A good comment for any season..

Attack Dogs of Christendom

David Aikman's recent article over at Christianity Today has some wise words for us (especially me) to keep in mind as we blog here at The Point. He's not arguing that we need to sweep our differences under the rug, but that we should be especially careful how we discuss issues. We need to keep in mind that unbelievers are reading what we are writing, so we need to make certain that they hear a spirit of Christian unity and love than transcends our theological disagreements or our different ways of applying God's Truth in our own lives. Here's how he ends his article:

No attribute of civilized life seems more under attack than civility. If Christians blast each other from here to eternity with characterizations that differ little from the coarse vulgarity of cable TV, where on earth is the witness that brings grace and savor to our crumbling civilization? Where is the gentleness, modesty, and wisdom with which we are supposed to shame those who mock and accuse the Body of Christ from outside? Christians should set an example. By all means criticize fellow Christians if necessary, but do so with grace.

This is why we do what we do.. So that you have a chance now to plant yourself firmly in faith, and so that you can help others do the same during turbulent times ahead.

Young People Leaving the Church

A new survey finds that Protestant churches are losing young adults in "sobering" numbers.

Seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30 — both evangelical and mainline — who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23, according to a survey by LifeWay Research. And 34 percent of those said they had not returned, even sporadically, by age 30. That means about one in four Protestant young people have left the church.

In the four years after high school, few of those surveyed had kind words for Christians when they reflected on how they saw church life. Just over half (51%) of Protestant young people surveyed (both the church dropouts and those who stayed on in church after 22) saw church members as "caring" or had other positive descriptions, such as "welcoming" (48%) or "authentic" (42%).

Nearly all of the dropouts (97%) cited life changes, such as a move, for stopping their attendance. Most (58%) were unhappy with the people or pastor at church. More than half (52%) had religious, ethical or political reasons for quitting. Dropouts were more than twice as likely as those who continued attending church to describe church members as judgmental (51% for dropouts, 24% for those who stayed), hypocritical (44% vs. 20%) or insincere (41% vs. 19%).

The good news is that 35 percent of dropouts said they had resumed attending church regularly by age 30, with an additional 30 percent attending sporadically. Twenty-eight percent said, "God was calling me to return to the church." The survey found that those who stayed with or returned to church grew up with both parents committed to the church, pastors whose sermons were relevant and engaging, and church members who invested in their spiritual development.

Just found a new source of info. Here is an excerpt from Joel Rosenberg's blog.. The highlighted section is a real cool praise. Even when we seem to lack a touch of God's spirit in our nation (no surprise given the sinful stand of our country in general), God is at work! How better to be encouraged than to know that He is moving and at work supernaturally in this very day and age.

A MORNING WITH TONY DUNGY: Notes from CBA

(Atlanta, Georgia) -- For the past several days, I've been here at the Christian Booksellers Association convention and have had the opportunity to spend time with some truly gifted authors and performers....bottom line: Tony Dungy is a class act....humble, self-deprecating, gentle, and radiating the very quiet strength he writes and speaks about....his new book has just released this week from Tyndale, and we had a great time chatting back stage before the event.....I introduced Tony and his wife to my wife, Lynn, and two of our sons (who I must say seemed a lot more excited about meeting a world champion football coach than hearing my talk!)....Tony graciously signed a football for our boys and then went out and gave a fabulous speech....he said the defining moment of his career was actually not winning the Super Bowl this year, as exciting and rewarding as that was (especially when at during a key playoff game, the Colts were down 21 points at half time yet still came back to win)....the defining moment of his career, as he writes about in the first chapter of the book, was being fired as head coach in Tampa five years ago....at that moment, he really felt devastated and humiliated and was tempted to quit the business all together....but he described how his relationship with Christ sustained him through one of the toughest seasons of his life....he said Jesus taught him to stay focused, to be patient, to work hard, to be persistent, and to have faith that God loves him and has a wonderful plan for his life....imagine if Tony had quit then....what if he had thrown in the towel and left the game he loved after the setback in Tampa?....he had no idea at the time, of course, that he was just a few years away from being the first African-American head coach in NFL history to win the Championship....but, as Tony said, God knew what was ahead and He wanted Tony to trust Him and follow Him no matter what.....Tony also shared the story of playing on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s...."Mean" Joe Greene once told him that after three tough and disappointing seasons on the Steelers in the early 70s he had almost quit out of exhaustion and frustration....he had come so close to packing it in....imagine if Greene had walked away from the game he loved in 1973?....what a huge mistake that would have been....that very year, 1973, the Steelers drafted rookie wide receiver Lynn Swann....they started winning big, and went on to win the Super Bowl four times that decade (74, 75, 78, 79)....too many people, Tony noted, give up on their dreams too soon, rather than summoning up a quiet strength to keep going, even in the face of disappointment and opposition, and thus they never learn just how much they could really accomplish....where does that inner strength come from?....for Tony, the answer is clear: through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ....in the book he describes that faith and how it has guided him in his career, his marriage, and the tragic death of his son a few years ago....it's a powerful, inspiring story, and one that I'm really enjoying....I noted how discouraged and divided our country has become by the perception that our government is failing in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Lebanon and in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict....I pesonally don't believe we are failing....I believe the fight we're engaged in against radical Islam is the most important global struggle since the Cold War and the battle against Naziism....failure is not an option....we dare not cut and run because a new Hitler -- Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- is on the rise and feverishly trying to build, buy or steal nuclear weapons....I explained that's why I wrote Epicenter and why we made the Epicenter DVD.....at the same time, however, I noted that we need to understand that the big, untold story in the Middle East is a story of dazzling success, not devastating failure....more Muslims are coming to faith in Jesus Christ today than at any other time in history....more than one million Shiite Muslims in Iran have converted to Christianity in recent years, up from just 500 in 1979....more than 5 million Sudanese have come to Christ in the last 10 to 15 years despite a radical Islamic government engaged in genocide.....even in Iraq, thousands upon thousands are coming to faith in Christ, many through dreams and visions of Jesus....I believe that God is raising up a global movment of believers around the world to stand with these new brothers and sisters in the epicenter....it is our job to pray with and for them, to encourage them, to strengthen them, to fund them, to help them love their neighbors and their enemies in the name of Jesus as the Lord builds His Church through them despite Hellish opposition....God is looking for a new generation of world changing leaders....the big question is: who will answer the call?

