Christian Standpoint

Telling the Story, Part 9: Till the Soil

2012-07-11T09:56:00.001-04:00

Image Credit: stoneheadcroft.com

I came to Christian faith in my fifties and felt my rebirth made me very special. But when I brought faith up with other people my age I found many had similar experiences and become Christians, too. It turns out the Holy Spirit works on lots of people and my story wasn’t unusual after all. Its commonality makes it even more amazing.

My interest in Christianity was aroused by my physician. Whenever I went for a checkup we’d end up discussing stress. I was president of a company in a difficult industry, a position that involved long-term, incessant stress. I never received medication or therapy for it, but simply understood that mentally slugging it out was just part of the territory.

He invited me to a Sunday School class he taught on handling stress through Christian faith. I didn’t give Jesus any credibility but I was curious, so I went. Over 10 weeks I found the things he taught about Christian faith made sense. I could see how my own life could improve by taking on a mindset of love instead of wallowing in the “don’t get mad, get even” attitude.

The good doctor discussed the Parable of the Four Soils. A sower’s seed can’t survive in hard, rocky or thorny ground but can only thrive in good soil. My soil was hard and thorny but he tilled it until I opened my heart and gave Christ a fair chance. This was a no-brainer after being exposed to Christianity’s advice, hope, and strength, not to mention the incredible promise of eternal life. Secularism offers none of this.

Tilling soil is work: moving rocks, pulling thorns and hoeing hard ground. Fertile soil doesn’t happen without effort. But we can ignite curiosity if we engage in dialog, answer questions, and establish the Bible’s credibility. Once we’ve done this we can transition into deeper aspects of our faith.

A traditional evangelism technique is the Romans Road, where a series of verses systematically explains the message of salvation. The result can be fast, but the audience receptive to it is much smaller than the gospel-resistant population.

Here’s the problem: in order for the Romans Road to work people need to believe the Bible is credible. Secularists have done a great job of convincing people it’s nothing but fairy tales and myths with outdated morals that don’t apply today. Years ago, public schoolchildren said prayers, even parents who didn’t attend church sent their kids to Sunday School, everyone knew people who were open about their faith, and Christianity was our society’s bedrock.

No longer. Millions make up their own rules and dismiss the Bible on the basis of shallow misconceptions. Presenting the Romans Road to this crowd with no preparation may cause eyes to glaze over and conversations to die. “Tilling the soil” isn’t a recipe for instant gratification, but it’s a way to keep communication open, create respect for our faith, generate interest, and open minds.

Next ChristianStandpoint article: Bring it Home

Telling the Story, Part 8: Bridge the Gap

2012-06-27T09:33:00.002-04:00

Image Credit: pannaconsulting.com

Once you’ve told your story you can talk about faith in a way that bridges the gap between Christians and secularists. Our faith teaches practical lessons that make sense - even to skeptics – and we can connect by using them.

We all see the decline in social values and the economic costs we bear because of it. It’s happened because of a fraying work ethic, lessening of personal responsibility and trashing of the concepts of family and discipline. Anyone with common sense sees this. But people often don’t understand that dysfunctional behaviors violate Christian teaching or that Christianity’s standards once provided cohesiveness and self-discipline that helped prevent destructive behaviors.

Christianity is attacked so routinely that people reflexively reject our faith, don’t understand it and don’t see the importance of its values. We should tackle this and make the connection between the diminishment of faith and our dysfunctional society. Believe in God or not, we’ve seen what happens when secularists ignore Christian teachings and make up the rules. Their failure gives our faith street cred.

Everyone needs hope, and we can offer it. In 2008 the presidency was won partly on the promise of hope. But hope for what, exactly? It was never defined, leaving everyone to plug in whatever they wished for. In most cases it was probably for “things” like a better job, cheaper rent or the end of war. As important as these are, they pale compared to the promise of Christ. Our hope is bigger. It’s for an eternal life that transcends our problems and gives us a perspective that mitigates despair. We should explain how this affects our lives.

Many people don’t believe eternal life is possible, but we can’t be shy about presenting it. When I understood this promise, even though I thought it was farfetched, I asked myself, “What if this is true?” and decided to find out. It was the hook that inspired curiosity.

Sometimes we can tie into what the other person already believes. One guy’s outlook changed because a pop author suggested an “attitude of gratitude.” But it’s just a shallow knockoff of Christian belief. We’re thankful to a God who made everything, watches over us, and gives us eternal life. Non-spiritual gratitude is limited and lacks the depth and promise of Christian belief.

The Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Evolution can be bridges. Without disputing them, mention that the questions neither can answer are exactly the things faith explains. Science can’t credibly explain where life comes from or what created the universe, so skeptics are left with implausible answers that enable them to ignore God. We should explain that faith completes our view of the universe by providing the missing answers.

Our job is to get people to think. Get them to say “Really?” “No kidding!” “I never knew that.” “I never thought about it that way.” The idea is to have them ask themselves “What if this is true?” If you bring an unbeliever to this point, you’ve done a stellar job.

Next Christian Standpoint article: Continuing the Conversation

Telling the Story, Part 7: Sharing Your Story

2012-06-13T10:45:00.001-04:00

Image Credit: blog.bongous.com

Once you’ve listened and learned about the other person you can transition to sharing your story. Remember, this is still a conversation - not an opportunity for you to ascend your soapbox and impose your faith on the listener. If you do they’ll probably head for the hills.

If you speak in a conversational, genuine and heartfelt way they should be willing to listen. This is the first step in opening minds that may have snapped closed to faith long ago.

Tie your story to what you’ve learned about them. If they think the very idea of God is bunk, you might reply “I used to think that too, and it took me a long time to get past it.” Or, “I’ve never been in that position because I’ve always had faith. I know He’s there because of the peace and strength I have that I can’t explain otherwise.” Or, “I’ve believed my whole life but I’ve had the same questions as you. I found the evidence supported faith.”

Then ask, “Is it OK if I tell you my story?” Here’s mine:

I was raised as a church going Methodist. Then I went to college, lost my faith and was an atheist for many years. As time went on, I became even more convinced I was right because everything around me seemed to confirm it: news stories, commentaries, movies, world problems, injustice, and the general culture all conspired to denigrate the idea of God and Christianity.

Even so, I still believed in the value of a Christian upbringing for my kids and when the time came my wife and I looked for a church, but I wasn't looking forward to feigning belief for the next twenty years. Then things started happening: questions I had about God were addressed in magazine articles, radio programs and other places. I asked a respected business associate what he thought about God and found he was a strong Christian who talked convincingly about his faith. These things continued to happen and I found myself questioning my unbelief.

One night I entered my son’s room to read him a bedtime story. Out of the blue, I mentally said “God, if Jon wants to read the Little Golden Book About God - which we had never read before - instead of PJ Funnybunny, then I’ll believe.” Jon had PJ in his hands, put it down, pulled the “God” book off the bookshelf and said “I want to read this tonight.” I’ve believed ever since.

Although I was still skeptical about Jesus, over years of seeking answers I found He’s real, too. I now have faith and find it continually strengthened because I look at things from a Christian perspective and see God everywhere.

Here’s an old question. “Which man is truly crazy, the one who hears thunder and thinks it’s the voice of God, or the one who hears the voice of God and thinks it only thunder?” Christian faith lets me hear the voice of God.

Next Christian Standpoint article: Sharing Your Faith

Telling the Story, Part 6: Opening the Conversation

2012-05-30T10:21:00.000-04:00

Image credit: pat-cumbria.co.uk

There’s no magic phrase to open a conversation about faith but there are some general principles we can follow.

First, understand we need to open a dialogue. Almost everyone is comfortable talking about themselves, so we should lead the conversation in that direction.

Second, ask “action” questions instead of those that require only a “yes” or “no” response. These begin with “who, what, why, when, where or how?” A good all-purpose opener is “What do you do when you’re not doing this?” Then encourage them to continue with more action questions that will help you get to know them.

