of the latest pint sized fashions for the inevitable after meal changes. Plus a choice of nappies that only a mother or father could comprehend.

For the older kids toys galore for them to look at and you to buy.

For the Teenager -the latest fashions, gadgets, music and video.

For mom -every food stuff you could imagine and a few you couldn't. Kitchen knives and chopping boards to prepare it with. Pots and pans to prepare it with. Utensils to cook it with. Microwave ovens to cook it in and even the the dishes and plates to eat it off.

For dads, you'll even be able to pick up a newspaper to check what's on the TV you have just bought whilst you sit with your newly purchased slippers. If there's nothing to take your fancy on TV, get that new DVD player out of its box, unwrap those just released DVDs and settle down for a quiet night in.

Sounds idyllic doesn't it.

Every need catered for.

Every whim granted.

Every convenience present.

And all to make for a more complete, friendly and family oriented shopping experience.

On the whole a picture of harmony, smoothness and OK we might complain about the way the goods get changed around in store and have a gripe or two about how prices are a little higher that they used to be. But it's all worth it -isn't it?

What happens when you take the wrapper off -what do you actually get.

A place where you can get just about anything. One stop shopping.

One visit does it all.

Food, clothing, entertainment, news, video, hardware and a few other bits and pieces.

So what's with these family values? How can a store possible be selling family values?

What ARE you talking about?

In a word. advertising!

Cornflakes? Bread? Fruit? Newpapers?

Not quite, but something along those very same lines.

Selling you YOUR Values and Standards.

Advertising Family Values regarding Alcohol!

ALCOHOL

These stores encourage drinking and alcoholism by the presence of wines, beers and liquor of every variety IN the store.

So what's wrong with that?

Originally the selling of alcohol was in another, out of the way part of the store -or even a separate building altogether. People seen going into these stores were viewed out of the comers of eyes -hardened drinkers that needed to keep some alcohol at home to feed their craving. Or maybe a wild party was organised and the young adults were in need of something to help them relax.

But the alcohol store moved closer to the food store.

Occasionally stocks of alcohol were left in the food store. -People walked around pallets of beer as if it was poison and to go near it or even look at it would somehow taint.

But soon the alcohol store closed and an extension or reorganising of premises allowed the inclusion of the beer, wine and liquor in with the respectable goods. Soon it became 'part of the furniture' to walk past the alcohol part of the store. Even those brave enough to go in during daylight soon became 'just another shopper'. It has then become normal to see people buying alcohol with their food. It becomes more and more acceptable with each visit.

Before long it becomes the norm and if you do not drink then you are not 'trendy'. Your 'peers' look down upon you. You become a' social outcast' because you don't drink.

Gradually, without many realising, it is acceptable to see young people late at night with store emblazoned carrier bag full of their favourite 'poison' sitting in the seats just outside of the store imbibing alcohol in the manner of seasoned alcoholics.

This has become so acceptable that even the store security doesn't bother these young drinkers or care that most other shoppers finds them annoying, sometimes threatening and always a blight.

To make matters worse -' Alcopops' or liquor and lemonade and fruit juice combos are made to look inviting to the eye and easy on the tongue. Low alcohol shandies 'Made with Real Beer' are on sale OUTSIDE the' ALKY' Zone -encouraging the young to experiment and develop a taste for alcohol.

That's what is being advertised and sold -your free thinking and critical analysis of whether to drink and the effects of alcohol on the young and old alike. Think I'm being too harsh?

Would you want a doctor or dentist who has just imbibed a pint of whiskey to be examining or operating on you? -NO!

Would you want to be driven home by a taxi driver that has spent the day drinking alcohol in a local pub? -NO!

How would you feel if your favourite football star lost the match for his team because of drinking?- OK? -NO! MAD? -YES!

All these companies that promote the use of alcohol do not care about your health, your family or your job -except that'll you'll be able to work enough to pay for more!

All the glamourous advertisements -blasphemous billboards do not show the ruined finances, shattered health and destroyed families. They push to one side the beaten and abused children.

Having a good time with friends around a bar table is supposed to hide the fact that even a mouthful of the lightest of alcohol based drinks causes your body to start working overtime to try and purge itself of that poison. Not to mention the anaesthetic effect it has on the nervous system.

Net effect:

YOU poison yourself and pay the drinks company AND government for the privilege THINK!

Family Values Regarding Gambling.

The Lottery has now made it acceptable for everyone to 'have a flutter'.

Question. How do you make a huge amount of money, get every one to watch more TV AND make everyone think they are having a good time?

Answer- State Sponsored Gambling! (Lotto )

Most say it's a harmless pastime -something to look forward to on Wednesday and Saturday evening.

What they don't tell you is that gambling is addictive -in the very same way as alcohol and other drugs are!

It used to be that the local 'Turf Accountant' or Bookies was where you went - making sure you weren't seen- if you wanted to gamble, because it was only those with a weak will and low moral standard that gambled. Now thanks to the National Lottery every one can have a go. The stigma associated with the Bookies is now largely gone because it has been brought into the 'respectability' of the 'Big Family Store'.

They still do not mention the pensioners who complain about having no heat in the winter but encourage them to buy lottery tickets twice a week. Or the people living on government aid who feel that unless they get a win on either the 'Scratch Cards' or the Lottery that they won't be able to make it through the week.

What about the charities?

