Very interesting insight on war, and the role of the Christian in war..

Who Would Jesus Kill? Let's Find Out...

I read Doug Bandow's piece (referenced here) and also clicked to the WWJK website he mentioned to read the explanatory essay by Timothy Price. "When America goes to war," Price writes, "complete with Christians in its forces...what is the non-christian foreigner to think?" Jesus "becomes inseperable from the soldiers (good and bad) who carry out this war. Jesus becomes something other than what He really is to non-believers in these countries..."

Well, sure, if "what Jesus really is" is "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild," who spends most of his time carrying lambs and patting children on the head, as depicted in the kind of pictures that Christian parents hang in their kids' bedrooms.

Doug Bandow appears to define, and limit, true Christianity to worshiping God and (peacefully) serving one's fellow human beings. Serving them by going to war on their behalf--something that, as Chuck noted in this BreakPoint commentary, has always been considered a high calling for Christians--is ruled out of bounds. Bandow goes so far as to say that "Pacifism is the most consistent Christian response."

Rubbish (to both Price's and Bandow's assertions). We worship a Christ who used whips to drive moneychangers out of the Temple, complimented the faith of an (enemy) Roman Centurion, and who promises fearful punishment for evil-doers.

To answer the question, "Who Would Jesus Kill?"--a question apparently intended to embarrass Christians who support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan--the Scriptures are filled with instances of God either killing people directly (as He did with the great flood, the plagues of Egypt, and, in the New Testament (as with Ananias and Sapphira) or instructing others to do so, such as when He ordered the Israelites to "totally destroy" the Canannites, along with six other nations, showing them no mercy. We even read that he ordered the Israelites to "attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys." Talk about total war...

In giving commands like these, God did not seem overly concerned about how the enemies of his people would view Him. Instead, He is concerned with justice, righteousness, and protecting HIS people.

We also have the example of King David, a man after God's heart, who wrote many psalms that spoke of his desire that God would "take out" his enemies" (God frequently obliged).

Of course, one could argue that America's wars to free millions enslaved by tyrants and to defend us against terrorists--unlike biblical wars--are not righteous, and many people do make that argument. But that's a different question from the one of whether Jesus is a kind of supernatural Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, all soft and gooey and non-violent, and who expects His followers to be soft and gooey and pacifistic, as well.

Those who prattle on about how Christians damage the name of Christ when they fight the kind of wars described above should recall the words of Thomas Aquinas, who applauded Christians who wielded the sword in protection of the community; so did John Calvin, who called the soldier an "agent of God's love," because "restraining evil out of love for neighbor" is an imitation of God's restraining evil out of love for His creatures.

So the answer to the question of whether Christians damage the name of Christ when they take up arms is "no." And the answer to the question, "Who Would Jesus Kill?" is: Nobody. But His holy Father has killed many, and will again, if we believe the Bible...

This is a great plug for accountability. I appreciate his idea of sharing our plans with others just to verify if we are going the right way or not. Thankfully, it is as simple as asking and honestly answering 'How was your week and what are you up to?'

A Lesson Learned

When Ego Trumps Accountability

May 23, 2007

Last week, one of the most brilliant scholars I've known and a dedicated public servant, Paul Wolfowitz, resigned from the presidency of the World Bank, ending a scandal that had riveted Washington.

But even if it wasn't a big deal where you live, there are still lessons about human fallibility we could all stand to learn.

When taking over as Bank president two years ago—a plum job which pays $300,000 in salary and $140,000 in expenses—Wolfowitz disclosed his "personal relationship" with his companion Shaha Ali Riza, a Bank employee. He consulted the Bank's ethics committee but didn't like their advice, which he said could injure her career.

So he ignored the ethics committee and directed a Bank vice president to reassign his companion to the State Department, avoiding the appearance of conflict. But it was at a substantial raise, more than Bank policy would allow, to $180,000 a year tax-free. Not bad.

But I know Wolfowitz, and I'm certain that he believed that just moving her out of his sight was safe. He couldn't affect her job, but the fact is, he didn't clear it with anybody because it probably never occurred to him that he could do something wrong. He knew what was best, he thought.

Well, that lasted only until—Washington-style—the press got hold of the story. Then it became a matter of when, not if, Wolfowitz would leave.