So, it appears the more you invest into an activity, the more you identify what God made you for.

Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Date: August 6, 2007

More on:

Child Psychology, Intelligence, Educational Psychology, Child Development, Relationships, Social Psychology

Why Do Some Teens Get More Out Of Youth Activities?

Science Daily — A University of Illinois study confirms what has long been thought about the benefits of organized youth activities: It's not enough to appear in the yearbook's Pep Club picture or show up for the really big games. To maximize the benefits of any youth activity, teens must invest time and energy in them, participate because they truly enjoy the activity, and take on a leadership role.

"Quite naturally, the kids who go to all the games, become club officers, teach new cheers, make and wave banners, and care passionately about whether their team wins or loses are the ones who get the most out of being in Pep Club," said David Hansen, a U of I assistant professor of human and community development.

But Pep Club? What can you get out of Pep Club? According to the study, engagement in an activity may more important to a teen's development than the activity he chooses, the researcher said.

Why are youth activities so important" "As a rule, participation in organized youth activities predicts college achievement, interpersonal competence, reduced risky behaviors, and adult civic engagement," he said.

"So knowing the factors that enhance teens' participation in youth activities is important to understanding how to improve their development in these groups," he added.

In the study, 1,822 eleventh grade students were surveyed about their experiences in different types of organized activities, including sports, performance and fine arts, academic clubs and leadership, community-based groups (such as Scouts), career and technical organizations (such as FFA), service groups, and faith-based youth groups.

The teens reported the amount of time they spent in an activity, their motivation for joining, their leadership roles, and the adult-to-youth ratio. In answering the survey's questions, they rated activities for positive experiences in identity development, initiative building, emotional regulation, teamwork and social skills, positive relationships, and adult networks and social capital. They also documented their negative experiences.

"We found that the amount of time teens put into an activity made more difference than the type of activity they were putting their time into," he said.

"And teens' opportunities are broadened if adult leaders are able to inspire kids and are confident in handing teens the reins," said Hansen.

What about the influence of peers or parents in selecting and sticking with an activity" "Peers are important in getting their friends into an activity, but once a teen's in it, it's the activity that keeps them there. They stay because they enjoy it."

"And parents, who know their child's interests and aptitudes, can point out the activities that might appeal to her, but as their teen transitions into high school, a parent's main role is offering support, saying I'll help you get to practices and attend your games or concerts," he said.

"By the time kids get to high school, they're voting with their feet," Hansen added. "They're looking for a group that fits their interests and gives them the chance for recognition and responsibility for what happens in the activity."

And if a teen shows no interest in any youth activities" "Those are the kids we're concerned about, mainly because they're apt to also be disconnected in school and possibly from their families.

"But an adult in a youth activity can be really effective in reaching those kids, so it's important for youth leaders to be aware of these teens, try to connect with them, and find ways to get them involved," he said.

The study, which was co-authored by Reed Larson, was published recently in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. The research was funded by the William T. Grant Foundation.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

I like this conclusion.. When I was in school, an old professor spoke on this same topic. He made the point that every believer is a piece of scientific data. You can discount the data when the amount of data is small. But when there are many data points traveling different routes, yet coming to the same conclusion..then you have found truth.

