A new study by The Barna Group, conducted among 16- to 29-year-olds, shows that a new generation is more skeptical of and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a decade ago. This age group today exhibits a greater degree of criticism toward Christianity than did the previous generation, fueled in part by the growing sense of disengagement and disillusionment among young people.
A decade ago, the vast majority of Americans outside the Christian faith, including young people, felt favorably toward Christianity’s role in society. Now, just 16 percent of non-Christians in their late teens and twenties have a “good impression” of Christianity.
One of the groups hit the hardest by the criticism is evangelicals. Such believers have always been viewed with skepticism in the broader culture, but those negative views are now crystallizing and intensifying among young non-Christians. Only three percent currently express favorable views of evangelicals.
Christians are aware of this shift. Ninety-one percent of the nation’s evangelicals believe that “Americans are becoming more hostile and negative toward Christianity.” Among senior pastors, half contend that “ministry is more difficult than ever before because people are increasingly hostile and negative toward Christianity.”
The study explored twenty specific images related to Christianity, including ten favorable and ten unfavorable perceptions. Among young non-Christians, nine out of the top 12 perceptions were negative, including perceptions that present-day Christianity is judgmental (87%),
hypocritical (85%),
old-fashioned (78%) and
too involved in politics (75%).
The most common favorable perceptions were that Christianity
teaches the same basic ideas as other religions (82%),
has good values and principles (76%),
is friendly (71%) and
is a faith they respect (55%).
Even among young Christians, many of the negative images generated significant traction. Half of young churchgoers said they perceive Christianity to be judgmental, hypocritical and too political. One-third said it was old-fashioned and out of touch with reality.
Review the full results of the survey at the Barna Web site at www.barna.com.
Article quoted from The Pastor’s Weekly Briefing®, October 27, 2007. © 2007, Focus on the Family, All rights reserved.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Another Athlete Falls
I was dismayed when Marion Jones became the latest athlete to be involved in some sort of misdeed. We have had doping, dog fighting, and other crimes and misdemeanors. It is a shame, because these athletes are often role models for our kids. What messages are these folks sending to our young people?
What’s lost in all this shame is the fact that there are many good athletes who are providing positive role models. We don’t hear much about them, because what they do rarely makes the news. Another fact is that a number of professional athletes are devout Christians. We see this especially in football, but the media does everything it can to hide that fact. You rarely see the camera focus on the prayer circle after each game in which Christians from both teams gather for prayer. I know the media grit their teeth when winning coaches, such as Tony Dungy, and winning players give the glory to God in their post-game interviews. In the last Super Bowl, I loved it when Tony Dungy stated he was proud that both coaches in the game were African-Americans, but prouder still that both coaches were committed Christians.
Moreover, some athletes are not only Christians but heroes. Pitcher Dave Dravecky’s brave battle against cancer is an example. He battled cancer and kept his faith despite enormous difficulties. Because it was good news and because he is a devout Christian, you never heard too much about him in the mainstream media. Too bad, because we need these positive role models in our continuously deteriorating society.
If you are a parent, use these negative news items (such as Marion Jones and Michael Vick) as teaching moments. You have to constantly reinforce your values, and the fall of great athletes, sad as it is, can be a time to do that. Any positive news items can also be used to show what good can be done as well. May God bless you as you try to raise your children in a society in which our traditional American values are being constantly eroded, and the good and decent are either not reported or are mocked by the cultural elites.
What’s lost in all this shame is the fact that there are many good athletes who are providing positive role models. We don’t hear much about them, because what they do rarely makes the news. Another fact is that a number of professional athletes are devout Christians. We see this especially in football, but the media does everything it can to hide that fact. You rarely see the camera focus on the prayer circle after each game in which Christians from both teams gather for prayer. I know the media grit their teeth when winning coaches, such as Tony Dungy, and winning players give the glory to God in their post-game interviews. In the last Super Bowl, I loved it when Tony Dungy stated he was proud that both coaches in the game were African-Americans, but prouder still that both coaches were committed Christians.
Moreover, some athletes are not only Christians but heroes. Pitcher Dave Dravecky’s brave battle against cancer is an example. He battled cancer and kept his faith despite enormous difficulties. Because it was good news and because he is a devout Christian, you never heard too much about him in the mainstream media. Too bad, because we need these positive role models in our continuously deteriorating society.