It's easy to dismiss this as an "inside the Beltway" story that has little, if anything, to do with the "real world," and is all about the corruption of political power. But the truth is, we're all capable of this same kind of arrogance and folly. Convinced of our own rightness, we don't often listen to others.

I speak from experience: When I was in the White House, the President and others sought my advice. I was surprised by my apparent persuasiveness and how it came naturally to me. Combined with my own self-righteousness and my belief in the rightness of my cause, I became dangerous, both to myself and others.

We all have, I discovered, an infinite capacity for self-justification. I knew I could do no wrong, and I could persuade anyone I was right in any event. Well, I went to prison.

People who are successful are particularly vulnerable. Nobody tells us "no," and if we think we're doing the right thing, as Wolfowitz thought he was, we are really then in peril.

That's why, after I got out of prison I committed to always have a group of people I respected around me and to submit to them for any major decision I had to make. For thirty years of ministry, this has protected me from myself.

I've seen Christian leaders, sadly, without accountability, and often they fall hard. Everybody, at every level of life, needs an accountability group—people you can turn to and lean on and trust yourself to. The heart is infinitely deceitful.

I suspect that the world will continue to produce men like Wolfowitz—brilliant men who go astray because they're so confident of their own abilities, they become blind.

The Wolfowitz story is a cautionary tale. Every Christian in authority, from a parent to a boss in the office, needs to find people who care more about God than our egos and who will tell us whether what we're doing is advancing the Kingdom or our vanity—no matter how great we think we are.

This is a pretty well done article. Better than I would have expected from Chuck. But maybe I shouldn't disrespect his writing or he might find me and punch me out.. =)

Do note though that there are plenty of supernatural things going on in this world. God certainly continues in his ways, and they are marvelous to behold.

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How to outlaw Christianity (Steps 2 & 3)

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Posted: May 21, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

Step 3: Package and promote atheism as reasonable and scientific

Presenting atheism as scientific fact might be secularists' greatest plan and others' point of greatest gullibility, in hope of winning the battle for the ultimate view of reality. And hailed as their chief advocates are men like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins, Oxford University's ethologist and evolutionary biologist, with his book, "The God Delusion," atheists' newest "bible" or authoritative text.

So what credentials does a man like Dawkins have to discuss the presence or absence of God? Answer: He's "a scientist." And the fact is anyone in our age who is a naturalist professor or wears a white lab coat can virtually speak upon any issue (even God) and their words are received as gospel – unless of course they are a theist!

What's interesting is that atheists like Dawkins fall into the same snare they accuse of theists. While he might condemn Christians like me for not being educated enough to speak about theism or creation, his own expertise remains outside the realm of antagonism that defines his world crusade. To make dogmatic assertions about the absence of God and not possess expertise in cosmology, astrophysics, or even theology gives him no more of a credible platform than you and me, except to his devoted followers of course. He is an ethologist and evolutionary biologist – since when does that make one an expert on God? (Similarly, Sam Harris has a bachelor's in philosophy – since when does that make one an expert on the universe?) What they and other atheists are hoping you overlook are the hundreds of qualified scientists who believe in a Creator.

Dawkins condemns Christians for being narrow-minded and non-adaptive to other cultures that believed in Thor or Zeus, yet he is unwavering in disrespecting any other creation authority except Western science. What about the wisdom of African, Middle Eastern or Far Eastern sages, shamans, or religious figures? Just because science can explain many things in the natural realm, does that mean it owns the corner market on metaphysics and God?

Is it possible the scientific worldview is inferior to reveal the truths behind the curtain of creation?

Even Paul Davies, the renowned British-born physicist, agnostic, professor of cosmology, quantum field theory, and astrobiology, said to Time, "Science, God, and Man," that no one can rightfully say there is no God. "Agnosticism – reserving judgment about divine purpose – remains as defensible as ever, but atheism – the confident denial of divine purpose – becomes trickier. If you admit that we can't peer behind a curtain, how can you be sure there's nothing there?"

Whohoo! Things to look forward to..

Faculty Admits Intelligent Design was a Factor in Denying Tenure

Members of the astronomy department at Iowa State University admit Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez's belief that science points to an intelligent designer influenced their decision to deny him tenure.

Gonzalez, an astronomer, professor at the university and author of The Privileged Planet, does not teach about intelligent design in his university courses. Research and advocacy for the theory are done on his own time.

