20-20 Faith Sight

Let's Talk TV Trash

2012-01-27T06:46:00.000-08:00

The Parents Television Council is often criticized by "mainstream media" and television stations as being old fuddy-duddy religious naysayers. However, for those of us who still have morals and values, the PTC keeps us informed of what is going on in the TV world. Since around last April, I've been collecting their information. It's time to post some highlights here for those who haven't been keeping track.

-The immensely popular TV show Glee, in its colorful first two seasons, criticized Christianity and Bible beliefs (in the premier episode - they didn’t waste any time), encouraged the young characters to lose their virginity not only to peers but to teachers, celebrated that loss of virginity in happy musical numbers, and allowed its characters, who are supposed to be teens, to be paraded on magazine covers in Playboy-like fashion. The show is still basking in its popularity.

-Last season, there was a new cartoon called Allen Gregory, about a pubescent student who sexually fantasized about his teachers and principal, drank alcohol and used profanity. It was shown during the family hour at 8:30 PM Eastern Time, right after The Simpsons. This show got canceled, but now there’s a cartoon called Unsupervised, where the teens also talk trash and use sexual overtones.

-TIME Magazine reported in October of 2011 that a study from the medical journal Pediatrics confirms profanity and trash language does absolutely increase the aggressiveness of children.

-This season, the show Modern Family had the first F-word said by a two-year-old child. When encountering questions about their decision to do so, the show's producers defended it by saying they are just reflecting the everyday family.

-And if you expected Two and a Half Men to get a more wholesome look with the debut of Ashton Kutcher replacing Charlie Sheen, then you tuned in to the immediate escalation of filthy talk and nudity within just the first episode. And it's all gone downhill since then.

-Some television networks have lobbied the Supreme Court to remove any obscenity restrictions (like the case FCC v. Fox Television Stations), and many TV shows are adding clauses to their actors’ contracts requiring them to sign that they will perform in the nude.

But most of this happens on special-order cable channels, right?

Wrong. The E! Network is part of many basic cable packages. I was flipping stations the other day and saw that episodes of Sex and the City, originally an HBO series, were being rebroadcast on E! at times like 3:00 PM when kids are home from school.

Beside the sexuality, there is documented evidence of profoundly increasing acts of violence and the graphic depiction of blood, gore, beaten bodies, and brutally battered and murdered men and women.

If you want to get this news as it comes out from the Parents Television Council, subscribe to their e-alert newsletter here.

(The writer of this blog has no connection to PTC, and is not receiving any compensation for mentioning the organization or any magazines or TV shows in this article.)

"Finding Angel" with Guest Author Kat Heckenbach

2011-11-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

When last I clued my readers in to the writing of Kat Heckenbach, here at the Author's Corner, her fantasy for middle graders Finding Angel wasn't published yet. Now it's out! After having the privilege of proofreading several chapters, I couldn't wait for it to be in print, and it's everything I expected.

Finding Angel is a terrific flight of imagination into the world of a group of young people who find themselves with powers and traits they didn't know they had. But I can assure you, adults will find it just as fascinating. A discerning eye may see hints of the faith that the author carries in her life.

I invited Kat to tell 20-20 readers how the book came about:

"Sheryl, thanks so much for letting me be a guest on your blog, and sharing about my book release. I chose to write for this particular age group because middle grade is when I first fell in love with fantasy writing. All things magical captivated me, including mythical/magical animals like dragons. I can’t imagine starting with any other concept. At its core, fantasy *is* fiction to me.

It took about three months to finish the first draft of Finding Angel, and then another four years of learning about writing craft, editing, rewriting, etc., to get where it is today. All the while, I searched for a publisher and/or agent. My break finally came when I answered a call-out for artwork from a small New Zealand press called Splashdown Books.

The owner, Grace Bridges, knew I was a writer when she took me on for the artwork, and soon asked to see my manuscript. It was a bit of a risk for her, though. Until accepting Finding Angel, all of Splashdown’s books were for adults. It’s new territory, but it hasn’t been an obstacle—Finding Angel has been one of Splashdown’s top sellers so far."

This novel isn’t the extent of Kat's writing, though...

"While searching for a publisher and working on improving the manuscript, I fell in love with short story writing, both fiction and nonfiction."

She now has over forty short story publishing credits. They've been seen in a wide array of online magazines and in print anthologies from fantasy, sci-fi, and horror to Chicken Soup for the Soul. A complete listing of her publications can be found at http://www.katheckenbach.com/.

Finding Angel is available at Splashdowns Books, at Amazon.com in both print and Kindle versions, Barnes & Noble in print and Nook, and Smashwords for all ebook formats.

Thanks for joining me, Kat!

Max Lucado says, "Come be a part of God's story"

2011-10-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

My Author's Corner page here at this blogsite is usually reserved for giving exposure to self-published and small press-published Christian authors. But I recently had the wonderful opportunity to personally interview well-known author/pastor Max Lucado for my freelance newsbeat at Yahoo Contributor Network News. He's written a new book, God's story, your story (Zondervan, released Sept. 20), about how God has a plan for each person in the world.

See the Yahoo interview with Max Lucado here. But there's more! Not included in that interview, due to a limit on my word count, was a part of the discussion we had on "end times" - the arrival of that time when Jesus may return to take believers home, and the world will be changed forever.

Here is that additional interview piece:

Q: Do you believe we’re seeing signs of the “end times?”

A: There’ve been whole generations who thought they were in the end times. But I truly believe that many of the signs Christ told about have already come true. Matthew 24:14 says the Gospel will be preached to the whole world right before the end comes. Of the nations that have not yet heard the hope of Christ in some way, there are groups currently dedicated to translating into remaining languages. Modern broadcasting and the internet have reached many avenues. It's evident, the signs of end times are already here.

Looking for spiritual fulfillment? Take Max up on his invitation to look heavenward and become part of God's story. Here's the book link: God's story, your story.

If you're a Christian, you can go to Max's site, specially connected with this new book - HisisMine.com - and leave the story of your spiritual discovery, to encourage other people. Some great stories are already there.

Photos used with permission: Courtesy of Lucado press kit, Zondervan Publishing and DeMoss Public Relations. Photo of Max Lucado by Karen James.

Taking a computer break...

2011-08-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

To all 20-20 Faith Sight Fans and Viewers -

Sheryl is taking a computer break to nurse bicep tendonitis and other body aches induced by repetitive computer activity. Please enjoy the articles that are currently under the titled Tabs. See you soon.

'Average Joe' Candidate Matthew Gerwitz - More of our exclusive interview

2011-07-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

Matthew Gerwitz, the 2012 Presidential candidate calling himself the "average joe" contender, continued our Q&A sessions with me in the past two weeks, over at Yahoo News. He is still unaffiliated from any party, and believes our political system needs a lot of change.

In Part 2, he reveals he's a Christian pastor working three jobs to support his family. We discuss what led to his decision to enter the race, and controversial issues like politicians who manipulate the system, "homophobia" and "hate." Of the latter two, he explains why this perception of Christians is a mistaken generalization. See Part 2 here.

In Part 3, Gerwitz continues discussing his campaign. He gives his thoughts on what's right or wrong with pulling troops out of Afghanistan, and the misinterpretations of "separation of church and state." See Part 3 here.

And, if you never saw Part 1, find it here. Readers can also follow Gerwitz's campaign at his website, on Facebook, or connect with him at Twitter.

'Average Joe' enters 2012 U.S. Presidential Race

2011-07-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

He's not a politician. He's not a billionaire businessman. Yet, he's decided to run for U.S. President in 2012. See an exclusive first interview with new, independent candidate Matthew Gerwitz here at Yahoo News.

Gerwitz is running because he feels the government is leading us down the wrong path. This link goes to Part 1 of the interview. Re-visit me here to find the link to Part 2, or keep watching the Yahoo News Contributor Network.

How Much should Kids know about Osama bin Laden?

2011-05-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

In the days immediately following Osama bin Laden’s death, a Yahoo press release showed that internet search engines were flooded by teens asking, “Who was Osama bin Laden?” and related questions like what happened on 9/11 or why did he have to die.

How much should we protect our children from the negativities and realities they will face out in the world? Did schools have the responsibility to discuss bin Laden? And how can Christian parents explain why the man had to die, when the Bible appears to condemn murder and tells us to love our enemies?

See Sheryl’s full article here at The Christian Post.

But before leaving this site, ask yourself: In these days of strife around the world, and especially concerning Israel, the U.S. and terrorism, why should Christians and Jewish people have a better relationship? Check out the book at the right hand column.

Is There a Next Billy Graham...or should there be?