A New Breed of Atheist The Anti-Theist August 2, 2007 Atheism has nearly always been with us in one form or another, but the atheists we've been hearing the most from lately—chiefly Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris—are a new breed. Unlike the old-school humanists, the new atheists—or anti-theists, as some of them prefer to be called— don't want to just deny the existence of God, they want to wipe religion off the map. Christopher Hitchens follows this pattern with his new book, belligerently titled God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. In his first chapter, called "Putting It Mildly," Hitchens writes, "I will continue to [respect my friends' religious traditions] without insisting on the polite reciprocal condition—which is that they in turn leave me alone." But this is something that religion is ultimately incapable of doing. "People of faith," Hitchens continues, "are in their different ways planning your and my destruction, and the destruction of all . . . hard-won human attainments . . . Religion poisons everything." The way Hitchens lumps all religions and all believers into one category here is typical of his tone throughout the book, and typical of anti-theists in general. They don't argue; they yell. They've decided that, simply because they dislike religion, there is no reason to respect it. In their minds, it's stupid, dangerous, and that's all that needs to be said. That's why I believe the anti-theist movement, as hot as it is right now with books like Hitchens's topping the bestseller lists, is doomed to fail. The moment you take it seriously and start to study it, it falls apart. There's no substance, just anger and a lot of hot air. Because anti-theists simply ignore evidence and arguments they don't like, they're ill-equipped to deal with them rationally. The old-guard secular humanists are questioning this new trend, and rightly so. Most traditional atheists simply had their own belief system, and if we wanted our belief system that was okay. The new breed reflects the death of truth. They're like the communists who feared religion more than anything else because it was a competing truth claim. The Star of David and the cross have been scandalous to every totalitarian leader. Many traditional atheists and humanists seem to recognize the parallel and feel uncomfortable about it. As Gary Wolf writes in Wired, "The New Atheists have castigated fundamentalism and branded even the mildest religious liberals as enablers of a vengeful mob. Everybody who doesn't join them is an ally of the Taliban. Even those of us who sympathize intellectually," he writes, "don't want the New Atheists to succeed." When you think about it this way, you have to wonder if the anti-theists, in their heart of hearts, are a little uncomfortable with their own beliefs. After all, if you really believe that truth will win out—and to Hitchens and company, their idea of truth is so obvious that it cannot fail to win—you can let other people make their own claims and live by their own beliefs without feeling the need to destroy everything they stand for. Because Hitchens and the others cannot do this, their polemics are destined to lead not to the end of religion, but to the collapse of their own movement. Not before, of course, they have gotten very rich. It's not irrelevant to the debate that Dawkins, Hitchens, and Sam Harris sold one million copies of their angry diatribes last year. At two dollars a book for royalties, that's not bad.

Finally, some encouraging words about the value of the war in Iraq..

Missing in the Debate
The Fate of the Iraqi People

August 1, 2007

As the summer grinds on, the war of words over the real war in Iraq is growing hotter every day. Critics of the war are saying that the American people are fed up and want the troops to come home; that the Iraqi government needs to step up and take responsibility for the growing violence; that the war is straining our military—and our soldiers—to the breaking point.

Meanwhile, the war's defenders are claiming that if the troops leave now, the enemy will have won. Instead of fighting terrorists in Iraq, we'll be fighting them here in our homeland. Leaving now could lead to a wider war in the Middle East, with a resurgent Iran—led by a madman—wreaking havoc throughout the region.

But what I'm not hearing talked about at all is the fate of the Iraqi people.

One thing is for certain. If the U.S. pulls its troops out now, there will be a bloodbath. Many thousands of Iraqis will perish. I don't know of any credible critic or supporter of the war who denies that fact. The lives of thousands—maybe hundreds of thousands—are at stake.

And what about the political future of the Iraqi people? What about their human rights? Several months ago, the debate over Iraq reached new levels of absurdity when the U.N.'s Kofi Annan claimed that the Iraqi people were better off before the war when Saddam Hussein was in power, defying U.N. sanctions, a threat to the Middle East and imposing unspeakable brutality on his people.

Many thousands were tortured, beaten, even burned. Chemical attacks by his regime killed 30,000 Iraqis and anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 Kurds. To intimidate Saddam's opponents, allegations of prostitution were used to justify barbaric beheadings. And most gruesome are the accounts of children tortured. The list of human rights violations goes on and on.

Having spent nine years in the Soviet gulag, Natan Sharansky knows a thing or two about living under tyranny. Writing in the Washington Post recently, Sharansky offered a more realistic before-and-after assessment of Iraq. "The truth," writes Sharansky, "is that in totalitarian regimes, there are no human rights. Period. The media do not criticize the government. Parliaments do not check executive power. Courts do not uphold due process. And human rights groups don't file reports . . . life under totalitarianism is slavery with no possibility of escape."

There is no doubting that life in Iraq for the average Iraqi is extraordinarily tough right now. But what do the Iraqis themselves think about life in Iraq now as compared to life under Saddam Hussein? Sharansky points to a recent poll: "by nearly 2 to 1 . . . the Iraqis said they preferred life under their new government to life under the old tyranny."

Why? They want freedom. As the president said recently in Prague, freedom is a universal, God given ideal that all of humanity desires—not the least of whom are the Iraqi people.

As Sharansky noted, "People of goodwill can certainly disagree over how to handle Iraq, but human rights should be part of any responsible calculus." We don't hear this even being discussed today in our shrill political debate.