Eli Rosenberg, chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, told World Magazine that Gonzalez's book was a factor. Professor Curtis Struck said he "includes some things in his astronomy resumé that other people regard as taking a coincidence too far," referring to Gonzalez's arguments for intelligent design.

Gonzalez has an impressive list of professional achievements at Iowa State. He has authored 68 peer-reviewed scientific articles – 350 percent of the department requirement – as well as a college-level astronomy textbook published by Cambridge University Press. He also spearheaded research that led to the discovery of two planets, and helped build technology to discover planets outside of the solar system.

"I was surprised and a little depressed," Gonzalez said. "I almost decided not to turn in an appeal, but several friends convinced me to do so. This might have precedent, so it was important for me to go through it for the sake of others who might go through this in the future."

This could be a busy summer of blog posts. I keep seeing more and more examples of people living in ways that do not redeem the time. So, I will keep giving updates here..

Here is an example of 'Faith inaction'..

Stripper mom: I'm following the Bible

May 17, 2002: The mother of a 5-year-old California girl who was facing expulsion from a Christian school because the woman worked as a stripper just couldn't understand why her chosen profession was a problem.

Christina S, a 24-year-old single mom, argued that since her job took her away for only three days a week – the days her daughter, Abby, was with her father – she was therefore available to be "the one to teach [her daughter] the Bible at home," thus upholding the commitment she made with the school to partner in her daughter's education.

"The Bible calls on parents to be hands-on," S said.

School officials offered to cover the girl's last month's tuition of $400 if S would change jobs. They also offered to support S both financially and spiritually, and to help her find a different job that was in keeping with the school's values. S declined the offer and later appeared in Playboy Magazine.

In light of Eden's sharing (which was very good and sincere - thanks Eden!), I am pleased to hear so many of you participating in accountability groups. Even if you don't belong to one that meets outside your house, don't discount sharing with your brother or sister. Sometimes, they are the best in accountability, because they actually see you at your best and worst. Accountability groups are good things. Keep participating in them when you get to college and when you become adults.

Car Wreck Confessions

Online Mea Culpas

May 15, 2007

Confessing your deepest, darkest sins has become the latest craze, at least on the Internet. Recently, a new wave of websites have popped up, calling all sinners to come forward—anonymously, of course.

(person) a writer and director for (some) Co., launched one such website as personal therapy, after he became disillusioned by the fake cheeriness he saw all around him at (work). He claims his website is cathartic for those who need to come clean—whether to confess to an eating disorder, or some dysfunction.

While some stop by to confess, others stop by to read other people's confessions, maybe just to feel better about their own wrong-doings.

"It's kind of the car wreck you're driving by," Fox explains. "You can't help but watch."

One visitor to the site writes:

"I'm totally addicted to this site! I can't even get any work done during the day. I love to read about all the crazy stories, they absolutely fascinate me! Everyone, in one way or another, is completely messed up and I love it!"

I find this appalling. Websites like these are sensational and voyeuristic at best. But what alarms me even more is that the Church seems to be buying into this trend, albeit with the noble goal of trying to teach people about true confession.

On Easter Sunday, one Florida church launched a website to help people open up about their sins and learn from their mistakes. Visitors to this website have confessed to drug abuse, self-harm, etc.. One person even confessed to stealing $15,000.

The pastor of another church that launched a confessional website says that the purpose of the website is to help people begin the confessing process. He warns visitors to the site not to confess to the computer, but to confess to God and discover true forgiveness.

I'm sorry, but "virtual confession" is a complete distortion of the idea of confessing your sins before God, and certainly falls short of James's admonition to "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."

Creating websites where people share their deepest, darkest secrets with each other—anonymously—does little to edify the body of Christ or to hold the repentant sinner accountable. At best, online confessionals merely relieve the so-called "penitent" of guilt feelings—perhaps. At worst, they provide sick entertainment for the curious onlooker.

Perhaps even more disturbing is this: these online confessionals are a symptom of the increasing individualism within the Church itself. God did not create virtual human beings. He created flesh and blood bearers of His image and has called them to physical community, not to isolation. This is why the writer of Hebrews urges us not to "give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing."

Church is where we meet together to hear the Gospel preached, to sing praises, to be discipled, to be held accountable, and to participate in the sacraments and ordinances of the church.

True confession is not an end in itself. It is a springboard to repentance and restoration, reconciling ourselves with God and with those flesh-and-blood neighbors of ours.

Posting our anonymous confessions on a website and patting ourselves on the back is no substitute.