2011-03-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

As our esteemed world evangelist Billy Graham has aged, there's been lots of speculation as to who, if anyone, could take his place. Or should they? Not every pastor is called to be a traveling evangelist, but every Christian is called to be a witness for Jesus until the whole world hears (Matthew 28:19-20). Can we all do it with Graham's perspective that opened so many doors and hearts, or will we shout things that only insult people and turn them away from God's amazing grace?

See my article "Is there a next Billy Graham" as published at The Christian Post.

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" Colossians 4:5-6 NIV.

Male-Bashing, Domestic violence Against Men on the Increase - Part 2

2011-01-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

(Please see Part 1 here).

Disclaimer: This writer is not a psychologist and cannot delve into all the problems surrounding male or female rape or abuse. If you are a man or a woman involved in domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline:1-800-799-SAFE. If you're in immediate danger, call 911.

The emasculation of the male on television and the Hollywood big-screen may have originally been caused by women becoming more vocal in real-life over male-on-female abuse. Also, with the Feminist Movement, we became more conscious (and rightfully so) of dead-beat dads walking out on responsibilities.

However, can this have contributed to growing problems of domestic violence by women abusing their men, verbally or physically?

Whether or not disrespect for men on TV can roll over into women and children doing it in real life, we have a growing problem of domestic abuse perpetrated on men.

Due to hard economic times and American people having a skewered vision of always expecting the other person to make them “happy” all the time, both men and women are becoming more abusive.

According to Oregon counseling.org, of every 100 incidents of domestic violence, 40 cases are now violence by females against male partners. Men are even less likely to come forward than women because of their pride.

The website states that women are increasingly becoming verbally and physically violent due to the same reasons as men: Alcohol abuse and psychological disorders. But the one probably affected most by our economic times – and responsible for the increase – is unrealistic expectations of both themselves and their partner.

Because of our desire for material comforts and all of our American freedoms, we’ve grown to expect “happiness.” Many times we think “this is the person that’s going to make me happy” – while the other person is depending on you to make them happy.

Women Against Domestic Violence lists these reasons why a certain type of woman may become violent toward her man:
-She has internal insecurities, emotional problems, faced trauma during childhood, has addictions, or has attempted to withdraw from addiction.
-She blames the man rather than examining her own problems and taking responsibility for how she lives.
-She refuses to admit needing treatment, and instead insists the man needs treatment.
-She believes her man is responsible for making her feel worse or better.
-When the man can't make her feel better, she becomes frustrated and assumes he is doing it on purpose.

There is another source of help. He is God. I truly believe if couples would turn themselves back over to Jesus as Lord - never mind the awful things being said about "religion" and specifically Christianity - we could find indescribable joy instead of momentary happiness. And everyone would be treated better.

Ephesians 5, excerpts:
1-2: “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children, and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…
3 … among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people…
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—
30 for we are members of his body.
31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

Scriptures are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Male-Bashing, Domestic Violence Against Men on the Increase - Part 1

2011-01-21T14:15:00.000-08:00

In April of 2010, I did a post on the drastic increase of TV Violence Against Women. Subsequently, I received some anonymous comments about the increase in violence against men committed by women. The comments conveyed a general feeling that nobody is covering the issue of male-bashing.

Although there is a lot of male-bashing on TV – we’ll get to that in a moment -- I got the impression that the real concerns were about real-life domestic violence against men which may be an extension and result of the violence we see on TV. Real-life domestic violence wasn’t the issue addressed in my earlier post. But we’ll briefly explore it in Part 2 of this entry.

Regarding violence acted-out on TV …
I’ve spent the last few months watching both movies and TV shows closely to compare the type and amount of violence shown against men versus that depicted against women. Men are generally represented to have been killed in murders, yes, including murders by women. The Oxygen show Snapped is a good example of this. But acted-out depictions of rape and spousal abuse against men are not increasingly appearing on screen..it's usually just the dead body we see. And that's getting more gruesome in detail.

Now, verbal and situational “male-bashing” is a different story! It’s everywhere on TV!

From early 1950s TV through the 1990s, we had family sitcoms where the TV dads were often funny, but nevertheless had the respect of their kids and wives. Male stars portrayed men who, in the end, dispensed moral duty and leadership along with tenderness. Many shows come to mind from Leave it to Beaver (1957-63) to Happy Days (1974-84), The Bill Cosby Show and Growing Pains (1984/85-92), and Prince of Bel-Air (1990-96). About the last of these was Home Improvement (1991-99). Granted, "Tim" was pretty nutty when he was around his gadgets. Yet, his morals were high and his family yielded to him and respected him.

But, centered in those forty years, the Feminist Movement turned from job equality issues to rampant male-bashing. Crops of single female stars boasted about having babies “without needing a father.” Respect for men decreased greatly. Television in the 2000’s has reflected the long-brewing result of this.

It probably started with “Married, with Children” which became so popular it ran ten years (1987-97). Since then, we’ve had a whole crop of sitcoms where the men look like total buffoons next to the women:
-No common sense;
-Cowering like wallflowers at the words of their bossy wives;
-Kids talking back at them with no consequences;
-Men sheepishly giving in to their family’s every whim and fancy except when they’re able to sneak out and do what they want.
-Being pushed and shoved, and of course it would be wrong to show men pushing back against women or children.

This isn’t only in recent situation comedies about married households like My Wife and Kids, Still Standing, and According to Jim. Men in roommate situations, like Two and a Half Men, haven’t fared much better.

These men are represented as fools with little intellect who drool after every skirt, care only for ballgames and booze, and are wrapped around their girlfriend’s or even their mother’s little finger.

Not only that, but it seems even on the TV dramas there’s a woman at the helm. Every police station now has a female lieutenant, every hospital a female chief administrator ordering the men around. We get it. Women can be in command.

Can this lead to verbal abuse and physical violence against men in real life? Please see Part 2.

Religion, Faith and Worship - are they the same thing? Part II - Faith & Worship

2010-10-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

Faith, true worship, and understanding who God can be to us have nothing to do with the outward trappings of man-made denominational “religion.” Faith and true worship must be in the heart. See Part I on Religion here.

About Faith
In arguing against God’s existence, people often say, “I only have faith in what I can see.” Yet, they’ve never seen the Big Bang happen, or seen an ape turn into a man.

In general, faith is believing in what we can’t see…no different for belief in God than the Big Bang.

Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Humans are spiritual seekers. From the beginning of time we’ve sought the comfort of spiritual beings or objects representing them. We see it in cave drawings, parchment writings, temple remains, and modern houses of worship. Some rely on crystals or statues to find strength and inner peace. Improving “karma” is very popular right now. Some folks believe in multiple gods. And some pray to a single God that others say isn’t there.

What triggers this or puts this craving inside us? Is there really an “empty place” that can only be filled by a Divine Presence?

Sales of books like “The Purpose Driven Life” and the “Left Behind” series wouldn’t go through the roof if people weren’t searching for a spiritual center. Doctors say their religious patients are healthier. Even Good Housekeeping Magazine has cited that people who have spiritual beliefs experience less depression and anxiety, and those who pray are 50% more likely to live longer.

If a person trusts God, does that make them weak? What is faith if we don't believe in something by courage? We can’t see God like we can see houses or cars. But those things can be gone in a flash.

God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). This basic message, found many times in both the Old and New Testament, has lasted in peoples’ hearts through centuries, storms, fires, and wars. Unfettered by interpretations, denominations and regulations, faith can be our greatest hope.

About Worship
Many churchgoers think of “Worship” as only the music part of a church service. Worshipping God means everything we do for Him. Church attendance, listening to sermons, singing, praying, reading the Bible or scripture-guided books; giving our money or time to church, missions or charity work; visiting sick people, running errands for someone—these are all forms of “worship.”

What’s not worship? All the memorized prayers said at certain times of day, for certain events, or for supposed cleansing of sin, mean nothing to God if all they are is head-memorized and not heart-felt (see Part I).

We can speak to God without formalized, fancy words and without memorization. We can cry out to Him in our own words, whether in desperation or happiness. He wants that!

Jesus may not have meant for His example of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 to be followed word-for-word, memorized to the point that we don’t think about what we’re saying.

He might have meant just to be sure we include all those steps:
-Praising (acknowledging) Him for who He is;
-Asking for what we need daily without greed;
-Praying that we are as forgiving to others as He is with us;
-Asking that He protect us from giving into sin;
-And lastly, acknowledging that all this is for His kingdom.

That’s what faith and worship are.

Did you know that you can be sure of going to Heaven?
Ask the Lord to come into your heart in a prayer similar to this: Lord, I’m a sinner who needs you. Come into my heart and help cleanse me. Give me the life You know is best for me. In Jesus name, Amen.