If you are a parent, use these negative news items (such as Marion Jones and Michael Vick) as teaching moments. You have to constantly reinforce your values, and the fall of great athletes, sad as it is, can be a time to do that. Any positive news items can also be used to show what good can be done as well. May God bless you as you try to raise your children in a society in which our traditional American values are being constantly eroded, and the good and decent are either not reported or are mocked by the cultural elites.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Bush’s Veto of Child Health Care
GBCS Responds to President Bush’s Veto of SCHIP
Press Release -- Washington, D.C., October 3, 2007
On October 3, 2007, the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) of the United Methodist Church released the following statement in response to the veto by President Bush of the SCHIP legislation:
The General Board of Church and Society worked tirelessly as part of an interfaith effort to rally support for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The SCHIP legislation, which drew strong support in Congress, would have expanded a children’s health insurance program by $35 billion over five years. We are deeply disappointed that President Bush vetoed this bill which received bipartisan support and which promised to provide health care to 10 million children over this five-year span.
The President’s act of veto of this legislation is contrary to our denomination’s understanding of God’s abundant provision for all God’s children -- including the provision of health care.
The General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church calls the U.S. Congress to action to override this veto as an act of moral conscience on behalf of children in the United States.
Press Release -- Washington, D.C., October 3, 2007
On October 3, 2007, the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) of the United Methodist Church released the following statement in response to the veto by President Bush of the SCHIP legislation:
The General Board of Church and Society worked tirelessly as part of an interfaith effort to rally support for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The SCHIP legislation, which drew strong support in Congress, would have expanded a children’s health insurance program by $35 billion over five years. We are deeply disappointed that President Bush vetoed this bill which received bipartisan support and which promised to provide health care to 10 million children over this five-year span.
The President’s act of veto of this legislation is contrary to our denomination’s understanding of God’s abundant provision for all God’s children -- including the provision of health care.
The General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church calls the U.S. Congress to action to override this veto as an act of moral conscience on behalf of children in the United States.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Banned Books
I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but the federal government had planned to purge all kinds of religious books from libraries in the federal prison system. Ostensibly this was to eliminate any books that would stir up Muslim militants or put extremist ideas in the heads of Muslims. According to a New York Times article, there was a 2004 Department of Justice report claiming that prisons are recruiting grounds for Islamic militants. Considering that most Islamic terrorists are from overseas, I’m not sure what the DOJ report was based on.
Nevertheless, the government had removed not only many Islamic books from prison libraries, but a large number of Christian and Jewish books as well, most of which could not even remotely be considered inflammatory. Moreover, I’m not aware of any Jewish or Christian terrorists being recruited in prisons or anywhere else. I’m not even aware that there are any Christian or Jewish terrorists threatening the safety of the United States. Enough criticism resulted from Congress and religious groups that the federal government backed down, and at least some of the books will be placed back in prison libraries under a rather ponderous review process. So this is not a complete reversal of a ridiculous policy, but only a very partial one (so don’t be fooled by what you read or hear in the media).
Those prisoners who come to Christ in prison are transformed, and the recidivism rate for them is very low compared to the prison population as a whole. Notwithstanding these statistics, certain prison systems are cutting back or eliminating faith-based prison ministries. So tell me, who benefits from cutting back Christian prison ministries? Not society. Not the prison. Not the inmates. The only ones who benefit are those intolerant bigots who hate God or anything remotely considered religious, the same groups that spend large sums of money trying to keep the Ten Commandments from being publicly displayed.
The reason I am mentioning these actions is because they demonstrate the growing intolerance for any religious activity in this country. We must be vigilant and not let the federal, state, county or local governments do things that discriminate against people of faith and their activities. We can’t be ruled by the ACLU, People United for Separation of Church and State, or various other God-haters whose goal is to eliminate God entirely from our society.
Nevertheless, the government had removed not only many Islamic books from prison libraries, but a large number of Christian and Jewish books as well, most of which could not even remotely be considered inflammatory. Moreover, I’m not aware of any Jewish or Christian terrorists being recruited in prisons or anywhere else. I’m not even aware that there are any Christian or Jewish terrorists threatening the safety of the United States. Enough criticism resulted from Congress and religious groups that the federal government backed down, and at least some of the books will be placed back in prison libraries under a rather ponderous review process. So this is not a complete reversal of a ridiculous policy, but only a very partial one (so don’t be fooled by what you read or hear in the media).