So, are you bearing fruit? Or do you need to walk out of more sermons to avoid greater judgment?

Second Sight - T.M. Moore
The Fruit of the Word
By T.M. Moore
5/4/2007

Getting Ready to Grow

For the land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:7,8)

The contemporary evangelical Church is the most Christian-educated generation of believers in all of Church history.

That’s a pretty bold claim, I know, but I think there is sufficient evidence to back it up. Consider: Never before has a generation of believers had so many options and opportunities for studying and hearing the Word of God. Sermons, Sunday school classes, Bible study groups, TV and radio ministers, tapes and CDs, retreats, workshops, and seminars abound week after week, month after month, year after year. By all appearances, these manage to do fairly well; Christian people keep coming back for more. Some groups are enjoying unprecedented success in drawing new students into their learning environments.

And it’s not only these “informal” educational opportunities that are flourishing. Today there are more Christian day schools, home schools, colleges and universities, and seminaries than ever, training more students in more programs and offering more degrees that at any previous time. Indeed, across the board, in all our Christian educational endeavors, huge numbers of happy learners—millions and millions of them—continue to fill our classrooms and take copious notes on what they are hearing.

Couple the unquestionable success of all these educational opportunities with the continued growth in sales of Christian books and magazines, Bibles and study guides, and Christian curricula of all kinds, and you have a veritable monsoon of Christian teaching raining down on the evangelical community every day of the week, throughout the past couple of generations. The field of the evangelical Church is sown and re-sown with the Word of God, and watered and re-watered with the rain of God’s truth. There has never been anything like this unprecedented monsoon of teaching and learning in all the history of the Church.

Given that this is so, we have a right, based on our text, to expect that fruit in line of the purpose of Him who is cultivating this field should be everywhere abundantly in view. But what kind of fruit? Allow me to mention four.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
First, of course, the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22,23). The wagon tracks of the typical church should be fairly squishing under the weight of wagon-loads of folks bearing such fruit in the normal course of their everyday lives (Psalm 65:11).

Everywhere we go we should encounter people whose natural demeanor is one of deference toward others, caring and concern, long-suffering and forbearance, sweetness, pleasantness, courtesy, understanding, and genuine love. We should find them in our homes and neighborhoods, at the office, in the halls of our schools, driving along the interstate, in line at the market, helping out at the clothing store, volunteering for a wide range of community activities, and reaching out as perfect strangers to get to know us and show that they care.

Where the Word of God has been firmly sown and watered by the Spirit of grace and truth, the fruit characteristic of that Spirit will be abundantly seen. People in all walks of life will not be able to escape the millions and millions of Christian-educated learners whose lives show the fruit of real learning in the everyday, ordinary ways that they live.

THE TOKENS OF LOVE
Since love is the first of the fruit of the Spirit, we should expect that this would also be prominently in view among the throngs of those who drink of the waters of God’s grace and truth week-in and week-out. We should all know bunches of people whose lives are characterized by patience, kindness, self-effacement, humility, thoughtfulness, a refusal to become irritated or resentful, boundless hope, thinking the best of others at all times, and rejoicing right out loud at every instance or experience of truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

These are people who don’t give up on us, or talk about us behind our backs. They bear with us even when we let them down, and are quick to forgive us when we have offended. They go out of their way to show love to others, just because it’s the right thing to do. They never have a harsh word for or about anyone, but are always looking for ways to build others up with their words, and to encourage and uphold them at all times. Foremost on the well-watered branches of the evangelical vine should be clusters and clusters of people dripping with the sweet love of Jesus in all their relationships with others.

THE HOLINESS OF OBEDIENCE
Since, as John reminds us (1 John 5:1-3), God-nurtured love comes to expression as obedience to the God-given Law, we should also expect to see many, many people for whom obedience to God’s Law is just the way they live. Because they meditate on the Law day and night, looking for ways of unlocking its power for loving God and neighbor (Psalm 1:1,2; Matthew 22:34-40), and because they are filled with fruit-bearing Holy Spirit—whose principle task within us is to sanctify us by the Word of truth and bring forth the fruit of obedience to God’s law (Ephesians 5:18-21; John 17:17; Ezekiel 36:26,27)—they cannot help but be really zealous for God’s law and very careful to follow the example of Jesus in obeying every jot and tittle of it (Matthew 5:17-19).