This is partially excerpted from the book, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People: Improving the Church’s Relationship with God’s Original Chosen Nation. See info in column at right, or Amazon link here.

Unless otherwise noted, all verses used herein are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Religion, Faith and Worship - are they the same thing? Part I - Religion

2010-10-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we interchange certain “religious” words to mean the same thing when in reality they’re completely different: Religion – Faith – Worship – Customs – Beliefs – Tradition – Culture.

A person may do all the customs of a religion out of habit or respect for their family. But that doesn’t mean they have true faith. It’s just part of their culture and tradition. They may not really worship God with their heart or really believe in their mind.

We probably get the first three confused most often – religion, faith and worship.

The word “religion” is only used or implied in five passages of the standard Bible; once in the Old Testament (also the Jewish Torah), and four times in the New Testament. Only three of these passages define “religion” as an activity.

By contrast, “faith” and “worship” are each mentioned hundreds if not thousands of times, often as God’s command to worship Him.

We often say “religion” causes many world problems. That’s because certain people take what they believe into their own hands for their own agenda, and for unintended purposes. Then, other people who aren’t reading the Bible for themselves follow blindly.

This results in the deadly atrocities of madmen, terrorists, narcissists and cults.

So what’s the real definition of “religion”? And why is it different from “faith” and “worship”?

Real religion is defined in James 1:27: Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

1 Samuel 16:7b says: The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

The first Commandment is the most important of all Ten Commandments for both Christians and Jewish people:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD
your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall
teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up (Moses in Deuteronomy 6:4-7, NKJV).

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment (Jesus in Mark 12:28-30, NKJV).

God reminds us over and over that he doesn’t care for rituals if we don’t love him straight from the heart (Isaiah 1:13, 17, 1 Samuel 15:22, Matthew 7:21, Romans 9:32).

Do we go through the motions of “religion” without thinking about what we’re doing? That’s just ritual. Good works minus true faith are meaningless.

See Part 2 here.

Did you know that you can be sure of going to Heaven?
Ask the Lord to come into your heart, and acknowledge that you have fallen short of His glory – even into sin. Don’t pay attention to what the world says about “organized religion.” Allow yourself to “…be transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Romans 12:2). Empty traditions, denominational differences, grudges and hatred of our fellow man - these keep us from knowing true inner peace and having one-on-one relationships with God.

This is partially excerpted from Sheryl's book, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People: Improving the Church’s Relationship with God’s Original Chosen Nation. See info in column at right, or Amazon link below.

Unless otherwise noted, all verses used herein are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Citizens of Richmond, Virginia fight to keep their 'Christmas' Parade

2010-10-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

Once again this year, the battles over Christmas in U.S. public places are raging. But the citizens of Richmond, Virginia have already won without being dragged into court.

Richmond residents were joined by other people around the country to make a big enough uproar that their city listened.

The annual Richmond Christmas Parade was to be re-named the Dominion Holiday Parade. Word got out that Richmond’s volunteer parade planners felt pressured by this year’s biggest parade sponsor—an energy company called Dominion—to take the word “Christmas” out of the Christmas parade.

A letter on the parade website's home page stated as of October 5 (although it may be re-worded with an update) that a decision was made by the city to change the name to a “holiday” parade in order to make everyone feel welcome.

It accomplished the opposite, by making Christians feel unwelcome.

When the change to “Dominion Holiday Parade” was announced, citizens immediately rallied and the news extended outside of Richmond. Thousands of e-mails and phone calls poured in to Richmond’s city offices and into cities and states where Dominion offers services. According to a story at Richmond’s NBC12 (WWBT-TV), the volunteer parade committee changed the name back to “Christmas” due to this outpouring. Dominion did not object further.

NBC12 also took a poll about this issue. As of October 8, results showed 95 percent of respondents had a problem with the name being changed to “Holiday” parade in the first place.

What’s the big deal over Christmas?

Year after year, cases against Christmas in United States public venues reach the courts because of misinformation—that if a city or state allows a Christmas celebration, they are “establishing a religion.”

And year after year, lawyers fighting to retain religious rights in America, must go to court to prove that the First Amendment says this:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

This is often argued case-by-case from circuit court to the U.S. Supreme Court, using lots of court time and defendants’ money. However, there is nothing in the entire Constitution that prohibits “free exercise” from taking place in public, especially on peoples’ own time—not at their jobs, not at their schools. The Richmond parade committee were volunteers. Anyone who attends the parade does so voluntarily. No one is forcing them. It’s taking place on a Saturday (December 4), when the majority of people don’t work.

This Richmond case shows that people can make a difference.

For Christians who object to “Christmas” being omitted at parade and party-time:
-Stop silently going along with the changes.
-Stop attending your employers’ parties which have now been re-named “holiday parties.”
-Send letters to legislators and organizers.

For those who object to public celebrations of Christmas, Hanukkah or other joyful religious undertakings in December, perhaps the following suggestions would work:
-Stop taking the “holiday” days off that your company offers at this time of year.
-Refuse to accept gifts at this time of year.
-Refuse to accept bonuses at this time of year.
-Remember that if it weren’t for Christmas traditions, it’s doubtful you would be garnering those benefits or getting asked to participate.
-And remember…it’s your own rights that may be removed next.

Interested in helping to defend Christmas? Go to Liberty Counsel's Save Christmas Campaign.

Photo: 2009 White House Blue Room Christmas Tree being erected. In public domain at Wikimedia Commons as a work of the U.S. Government.

(cmp.ly/0 - This writer has no connection to, and has not been compensated, for referring people to the Liberty Counsel site).

Interfaith Marriages are Increasing due to watered-down beliefs

2010-09-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Interfaith marriages are on the rise. In 1988, a General Social Survey showed 15 percent of couples were married to someone of a different religion. The statistic rose to 25 percent by 2006.

Currently (2010), various surveys show that approximately 50 percent of Christians and Jewish people are intermarried to people of another faith.

The figure drops dramatically for those who are regularly and vitally involved in worship services, ministry and reading their Bible or Torah, such as Orthodox Jews and evangelical Christians. These people are more likely to marry within their own belief system.

Christianity and Judaism run the risk of becoming watered down, hybrid faiths when people intermarry or stop religious observances. It is harder to decide how to raise children. Sometimes it’s not even discussed before the wedding day. The answer unfortunately often becomes “we’ll do both and let the kids decide for themselves.” The next step is dropping all traditions, holidays and Bible study because it’s too hard to keep up, or confusion among the children becomes obvious.

In today’s society where whatever we want to do is tolerated and even applauded, the Bible (both Old and New Testament) has become politically incorrect, and people aren’t learning the principles God had in mind. So couples are already entering marriage with a so-so understanding of obeying God's word, or none at all.

In the Old Testament, God commanded the original Jewish generations to remain separate and not intermarry with people who worshiped other gods (Deuteronomy 7:3, Joshua 23:12, Ezra 9:14). In the New Testament, Christians are not supposed to be unequally “yoked” or bound together with non-believers (2 Corinthians 6:14). Yoked comes from two oxen strapped together to carry water or goods.

The result of intermarriage becomes a wishy-washy relationship with God that determines how we live, and it’s because we have our traditions confused with real heartfelt love for God. So pretty soon, there is no true worship left. The next thing to be left behind is a moral compass.

Deut 6:4-9: Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

Proverbs 22:6: Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

(Scriptures taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.)

Photo: Wedding rings, in public domain at Wikimedia Commons.

House Churches Growing in Popularity in the U.S.

2010-09-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

A recent USA Today article reported figures from the Barna Group and Pew Research Polls that both indicated more Americans are attending small house churches.

Some possible reasons:

-They may still be members of larger churches looking for smaller, less formal groups to meet with on other days.

-They've left “organized church” completely for what they consider to be a more intimate and more genuine form of worship.

-Many Americans feel that similar persecution of Christians (as well as a surge in anti-Semitism) to that which is taking place in other countries is starting in America, and that it's time to get used to worshiping in smaller, less obvious places.

What are some differences between mega, small and house churches?

The majority of churches in America are small (50 to 300 members), with a minority of “megachurches” over 1,000 members.

From my experience, members of small churches tend to stay put in their church, as they are satisfied with the fellowship, care and attention from the small staff, giving and receiving care and love from each other and discovering ministry opportunities.

A drawback to this which I’ve seen often is that small congregations are more unlikely to be receptive to changing methods and styles to draw in new people and younger, more technically savvy and “attraction-thirsty” generations. Not that it’s the best thing to do, but it’s an outreach tool to draw people in, and then let God work on everyone’s hearts to blend together in worshipping the Lord.

Megachurches also offer many ministry opportunities, or at the opposite end, anonymity to those who want to worship quietly and just do a weekly observance.