The notion that some of the money that is gambled on the Lottery goes to needy charities seems to salve a lot of consciences and allow people to continue on that slippery slope downwards. Ask the charities and they will tell you that since the introduction of the Lottery that contributions are actually down. Unless you happen to be one of the 'Lucky' ones drawn from Camelots hat to receive a token payment. Ask the families of people who have been addicted to gambling on scratch cards and lottery. What about those that have moved on to hard line gambling because of the need for that thrill?

The Lottery people will tell you that it's only a few who are weak in that particular area. That may seem like a valid argument until one of those few happens to be you or yours!

Family Values regarding Immorality.

Positioning of pornographic material close to childrens and young peoples literature AND close to the ground.

Therefore aimed at the young.

Are they providing a service to a niche market Or are they creating a niche market ?

What are the effects of extended exposure to this material?

Low moral standards.

Increase in teenage and unwanted pregnancies.

Experimentation in sexual behaviour .

Experimentation in deviant sexual behaviour .

Increase in unwed couples.

Increase in homosexuality.

Increase in Sexually Transmitted Disease.

Abortion.

Single young mothers.

No concept of love -just lust.

Destruction of lives as children have children!

Increase in acceptance by society of all of the above

And we wonder why it' s all happening?

Most folks think that people are like Velcro -the can come together and come apart again as many times as desire and lust lead them.

The truth is that people are like sellotape and that after it has come together once or twice -it just doesn't work any more.

The psychological damage and hurts that can and do occur are immense. Lack of trust in the opposite sex.

More extreme forms of sexual behaviour to gain that magical 'first time' thrill.

And all because it's the most prevalent form of advertising known to man.

SEX SELLS!

When asked to do something about the positioning of such material (not removal just repositioning) one of the big food chains T***O said that the popularity of the magazines dictated the positioning of them.

This is after
two letters of complaint -one of which was unanswered.
Approaching one of the staff to ask what their opinion of the pornographic material was -they declined to even go and look at it!
After dozens of visits to monitor the store in question I have seen two men stop and peruse the magazines -and a lot of young children lift computer games magazines and stare at the adult material over the top of them!

Dear Reader,
Yes the stores might be convenient for food and clothing and for a few other niceties (necessities perhaps) but this is not all they are selling.
Why is there so much drinking in public places -because there is so much alcohol for sale in public places.
Why are people afraid to go for a walk in their own neighbourhood -because people are out of their minds on alcohol and you never know they might 'ask' you for some money for their next fix.
Why is there so much immorality -because everywhere you look it's there. Clothing stores have naked people advertising clothes (?!?!?!?!) and one store in the local shopping centre even had a huge poster of a couple engaging in intercourse in a shop front window. And every time some one walks past and looks at it -it just becomes more normal. Every soap that is on television has some one indulging in immorality , every shop has pornographic material- some of the local garages have almost nothing but pornographic material for sale. It's no wonder immorality and all its associated 'habits' are on the increase.
Almost every store has a lottery machine encouraging gambling everywhere. Just about every vice catered for -made to look respectable and even desirable- made very accessible and very affordable.
None of these stores care one whit about you. They only care about how they can get you to spend more money. Should that be on food, fine. Should they have to create a generation of gambling alcoholics with morals in the gutter, that will do just as well- as long as they get your money.
They don't care about the results of their peddling on families or the community or the souls of men and women -they only care about the money.
You see the common theme running here. MONEY- it's yours they are after and they just do not care what they have to do to get it.
Think just what is that family store selling you.
If you do care - write or fill in a complaint card at your local store. Most of them have a comments box or will supplly a card upon request. Don't be nasty - more often than not the person you'll be speaking to is only doing what theyre told. Be polite and firm and make you're point. But remember if you don't do something about this now, you and yours will pay for it in the future.

My Kindest Regards

Mark Bradfield.

Preachers and Ministers,
I hope this may have given you cause to think.
Not everyone can or will see what is happening -the slow decline of mans morals, the rot and decay that has set in because so called family stores are feeding the body but causing the soul to be poisoned.
I am surprised that with the number of churches in this town and many others round about that somebody has not said something before.
I am surprised that I never hear of any preaching against the evils that so pervade society at this time.
I am angry at the callousness with which these stores and others treat a concerned citizen and the minister of a local church and more importantly the people that trust these stores to be looking after what is an important part of everyone's life (food). I have seen first hand the results of alcoholism, immorality, and gambling in the lives of thousands of people in and around my home as we carry on our Gospel outreach. People lying in gutters -minds and bodies and families destroyed, mothers as young as thirteen years old and a general acceptance of immorality as the norm and those hooked on gambling with nothing to look forward to except their next thrill.
I have also seen what the Gospel can do for a soul. When a man or woman of whatever age 'opens' their eyes and realises that there is something else. That there is a God that loves them and an obedient Son- Jesus Christ- that gave His life on the cross for them. That they only have to repent of their sins and place their trust in Him to save them. I have seen alcoholic turn from the bottle and turn to Christ, turn from and old drunk to a preacher of God's word. I have seen drug users saved by the Love ofGod and their trust in Christ's FINISHED work on the cross. I have seen people engaged in all kinds of immoral lifestyle realise that the Love that God has extends to THE WHOLE WORLD, that no-one is too bad, that no one is so far down that God can't reach down and Save them- If that person will let Him.
You see God wants us all in Heaven and He has done EVERYTTHING necessary to pay for sins -all we have to do is provide the sinner (ourselves) and He will provide the Salvation (Through His Son Jesus Christ).
It's down to each and everyone of us. It's between you and God -Only by Jesus can you be saved -Ask him today!
.Pr Mark Bradfield