Thus are they able to bring holiness increasingly to completion (2 Corinthians 7:1) and stand out like islands of holiness against the dark sea of our increasingly unholy age. These are people—we all know them—who refuse to allow pop culture to pipe the tune for their lives. They don’t waste their time on the works of darkness that promote relativism, materialism, sensuality, and the denial of any place for God.


Instead, enriched by God’s Law as it fortifies them from within, they seek out such cultural activities and diversions as will strengthen their souls, enlarge their vision of the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit, and help them to know the beauty and holiness of the Lord more perfectly. Their commitment to God’s law and devotion to the holy cultural heritage of their Christian forebears and contemporaries exercises a formative influence on their outlook, aspirations, and values; they show by the way they live the love of God and neighbor that is shaped by obedience to God’s Law.

POWER FOR WITNESS
Finally, we should expect the refreshing rains of God’s Word on the field of His Church to bring forth the fruit of Spirit-filled power for witness (Acts 1:8). Being and making disciples is, after all, our primary calling (Matthew 28:18-20). The Lord has not commanded the world to go to church; rather, He is equipping His Church through the work of Christian education so that we might go into the highways and byways of the world, embodying and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and gathering up the fruit of the harvest, which, the Lord assures us, is plentiful and ready to be reaped (Matthew 9:37,38; John 4:34-38). Why, we should expect practically every day to become involved in some conversation about the Gospel, or spiritual things, or the joys of knowing and following Jesus.

Well-watered by the Word of the Gospel, we should be veritable fountain-heads of spiritual truth, flowing from out of our innermost beings (John 7:37-39) as we fairly gush with ebullient joy and enthusiasm about the Gospel that means so much to us. As the people we spend time with each day get to know us, and experience our unique lives in the Spirit and our unbounded hope in Christ, they will be compelled to ask us about how this can be, what makes us so different (1 Peter 3:15). So we won’t even have to provoke conversations about the Gospel; they’ll just sort of crop up naturally, in the everyday situations of our lives.

SO, WHERE’S THE FRUIT?
The fruit of the Spirit, the tokens of love, obedience unto holiness, and fervent witness for Christ: These are the fruit the Lord Himself is expecting as He cultivates the field of the Church and rains down the waters of His truth upon it, week after week.

So where’s the fruit?

We all know lots of Christians. But I’m willing to bet we know very few Christians who match up to the four-fold profile outlined above as the reasonable fruit of the Word which God is looking for in our lives. Where are they? You don’t see ‘em. I don’t seem ‘em. Christian scholars, pollsters, and sociologists don’t see ‘em. The world complains over and over about our shallowness and hypocrisy. And every year the evangelical church moves more squarely into the margin of moral, social, and cultural issues and debates. What’s wrong? Why is the most Christian-educated generation in all of Church history so devoid of the fruit we should reasonably expect to find in them?

Perhaps we’ll tackle that question in another installment. For now, can we agree on just this much: Contemporary Christian education—from the sermons we hear to the classes we take and the degrees we earn—is very near to being a complete failure, when considered in the light of the fruit we should reasonably expect to find. I know that conclusion won’t set well with many, but I’ve been involved in Christian education for over thirty years, so I have to wear this indictment myself.

But the fact of our failure is not nearly so scary as the fact of God’s threat to His unfruitful field: But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned (v. 8).

But, oh, what comfort I take in that word, “near.” God is not through with us. He calls us always to reflect on what we’re doing, where we should be heading, how we should be working, and so forth. We’re not quite “worthless” or “cursed”—not as yet, anyway. But I think it’s fair to say we’re “near.” Let us acknowledge our nearness, deplore our failures, and begin the hard and careful work of trying to find out what’s gone wrong in the Christian-education enterprise, so that we can work smarter, work harder, and work together for a more fruitful community of the followers of Christ.

FOR REFLECTION
Evaluate yourself in each of the four areas of fruit outlined above. On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest rating), how do you come out in each area?

T. M. Moore is dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics, (Waxed Tablet). He and his wife and editor, Susie, make their home in Concord, Tenn.

The joys of what you have to look forward to..

Blocking the Gateway to Knowledge

Professorial Bias against Evangelicals

May 10, 2007

Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley.

Last weekend, the Washington Post reported on a new survey by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research. The survey found that "53 percent of its sample of 1,200 college and university faculty members said they have 'unfavorable' feelings toward evangelical Christians." That's far higher than the unfavorable ratings for any other religious group—the next highest was Mormons at 33 percent, followed by Muslims at 22 percent.