One drawback to megachurches is that, without attending some of their smaller group functions or Sunday school, you won’t get to know other members of the congregation. But if you get involved, you’ll find many smaller church “families” within the family.

House churches generally concentrate more on delving into and discussing God’s word together rather than just listening to the person in the pulpit.

House churches are different from home Bible Study groups in that a house church may contain all the aspects of a church worship service, but in a home setting rather than a formal building.

As with any church, there is a danger of being pulled into the house church leader’s own agenda (if he/she has anything in mind other than biblical) if you are not reading the Bible for yourself. “Test the spirits,” says 1 John 4:1 – there are many impostors who want to draw people in.

In the early days of Christianity, most original believers in Jesus attended small house churches. However, in Acts 2, “all were gathered together in one place,” and about two thousand people accepted the Lord as their Savior.

I guess you could call that a megachurch!

Photo: Center Church on the Green, New Haven Connecticut. Photo is in public domain as Historic American Building, Library of Congress.

(Extra source for house church growth info: Florida Baptist Witness, 8/26/10, p. 19.)

Travel as Entertainment - step away from the TV!

2010-08-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

Looking for a new form of entertainment besides the garbage on most TV stations? Want to get the kids away from video games? Consider some Travel. It doesn't have to be as expensive as you think.

Having been blessed to do some traveling, I've put together an article of "Eight Great Historic U.S. Homes You Can Visit," complete with photos. Since they are in various parts of the U.S., you may live close enough to one of them to make a day trip.

There's fun for romantic couples, American history buffs, or students who need ideas for class papers. There are mansions and humble abodes. Some familiar spots and some you've never heard of are included.

So step away from the television set and video games, start saving your pennies for a Holiday vacation tank of gas or next Spring Break, and come see one of these remarkable spots. Plus, each city offers a lot more to do.

Check this article out, and other great travel ideas, at the BootsnAll Travel Network. Have fun!

Pictured here: The House of Seven Gables in Salem, MA. Taken by...me! © 2009, Sheryl Young

NOTE: The article linked herein is now copyrighted by the BootsnAll Travel Network. Permission to use is required.

(Disclosure of Material Connecton: http://cmp.ly/3. the author received one-time remuneration for the article mentioned herein, but this is not a paid advertisement, nor has the author been compensated by any of the locations mentioned in the article at the travel site).

Author's Corner: "Cancer Journey: A Caregiver’s View from the Passenger Seat" by Cynthia Siegfried

2010-08-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

When your spouse is diagnosed with cancer, you quickly realize that—even though it's not your body—it's your disease. With honesty, strength, and humor, Cynthia Siegfried presents a first-hand account of the struggles and triumphs in a cancer battle—from the viewpoint of the caregiver.

Cancer Journey: A Caregiver’s View from the Passenger Seat offers hope and help for the overburdened caregiver. The author shows that it is possible not only to cope but to find joy in the overwhelming circumstances of life. Follow Cynthia as she travels through unfamiliar terrain and learns that God doesn't waste our suffering. He is our faithful Driver along life's roughest roads.

Cancer Journey offers hope, support, and spiritual guidance for those who provide care for the millions of Americans who are living with catastrophic illnesses. Cynthia recalls:

“On the day my husband, Jim, was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, we began a journey that changed us forever. I was just a passenger, along for the ride, but I was profoundly affected by the illness. Being caregiver to a seriously ill person has problems different from, but equally as serious as, those of the patient.

Unfortunately, support for the caregiver is often lacking. Taking care of my husband while caring for my aging mother and preschool grandchildren, I sometimes felt as if I would crumble under the stress. Hopefully, my book will provide a shortcut for those of you on similar journeys, taking you from the terror of diagnosis, through the fear of recurrence, and finally to a place of peace and acceptance.

Jim frequently says cancer is harder on the caregiver than on the patient. I don’t believe that for a minute. One thing, though, is certain. The view from the passenger seat is different, and bound to be more difficult—if you don’t know the Driver!”

Cynthia has published articles in Nostalgia Magazine, In Touch, Significant Living, Today’s Christian, and Chicken Soup for the Soul's "Cancer Book" volume. She and her husband are co-founders of a support group, f.a.i.t.H.—facing an illness through Him. They are available to share their story for groups, classes, and events.

You can get Cancer Journey: A Caregiver’s View from the Passenger Seat here at Cynthia’s site where she also has store locations listed; or through Wine Press Publishing or at Amazon.com.

For some extra fun, visit Cynthia’s Blog, Caregiver Banter.

New Abortion Pill "Ella" being approved faster than you can say "FDA"

2010-08-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

The latest “Morning After” pill, “Ella” from France, is being considered for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the fast-track with a minimal period of testing. Touted as a contraceptive drug, good for up to five days after intercourse, Ella can actually perform as an abortive drug and follows the earlier and dangerous RU486 onto an aggressive marketing path.

“Ella” (medical term ulipristal acetate) has the potential to become available on doctor’s prescription to girls as young as 16, but done at home with little to no medical supervision.

What happened to the idea that “safe, legal abortions will prevent back-alley abortions?”
Another Morning After pill, “Plan B” is also on the American market as an “emergency contraceptive” for after sex. It administers high doses of a progesterone-like hormone. This inhibits ovaries from producing eggs. Some experts state it can also prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the womb, a near-equivalent to abortion. According to one online birth control store (yes, you can buy this online), it is not to be taken if pregnant.

“Ella” is closely related to RU486 (mifepristone), an abortifacient that actually kills the fetus. RU486 roared onto the pharmaceutical market in around 2000 after being approved by the FDA without the usual battery of pre-approval tests – probably due to strong lobbying from abortion advocates and Big Pharma money-laden sources. It has caused the death of at least 7 American women, others abroad and over 1,000 reported incidents of injuries, infections and suffering.

Life-threatening infection comes when the woman expels portions of the dead, unborn baby at home after one to two weeks of symptoms, bleeding and pain. RU486 is administered by a doctor, but the miscarriage process is medically unsupervised at home, just as some women gave themselves illegal abortions at home prior to the passage of Roe v Wade in 1972.

If parts of the baby remain in the woman unexpelled, this can cause toxic blood (sepsis) from bacteria and possible death.

Trials have already indicated that “Ella” may cause miscarriage if a pregnancy has already started, or birth defects on babies that survive the process. In Europe, adverse effects were also found on the liver.

There is also talk of touch-screen computer ordering of “morning after” pills…as easy as pie at any pharmacy. And if kept in medicine cabinets at home, who knows what child may get hold of them.

“…shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” Micah 6:7, KJV

Photo: Foetus in the Womb by Leonardo Da Vinci, in public domain at Wikimedia Commons.

Teens, Young Adults Still Leaving Churches in droves

2010-07-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

A survey done earlier this year for Lifeway Christian Resources found that teens and young adults are continuing to exit the formal Christian Church setting in large numbers. This has been happening for over ten years.

The phone survey, with 1200 people between 18 and 29 years of age, found the following, and more:

65% rarely or never pray with others. 38% almost never pray by themselves either.
65% rarely or never attend worship services.
67% don't read the Bible or sacred texts.
50% are unsure Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

A different study of the Millenium generation by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life revealed 68% did not mention faith, religion or spirituality when asked what was important in their lives. However, 31% pray by themselves once a day.

Who are they praying to? They say they are "more spiritual than religious." Is their God full of grace and forgiveness, who gives them what they need, or is it some type of Answer Guy who’s there if they want to ask Him for something good that they want?

Reasons for the trend may include:

Technical advances in computers, special effects, and methods of communication have sped up so quickly since 2000 that most churches just can’t keep up with what would attract teens and young adults in order to draw them into the message of what Jesus did for us (John 3:16).
Gen X, Gen Y and the Millenial kids are being taught eight hours a day in school about diversity - you must tolerate everyone and everything they do; but also the contradictory message that “it’s all about you.” Take care of number one.
They’re constantly hearing the Bible is taboo and that if Christians disagree with anyone else’s choices, we are acting “hatefully.”
Their college professors are 53-75% liberal atheists by most expert accounts, and some even outwardly criticize Christian students.
They're being told they don't need to listen to their parents' ideas.
They see people in church being “human” – i.e., having faults or even sinning, which they’re being told by the world makes Christians “hypocrites.”
They’re fed watered down sermons to attract seekers with shallow messages.
Their church leaders’ concentration has been on making the music more attractive than the message is convicting.
They’ve never been faced with negativity, criticism or losing, because the pop psychology of the past 30 years has said “don’t hurt children’s egos,” so we’ve built a bunch of egomaniacal, narcissistic kids who go ballistic at their first rejection.