Those prisoners who come to Christ in prison are transformed, and the recidivism rate for them is very low compared to the prison population as a whole. Notwithstanding these statistics, certain prison systems are cutting back or eliminating faith-based prison ministries. So tell me, who benefits from cutting back Christian prison ministries? Not society. Not the prison. Not the inmates. The only ones who benefit are those intolerant bigots who hate God or anything remotely considered religious, the same groups that spend large sums of money trying to keep the Ten Commandments from being publicly displayed.
The reason I am mentioning these actions is because they demonstrate the growing intolerance for any religious activity in this country. We must be vigilant and not let the federal, state, county or local governments do things that discriminate against people of faith and their activities. We can’t be ruled by the ACLU, People United for Separation of Church and State, or various other God-haters whose goal is to eliminate God entirely from our society.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
College Madness
There have been two events in the news recently involving top universities that I would like to comment on. I am telling you about these events so you are aware of how hypocritical academia is, and how prejudiced colleges are against anything that isn’t PC. Diversity of opinions is a thing of the past, yet they piously (and with a straight face) claim to be open and tolerant. If you have a child about to enter college, please warn him or her about what to expect.
I also mention these two events as a warning that if you are in a position of responsibility and authority, you should think about the ramifications of your actions. I’m not just talking about college presidents, but about everybody.
Ask yourself: Am I being fair? Who is my action going to hurt? Does my action reveal prejudice? Am I unfairly judging? Have I acted responsibly or recklessly? Will I bring glory to God by what I say or do, or will I bring shame?
The first event has to do with Duke University, where a while back several athletes were falsely accused of raping a stripper they hired to perform at a party. While I can’t condone hiring a stripper, the way these jocks were treated by the university was appalling.
Finally the president of Duke University apologized and admitted he was wrong regarding how he handled the lacrosse team alleged rape case. Of course his apology comes many months after his inexcusable and unprofessional behavior. What did he do wrong in that situation?
·He immediately judged the jocks involved as guilty, and gave them no support or benefit of the doubt (what ever happened to innocent until proved guilty). The word “alleged” was rarely used.
·He cancelled the rest of the lacrosse season, thus penalizing the whole team for no reason.
·He did not protest when an African-American professor placed a hate-filled ad in the school newspaper (let’s see, what would have happened if a white guy had put a similar ad in the paper).
·He didn’t protest when most of the faculty judged those students as guilty and openly condemned them before due process had taken place.
·In other words, he completely failed to be a proper leader.
What’s sad is that he didn’t resign, which would have been the honorable thing to do. Failing that, he wasn’t removed as any responsible Board would have done. North Carolina removed and penalized the District Attorney (Nifong) who acted so unprofessionally and unethically in that case. But Duke did nothing to a president whose behavior was not befitting a top-tier school. Alumni should have pressured the board to summarily dismiss him.
The second item involves Columbia University. While not as egregious as Duke, Columbia invited the Iranian president Ahmadinejad to speak there while he was in New York. I wouldn’t mind except that it is incredibly hypocritical. They allow a nut case like Ahmadinejad, who denies the Holocaust and seeks the annihilation of Israel and probably all of Western Civilization as well, to have an open forum. While the academics claim a university should be open to diverse viewpoints, I wonder when was the last time they had a conservative speak? If and when a conservative did speak, was he or she allowed to actually finish the speech without interruption, jeering, and other mean-spirited disruptions. I doubt it. So much for diversity of opinion and freedom of expression.
In their defense, the president of Columbia soundly criticized Ahmadinejad in his comments, but I suspect his comments resulted from the criticism the university received once the word got out. I still feel having Ahmadinejad speak there was hypocritical and not a good idea. True free speech, tolerance of diverse opinions, and open forums are rare on politically correct campuses today, which is why I have lost all respect for academia. I no longer contribute to my two alma maters (one of which is Columbia, by the way, where I received a Master’s Degree), because I won’t support institutions that are dominated by politically correct demagoguery.
Just to let you know how PC academia is, my seminary (which will remain anonymous) took grade points off your papers if you used a masculine pronoun for God, as it is considered patriarchal and offensive. You better not refer to God as he, him, or his. Probably she, her, and hers would be OK, although I never tried it.
I also mention these two events as a warning that if you are in a position of responsibility and authority, you should think about the ramifications of your actions. I’m not just talking about college presidents, but about everybody.
Ask yourself: Am I being fair? Who is my action going to hurt? Does my action reveal prejudice? Am I unfairly judging? Have I acted responsibly or recklessly? Will I bring glory to God by what I say or do, or will I bring shame?