The American Association of University Professors tries to explain away the statistic as a result of how professors feel about Christian political engagement or Christian views on science. But as pollster Gary Tobin counters, "If a majority of faculty said they did not feel warmly about Muslims or Jews or Latinos or African Americans, there would be an outcry. . . . No one would say, 'The reason they feel this way is because they don't like the politics of blacks or the politics of Jews."

Now I need to stress that I'm not crying "persecution." When Christians in some countries are being killed for their faith, we should thank God every day that we can exercise our freedom of religion. Besides, as my colleague Roberto Rivera points out on our blog, The Point, it was Jesus Himself who told us, "Blessed are you when they insult you . . . because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven."

So there's not much surprising here. But it's still a valid concern. Christian college students have a right to the same respect and consideration from their professors as every other student, and when the professor judges them solely on the basis of their religion, it can mean serious consequences for their education and future job prospects. Much less what it says about the entire university system.

The Post cites a Missouri State University student who, when she wouldn't complete an assignment in support of same-sex adoptions, "was hauled before a faculty panel on a charge of discriminating against gays." The student filed suit and the university settled. But not all cases end this well. And what about Christians trying to keep their jobs as professors?

But the problem goes beyond how individuals are treated within the system. Colleges and universities play an enormous role in shaping the thinking of every generation, and professors know it.

Is it any wonder, then, that our universities are producing generations of people who consider Christianity anti-intellectual at best, and oppressive at worst? And remember, the influence of our universities goes way beyond the campus gates and the classroom. The very same professors who distrust evangelical Christianity are publishing enormously influential reports, studies, and books that make headlines, influence political leaders, and shape our culture in profound ways.

So what are we as Christians do? First, prepare our young people for what lies ahead. Visit our website, BreakPoint.org, for Christian worldview materials that can help—especially if you have high school teens, our curriculum called ReWired. Second, we need to encourage more Christians to pursue academic careers. Third, we need not be discouraged. We know that Truth will win out—even in the halls of academia.

In case you didn't already know, this is why we do what we do..

Do the Math

My brother was forced by his brother-in-law to listen to this sermon, "Home is the Key," by Voddie Bachum, pastor of Grace Family Church in Spring, Texas, available on Family Life Radio. He then forced the sermon on me. Now I’m forcing it on you. It is definitely worth listening to in its entirety or reading the transcript. Here’s the gist. The pastor says:

We're losing somewhere between 75 and 88 percent of our young people by the end of their freshman year in college – somewhere between 75 and 88 percent. For that low number, you can look at Glenn Schultz's work on Kingdom Education; for that high number, the 2002 Southern Baptist Council on the Family. So these are not things just made up or just grabbed out of the air. That's what's been happening over the last few decades. We're losing somewhere between 75 and 88 percent of our young people by the end of their freshman year in college. [My note: This is a sermon from a Southern Baptist pastor to a Southern Baptist audience so I can only assume that the “we” is the denomination. I don’t have time to check these numbers or how they arrived at them, so take this with that word of warning.]

Next, the pastor quotes the statistics that we often talk about here at BreakPoint, that the birth rate here in the U.S. is a whopping 2.1 percent. He refers to a standard attitude that we have in our churches today, that looks down on women who have more than, say, 2 or 3 children. Then he starts with a little number crunching:

Now let me put these two statistics together. We lose 75 – let's take the most optimistic number – we're losing 75 percent by the end of their freshman year in college. We average two children per family – that means it currently takes two Christian families in this generation to get one Christian into the next.

Let me make it even more plain – there's 16 million Southern Baptists on paper.

By these numbers, next generation, 4 million; third generation, 1 million; fourth generation, 250,000 – more than numbers now, aren't they? Oh, but that's okay, we'll just replenish those numbers through evangelism. Interesting – in order to replenish those numbers through evangelism alone, what we would have to do is reach three lost people for every one Christian. Currently, we only reach one lost person for every 43 Southern Baptists.

Now let me make it plain and bring it home – Christianity in America is dying one generation at a time, one home at a time.