But the Number One reason:
Is that they haven't been taught “religion” and “faith” are not the same thing. Faith and true worship, and understanding who God can be to them, have nothing to do with the outward trappings of man-made denominational “religion.” Faith and true worship must be in the heart.

Families have dropped the ball on biblical, faith based training in the home, because many of the parents are still young enough to have been through the same education system as described above; and older parents feel threatened by the new concepts of “Children’s Rights.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 says: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up..."

And Ephesians 6:1-4: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

(Verses are NIV, bolding mine).

Source of Phone Survey statistics: "72% of Millennials more spiritual than religious" Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA Today, 4/27/10.

Author's Corner: "Escaping the Cauldron" by Kristine McGuire

2010-07-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

What would prompt a woman who had been a Christian for twenty-nine years to abandon her faith and embrace the occult?

Escaping the Cauldron reveals the view of a former Christian Witch and Medium.

Part biography and part biblical study, Escaping the Cauldron is author Kristine McGuire's testimony of how God saved her from eight years of a “Christian” occult lifestyle. The book offers a clear Biblical viewpoint throughout its short, riveting chapters.

Kristine explains:

"I went from being a committed, although perhaps legalistic, Christian to becoming a witch, medium, and ghost hunter until God restored my faith and life. The book is also a Biblical study which examines the current pop-cultural interest in the occult (in particular ghosts, hauntings, and mediums), and how this interest is affecting Christians and their beliefs about the supernatural."

Why call it Escaping the Cauldron?

"This is actually the first book in a series, “What Christians Need to Know About the Occult”—a series of collections written from my former experiences as a witch, developing psychic abilities as a medium, and ghost hunter. Although the book includes ghost hunting and other paranormal activities, I chose "Escaping the Cauldron" as the main title because witchcraft was truly my entry into the arena of the occult."

What do you think is the most important chapter of the book?

"I think there are several important chapters, but Spiritual Warfare and How Should Christians Respond are the two which bring together everything discussed in the previous chapters, in the hope of helping the reader understand their authority in Jesus Christ. This leads the way to a ready defense and response for any kind of paranormal or supernatural event they may experience in their life as a Christian."

What do you hope to accomplish?

"I hope to equip Christians with information about the occult. I pray the church will acknowledge the presence of this spiritual world around us, and listen to people with stories or claims of paranormal experiences without dismissing them immediately. When the church refuses to listen or offer any Biblical assistance, many people are forced to seek help elsewhere. This generally means seeking out ghost hunters, mediums, and psychics...

I also hope to encourage Christians who may be questioning their faith to seek a deeper relationship with God, especially if they are stuck in a form of legalism. Our answers truly can be found in Jesus Christ."

Escaping the Cauldron is available in paperback and Kindle editions at Amazon, or can be found in paperback and E-Book editions at Kristine’s blog site: Kristine ReMixed and Lulu Publishing.

Kristine is a Christian wife and mother who works with her husband, Thom, through Big Fish Ministries. Beside writing for her blog, she’s a Biblical Counselor and featured columnist for the website Positively Feminine.

The writer of this blog, 20-20 Faith Sight, Sheryl Young, has also written a book, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People. See right sidebar for info.

ACLU caught red-handed in Free Speech case

2010-07-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

ACLU attorneys in Florida have been naughty. They’ve pursued the defendants in a Santa Rosa School District case, while hiding the fact they had no plaintiffs to represent.

The court should have been informed, because having no client would make the ACLU’s position moot and could have changed the outcome of the case.

The case: The ACLU had approached the Santa Rosa School District on behalf of two atheist students who alleged that Christian teachers were forcefully witnessing during class time and within class lessons.

“Evidence” of this was subjective and sorely lacking. Still, the School District was persuaded to enter into a “Consent Decree” forcing school personnel to sign the Decree saying they would cease and desist any Christian free speech - anywhere on school grounds, even free time. The case could have ended there.

But the ACLU then demanded that the Christian school personnel should not even be able to pray at off-campus, privately sponsored events.

Soon, two school administrators found themselves facing a lawsuit for praying at an off-campus event. They were criminally charged for being "in violation" of the decree.

A school district employee who asked her husband to pray at an event, because she wasn’t allowed, was still included in the suit because – after all – he was her husband.

The three were cleared of all charges, but...
The unlawful ordinance was still being enforced. It was so worded that the ACLU and School District could keep trying to find charges against teachers, other school personnel, students, volunteers and even outside associates for not following demands like these:

-The school board could tell local pastors how to seat audiences for church services or events involving any school faculty or students.
-Students couldn't use faith expressions like “God Bless” in any situation.
-School personnel couldn't be seen praying, even to themselves – anywhere in public. Even on their own time.
-Teachers couldn't answer parents’ e-mails if anything about God was in the parents' text; nor could parents and teachers have faith-led conversations.
-School volunteers couldn't answer any questions regarding religion.
-Christian groups weren’t allowed to rent school facilities for private religious functions if it involves benefiting the students in any way.

A snag in the case for the ACLU:
By this point in time, the atheist students had graduated, and therefore no longer had legal standing as plaintiffs. Without clients, by law, the ACLU should have been barred from continuing litigation. But the ACLU never informed court officials.

Attorneys for the defendants found out and brought it to the court's attention. In March, the Court demanded that the ACLU explain why they continued pursuing enforcement of the Decree.

The defendants now have a case against the Santa Rosa School District for illegalities in the decree and violations against the students’ and teachers’ First Amendment freedom of religious expression.

An injunction against the further persistence and enforcement of the Consent Decree has been requested.

As these types of things happen more and more around the country, we as Christians can stand firm and pray. While peacefully exerting the avenues we have to petition the government with our grievances (another First Amendment right), we can know that God is with us.

"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say" (Luke 12:11-12, NIV).

More information with links to the case can be seen in my previous articles at The Underground Online Magazine, here and here.

Author's Corner: "Do Babies go to Heaven?" by Jack Wellman

2010-07-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

What happens to babies, infants, young children and still borns if they die before having a chance to know Jesus?

When several of Jack Wellman’s friends, including a pastor, experienced losing a baby, his heart was stirred to research the Bible on this topic and then write a book to help them and other people everywhere cope with this unimaginable grief.

The resulting book, Do Babies Go to Heaven? also examines whether mentally challenged people, kids with special needs, even pets and people in vegetative states can experience Christ – and also Why God Allows Suffering (the book’s secondary question).

“The answers are in the Bible,” Jack says. He was already a writer when this was laid on his heart.

“I actually began writing from an interest in Apologetics. But then I wanted to establish evidence for Creation and indisputable evidence backing Jesus Christ and His resurrection. I wanted to do this through the disciplines of history, biology, archeology and other logical, philosophical avenues.”

Wellman, a father and grandfather, desires for children to come to know Christ as their Savior. He knows that approximately 84% of children drop out of church once they leave home. So one way he tries to instill a love for God and Jesus is by being a longtime Sunday school teacher of third and fourth graders at his church.

After writing his first book to debunk evolution, (Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies and the Bible), he gave copies to all his former students who were about to graduate high school and go off to college. Most public colleges are nearly wholly devoted to the theory of evolution and the discrediting of creationism.

But he also just has a general desire for people of all ages to know the one true God and find their way to Him. He works with the homeless, helping to provide all kinds of services, and is passionate for telling people the Gospel in every situation possible.

Do Babies Go to Heaven is available here at Amazon.com, and Blind Chance or Intelligent Design here or as a Kindle book. You can also get to know Jack at EverydayChristian.com, his blogsite or his column at Associated Content.com, which is where we first met and discovered each others’ writing.

The author of this blog, 20-20 Faith Sight, Sheryl Young, has also written a book, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People. See column at near right for information.

Condoms for Massachusetts Elementary School Students

2010-07-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is an opinion editorial related to my exclusive Associated Content News article, Condoms for Massachusetts First Graders - Step Right Up, Kids.

The Provincetown, Massachusetts’ School Board decision to give condoms to elementary school students – beginning in first grade – shows how easily school boards are influenced by the political correctness of “Children’s Rights.”

“Children’s Rights” movements started out of concern for child abuse, but have now extended to a child’s “right” to make all their own decisions. Of course, we all know that children as young as five have been around long enough to know what’s good for them. Some "children's rights" philosophies are:

-Kids don’t need to listen to their parents.
-Kids can do whatever feels good to them at any given time.
-Kids shouldn’t allow the influence of older peoples’ attitudes.
-Kids don’t need discipline.
-In fact, discipline should be avoided at every opportunity. No negatives. No criticism. We may hurt their little egos. This is why our children, when they get out into the world of jobs, can’t stand the littlest bit of critique.
-Even crazy statements like the one by Provincetown’s school superintendent stating the condoms must be distributed without parental knowledge to honor the children’s privacy.