Third, remember God gave us two ears and one mouth so we’d listen twice as much as we talk. We often ignore the most critical part of communication: LISTENING.

Fourth, empathize. Understand their point of view and problems. Let them know you do.

Fifth, find common ground. We all get battered by life and it shouldn’t be hard to find things in common. Job loss, relationship problems, substance abuse, health issues, death of a loved one, uncertainty about life….fill in the blank.

Finally, most people are fair. If you’ve listened to them, they’ll listen to you. Establish your right to share by being the first to listen. When you talk, pick up a thread from what you've learned about them and relate back to it.

There a lots of opportunities to open a conversation. If someone is distant, daydreaming and inattentive we might say “You seem to have a lot on your mind. What’s up?”

If they’re clearly bothered by something, say “You look upset. Is something wrong?” Be genuinely concerned; for a Christian this should be easy.

If you’re in a conversation about the dreadful condition of the world, agree and ask “With things this crazy how do you deal with it?”

In discussions about sports you might interject Christian references. Many fans aren’t aware that lots of famous athletes are committed Christians.

If you’re asked what you’re doing this weekend and a church activity is involved, talk about it and develop a dialogue by asking what they’re doing.

With people you know well, you might ask, “We’ve known each other for a long time and I’m curious: what do you think about spiritual things? I respect your opinion and really wonder what you think.”

Don’t be critical. Your job isn’t to judge, it’s to promote an ongoing conversation that may help you share the Good News. Don’t blow an opportunity by tearing down what they believe, insulting them and killing communication.

When people open up you’ll find what they say is often fascinating. I once met a woman who believed she could meet someone, go back in time and change their karma. It’s an opportunity for you to reexamine your faith in light of the beliefs of others. You’ll discover Christian beliefs hold up and become stronger when you’re exposed to other ideas.

And you’ll be able to share your faith in a reasoned, committed, low-key and effective way.

Next Christian Standpoint article: Sharing Your Story.

Telling the Story, Part 5: Pick Your Spot

2012-05-16T09:35:00.002-04:00

Photo Credit: killmydaynow.com

What’s a spot? A spot is a situation conducive to personal, respectful and open communication where we can begin to share our faith.

Spots come in lots of shapes, sizes and colors. They’re usually in casual settings where the conversation won’t be interrupted by a meeting agenda or constrained by someone’s schedule. Everybody should be relaxed.

Spots can be found on a train commute, watching the kids at the playground, on the beach with friends, visiting people in the hospital or at home, getting your hair done or hanging out at a picnic. They could crop up at work in conversations about the news of the day, sports or even the weather.

Sometimes spots happen with people we may never see again. A Christian friend tells how she and her husband express their faith by assisting others in need – like helping change a flat tire. In situations like this, people will thank you and you’ve created a spot where you can tell them, “Your welcome, but it’s our pleasure. We’re Christians and we’re happy to have the opportunity to help!” Even if the conversation ends there, you’ve left a positive message about Christianity and your actions will give them something to think about.

Look at it this way. First, there's a stereotype of Christians as being judgmental and bigoted that can be countered in a small way if people know they're being helped by a Christian. Second, many of us hide our faith under a bushel basket. Others are free to develop wrong opinions about us because we don't even identify ourselves, much less talk about our faith. Finally, non-Christians surely do good things, but Christians are impelled to do them as part of their faith..

Doing right and not taking bows is certainly biblical. But remember: the credit goes to God - not you - and if we're able to express that, we should.

In long term relationships the “spot” can be used to open a dialogue. Most of us don't have the power or influence to make people instantly drop all their anti-Christian baggage and become Christians just because we brought it up. But we can create interest so they’re willing to pursue the conversation later.

Here are some thoughts. First, you shouldn’t exhibit fits of rage, gossip, envy or other destructive behaviors the Bible warns about. Christians aren’t perfect, but we should clearly be operating on a different plane from non-Christians. If Christian faith hasn’t made a difference in your life, you have nothing to offer and shouldn’t even look for a spot until your faith has made a change in you.

Second, non-Christians see the same societal dysfunctions as Christians. If we discuss things they already know to be true, we can create common ground that will let us segue into how we see things through our faith. When these topics come up they create spots.

Third, even non-religious people recognize the anti-Christian bias in the media and many think it’s wrong. For example, a judge ruled he would allow a school to display the Ten Commandments as long as the first four were expunged, leaving six commandments that excluded any reference to God. When this sort of craziness happens, even non-religious people see it for the secular cheap shot it is and spots arise.

Fourth, everyday conversation can create spots. When you’re asked how your weekend was, if it involved church you should talk about it. It shows your faith is important to you and may allow you to transition into a conversation about spirituality.

Paul prayed for God to “open a door for our message” (Col. 4:2) and we should be on the lookout for His opportunities. Keep your eyes, ears and heart open; spots will appear!

Next Christian Standpoint article: “Opening the Conversation.”

Telling the Story, Part 4: Lighten Up!

2012-05-02T11:04:00.000-04:00

www.sl-designs.com

We descended the steps to the 125^th Street subway platform. It was crowded with people moving briskly and purposefully with the hurried emotional disconnect perfected by New Yorkers. Below, a man and woman strode around yelling about hell and damnation while waving large Bibles overhead. Their frantic movements were unpredictable and they were given a wide berth by passersby who violated the trackside warning lines to squeeze by.

The shouters were unavoidable but nobody stopped long enough to hear any message. They fruitlessly managed to annoy hundreds of people and give them a “crazy Christian” story to tell. No doubt the proselytizers believed they were doing God’s work, but the effect was to reinforce anti-Christian stereotypes and turn people off. Hellfire and damnation preaching can drive home a point but listeners can take it as a misguided threat that ends communication before it even starts.

Few Christians have the personality or desire to try to impose our faith on others like this. Instead we’re better at conveying the positive messages of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. And it's more appropriate. This is good news to be shared in the same spirit you share other things you know will be helpful to the recipient.

It’s what we’re called to do. Jesus put the responsibility for convicting people’s hearts squarely in the hands of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-11). But He gave us the job of sharing the Good News by “making the most out of every opportunity, and letting our conversations be full of grace”(Col 4:5-6). Paul was talking about using personal opportunities for intimate, peaceful, positive conversations

There have always been gifted evangelists who can move individual audience members with their oratory. Most of us aren’t in that league and it’s just as well. The fact is 80-90% of new Christians are introduced to faith by friends, relatives or acquaintances who arouse their interest and invite them to church. To do this we need to be ready for opportunities by “always being prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. Do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

When a new mother holds her baby she has a glow on her face, a lilt in her voice and devotion in her gaze. Her love for her child is beyond question. If we present ourselves in a similar way when we talk about Jesus it sends a powerful positive message of love and hope and it’s far more likely we’ll open a productive dialog.

Jesus told us to come to him like a child (Mat 18:2-4) and it’s good advice. At its heart, Christianity’s amazing promises are understandable by all who are open to them. We don’t need to be theologians on one hand or subway station hawkers on the other. We just need to be ourselves and exude joy while sharing the peace and hope we’ve found.

Smile! It’s Good News!

Next post: Telling the Story 5: Pick Your Spot

Telling the Story, Part 3: A Strategy You Can Use

2012-04-18T11:33:00.012-04:00

Photo credit: solidgoldcreativity.com

We're called to be ambassadors for Christ. Here's an eight-point stategy we can use.

1.      Lighten up. Your job is to be a messenger who shares the Good News, not a scold who puts people off. The Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting: ultimately it’s the Spirit’s job to open minds and then to convict people’s hearts. We should take advantage of opportunities - which we can help create - in fulfilling our mission.

2.      Pick your spot. Wait for an opportunity to have a quiet conversation. It may be over a cup of coffee, during a time when you’re traveling, or another informal setting There are usually lulls in conversation when you could ask, “What do you think about spiritual things?”