The first event has to do with Duke University, where a while back several athletes were falsely accused of raping a stripper they hired to perform at a party. While I can’t condone hiring a stripper, the way these jocks were treated by the university was appalling.
Finally the president of Duke University apologized and admitted he was wrong regarding how he handled the lacrosse team alleged rape case. Of course his apology comes many months after his inexcusable and unprofessional behavior. What did he do wrong in that situation?
·He immediately judged the jocks involved as guilty, and gave them no support or benefit of the doubt (what ever happened to innocent until proved guilty). The word “alleged” was rarely used.
·He cancelled the rest of the lacrosse season, thus penalizing the whole team for no reason.
·He did not protest when an African-American professor placed a hate-filled ad in the school newspaper (let’s see, what would have happened if a white guy had put a similar ad in the paper).
·He didn’t protest when most of the faculty judged those students as guilty and openly condemned them before due process had taken place.
·In other words, he completely failed to be a proper leader.
What’s sad is that he didn’t resign, which would have been the honorable thing to do. Failing that, he wasn’t removed as any responsible Board would have done. North Carolina removed and penalized the District Attorney (Nifong) who acted so unprofessionally and unethically in that case. But Duke did nothing to a president whose behavior was not befitting a top-tier school. Alumni should have pressured the board to summarily dismiss him.
The second item involves Columbia University. While not as egregious as Duke, Columbia invited the Iranian president Ahmadinejad to speak there while he was in New York. I wouldn’t mind except that it is incredibly hypocritical. They allow a nut case like Ahmadinejad, who denies the Holocaust and seeks the annihilation of Israel and probably all of Western Civilization as well, to have an open forum. While the academics claim a university should be open to diverse viewpoints, I wonder when was the last time they had a conservative speak? If and when a conservative did speak, was he or she allowed to actually finish the speech without interruption, jeering, and other mean-spirited disruptions. I doubt it. So much for diversity of opinion and freedom of expression.
In their defense, the president of Columbia soundly criticized Ahmadinejad in his comments, but I suspect his comments resulted from the criticism the university received once the word got out. I still feel having Ahmadinejad speak there was hypocritical and not a good idea. True free speech, tolerance of diverse opinions, and open forums are rare on politically correct campuses today, which is why I have lost all respect for academia. I no longer contribute to my two alma maters (one of which is Columbia, by the way, where I received a Master’s Degree), because I won’t support institutions that are dominated by politically correct demagoguery.
Just to let you know how PC academia is, my seminary (which will remain anonymous) took grade points off your papers if you used a masculine pronoun for God, as it is considered patriarchal and offensive. You better not refer to God as he, him, or his. Probably she, her, and hers would be OK, although I never tried it.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Police Out of Control
Given the sinful nature of humanity, there would be chaos and anarchy without that thin blue line of the police. Just look at what happened (and still is happening) in Iraq when there was no law enforcement. The same could happen anywhere (and has).
However, occasionally the police abuse their power, use unnecessary force, or don’t do their jobs properly. There have been four situations recently mentioned in the news where these happened.
(1) University police repeatedly used a taser on a protesting student who was disrupting a speech.
(2) A police officer was caught on camera repeatedly using his taser on an unruly woman, who was not posing any serious threat to him.
(3) Despite being told there were additional occupants in a car that was in an accident, police failed to search the area. The father of the missing young man had to go out to the scene himself the next day and found his son dead. He may not have died if he had received prompt medical attention.
(4) Despite a husband reporting his wife as missing, the police did nothing and harassed him as a suspect in her disappearance. Finally after eight days, the police checked with the cell phone company and determined the area from which her cell phone was emitting a signal. They went out there and found the woman trapped in her wrecked car, dehydrated and injured. She may not live.
I mention these incidents, rare as they are, to emphasize that we, the citizens, must hold those in power accountable. This not only includes politicians, who can be voted out, but also the police and other government employees (including school administrators). A few bad apples can spoil the reputation of a whole department and city, as we have seen in Beacon. We have to pressure those in charge to remove these bad apples from the barrel.
I also mention this because it is important for anybody in a position of power and authority to use them wisely. You may think it doesn’t apply to you, but you are probably in a position of power and authority in some way: as a parent, in a supervisory position, as a church leader.
We must also support our police in any way we can, as well as support our school administrators and teachers. They are serving us, and we should support them in that effort. If you are a cop and your department doesn’t have a chaplain, talk to your PBA president about getting one.
However, occasionally the police abuse their power, use unnecessary force, or don’t do their jobs properly. There have been four situations recently mentioned in the news where these happened.