Parents are all made out to be ogres who are going to beat and abuse their children. So kids, don’t tell your parents anything anymore.

Thinly veiled temptations into sexual activity:
This school board decision is an example of the thinly veiled attempt to encourage children into the most dangerous sexual activity. It is a ploy invented by adults at children’s expense to sell more condoms and abortions and promote ultra-liberal sexual agendas—including the move to desensitize society to the dangers of pedophilia and child pornography.

There is little proof that the last three decades of early sex education has prevented early pregnancy or the spread of AIDS. In fact most studies, like the ones cited in Part 1, show just the opposite. Kids who have taken sex ed courses are more likely to have sex.

The problem is, the school boards across the country are in the grips of outrageously liberal organizations who are allowed to walk in to schools to teach the kids about sex. They’ve bought the theory that kids are having sex younger and younger, and they need protection.

And why are kids having sex younger and younger? Because of early sex education in school! It’s not preventing sex…it’s encouraging it.

A 2010 Survey conducted for Seventeen Magazine, a fairly liberal teen girls’ magazine, interviewed male teens and young men 15-22 (“That’s What He Said…What Guys Think about Sex, Love, Contraception and Relationships”).

Among the things they said influenced them to experiment sexually at an early age was sex education (p. 7 of the study). More than three quarters said there is too much pressure from society to have sex (p. 3).

Carol Everett Shaw, once an owner of six abortion clinics, testified to Focus on the Family* that when she worked with Planned Parenthood, she was trained to go into public schools (in first and second grade level, sometimes even kindergarten) and begin discrediting parents to the children.

She was trained to teach the children to make fun of the names their parents gave to sexual organs, and that parents were stupid for making up words.

Graduating to third, fourth and fifth grade, she was trained to begin influencing the children that their parents were too old-fashioned to know anything, and that it was okay to experiment sexually.

All this with the goal that Planned Parenthood explained up-front to their trainees: Have this mentality instilled in the children by age 13. If more girls turned up pregnant, more girls will show up at our clinics for abortions.

Pray for your children and grandchildren! They're being attacked from all sides by adults who care only for their own agendas and wallets. Most school boards and school administrators are ill-informed about the various studies mentioned herein. You can get more information to help inform them. See:
Boys and Sex;
Condoms for Massachusetts First Graders (News version);
Teens, Pre-Teens and the “Hooking Up” Culture.

*Carol Everett Interview: “Sex Education and Our Children”, Focus on the Family taped interview, Dr. James Dobson, Carol Everett and Amy Stephens, cassette tape# CS946/15536, © 1995, 1998.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Supreme Court: Student groups must admit those who disagree

2010-07-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

San Francisco’s Hastings College of Law must now force student groups to permit membership to students who disagree with the group’s philosophy and direction.

The Supreme Court made this decision in a 5-4 ruling (Christian Legal Society v. Martinez). It will no doubt set precedent for similar incidents around the country.

This policy means that religious student groups could quite possibly have to admit people of different faiths or even atheists, Republicans would have to allow Democrats, African American groups may have to admit white supremacists, pro-lifers would have to admit pro-choicers, and etc. Imagine a Jewish group being forced to admit neo-Nazis.

The case involved the Christian Legal Society’s on-campus student group. But, according to a report at The Underground Online Magazine, the Supreme Court did not address whether the school was particularly targeting the Christian Legal Society—which would ironically be an act of discrimination in itself.

The ruling states that public universities may supersede a religious student group’s freedom to choose its own leadership.

It’s a ridiculous ruling that shows political correctness running amuck. Our lawmakers and judges are so dense and out of touch that they can’t see this: The only reason people who disagree with a group’s philosophy would want to join that group is to change that philosophy. The person joining really has no interest in that group except to influence from the inside, change or negate the group’s agenda and make the group lose effectiveness in their community.

Case in point: A Christian ministry to the homeless in Tampa Bay, Florida admitted a lady of a different faith on to their Board of Directors. They were forced to do so when she threatened a discrimination suit against them. In the end, they hoped, if she wanted to be on the board, she would help the organization, as she knew from the start it was a Christian group that shared the gospel with those it helped.

This well-known ministry had been feeding, sheltering and clothing homeless people and those with drug addictions for over 50 years. They had a city-wide banquet every year where people they’d helped gave testimony that finding the Lord had changed their lives for the better, and thanked the ministry before an audience of various faiths.

But within a year of her membership on the board, this lady exerted various types of pressure within and outside the ministry, and influenced votes in the direction that they should no longer share the Gospel of Christ with the people they helped.

When the ministry announced it could no longer call itself a Christian ministry, and could no longer tell the people of the love of Jesus, they lost at least half their private funding, and the lady did nothing to call the people of her own faith into action. Instead, she shortly resigned her position. The organization became financially strapped and lost half their effectiveness in the community.

It took about three years for people to rally back around and help the organization financially, but they still can't share news of the Bible.

Author's Corner: "Seeing Things" by Tina Yeager, LMHC

2010-06-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

A mysterious woman claims to see spiritual entities. She’s admitted to Westbury Hospital's psychiatric unit. Psychiatrist Jordan Reinhardt, an atheist, at first assumes the woman is delusional. But he begins to see the same creatures flashing their eyes at him, even during waking hours. Plus, his other patients begin describing the woman without ever having seen her! Topping that off, he’s offered a job that makes him question his own scruples.

This is the plot of Seeing Things, a terrific suspense/espionage novel by author Tina Yeager, LMHC. She laces the fictional tale with her own experience in the mental health field to give it extraordinary credibility. With a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Central Florida,* Yeager counsels and teaches adults, teens, and children in academic, clinical and faith-based settings.

Get gripped by Seeing Things…order it here through Barnes and Noble.

More about Tina Yeager:
As an author, speaker, counselor and friend, Tina reaches from her heart to kindle smoldering souls. Her passion is to guide people across the threshold of healing to access life’s potential. With transparency, humor and wisdom, she addresses audiences in a way they will both enjoy and remember. She writes Christian fiction and nonfiction to help people relate better to others, to ourselves and to God.

Tina’s also a proud wife and mother of two sons, eleven and seventeen years old, and a fellow member of mine at the Tampa chapter of Word Weavers Writers’ Association, where she acts as our chaplain.

…And New from Tina:
Sensing God - "A Spiritual Experience for all Five Senses." Six weekly units for individuals or small groups, blending sensory activities with spiritual wisdom. See Tina’s website for more info and how to order! Or check out her counseling site and blog,too.

*Yeager is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce.

The author of this 20-20FaithSight blog, Sheryl Young, has also written a book, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People. See near right sidebar for details.

Author's Corner: "Barriers" by Mid Stutsman

2010-05-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

Mid Stutsman is a writer of poetry, stories, an author of books and an artist who does cover art, portraits and still life. She recovered from a path of self-destruction through the love, forgiveness and mercy of the Lord.

“When God turned my life around, my desire to create returned, and I've been blessed over and above my expectations! Now, I write to glorify the Lord and reveal His Truth to as many as I can.”

Although Mid and I are only “Internet friends,” we have so much in common. We’ve both participated in Theatre Arts and love movie versions of Jane Austen books. But most of all, we share the love of our Ultimate Friend—Jesus Christ—and we both have a heart for Israel and the Jewish people.

We’ve each written a book on the topic of relating Christians, Jews and Israel. Mine, a non-fiction (see right hand column, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People) and Mid’s, Barriers, a suspense fiction.

Barriers is a controversial suspense/love story set in Israel. It follows a woman, Anne, who makes “Aliyah” (a journey back) to the Promised Land. The sequence of events weaves Arab, Jewish, and Christian characters and concerns into a compelling novel. It will impact your view of Jewish people and Arabs, and change your perspective on the conflict in the Middle East.

All the while, throughout the book, Mid gently conveys the elements of faith in God and His promise to those who believe in Him.

Never before has there been such a great need for Christians to understand Israel, the feelings of the Jewish people, and the spiritual battle in the Middle East. Mid does a great job explaining these issues at one of her websites, The Israel Connection: Understanding Israel in the context of these last days/God's End Times economy. You will find:

News and truths about Israel
Exploring Islam
Unveiling Israel/MidEast Prophecies

Mid has 12 children (two more in Heaven) and 10 grandchildren! She lives with her husband, Fred, in Indiana. Her full astonishing story, plus a myriad of her poetry, ponderings and posts can be found at Mids’ Point, where she often puts out little gems of thought like this:
“When it comes to Love, there is only One who is an expert...the rest of us are just learning.”

Barriers is available through WestBow Press or can currently be purchased at amazon.com, where you can have a peek inside, and other online booksellers.