3.      Listen. Humans innately know there’s something going on and everyone has an opinion. Secular people dismiss Christianity and are stuck with other options: New Age nostrums like pyramid power or magic crystals, self-improvement gurus with manufactured theories, or belief in aliens (think of the crop circle mania). Some will have “their own” faith. Listen and you’ll learn some interesting and amusing things. Ask them why they believe what they do – and if they profess not to believe in anything, ask “why not?” Most people haven’t thought deeply about this and you may be surprised at how shallow their “beliefs” are.

4.      Ask permission. When they’re done, don’t dispute them but ask if it’s OK if you explained what you believe. Once you’ve got their permission you’re free to discuss Christianity without imposing it with a heavy hand. If they don’t offer it, don’t violate their decision. They’ve demonstrated a boorish, unfair closed-mindedness that you probably won’t penetrate anyway.

5.      Share your story. If they give you permission, talk about yourself and your personal faith experience. This has two advantages: (1) People like stories and (2) since it’s about you it can’t be disputed. Mention how your life has changed and gets better as you understand more. If you’ve had a miracle happen to you, talk about it. If you were ever skeptical about Jesus tell them why – and then tell them how you overcame it.

6.      Share your faith. Since the Bible is the source of Christian teaching you may explain how specific lessons have affected you (staying out of debt, not being envious, strengthening your marriage, helping you through an illness or death, etc.). Mention that the promise of eternal life – which you have every reason to believe is true – puts life’s problems in a whole new positive perspective.

7.      Remember it’s a dialogue. Our faith will stand on its own merits and you should welcome questions or comments. The answers you give will help clarify our faith for the listener. If you don't have an answer, don't wing it. Tell them you'd like to know, too, and you'll get back to them.

8.      Ask to meet again. If it’s been a pleasant, informative, non-confrontational and intriguing discussion the answer should be “sure.” The creaking you’ll hear is the sound of a door opening.

Over the next several Christian Standpoint articles we’ll look at each of these steps in more detail.

Telling the Story, Part 2: What We're Up Against

2012-04-04T08:55:00.010-04:00

Ever meet someone new and discovered they were Christian? Remember the instant kinship you both felt? It’s a marvelous thing that transcends race, age, sex, health, wealth and every other category that typically separates us. Christians from all walks of life are brothers and sisters because we’re bonded by a faith we know to be rich and true.

But unbelievers see our faith as foolish, naive and even childish. One guy actually said “God is like Santa Claus – you give it up when you grow up.” Uneasy about encountering attitudes like this, it’s no wonder Christians can be shy about sharing their faith with others.

Let’s look at some reasons non-Christians think this way. We’ve had at least two generations of parents who don’t attend church and don’t send their kids, either. Millions of people have minimal knowledge of faith and little contact with a church community.

Life can be hard, and with no spiritual guidance it’s easy to disbelieve in a “good” God who, as far as they’re concerned, should be providing for them but isn’t.

Others have been “educated” and buy into Karl Marx’s notion that “religion is the opiate of the masses.” In fact, the quotation itself is an opiate that endows “sophisticated” people with a misguided sense of superiority.

Child abuse scandals, hateful “Christians” picketing military funerals, pastors threatening to burn Qur’ans, and headlines proclaiming apocalyptic deadlines have all tainted Christianity’s image.

TV shows, movies, edited news stories, comedy routines, contemporary music and other biased influences permeate the culture. Skepticism is understandably rampant.

It’s a hostile environment for American Christians but it’s easy compared to much of the modern world. We're free to share our faith and should relish the opportunity to do so. We can succeed by proceeding in a sensible, biblical way.

Our first job is to open minds. In the parable of the four soils Jesus taught that only seed sowed on good soil would produce a crop. People tend to be rocky, thorny and shallow regarding faith, just like the unproductive soils. We need to find good soils and improve the condition of the others so the things we say will take root instead of being ignored.

We can do this in part by addressing the individual’s reasons for skepticism, showing the shallowness of disbelief and then sharing the sensible answers provided by faith.

The first step is to open a dialogue. We know the ultimate truth is in the Bible but others don't, so we should speak in everyday terms in order to find out why the person is skeptical. Then we should address the issues. The process is biblical. For example, when Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman at the well he told her, “you Samaritans worship what you do not know.” He knew her wrong-headed beliefs were barriers to her understanding the truth. We need to understand this, too.

This takes time and patience, but if we can awaken people one at a time we may be able to change the momentum.

The next Christian Standpoint article will discuss finding opportunities to share faith and how to open the conversation.

Image credit: sundaymorningcontemplation.blogspot

Telling the Story, Part 1: Things Have Changed

2012-03-21T11:01:00.016-04:00

Evangelist Billy Graham

They started trickling in before noon, then the first of 400 buses arrived. By 6:33 every seat in Yankee Stadium was taken and new arrivals had to stand on the field. They filled all but the infield, which was cordoned off by a four-foot snow fence.

That warm midsummer day witnessed the biggest crowd in stadium history More than 100,000 people crammed in while over 10,000 were turned away. At 8:00 the lights were turned on and they were bathed in soft light.

Five minutes later Billy Graham strode to the podium. His dynamic, heartfelt presentation pierced listener’s hearts as he emphatically preached, “Christ is the only answer to our problems and dilemmas.” Then he called for attendees to make a decision for Him. In typical Graham crusades the audience was invited to the platform, but this night was different: with no room to move, those who accepted Christ were asked to rise if they were sitting and raise their hands if they were already standing.

Gradually people seated in the stands rose and hands went up all over the outfield. Thousands of people came to Christian faith in this one place, at this one time. The New York Crusade drew 2.3 million people to multiple services in the stadium, Madison Square Garden and Times Square.

Dr. Graham in his prime might still fill Yankee Stadium today, but it likely wouldn’t be the purely spiritual event it was in 1957. It doesn’t take much imagination to visualize the posters, hear the epithets and feel the anger protesters would unleash. Rampant antagonism makes evangelizing harder than it should be.

To deal with this we need a variety of tools to choose from, starting with traditional methods. One goes like this:

1. Using Romans 3:10 and 3:23 show the person he’s a sinner and get him to admit it.

2. Using 5:12 and 6:23 show him the price of sin is spiritual and physical death.

3. Using 5:8 show him that Jesus paid the price for his sins.

4. Using 10:9 show that by receiving Jesus as his savior he’ll enter heaven when he dies.

5. Pray with him and ask God to save him.

6. Get him to pray for the forgiveness of his sins and salvation for his soul, and then state he has received Jesus as his Savior.

7. Ask where he would go if he died at this moment.

8. If he answers “heaven” you’ve done your job.

This has been and is successfully used. But people often don’t think the Bible is credible, so to them it has no authority. Even worse, nowadays people conjure their own moral standards. Modern self-centered, custom designed, elastic rules are easy to live up (or down) to, so people don’t see themselves as sinners at all.

For this tough audience we need an approach that addresses their reasons for skepticism, is usable by most Christians, and doesn’t compromise our beliefs. More on this in the next Christian Standpoint post.

To view an excerpt from one of Billy Graham’s Madison Square Garden services please click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOxCFJ7bX5o

Photo credit: Time Photos

We Have Met the Enemy...

2012-03-07T11:02:00.015-05:00

A Message for Christians

A newspaper columnist recently wrote a piece about the need for young people to return to religious groups. She bemoaned the fact that 103 parishioners from her church had died during the previous year and nowhere near that number of new people had joined. In fact, her church was already a consolidation of three churches, two of which had closed. She asked for advice from churches that weren’t experiencing these problems.

The writer felt the causes were the disappearance of religion from family life and a smaller number of people choosing church life as a career. But these aren’t causes; they’re symptoms. The root cause is the marginalization of Christianity by a steady drip of attacks that’s produced at least one generation of Americans who’ve fallen into secularism and have limited, if any, knowledge of Christian faith.