This is a sobering reality. This pastor calls for Christians to seriously re-examine their attitudes toward children and family, saying, “God has a plan for multi-generational faithfulness. That plan is the family.” He calls into question our attitude toward children and an abdication of responsiblity in teaching a biblical worldview to youth ministry professionals. His words definitely left me re-thinking many of the cultural norms we take for granted today. He may not be right on every point, but the sermon is definitely thought-provoking in a counter-cultural way.

Martyrs still exist..

The Seed of the Church

Martyrdom in Turkey

May 9, 2007

Just a few weeks ago, Christians gathered in the Holy Land to remember the Armenian victims of genocide. Between 1915 and 1919, 1.5 million Armenians living in Turkey were slaughtered. Shockingly, few today have even heard about the brutal persecution that nearly annihilated this ancient people—who, by the way, chose Christianity as their national religion in 301 A.D.

Ironically, one day after last month's commemoration, Islamic extremists slit the throats of three Christians working at a Bible publishing house in Turkey—the very country where Armenian Christians were nearly exterminated. The world's silence on this latest attack on Christians is deafening. As writer Daniel Pulliam wondered aloud at Getreligion.org, "What would the news coverage look like if three Muslims were found with their throats slit in an Islamic publishing house . . . ?" One can only imagine.

Necati Aydin was one of the three martyrs. Born into an Islamic family, he converted to Christianity in 1994. Necati openly and actively proclaimed his faith, even distributing Bibles on the street. In 2000 he spent four weeks in jail for doing so, even though such distribution is legal in Turkey. Because they could find no grounds for keeping him, authorities released Necati. Soon after, he relocated to Malatya, where he was a pastor of a local Protestant church. He also worked at the Zirve Publishing House, a Christian publishing house that has made some 10,000 Bibles available to interested Turks.

At the funeral in Izmir, Turkey, applause erupted when Necati's coffin was carried into the church yard. Spontaneously, more than five hundred brave mourners broke out in a chorus based on Lamentations, singing "The compassion of the Lord never fails; His mercy never ceases." And Necati's wife spoke about the meaning of her husband's death, saying simply, "He died for Jesus, because he loved Jesus."

Sadly, this brutal attack against Christians in Turkey is not an isolated incident. In 2006, a Catholic priest was shot in Trabzon while praying. And a few months ago, Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was brutally murdered. Dink had served time in prison for "insulting Turkishness" for an article he wrote about the Armenian genocide. Simply speaking the truth about the genocide had left Dink with many enemies.

You see, in Turkey, the potent mix of radical nationalism and religious extremism can breed this type of violence against the perceived threat posed by the Christian West. Dr. Christine Schirrmacher, an Islamic studies scholar in Germany, puts it this way: For these extremists "the mere existence of Christians on Turkish soil [is] an immediate assault which threatens to undermine the unity and character of the Turkish nation."

You may be wondering what you can do. First, pray for God's protection of Christians in Turkey and for the Turkish government to reign in the violence against Christians. Next, you can give of your resources. The seminary where Necati studied has established a fund for the families of the victims and for the churches in Turkey. Visit our website, www.breakpoint.org, for more information. Perhaps through our prayers and gifts, as the early apologist Tertullian once wrote, the death of these martyrs will indeed be the seed of the Church in Turkey.

Will your parents do something about this? Will you do something about this? Will you encourage your parents to do something about this?!

The Thought Police

What the Hate Crimes Law Would Do

May 1, 2007

In George Orwell's classic novel 1984, the government Thought Police constantly spies on citizens to make sure they are not thinking rebellious thoughts. Thought crimes are severely punished by Big Brother.

1984 was intended as a warning against totalitarian governments that enslave and control their citizens. Never have we needed this warning more urgently than now, because America's Thought Police are knocking on your door.

Last week the House Judiciary Committee, egged on by radical homosexual groups, passed what can only be called a Thought Crimes bill. It's called the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. But this bill is not about hate. It's not even about crime. It's about outlawing peaceful speech—speech that asserts that homosexual behavior is morally wrong.

Some say we need this law to prevent attacks on homosexuals. But we already have laws against assaults on people and property. Moreover, according to the FBI, crimes against homosexuals in the United States have dropped dramatically in recent years. In 2005, out of 863,000 cases of aggravated assault, just 177 cases were crimes of bias against homosexuals—far less than even 1 percent.

Another problem is that in places where hate crimes laws have been passed, hate crimes have been defined to include verbal attacks—and even peaceful speech. The Thought Police have already prosecuted Christians under hate crimes laws in England, Sweden, Canada, and even in some places in the United States.