The Da Vinci Probe: What did Da Vinci really know about the Last Supper?

2010-05-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

What makes everyone think Leonardo Da Vinci uncovered some big Christian secret?

Author Dan Brown's blockbuster 2003 book, The Da Vinci Code, followed by the movie and all its sequels and franchises, seems to have ignited this particular firestorm.

Speculation began circulating in both secular and theological circles, all the way to the Vatican:
-Did Leonardo Da Vinci write an encrypted code on his famous Vitruvian Man?
-Was Mary Magdalene married to Jesus?
-Is there really a Holy Grail?

Seven years later, even Christian magazines are still asking questions like, “Why weren’t there women in Da Vinci’s Last Supper painting?” (Light & Life Magazine, March/April 2010, pp. 10-11).

I’d like some answers from you, Mr. Da Vinci…may I call you Leo?

How is it that you lived from 1452 to 1519—over 14 centuries after Jesus—yet you have all the secrets of his ministry that not even his contemporaries revealed, and the prophets weren't inspired by God to write?

Surely, a Renaissance man like yourself was able to construct a Time Machine. Did you travel back and do the portrait of Jesus at the Last Supper, hiding at least one woman in the background, as some say?

What about those who claim you purposefully left women out of the picture?

Before we ask why DaVinci left women out of his painting, we could ask why they were left out of the Bible's Last Supper accounts, when women are mentioned in many other New Testament scriptures.

All four disciples who wrote the gospels stated that women were the first to see Jesus’ empty tomb (Matthew 28:8-10; Mark 16:9-10; Luke 24:8-11; John 20:10-18). John speaks of the Samaritan woman at the well to whom Jesus offers “living water” (John 4:7-42), and the woman whom Jesus saved from punishment for adultery (John 8:3-11).

Matthew 14:21 mentions women as being present, outside of the 5,000-man count at the five loaves and fish miracle. Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, are mentioned in Luke 10:38-41 and John 11:1-40.

Throughout the book of Acts and his later writings, the apostle Paul mentions by name many women who helped spread the gospel. In 2 Timothy 1:5, he credits Timothy’s mother and grandmother for raising the young disciple.

So why, then, would women be left out of the Last Supper? And why would Da Vinci leave them out of his painting?

Simple answers to these questions:
A Boston Museum of Science website devoted to Da Vinci’s works quotes the artist:
         The most praiseworthy form of painting is the one that most
         resembles what it imitates.

I doubt Da Vinci, having said this, would have put brush to canvas for The Last Supper without first reading Biblical accounts of its occurrence. Therefore, he imitated what he saw in scripture.

He didn’t add women for one simple reason…they weren’t there. And I'd venture to say, he wouldn't think Jesus was ever married, either.

Christians believe that what’s in the Bible was divinely inspired by God through the hands of man, and God knew what books would be canonized.

The New Testament’s writers knew their stories would seem unbelievable and questionable. Luke 1:1-2 states:
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses.

And 2 Peter 1:16 says:
    We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

Why should Christians stick with what the Bible says?
As Christians, we learn to trust the Lord with all our heart rather than leaning on our own human understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Our faith grows through hearing and reading the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

In other words, the greatest faith in knowing that Jesus was who He said He was, and that things went down exactly as they appear in the Bible, comes from believing the book itself...not through the speculations of man.

The people who write these modern-day things can't prove what they're saying; neither have they yet proven the Bible is false.

This article originally appeared here at The Underground Online Magazine, by the author of this 20-20 blog, Sheryl Young.

Photo: Da Vinci's The Last Supper, grid reproduction, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Personhood Amendments proceed across the U.S.

2010-05-05T04:55:00.000-07:00

Mississippi is the most recent state to join 13 others in pursuing a “Personhood Amendment.”

A press release by Personhood Mississippi states they already have enough votes to put their measure on the 2011 election ballot as an Amendment to the Mississippi Constitution.

What is a Personhood Amendment?

“Personhood” amendments are pro-life measures being proposed at state level legislatures. The goal is to recognize, within the States’ Constitutions, that every unborn child has the same inherent rights, dignity and value as every living human from the beginning of their biological development.

Another aspect being pursued in some states is to assure dignity and human rights to every physically or mentally disabled or elderly person; to prevent the notion of involuntary euthanasia.

The “Personhood Movement” is an official nationwide pro-life movement. The website clarifies that Personhood Amendments can also be called Human Life Amendments.

A list of the 14 states that have already constructed and/or proposed Personhood Amendments, and where they are in the process, can be seen here at Personhood.Net – a subsidiary of the Georgia Right to Life Committee. Georgia was the first state with such a proposal in 2007. It hasn’t resulted in being placed on a voters’ ballot.

Approximately 26 other states are taking action to draft similar wording.

Additionally, there are ongoing attempts to get enough petition signatures to file a Federal Personhood Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Psalm 139:13: "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.” (KJV)

This report originally appeared at The Underground Online Christian Magazine, where Ms. Young also reported on Florida’s Personhood Amendment movement.

Photo: Fetal sonogram, wikimedia commons. Relese granted for any purpose.

National Day of Prayer carries on

2010-05-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

The National Day of Prayer, taking place for 2010 on May 6, was established by the United States Congress in 1952. It was assigned its permanent position of the first Thursday in May in 1988.

"In God We Trust" is still imprinted on our U.S. money. That doesn't seem to matter to some activist judges who are willing to do atheist groups' bidding:

On April 15, 2010, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb handed down a controversial ruling that establishing a National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. She said it “goes beyond mere ‘acknowledgment’ of religion because its sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function in this context.”

Crabb’s own statement invalidates her point of unconstitutionality:
The National Day of Prayer encourages people, it doesn’t mandate prayer. It isn’t illegal not to pray. It is a voluntary activity. Nobody will go to jail for not participating.

Although this day is seen by the media and non-religious public as a forceful “Christian thing,” the Official site of the National Day of Prayer Task Force sites a verse from the Old Testament which can apply to both Christians and Jewish people: "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him" (Nahum 1:7).

Additionally, there is nothing nationwide demanding that any certain God be prayed to. Anyone, anywhere can use this day to lift extra prayers to their God.

Justice Department, President Obama will challenge Judge Crabb’s ruling:

The Associated Press reports that the U.S. Justice Department will appeal the ruling, with President Obama as the chief defendant.

On April 30, President Obama also issued the annual White House Proclamation for the National Day of Prayer, although he won’t personally host an event.

The fact that the President will not host a National Day of Prayer event is very offensive to people of biblical faith. In an effort "not to offend" atheists and others, he is instead offending the bulk of the country who do believe in God.

Photo credit: Photo of U.S. Currency showing "In God We Trust" is the work of the United States government, not under copyright. It is in public domain.

Want to know what the Constitution really says about freedom of religion in the First Amendment? Check out this book:

Authors Corner: "Finding Angel" by Kat Heckenbach

2010-04-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Darkness can’t be brought into the light without being extinguished…but when light is brought into the darkness, it will continue to shine.

When you arrive at Kat Heckenbach’s website, you know you’ve landed someplace just a little weird.

From the eye peering out between flowers, to the picture of what seems to be a howling moon with the above quote, it grabs your interest.

And so will her writing.

Heckenbach—mother of two, Magna Cum Laude college graduate (BS, Biology), cancer survivor and article writer for biblically based periodicals—never thought she’d end up being in a category reserved for few: “a Christian who writes fantasy/horror.” It just didn’t seem to fit together.

But she’s found a delicate balance, and a great way to share her faith with her readers. She recalls:

“I realized in the summer of 2007 that I needed to combine my varied passions into one pursuit, writing. I began with an idea that’s appealed to me since childhood—a hidden world where magic and mythical creatures are real. The result is Finding Angel, a Young Adult Fantasy that combines science, magic, and faith.

I soon discovered I was paddling upstream by trying to pitch a fantasy that doesn’t lie solidly in either the Christian or secular market. I started looking for other roads to publication. By the end of 2008, I had begun writing—and selling—personal experience stories to denominational publications. Before long, my stories were making it into anthologies such as The Ultimate Christian Living.

Then came short fiction including fantasy and stories related to my yet unpublished book, Finding Angel. They’ve found a place in Digital Dragon, ResAliens, and Mindflights. My darker fiction has appeared in several secular speculative fiction magazines and anthologies, both online and in print.

But the novel version of Finding Angel is still at the heart of my writing. I’m presently working on the sequel. God is leading me down a different publishing path than I expected, but I’m enjoying the new journey and have discovered a wonderful world in writing short fiction.”

Heckenbach’s work recently caught the attention of a reporter for one of the two mainstream newspapers in her area of Florida. Read more about this very interesting lady here in the Brandon News.