Why – and how – would parents introduce their children to something they know little about aside from the fact that Christianity is disrespected and attacked? And why would potential clergy choose careers in a dying industry? These symptoms can only be addressed by reaching parents and children who are truly lost when it comes to faith.

I contacted the columnist because she asked for help and I could offer it. In our brief conversation she told me her church already had a program for outreach and I should contact other pastors in the area. She had publicly complained but wouldn’t even listen to a new idea. She’s probably just a typical Christian and, if so, it’s no wonder secularists have successfully whittled away at our faith.

Here’s the bad news: the U.S. has a Christian heritage but it no longer has a Christian culture.

The good news is that everyone – secularists included – has a God sized hole in their heart, even if they don’t recognize it. They try to fill it with substance abuse, “wisdom” invented by secular gurus, New Age fads, perceived alien visitations and who knows what else. Millions of misguided people trying to pound square pegs into round holes. Christian faith is the missing round peg and it’s our job to help them find it.

Christianity has been cast as hateful, judgmental and bigoted by secularists whose own “beliefs” are incredibly shallow – and wrong. We need to tackle this in order to share our faith, and it’s a disservice to both the unbeliever and to Jesus if we don’t. Fortunately, ways to do this are easy to teach and simple to use.

In his classic comic strip Pogo, cartoonist Walt Kelly coined the phrase, “We have met the enemy and he is us” to point out that individual people were personally responsible for a massive littering problem 40 years ago. We Christians are personally responsible for living, defending and sharing our faith, and if we merely convey a message of noncommittal uncertainty we ARE our own enemies.

There are practical, friendly ways to communicate with today’s unbeliever but we need to know how to do it. We’ll discuss some ideas in the next post.

Graphic credit: We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us, Walt Kelly, Simon & Schuster, 1987.

Wake-up Time

2012-02-22T10:16:00.010-05:00

Let’s stroll down memory lane. I remember saying the Lord’s Prayer in public school until the Supreme Court banned it. Up until then Christian faith was respected; America was Christian and that was OK.

But the siege had begun. The Ten Commandments were removed from courthouses and crosses were torn from hilltops. Christmas morphed from a celebration of Jesus’s birth into a legal free-for-all as lawsuits to ban Christmas from public schools and crèches from town squares became common. Political correctness dictated we say “Happy Holidays,” and “Merry Christmas“ became an almost subversive greeting. Anti-God ads on buses, subways and billboards slammed Christianity annually.

A “work of art” depicting a crucifix submerged in the artist’s urine got wide publicity. It was distasteful and outrageous, but the media made sure every sentient human being in America could see it. The press promoted stories about unhinged "Christians," like the tiny hate group that picketed military funerals or the obscure preacher who threatened to burn the Qur'an. Splinter groups got the spotlight while the vast majority of Christians observed their faith in quiet anonymity.

Christianity has been relentlessly assaulted and its status chipped away, but we believed the government would protect our rights until the madness passed. Until recently.

The federal government ordered Roman Catholic hospitals, charities, colleges, parochial schools and social service agencies to provide insurance coverage that violated church teachings. In a nutshell, they must pay for abortion pills or face many millions of dollars in punitive fines that will threaten their existence.

The rule isn’t sensible on a few levels. First, these institutions have always been subject to the conscience clause which allows them to avoid complying with such mandates, so this order violates precedent. Second, everything mandated can be obtained by individuals privately without forcing the church to violate its moral standards. If abortion pills, contraception and sterilization are critically important to an employee he can buy them privately or find another job that offers coverage for them.

The third is the most mind-boggling. Catholic organizations play a huge role in our society. Communities across the country will suffer if these institutions are compelled to curtail services or close down.

If they’re financially unstable who will fill the void? Here’s a scary thought: maybe the strategy is to force the church to sell out to private companies. Secularists would get a twofer: the rules would be enforced and Christian outreach slashed at the same time.

This isn’t about contraception; it’s about freedom of religion. It’s triggered a firestorm of protest and the rule may yet be modified. Even if it is, the lesson remains that secularists are willing to go beyond filing individual anti-Christian court cases brought by private citizens to issuing unilateral government commands that limit religious expression.

Our society has trashed God for decades, and now we’re on the cusp of making Him legally irrelevant. History shows what happens when matters of conscience are dictated by whoever has political power, and it is dangerous.

It’s wake-up time.

Photo Credit: bedbathandbeyond.com

Sprituality for Sale

2012-02-08T11:42:00.005-05:00

Karl Marx

Karl Marx, who would’ve made a great shopping mall Santa, said “religion is the opiate (actually, “opium”) of the masses,” seeing it as a fabricated device that comforted naïve, ignorant common folk. Marx’s 19^th century Communist theories were thoroughly discredited in the 20^th century, but somehow he still has credibility among those insulated from reality enough to still think he was onto something.

Communists are atheists for good reason. They need to destroy the moral framework of a society in order to impose their system, and this means repudiating God. And they did, rejecting God’s guidance and implementing a system that eliminated freedom and individual rights. It impoverished entire populations and killed millions around the world.

But it couldn’t kill the thirst for God. Trying to deny man’s need for a higher power is a fool’s errand. Even if people aren’t Christian they still have a God-shaped hole in their hearts and seek ways to fill it with something that provides peace, understanding and hope. In the spirit of Herr Marx, our skeptical culture has tried to marginalize and discredit Christianity, leaving people to seek  answers elsewhere. They don’t have to look far for options.

Books, seminars and websites with enticing hooks claim to fill the void.   Surf the web and you’ll find promises to “shift you into a new magical awareness of your life,””learn the secrets of how our souls work,” give you “a profound understanding of the deepest forces of your essence,” “make you the captain of your subconscious mind,” take you “to a shining place of candid self-realization,” teach “healing that aligns you with the vibration of money,” get the “happiness which is your birthright,” find “the enchanted path of enlightenment,” and “romance the God I AM within.”    Graduates of the last program will have a particularly interesting discussion with St. Peter at the Pearly Gates.

Practitioners offer psychic, numerological, “energy pattern” and astrological readings. Some sell self-hypnosis, Feng Shui, meditation and life coaching help.   There’s probably a fortune teller with a crystal ball out there too.

See any similarities between them? First, they charge handsomely for their advice. Capitalist sages see the opportunity to fill a need and make a buck. But secondly - and more importantly - they all focus inwardly on the self, as if we have the capacity within ourselves to reach spiritual fulfillment. If this were true, mankind would have figured out which therapies worked and weeded out the imposters long ago.

The problem is they’re all imposters.

Unlike followers of the guru du jour, Christians understand their own weaknesses and imperfections, know the source of their strength is outside of themselves, and that it comes from God. When a society practices the lessons taught by Jesus, the result is personal responsibility, sensible decision-making and a moral framework that discourages the rampant social dysfunctions we see today. Our politically correct culture dismisses God just like Marx did, and we're drifting into chaos because of it.

“Spirituality for sale” schemes only misdirect the attention of those who really need Christian faith. And by distracting people one at a time, they impede a return to the Christian values our society profoundly needs.

Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org

The Vilification of JoePa

2012-01-25T10:35:00.005-05:00

Joe Paterno 1926-2012

Joe Paterno arrived at Pennsylvania State College in 1950. It was located thirty miles from the nearest railroad station and you drove there on secondary roads. It wasn’t on a route between population centers, so it wasn’t even a rest stop for travelers. Today Pennsylvania State University enrolls over 44,000 students and is serviced by highways able to move the 107,000 fans who attend Nittany Lions football games.

In 1955 Paterno became the head football coach and turned Penn State into a powerhouse. His teams won two national championships and he holds the major college record for wins. He lived in a modest house on campus and didn’t seek the big money contracts other coaches demanded, preferring to donate millions to the university. In a collegiate sports world where the ideal of “student athlete” is often an oxymoron, Paterno insisted on producing players who earned degrees for 46 years.

