IndexExamplesResultsChangesThe Family: A Proclamation to the World outlines God-supported principles that parents should implement in their families. These principles are not always reflected in the media today. In the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), they are obedient to some principles and disobedient to others. Ultimately these things have good results for the main character, but not so good for his relationship with his parents. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The basic plot of the film is that the main character, Toula Portokalos, comes from a lively Greek family deeply rooted in Greek tradition and culture. When Toula wants to get an education instead of running the family restaurant and marrying a non-Greek (Ian Miller), her father (Gus) and mother (Maria) initially fight hard, but eventually accept Toula's educational program. and romantic desires. Examples The Proclamation states that parents have the responsibility to “teach their children to keep the commandments of God” (¶6, The Proclamation on the Family). In My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the Portokalos family obeys this principle. An example of this in the film is that they go to church regularly. They also observe the commandment of baptism. Gus insists that Ian be baptized so that he and Toula can get married in their Greek Orthodox church. Regular church attendance and baptism are commandments of God, and many faiths follow those commandments. Another of the principles of the Proclamation on the Family is “to teach [children] to love and serve one another” (¶6, The Proclamation on the Family). Dieter F. Uchtdorf said: “Love is really written time, time” (Uchtdorf, 2010). In My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the Portokalos family obeys this principle by placing great emphasis on spending time together as a family. Two examples in the film are that they often hold family reunions and always invite their extended families to their events, like when Ian's parents came over for dinner. Another example is that they have dinner together as a family every night. And when Toula and Ian finally get married, the entire family is there to support them. Loving and serving your siblings and family comes from spending time together and building friendships. The Proclamation also states that “parents have a sacred duty to raise their children in love and righteousness” (¶6, The Proclamation on the Family). In the film, the Gus and Maria Portokaulous obey this principle in some respects. At the end of the film, they ultimately support Toula in her endeavors and aspirations in both education and her love life. One of the best ways parents can show their love for their children is by supporting them in their choices. They also show this principle when Maria defends Toula by working with Gus to overcome his apprehensions about her receiving an education. Maria shows love for Toula by being her supporter and fighting for her goals and dreams as fiercely as if they were her own. These are some characteristics of authoritative parenting. Authoritative parenting includes “expressing warmth, affection, and responsiveness” and “being involved in the child's life” (Nelson, 2016). However, the Portokaulos also disobeyed the principle of “raising children in love and righteousness” in other ways. , particularly in their parenting habits. They displayed some characteristics of authoritative parenting, but most of the time used an overly solicitous parenting style. Being overly attentive parents means “not allowing children to takedecisions alone; don't let kids try new things; and encourage dependence on parents” (Nelson, 2016). Gus was extremely reluctant to accept Toula's decisions regarding her education and love of life. He didn't want her to try new things by initially not letting her go to college, because he wanted her to continue to depend on him to run his restaurant. He wanted Toula to “never leave him” (Zwick, 2002). The Portokalos family is also disobedient to the principle of the Proclamation which states: “fathers and mothers are obliged to help each other as equal partners” (¶7, The Proclamation on the Family). Gus and Maria don't do a very good job of this. Gus repeatedly states that he is the "boss of the house", that he makes all the decisions no matter what he says, and that the man is the smartest and most capable one in a traditional relationship. Obviously he doesn't see Maria as his equal, but as his subordinate. Not even Maria sees them as equals. In one scene he tells Maria that “man has the head, but woman is the neck. And he can turn his head any way he wants” (Zwick, 2002). Although she stands up for herself and tries to make up for Gus's difference in dominance, she still shows no sign of wanting to help him as an equal partner. Rather, she sees herself as a subordinate with the power to manipulate her husband into getting what she wants. Results According to the principle of “teaching children to obey God's commandments,” research shows that “adolescents who embrace a religious community are more likely to exhibit behavior consistent with positive moral values” (Hawkins, Dollhite & Draper, 2012 ). Religious involvement promotes “better academic achievement, prosocial behavior and less delinquent behavior, lower levels of sexual activity and drug and alcohol use” (Hawkins et al, 2012). For the most part, the children of Portokalos fit this description. They all grew up as honest, hard-working adults who didn't cause much trouble. This probably stems from their deep religious roots that their parents instilled in them. If people learned from this film that religiosity is good, then more people would reap the benefits of religious practices and internalizing the principles of good character. Research shows that the results of frequent family meals are “decreased substance use, cigarette smoking, sexual promiscuity, alcohol consumption.” , and crime such as theft, vandalism, shoplifting, and violence” (L. Nelson, class lecture, SFL 100, Winter 2016). In the film, once again, none of their children smoked, drank, used drugs, or were delinquents. This was probably a result of their emphasis on family togetherness. If people learned from this movie that they should eat family meals more often, there would be less crime and addiction in the world. The results of “raising children in love and righteousness” are many. This principle contained in the proclamation can also be described as authoritative parenting. Authoritative parenting has many positive outcomes for children, some of which include: social and moral maturity, academic achievement and school achievement, and less traditional gender role behaviors. Toula has shown these results in her love life; she was very socially mature during her dates with Ian, which allowed them to fall in love. She also showed signs of educational attainment and less traditional gender role behaviors, pushing beyond her parents' limiting expectations by getting an education and working as a travel agent rather than simply getting married and having children as they expected of every member female of the family. Since Maria “expressed warmth, affection and responsiveness” and has.