If this dangerous law passes, pastors who preach sermons giving the biblical view of homosexuality could be prosecuted. Christian businessmen who refuse to print pro-gay literature could be prosecuted. Groups like Exodus International, which offer therapy to those with unwanted same-sex attraction, could be shut down.

In classic 1984 fashion, peaceful speech will be redefined as a violent attack worthy of punishment.

This is the unspoken goal of activist groups. We know this because during the debate over the bill last week, Congressman Mike Pence (R) of Indiana offered a Freedom of Religion amendment to this hate crimes bill. It asked that nothing in this law limit the religious freedom of any person or group under the Constitution. The committee refused to adopt it. It also refused to adopt amendments protecting other groups from hate crimes—like members of the military, who are often targets of verbal attacks and spitting. They also shot down amendments that would protect the homeless and senior citizens, also often targeted by criminals. Nothing doing, the committee said—the only group they wanted to protect: homosexuals.

Clearly, the intent of this law is not to prevent crime, but to shut down freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of thought. Its passage would strike at the very heart of our democracy.

The full Congress may vote on this bill as early as this week. Unless you want Big Brother telling you what to say, what to think, and what to believe, I urge you to contact your congressman immediately, urging him or her to vote against this bill. If you visit the BreakPoint website, you'll find more information about this radical law.

If we do nothing, 1984 will no longer be fiction, and Big Brother will be watching you and me—ready to punish the "wrong" thoughts.

OK, guys. We are winding down to a close of our first year of LIT. Thus far, I hope you have enjoyed it, because I certainly have. You guys have been great, and I am excited for how you might represent your Lord, your families, and your church in the future.

To wrap this year up, we have 3 major things planned.

- "so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it." (Isa 55:11 NRSV) will be the key verse for this Wed.

- Eden will lead next Wed. (Not sure if that is it, but I think so for Wed nights.)

- Burger swim party at Pastor Ed's on June 2nd.

See you tomorrow night!

Some of you may have heard of this individual. He is behind a lot of technical publishing these days. But, as part of an interview, he seems to make a very basic point about education.. See what it says to you. If you ask, I'll tell what it says to me..

Tim O'Reilly on Web 2.0 and Education

"I think we're in--in a lot of ways--a period of the most profound reinvention of ...education and how people need to learn since the invention of literacy."

Tim O'Reilly is the founder of O'Reilly Media, and one of the originators of the phrase "Web 2.0." His essay on Web 2.0 certainly is considered the seminal description.

Tim and I talked about Web 2.0, education, and what the future holds for networked computing. I haven't put this in my "School 2.0" series because, as you'll hear, Tim's take on education isn't nearly as technology-focused as one might expect.

Topics that Tim covers in the interview:

• Being self-taught
• Having a mental model of how the world works to let you figure out what's important
• A new "digital divide" today between those who know how to think about search and those who don't; those who know where the current hot information is being shared, and those who don't.
• Tim's skepticism of formal education, coming from the computer industry and seeing creativity from those with very different backgrounds, with their formal education almost alway not in the area where they have made an impact (himself included).
• Self-learning.
• How most periods of a creative renaissance start with inspired amateurs.
• The importance of "doing things," "tinkering,", and "exploratory learning."
• That "engagement" is not new to Web 2.0, but the opportunity is being democratized by the technology.
• That it is important not to generalize too much about where the technology is headed from the initial formative period.
• How he believes that spending on educational technology is a bad idea (smile!), and that smaller class sizes would make the most difference in education, period, by giving more interaction with passionate adults who have time and ability to focus on kids. (See if you feel comfortable with how I respond to this point.)
• How we need to get rid of unionized seniority to get fresh blood, so the best can rise to the top instead of the most senior. (Again, I'm interested in your responses to this and your take on how I responded.)
• Open Source software, and how Web 2.0 is actually antithetical to open source software.
• Clayton Christiansen's "law of conservation of attractive profits," where value in Web applications moving toward the harnessing and collecting of data and intelligence.
• How it's not free software that we need but free data.
• The inevitability of large companies absorbing the web 2.0 technologies by leveraging their data collection capabilities.
• The biggest change he sees on horizon: collective intelligence based on our being "sensory enabled." "Live Software" that learns from that data.
• What Web 2.0 technologies that he likes
• His final words for educators: "have fun." Share your own enthusiasm, excitement, and passion.