Paterno lived by his Christian principles and emphasized the work ethic and the importance of fair play. His integrity imbued the university with a sense of specialness; if you’ve ever met a Penn Stater you know what I mean.   Joe shared his sense of decency widely, whether holding the door for a student, calling an underclassman’s cancer-stricken parent or getting out of his car to castigate a student he saw littering. It was an indelible moment for the litterer, who thought it was like being reprimanded by God.

He earned the endearing nickname “JoePa.”

He was an 85 year-old man who dedicated his long life to his faith and the moral pursuit of excellence. Thousands of kind gestures. Generous donations. Untold lives inspired, improved and turned around.

Then, the week after breaking the record for total wins, a former assistant coach was charged with sexual abuse of a child and Paterno was accused of quashing it. The national media and a chorus of indignant, condescending, shrill voices demanded action against him. Within a week, a stellar reputation was torched and a legend fired in a phone call by trustees who didn’t have the decency to tell him in person. They even removed his name from the Big Ten championship trophy.

In 2002 a graduate assistant told Paterno about an incident he had witnessed but withheld the details from him. Paterno followed procedure and notified university officials. He was pilloried for not doing more, but just what did they expect him to do? Appoint himself judge, jury and executioner on the basis of hearsay?

The Bible tells us it’s not our place to judge, and Paterno responsibly turned the case over to those in a position to investigate.   Nevertheless the media salivated over the chance to ruin a good man and dogged him with video cameras and microphones, today’s equivalent of torches and pitchforks.

Joe Paterno died last weekend, 11 weeks after the scandal broke. History may well vacate the kangaroo court’s decision, but in the meantime the only judge who counts is no doubt welcoming JoePa with open arms.

Photo credit: dailyherald.com

Steve Jobs

2012-01-11T10:34:00.002-05:00

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, the intense, creative, groundbreaking, domineering, obsessive co-founder of Apple Computer was the face of cutting edge technology. The world was stunned when he died.

He gave a commencement speech at Stanford University. An excerpt:

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent: it clears the old to make way for the new. Right now, the new is you. But someday, not too long from now, you will gradually become old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it’s quite true.”

Andy Crouch of Christianity Today saw him as a secular evangelist for technology-generated hope when he “strode on stage with a miracle in his pocket.” But his cold outlook was godless, soulless, self-centered, morally neutral and offered no promise of an afterlife. On 60 Minutes Jobs said “You’re born alone, you’re gonna die alone. And does anything else really matter? I mean what is it exactly, is it that you have to lose? You know? There’s nothing.”

This was consistent with his embrace of Zen Buddhism, which is non-theistic and denies the existence of self.

But impending death challenged him. He told biographer Walter Isaacson “Sometimes I believe in God, sometimes I don’t. I think it’s 50-50 maybe. But ever since I’ve had cancer, I’ve been thinking about it more. And I find myself believing a bit more….. maybe it’s because I want to believe in an afterlife.’

Steve Jobs was consumed with work to the exclusion of many other things, including God. Once his illness slowed him down he seems to have sensed Him and decided there was a better than even chance for an afterlife after all. Shortly before he died Jobs told his sister “that he was going to a better place.”

“Oh wow, Oh wow, Oh wow” were Steve Jobs’ last words. Peggy Noonan, writing in, The Wall Street Journal, thinks they “were the best thing said in 2011.” “What happened there that he looked away from his family and expressed what sounds like awe?”

Noonan told of a friend whose son died at home, surrounded by family. “As Robert breathed his last an infant in the room let out a great baby laugh as if he saw something joyous, wonderful and gestured toward the area above Robert’s head. The infant’s mother, startled, moved to shush him but my friend, her mother, said no, maybe he’s reacting to …something only babies see.” And the dying person experiences.

Monumental wealth, fame and success still leaves one guessing about the afterlife. Steve Jobs learned it exists when he finally met God. It would have been better if he’d been a Christian and known Him long before he died.

Tebow's Viral Prayer

2011-12-28T10:54:00.010-05:00

Tim Tebow "tebowing"

te-bow-ing v. To get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone around you is doing something completely different.

Our latest word, already included in two dictionaries, originated from National Football League quarterback Tim Tebow’s practice of going to one knee and giving thanks to God. He’s always done this, but his string of improbable last-minute heroics for the Denver Broncos has put the spotlight on “tebowing.”

Tim was born into a missionary family in the Philippines, where his mother suffered a life-threatening condition while pregnant with him. She refused an abortion and gave birth to a healthy child. Mom homeschooled Tim and his siblings even after they moved to Florida, where homeschooled kids can play on high school teams.

At the University of Florida he won two national championships, received the Davey O’Brien Award for being the nation’s best quarterback and was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, which goes to the best football player in the country.

Sometimes great college quarterbacks don’t make it in the NFL and Tebow was tagged as one of them. According to Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal, he “runs, but he doesn’t run gracefully. He runs upright and frantic, like he’s stealing a toaster from a mall.” It’s said “he cannot throw a proper pass. He cannot stand still in the pocket” where he’d be protected and “he can’t run a conventional offense,” which reduces his team’s options and exposes himself to dangerous hits.

Another thing he can’t do is “get through an interview without mentioning his faith. Or giving credit to his teammates. Tim Tebow never sounds like he’s full of Tim Tebow."

"He doesn’t even get mad when people say nasty things about him. When people say Tim Tebow needs to improve, Tim Tebow says he needs to improve. Who does that?” “Nothing seems to rattle him. He smiles and doesn’t sulk.”

There’s a website where people post pictures of themselves “tebowing” all over the world in all kinds of places. It’s had over 14,000 photo submissions and 12 million hits. No doubt most of these are just people aping the latest fad, but it doesn’t seem anyone is putting down Tim’s faith by doing it. Is it possible his modest Christian straightness is so refreshing it’s become cool?

The politically correct mob has been so overwhelmed by the explosion of people performing a prayer-based act they’ve been dumbstruck. They know they look foolish denigrating Tebow for now, but they won’t stay in the shadows for long. Daniel Engber in Slate.com summed up the attitude when he said he wants Tebow to cut it out because it’s “making me question my atheism.”

“Tebowing” will probably disappear as fast as it arose. But while it’s popular, participants must at least momentarily consider what the gesture means. Some may open their minds to Christ, and maybe that’s the purpose.

Since Tim Tebow doesn’t think God cares who wins football games, he probably believes exactly that.

To visit the “tebowing” website please go to http://tebowing.com/

Face of Jesus

2011-12-07T11:45:00.005-05:00

Rembrandt's "Head of Christ"

The Philadelphia Museum of Art was the location of a famous scene in the movie Rocky. It’s where Sylvester Stallone, working out in a gray cotton sweat suit and black knit cap, sprinted up its 72 stone steps, turned around and triumphantly raised his arms as he looked down over the City of Brotherly Love. Museum staff members will tell you nary a day goes by without some tourist standing on the spot and re-enacting the scene.

The museum hosted an extraordinary exhibition from the Louvre in Paris featuring Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn’s revolutionary paintings of Jesus.

Up until Rembrandt, artists restricted their representations of Jesus to ancient prototypes that portrayed Christ as unemotional, fair-skinned, chestnut-haired, thin-faced and glorified by a halo or other symbols. The traditional image was rigidly followed by artists to avoid accusations of transgressing the Second Commandment injunction against idolatry.

But Rembrandt considered this image to be unlikely for an itinerant Semite preaching in the desert and he challenged it. Historians believe he chose a local working class Jewish man as the model for Jesus. This was likely because many Sephardic Jews had settled in his Amsterdam neighborhood after fleeing the Spanish Inquisition.

Aside from representing Jesus as the Jew he was, the paintings evoke a down to earth demeanor. He’s presented as empathetic, thoughtful, meditative, approachable and…human! No halos here.

God sent His Son to us in a stroke of genius that enabled mankind to relate to him in a personal way. Rembrandt shows us an understanding, compassionate person we can relate to. When we talk to him – or at least when I talk to him - this is the sort of image of Jesus I see myself talking to.