(1) University police repeatedly used a taser on a protesting student who was disrupting a speech.
(2) A police officer was caught on camera repeatedly using his taser on an unruly woman, who was not posing any serious threat to him.
(3) Despite being told there were additional occupants in a car that was in an accident, police failed to search the area. The father of the missing young man had to go out to the scene himself the next day and found his son dead. He may not have died if he had received prompt medical attention.
(4) Despite a husband reporting his wife as missing, the police did nothing and harassed him as a suspect in her disappearance. Finally after eight days, the police checked with the cell phone company and determined the area from which her cell phone was emitting a signal. They went out there and found the woman trapped in her wrecked car, dehydrated and injured. She may not live.
I mention these incidents, rare as they are, to emphasize that we, the citizens, must hold those in power accountable. This not only includes politicians, who can be voted out, but also the police and other government employees (including school administrators). A few bad apples can spoil the reputation of a whole department and city, as we have seen in Beacon. We have to pressure those in charge to remove these bad apples from the barrel.
I also mention this because it is important for anybody in a position of power and authority to use them wisely. You may think it doesn’t apply to you, but you are probably in a position of power and authority in some way: as a parent, in a supervisory position, as a church leader.
We must also support our police in any way we can, as well as support our school administrators and teachers. They are serving us, and we should support them in that effort. If you are a cop and your department doesn’t have a chaplain, talk to your PBA president about getting one.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Buddhist Monks in Burma
As we have seen in the news, people are rising up against the oppressive regime in Burma. Buddhist monks have been leading the peaceful demonstrations against the government. As with most oppressive regimes, the government is brutally putting down these protests. However, once the people are aroused, it is only a matter of time before the government falls. We saw it in Eastern Europe where the repressive communist regimes fell like dominoes. In the cases of East Germany and Romania, the movements stated in churches.
The reason I mention these is because I believe as people of God (whatever your formal religion), we have a duty and responsibility to struggle against oppression and injustice wherever we find them. We do this in whatever way we can, as the Lord leads. Some demonstrate in the streets, some write their congressmen, some write blogs or give sermons to inform and motivate others, some pray diligently. I don’t believe in civil disobedience except in extremely rare cases, and I don’t believe in violent protests. I’m amazed at how antiwar demonstrations can become violent and chaotic. So much for peace and harmony.
At least for Christians, I don’t think we should put these struggles ahead of our relationship with God, no matter how worthwhile the cause. God must come first, and out of that relationship comes God’s guidance and empowerment to do his will. Sometimes God’s will is for us to become actively engaged in such struggles. Other times it may be to do other tasks, but at least we can still write our representatives and pray even if we aren’t called by God to a more active role.
The reason I mention our relationship with God coming first is that I suspect some activists use the Church as the platform for their causes. The Cause is paramount, and God is secondary. That, in my opinion, is the wrong way around. God must be primary, and out of that relationship comes God’s guidance for whatever task God is calling us to.
Please pray for the oppressed peoples of this world, for there are many. Burma, Darfur, and Zimbabwe are three that come to mind, but there are many others. Pray also for discernment from the Lord as to what God wants you to do.
The reason I mention these is because I believe as people of God (whatever your formal religion), we have a duty and responsibility to struggle against oppression and injustice wherever we find them. We do this in whatever way we can, as the Lord leads. Some demonstrate in the streets, some write their congressmen, some write blogs or give sermons to inform and motivate others, some pray diligently. I don’t believe in civil disobedience except in extremely rare cases, and I don’t believe in violent protests. I’m amazed at how antiwar demonstrations can become violent and chaotic. So much for peace and harmony.
At least for Christians, I don’t think we should put these struggles ahead of our relationship with God, no matter how worthwhile the cause. God must come first, and out of that relationship comes God’s guidance and empowerment to do his will. Sometimes God’s will is for us to become actively engaged in such struggles. Other times it may be to do other tasks, but at least we can still write our representatives and pray even if we aren’t called by God to a more active role.
The reason I mention our relationship with God coming first is that I suspect some activists use the Church as the platform for their causes. The Cause is paramount, and God is secondary. That, in my opinion, is the wrong way around. God must be primary, and out of that relationship comes God’s guidance for whatever task God is calling us to.
Please pray for the oppressed peoples of this world, for there are many. Burma, Darfur, and Zimbabwe are three that come to mind, but there are many others. Pray also for discernment from the Lord as to what God wants you to do.
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