Like many artists, Rembrandt had financial problems and faced bankruptcy in 1656. His large house was overstuffed with hoarded items that were meticulously catalogued in an inventory made for his nervous creditors. The contents were sold to satisfy his debts.

One of the items was a painting listed as “Head of Christ, done from life,” which was found hanging in Rembrandt’s bedroom. Since the artist obviously couldn’t have painted a living Jesus, the title referred to his use of a model. It was shortened to “Head of Christ” in the 19th century to remove any confusion.

Ariella Burdick, writing for the Financial Times, contrasted the paintings with another Rembrandt piece, “The Supper at Emmaus” that depicts “a transfigured being – benign and beatific, irradiated by the light of revelation and glowing in the vast darkness all around. He doesn’t experience doubt, he banishes it.”

Burdick compares Rembrandt’s depiction of the risen savior with his painting of a pre-crucifixion Christ who “fills the canvas with the mournful intensity of a man wrestling with loneliness and doubt.” Jesus is seen struggling with his human condition and demonstrating his sympathy for us.

It showed us a Jesus who was absent from art for over a thousand years. It made him more real – and accessible - than ever.

Boxes of Love

2011-11-23T10:09:00.009-05:00

As a teenager I once delivered holiday baskets to the needy with the pastor. Having parents who provided food, love and a roof over my head, I was amazed at the poverty I saw.

One house stuck in my mind. The paint had peeled off the house years ago, the porch was rickety and when the lady opened the door there was minimal furniture and no carpet on the bare floor. The pastor and I were outside in the chill air and weren’t asked in – probably because she was embarrassed by her home. It didn’t matter anyway because it didn’t look any warmer on the inside than it was outside.

She broke into a big smile when she saw Rev. Heywood’s box of Thanksgiving fixings. It wasn’t going to feed them for long, but for one day she and her family would feast together. We repeated the scene several times that day.

Churches have lots of differences but some things are common to all of them. Helping those in need is one. In Los Angeles a Christian group called “Here’s Life Inner City” delivered boxes of food for Thanksgiving to the impoverished. Families could avoid going to food pantries or soup kitchens for the holiday meal and enjoy the day together at home. Unfortunately, the bad economy hit Here’s Life and it was forced to cut back.

Enter Pacific Crossroads, a Presbyterian Church. According to Aaron Belz writing in The Wall Street Journal, the congregation “took on the coordination of mobilizing well-resourced churches to fill boxes and deliver them with the help of inner-city churches.”

“Last year, Pacific Crossroads rallied 10 other churches in the L.A. area to assemble and distribute 1,000 boxes – 650 contributed by its own congregation. This year it will work with 15 churches to generate 1,500.” The “Boxes of Love” contain enough food to feed a family of six. It’s a lot of food and a big project.

The process takes about a month “in which church staff print fliers and make public announcements, hand out shopping lists and empty boxes. Congregants, for their part, take boxes home, fill them, ply neighbors, friends and co-workers for help, and bring finished boxes back to church. There, crews of congregants load the boxes into trucks and vans for distribution. Finally, dozens of church members take the boxes to the doors of families in need.”

Jesus calls on Christians to help the needy – and we do. My mom helps cook huge quantities of American Chop Suey for two soup kitchens at her Methodist church, and my Baptist church operates a food pantry. The Morristown, NJ Community Soup Kitchen was started as a local Episcopal program but it's grown involve over 30 churches. It's open every day of the year.

We Christians have our differences but we agree on the fundamentals. Charity is one of these and it’s practiced without fanfare by thousands of churches all the time. At Thanksgiving we should all thank God for motivating Christians to selflessly help their fellow man.

Sagan's Dragon

2011-11-07T10:15:00.008-05:00

Dr. Carl Sagan

Astronomer Carl Sagan used an analogy to disprove God’s existence. It went like this:

"I say “a fire breathing dragon lives in my garage.”

You say, “Show me,” but all you see is an empty garage.

You ask, “Where’s the dragon?”

“She’s right there – did I forget to mention she’s invisible?”

“Maybe you could spread flour on the floor to show its footprints.”

“Won’t work: she floats in the air.”

“We could use an infrared sensor to detect the invisible fire”

“The fire is heatless.”

“How about spray-painting it?”

“The dragon is incorporeal so the paint won’t stick.”

And so on. There isn’t a single physical test that will work.

Sagan asked, “What’s the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all? Claims that cannot be tested are worthless, whatever value they may have in inspiring us. I’m asking you to (believe in the dragon) in the absence of evidence, on my say-so. The only thing you’ve really learned from my insistence that there’s a dragon in my garage is that something funny is going on in my head.”

Dr. Sagan’s view of the world is crippled because he’s restricted it to physical evidence that can be tested by the scientific method. His hypothetical dragon was beyond the scope of the scientific method so he dismissed it as a figment of imagination. He uses the same criteria to deny God, but his methods only work for the natural world. God isn’t a natural phenomenon; He’s supernatural and beyond Sagan’s tests. We need to look elsewhere for proof.

Sagan deliberately blinded himself to a large part of reality. If he had a spiritual viewpoint the evidence for God would have been obvious.

God’s “footprints in the flour” would include sensible explanations about where our universe came from and how life began. And the unsought changes that happen within people when they come to faith. And the personal miracles people experience. None of these can be tested by the scientific method but open-minded spiritual people know them to be true.

Another footprint can be seen in our society’s decline since it distanced itself from God’s teachings. Take child discipline. The Bible warns, “spare the rod, spoil the child” but today anyone who dares spank their child is viewed as a troglodyte. But spanking is immediate, effective, short-lived and makes two points:
1. The child knows exactly what got him in trouble and
2. He avoids the behavior so he doesn’t get punished again.
The lesson is taught and life goes on.

Social scientists say “proven” alternative methods like “time outs” work better. But the decline in student discipline this thinking has wrought is one reason our schools are failing. We’ve cast aside Biblical lessons with damaging results. Isn’t this another “footprint” that supports the truth of the Bible – and the reality of the God who inspired it?

We need open-minded spiritual tools to see God. His presence is obvious when we use them. Unfortunately our culture popularizes people who wear spiritual blinders while promoting the idea that skeptics are enlightened.

To view a typical condescending atheist with eyes wide shut please click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MScdPTR-Y0w&feature=related

The Sandman

2011-10-19T08:03:00.006-04:00

Mariano Rivera

His journey started in a Panamanian village where his father was a fishing boat captain and he was a mate. When he was forced to abandon a sinking boat he decided there were better ways to make a living.

As a child he played baseball using a flattened milk carton for a glove, a tree branch for a bat and a ball made of shredded fish netting and electrical tape. Despite these crude beginnings he found he was good at the game. Leaving fishing, he tried out for the Panama Oeste team as a shortstop. His break came when he volunteered to pitch and was spotted by a scout for the New York Yankees.

In the minor leagues he damaged nerves in his elbow and had surgery, but rehabbed it and then produced two stellar years. He was promoted to the “Show” and soon became the Yankees main relief pitcher.

Now they call him “Mo,” “The Hammer of God,” “The Great One,” “Super Mariano,”and “The Sandman,” the last because he turns out the lights on opponents. When he leaves the bullpen to enter a game, the Yankee Stadium PA system blares out Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”

Mariano Rivera broke the all-time major league career record for saves last month. It’s an extraordinary story where hard work, dedication and character won out. It’s also remarkable that Rivera’s Christian faith – not baseball or money – is the touchstone of his life. He scared fans a few years ago when he said he was being called to preach, not pitch, and considered giving up baseball.

He stayed with pitching and uses his status and money to practice his Christian beliefs.

The Mariano Rivera Foundation uses church-based programs to help underprivileged children in Panama and the U.S. On a personal level, he sometimes changes into street clothes and helps minor leaguers, something stars don’t do. According to James Traub, writing in The New York Times Magazine, Mariano has a ”soul at peace,” and a calmness that mystifies his peers.

Rivera had a born again experience in his early twenties and told The Times sportswriter Jack Curry: “When God takes control of everything, He’s inside of you and He brings you strength. He has the power to do everything for you. I feel like God is on my side and will help me deal with everything.”

Mariano says his signature cut fastball “simply appeared one day in 1997, like a divine visitation." The pitch “jams a left handed hitter and rides away from a righty,” but it can’t be seen until the last moment. Other pitchers throw cutters, but nobody else’s break 6 to 8 inches like his.

He says the pitch is “a blessing from the Lord” and openly shares his technique. But he also believes “no one without the blessing was going to throw his cutter.”

Mariano Rivera walks the walk: he’s modest, sharing, loving, approachable, even-keeled, giving and faithful to his family and God. An exemplary Christian. And probably the best relief pitcher in history.

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Apocalypse Now?

2011-10-05T11:31:00.004-04:00

A Harold Camping Follower

They waited. Some left their jobs and traveled many miles. Others gave away their possessions and money, knowing they wouldn’t be needed. All were confident that when the clock struck 6:00 PM on May 21, 2011 the earth would be savaged by natural disasters, they would be swept into heaven, those left behind would be killed in a series of scourges and the earth would be destroyed in a ball of fire.

Like most people I was busy and missed the action. It didn’t occur to me until later that the fateful event hadn't occured and that radio broadcaster Harold Camping’s prediction was wrong – for the second time in 17 years. Guys who do this are usually given two chances, with the second prediction explaining the flaws in the first one. Amazingly, they often sell books successfully the second time around.

Camping is going for a record of sorts by issuing a third apocalyptic prediction: now it’s coming this October 21. Apparently all the bugs are out of his prediction model and this time it’s definitely going to happen. If you have any money left, send it in.

People are drawn to apocalyptic messages. William Miller produced a famous one when he calculated the Second Coming would happen no later than March 21, 1844. When it didn’t occur he reset it to October 22, which also passed uneventfully. This was called “The Great Disappointment” and Miller withdrew from the leadership of his church.

Many followers left the movement, but those who remained believed a misunderstanding had occurred and that Jesus had returned to heaven and not earth. The group remains intact as the Seventh-Day Adventists and they no longer predict the time of Jesus’s return.

The phenomenon isn’t limited to Christians. The new-age group “Heaven’s Gate” believed the planet was about to be “recycled” and the only way to survive was to free their souls to ascend to a spaceship that followed Comet Hale-Bopp. In 1997 thirty-nine of them “survived” by consuming arsenic and cyanide. There’s been no word back from the spaceship.

We’re now told the ancient Mayan calendar expires on December 21, 2012 and this signals the end of the world. It’s spawned books, television shows, a movie and attention that dwarfs Christian predictions. The hype has overpowered the assessment of archeologists who say the date is a milestone, like the millennium that started on 1/1/2000, and that the Mayans actually computed dates 72 octillion years into the future. Even so, some people will fasten their seatbelts late in the day on December 20 and then rush out to buy the explanatory books a few weeks later.

You’d think people would have figured out that nobody can predict the end of the world, if only because so many have tried and failed. Christians, especially, should understand the date can’t be known because the Bible tells us so.

That’s why the vast majority of Christians saved their money, kept their possessions and enjoyed the day the Lord had made on May 21, 2011. Unless Mr. Camping gets really, really lucky and his new date coincidentally turns out to be the day God chose, we'll be able to enjoy October 21st as well.

Moist Meat

2011-09-21T12:03:00.012-04:00

Professor Lionel Tiger

Lionel Tiger is an anthropology professor at Rutgers University who wrote a piece in The Wall Street Journal titled Is the Supernatural Only Natural? He thinks God is brain chemistry.

Tiger believes faith in God is the result of “links between social behavior and brain chemistry.” He notes that social interaction causes secretion of serotonin, an opiate-like hormone, and asserts “… religion is a natural system that replaces what we call “brainpain,” with its antidote, “brainsoothing.”” In other words, religious social interaction triggers serotonin to soothe our souls (or whatever it soothes, considering that Tiger doesn’t believe in souls).

Another observation: “Religion tastes sweet to the brain – especially the remarkable idea of an afterlife that holds people accountable for their sweaty and ambiguous earthly lives and rewards or deprives them elsewhere.” Tiger thinks the afterlife is a ridiculous idea and “… research concerning the moist meat in our skull” shows brain function is the source of religion, not the supernatural.

He thinks religion depends “more on the imaginative and deeply felt assertions of thinkers and advocates than on the kind of tough evidence, for example, required in a legal trial for fraud.” Let’s ignore the smugness and look at what he’s saying.

His claim that faith can't produce trial evidence is a cheap shot because Tiger's position on religion wouldn’t pass muster in court either. The question is, “What does the evidence support?” whether it's usable in court or not. He claims the brain produces religious experience. If so, why does this ability exist at all? Isn't it more plausible to believe man is deliberately wired to experience a real God than to think it's just there for no particular reason?

Tiger believes “very few people are convinced by theology”. It’s anybody’s guess why he thinks this, since there are questions that can only be answered by faith. For instance, where did our highly organized universe come from? Tiger probably thinks it magically “appeared” while the faithful see the hand of a Creator, just like Einstein did.

And how does he account for verifed out-of-body experiences or personal miracles that can’t be chalked up to coincidence? There’s more to these than serotonin.

Tiger rejects the idea of reward and punishment in an afterlife. But the prospect of divine judgment is a practical incentive to live by the Golden Rule. Without God’s influence, why would man behave morally? If we’re just soulless “moist meat” we’re merely self-absorbed critters– which is the way many have been behaving.

Our society has developed major problems after flouting God’s teachings and this decline demonstrates the rightness of God’s direction. It’s a vindication of His teachings and further proof of His reality.

It’ll be hard for Tiger to convince a jury in his “legal trial for fraud” that serotonin even comes close to explaining it all.

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Faulting Fans

2011-09-07T11:17:00.009-04:00

The U.S. Open

When a tennis ball is hit out of bounds it’s called a fault. Out of bounds fan behavior has finally reached the
esteemed US Open.

I’m not a tennis fan but I do know it’s got to be quiet during play. To the uninitiated it’s amusing to watch thousands of intent but silent people sit cheek by jowl moving their heads in unison. Left to right, right to left, left to right……

The sport is dignified – except maybe for John McEnroe back in the day – and respects time honored traditions. Tennis was one place where splashy self-centeredness was usually held at bay.

Everything a player sees and hears is important: crowd movement, conversation, flash photography and cell phones are banned to enable concentration. Players need to hear the sound of the ball coming off an opponent’s racket to help determine their return. Plus, the umpire’s rulings can’t be heard above chatter.

But even tennis has been affected by the societal coarseness that’s metastasized over the past forty years. It happened at the U.S. Open. According to Karen Crouse writing in The New York Times, “a women’s singles match was being played, but in a midlevel suite two men and two women, drinks in hand and backs to the court, carried on as if they were at a cocktail mixer.”

“On one point, their peals of laughter caused the server to catch her toss and the chair umpire to call for silence. The suite holders were so oblivious, they did not know the scolding was directed at them. The match ended, and they kept talking.”

“Last year, fans were shouting between serves” said Daniel E. Doyle, executive director of the Institute for International Sport at the University of Rhode Island. A “fan approached the offenders and told them to be quiet.” Peace was restored when an usher got involved. According to Doyle, “It was as if they were oblivious to the protocol. They were more important than the athletes who were on the court competing.” Doyle described the “disintegration of fan etiquette as “the biggest threat to sportsmanship.”

Sportsmanship used to teach kids to play fair, be courteous to other players, not to gloat in victory or be a sore loser. Professional athletes were expected to publicly embrace these concepts even if they were less than perfect in private life, while the fans generally emulated and promoted the sentiments. We’ve lost this informal social compact as intrusive, crude behavior became a normal part of spectator behavior. It mirrors changes in society at large.

The decline of sportsmanship coincides with attacks against Christianity and its values. After all, what’s the essence of sportsmanship if it’s not “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?

Rampant offensiveness nourishes the moral relativism that brought us to this point. If we’re to restore civility - which we need in everyday life even more than in sports - we need a resurgence of Christianity. Is there anything else that can do it?

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Church with Jimmy Carter

2011-08-24T09:30:00.006-04:00

President Carter, Mrs Carter and me

It was a hot July morning in Plains, Georgia when we pulled into Maranatha Baptist Church. The modest brick building is set back from a country road and is like many other small churches except for the bomb-sniffing dog who circled our car and the Secret Service agents who examined the contents of our pockets and scanned us with a wand before we entered.

Maranatha is former President Jimmy Carter’s church and he teaches Sunday School classes here regularly. This was his 551st class. It started promptly at 10:00 AM when Mr. Carter walked in with a noticeable limp. He’d recently had knee replacement surgery and was scheduled for another in a few weeks.

Around 120 people attended the service, mostly people who came to see Jimmy. The previous week’s attendance was 31 – including seven guests - but it balloons when Carter teaches.

President Carter asked where the attendees were from. We answered California, Massachusetts, Idaho, Texas, Michigan, Kentucky and more. A cross-section of America attending church together in the middle of nowhere in a town so tiny you could miss it if you blinked your eyes while passing through.

Carter briefly explained his current humanitarian and political involvements, including the Carter Center’s work to eradicate tropical diseases and supervise foreign elections. I envisioned him hanging out with other locals on the seats that still set outside brother Billy’s old Phillips 66 station. After discussing the price of peanuts, a straw-chomping farmer might lean back and casually ask, “So Jimmy, what’re you up to this week?” To which Carter might reply, “I’m going to Pyongyang to free some detainees,” or “I’ll be supervising the Palestinian elections.”

He spoke about what it meant to be a Christian, taught that all of us are called to share the word of God, and advocated daily Bible reading. The Carters take turns reading out loud to each other a page or two at a time, usually in Spanish so they can practice the language.

After a break the regular parishioners arrived, including Rosalynn Carter who came in with her husband. They sat toward the front on the right side next to an aisle. The preacher was Dr. Dan Arail, a retired minister filling in for the regular pastor. He spoke about how truth is hard to come by. The sermon was entertaining because the reverend relished being irreverent. At one point he asked “What do you call 1,000 lawyers at the bottom of a lake? A good start!”

The Carters stayed for photos with visitors. Due to the President’s recent surgery, both he and the former First Lady sat in chairs at the front of the church. We lined up, gave our cameras to church members, greeted the Carters and had our pictures taken. When I shook his hand I was surprised by its size and strength. But more impressive was his gracious dedication to sharing Christian faith in a venue that others in his position would consider unbefitting.

For the 551st time.

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Tanya's Dilemma, Part 2

2011-08-10T11:56:00.009-04:00

Tanya

At 24, Tanya has six children, no husband, no high school diploma, no GED, and no job.Situations like hers are common in a society that withholds moral judgment on unwed childbirths and then subsidizes them.

Single parenthood can occur because of a spouse’s death, justifiable divorce or other reasons. These people deserve love, respect and help. This article isn’t about them: it’s about those who heedlessly burden themselves and the rest of us with self-centered bad decisions. Think “Octomom.”

According to columnist Mona Charen, there are enormous ramifications to the decisions made by an army of Tanyas. These single parents are often in a bind because they “find it much more difficult to be autonomous self-supporting individuals.” This used to be a minor problem, but now over 40% of American births are to unwed mothers.

The government assists single parents at a huge cost, but the money isn’t the big issue. Any single parent can tell you how stretched they are and how they wish they could devote more time to the kids. The result is less parental love and direction while latch-key kids are “educated” by their peers. There’s also the loss of interaction with the father, denying children the chance to observe and understand the differences between the sexes.

And that’s not all. Writer Kay Hymowitz says “marriage patterns are creating a caste system in a country that had traditionally enjoyed relative equality.” The well-educated have stable marriage rates and they’re “rearing their children in orderly, supportive environments in which kids are taught to study hard, delay gratification and plan for the future. But 54% of the children of high school dropouts are illegitimate. Their parents’ lives are marked by financial distress, conflict and turmoil.”

“The outlines of a permanent caste system become visible, with the educated raising children who have the tools to become successful themselves and the poor and lower middle class continuing to give birth under circumstances that virtually condemn their children to poverty. Unless we find a way to discourage unwed childbearing and revive marriage, the chasm between the classes will continue to grow.”

As marriage becomes increasingly anachronistic the price gets higher. Kids no longer see a commitment between parents that transcends individual wants and instead learn that “looking out for number one” is the ultimate good. This isn’t healthy for either the individual or the community and it certainly isn’t Christian.

We’re in this fix because we’ve ignored God’s will, suspended common sense and encouraged reckless single parenthood. We – and Tanya – should learn that flouting biblical teaching leads to destructive consequences.

We can only right this if we discourage irresponsible behavior and stop promoting it. Manmade laws have put us on this path, it’ll take a higher authority to offer a way back, and a resurgence of Christianity may be the only way to re-weave our shredded moral fabric. The effect our faith can have in the here and now, not to mention eternity, is a powerful reason to evangelize.

Photo Credit: Michael S. Gordon, The Republican

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Tanya's Dilemma, Part 1

2011-07-19T22:21:00.007-04:00

Tanya

The Republican in Springfield, MA sometimes does heart-rending stories about people down on their luck. Nancy Gonter reported about a 24 year-old woman named Tanya who lived in a state paid motel room with her 2 year-old son.

It’s a tough life: they can’t sleep because of noise at night and fighting in the parking lot. Other women in the same situation sometimes help “but other times they (don’t) get along and (cause) trouble for each other.” She doesn’t have a high school diploma, GED or a job but she does have six children, “three daughters who live with her mother and two sons who have been adopted by other families.” No mention of any father(s).

Tanya doesn’t have a car and finds it difficult to get to her therapy appointments. Given her straits, it’s not surprising she needs professional help. But wouldn’t it have been better to avoid this in the first place?

Births to unwed mothers skyrocketed to 41% in 2010. Some theorize that when contraception and abortion put control of pregnancy in the hands of women, men eschewed responsibility for it and women were left to deal with the consequences on their own. Others blame overly generous welfare benefits that encourage childbearing while discouraging two-parent homes. Still others believe a shortage of jobs for the less educated created a drop in the number of marriageable men. These rationalizations all miss the point.

Decades ago Tanya’s first pregnancy would have brought shame. Shame is “a painful emotion caused by a strong sense of guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness and disgrace.” It powerfully discourages destructive behavior, but it only works if society sets standards.

Couples who “got in trouble” would either marry in a shotgun wedding or the woman would remain single and give the baby up for adoption. Society’s interest was in raising the child in a stable two-parent structure and the consequences of unwed pregnancy encouraged prudence. It’s the reason the illegitimacy rate was only 5.3% in 1960 – well before effective birth control was widely available.

The Bible says we should reserve sex for marriage, which made sense for lots of practical reasons including child-rearing. Although not universally observed this teaching informed moral standards that were overwhelmingly embraced by society.

Today words like “shame” and “illegitimacy” are politically incorrect, and we don’t seem to believe society has the right to judge any individual behavior short of killing (and even then we try to blame everything but the murderer).

Society has strangled biblical teaching about marriage in the name of personal freedom. But it’s freedom to stunt children’s chances in life while burdening society with inadequately educated children, the costs of supporting the avoidably financially strapped, higher crime rates and the perpetuation of destructive morays into yet another generation.

Christian tenets are flicked aside as unrestrained individual choice chips away at any sense of personal responsibility. Spurning God’s guidelines obviously has consequences but an oblivious society refuses to see it.

The next Christian Standpoint will look at some of these.

Photo credit: Michael S. Gordon The Republican

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