To check out Kat’s weird and wonderful flights of fantasy and darkness that's appealing to both adults and youth, start with these:

“The Artist” (fantasy) at Mindflights;
“Eyes on the Hilltop” (mainstream) at Christian Fiction Online.

Or go to her website, www.findingangel.com, for a complete listing of her work, and to keep an eye out for the publication of Finding Angel.

The author of this blog 20-20 Faith Sight, Sheryl Young, has also written a book, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People. See info in column at right.

TV Violence Against Women Increases Drastically

2010-04-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Parents Television Council has released their October 2009 survey illustrating a troublesome increase in violence, including sexual violence, against women on television shows.

Here are some highlights from the findings in “Women in Peril: A Look at TV’s Disturbing New Storyline Trend”:
-There’s been a 400 percent increase in the depiction of teen girls as victims across all networks from 2004 to 2009.
-Incidences of violence against women on ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC rose 120 percent from 2004 to 2009, while other types of violence during the same time frame increased only 2 percent.
-The most frequent type of violence shown is beating (29%), followed by credible threats of violence (18%), shooting (11%), rape (8%), stabbing (6%), and torture (2%).
-Violence against women tends to be depicted rather than just described, and that of the above violent storylines, the acts resulted in the woman’s death 19 percent of the time.

In a 2010 Survey conducted for Seventeen Magazine, a popular teen girls’ publication, over three-quarters of teen boys polled stated there is too much pressure from society to have sex; due at least in part to being influenced by pornographic images.

Both studies conclude that the acts of violence along with explicit sex seen on TV may contribute to young people viewing aggression and violence against women as normal and acceptable.

The increase in violence doesn’t stop with TV:
The sexual mistreatment and beating of actress Jessica Alba's character in her new mainstream Hollywood movie, The Killer Inside Me, was so graphic that Alba herself walked out of a screening.

Alba plays a woman involved in a sadomasochistic relationship who enjoys being beaten.

In a related issue: See this blogsite's newer article: Male-bashing on TV.

A longer version of this article with more details was originally published here at The Underground Online Magazine.

AUTHORS CORNER: "WORSHIP THEORY" by Chris MacKinnon

2010-04-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

What is “worship"? For a Christian, is it simply singing praises to the Lord? Is it the time or money we give, or the amount of scriptures we read? Is it only what we do on Sunday morning?

When Pastor Chris MacKinnon took his first position as a youth pastor and worship leader in 2001, he began to think about this. It eventually turned into a book, Worship Theory: Laying a Foundation for Corporate and Individual Worship.

MacKinnon says:
“Worship is a vital element to our Christian lives. When Jesus was traveling through Samaria, He answered questions about our worship. The Book of Leviticus is devoted to God's requirements for sacrificial worship. The Psalms are even a sort of hymnal. So why is it that such an important topic goes overlooked?

There are so many questions we don’t ask, so many implications. For example, did you know that [each believer] already has a Philosophy of Worship?

Webster defines philosophy as 'the set of values, opinions, and ideas of a group or individual.' Every person who enters a service must have opinions and ideas of how to worship God. So the problem is whether or not you have a value, opinion or idea about worship that helps guide you in it”(p. 20 of his book).

Worship Theory looks at ten elements of Biblical worship. Some elements affect our corporate worship, while others are based on how worship can be part of our individual lives. It isn’t a book of answers, but of questions. It’s a guide to help us take a journey to understanding worship and making it more personal and God-pleasing in our lives.

How did you get into church leadership?
I began leading worship at the age of 14 in my home church. Music has always been important in my life. So when a youth pastor saw that I could sing, he gave me the nudge. Leading began in small gatherings during high school, and grew during Bible College. There I learned the piano and began to lead in larger groups. So I took that first position [leading youth and worship]. Since then, worship leading always finds its way into my portfolio.

What is your desire with this book, and your blog, www.TouchTheSkye.org?
I have a heart to see the local church fulfill the calling of the Body of Christ. My blog challenges pastors, church leaders and laypeople. I also manage a book review site, www.ChristianBookLounge.com.

A graduate of Zion Bible College, Chris currently lives and serves in New Brunswick, Canada, with his wife and daughters. Find Worship Theory and other resources at his blog site, or at amazon.com.

The author of this blog, 20-20Faith Sight, Sheryl Young, has also written a book, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People. See information in right column.

Pediatricians warn schools: Gender-confused students shouldn't be encouraged to experiment

2010-04-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

The American College of Pediatricians has launched a new web site appealing to educators across the United States.

They are asking school officials not to encourage sexual experimentation among students who feel they may be confused as to their sexual orientation or gender.

The web site, “Facts About Youth” also carries information for the students themselves and their parents.

In addition, the ACP sent a letter and fact sheet to more than 14,000 school superintendents, presenting the theory that many children and adolescents are often confused at first, but if given the chance they grow out of it and into natural affections for the opposite sex.

Little boys and girls may switch to playing with dolls of the opposite gender. That behavior, says ACP, is usually discouraged but may actually be healthy. Most children also don’t often like the opposite sex until they are pre-adolescent.

The pediatricians say that when counseling young people with these feelings, it should not be a green light to encourage experimentation with alternative transgender or sexual orientations.

Some points The American College of Pediatricians brings up:
-Schools should refrain from adopting policies encouraging non-heterosexual attractions.
-Schools should not be quick to establish and accept various sexual labels.
-It should not be offered as proven fact that gender confusion or sexual confusion is non-changeable.*

ACP’s position runs contrary to today’s political correctness:
What The American College of Pediatricians could be declared “hate speech” according to current trends in tolerance and diversity:

-In April of each year since 1996, a “Day of Silence” takes place in public schools. This day was created by GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) in conjunction with other gay rights groups to end what they consider to be the constant bullying and taunting of gay children and teens across the country.

On the Day of Silence, all students are to remain silent in order to avoid the issue of gender-confusion or sexual orientation for an entire day (it is not illegal to keep children out of school that day, as a form of protected religious free speech).

-Cities in Florida, Texas and other states have recently adopted ordinances to allow cross-dressers and persons of various transgender orientations to use the other sex’s bathrooms in public places. No consideration is being given to the concerns of citizens who don't want to use restrooms with people of the opposite sex, or the fact that men may fake a condition in order to gain access to women in restrooms for criminal purposes.

-Congress is once again set to vote on ENDA, The Employment Non-Discrimination Act. ENDA has been circulating for years but never yet garnered enough votes to pass. It is a controversial measure guaranteeing, among other new rules, that schools and businesses must allow cross-dressers, transsexuals, and other gender-confused persons to appear as they wish on a daily basis.

Critics of ENDA fear there is no regard for the effect this may have on students or other employees; and that the sexual orientation language is so broad that it could include allowing fetishes such as bestiality.

What does the Bible say?
Bible skeptics state that if we obey the Old Testament’s laws about homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22-23; 20:13), we would still be stoning gays and lesbians to death.

But in the New Testament, Jesus died once for all to cover our sins (Ephesians 1:7 for example). And although same-sex behavior is still considered a sin (Romans 1:26-32, 1 Corinthians 6:8-10, 1 Timothy 1:9-11), Bible believers are in no way instructed to hate or harm the person(s) involved.

On the contrary, we are to lovingly attempt instruction and restoration of people involved in all sin. The problem is—behaviors of a sexual nature outside marriage between a man and a woman are no longer considered sin by secular society.

* (An extended version of this article with more information on this topic is available here at The Underground Online Magazine.)

President's Executive Order for Abortion in Health Care - why the fuss?

2010-04-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

In March, 2010, President Obama signed Executive Order 13535 to prevent federal funding of abortions in the new health care bill (properly titled The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act).

Exceptions allowing federal funding for abortion will be rape, incest, and “health of the mother.”

The Executive Order replaces the Stupak Amendment, which was keeping some members of Congress from signing the health care legislation.

Why is including “health of the mother” in Executive Order #13535 so controversial?
Doe v Bolton, the companion case to Roe v Wade and signed into law the same day, defines “health of the mother” as any factors decided by the woman and her doctor “that affect physical, emotional, psychological, familial and the woman's age.” This definition is still used today.

Since 1996, at least 500 physicians and surgeons, including former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, have been writing to newspapers and even testifying before Congress that abortion, especially late term, should never be used as a preferred method to terminate a pregnancy if a mother’s life is in danger.

A Wall Street Journal letter by the physician group called PHACT (Physicians' Ad Hoc Coalition for Truth) stated that instead of protecting the mother, certain methods of abortion “pose a significant and immediate threat to both the pregnant woman's health and fertility.”

Congress and President Obama claim that the newly passed health care legislation protects the conscience clause and prohibits discrimination against health care facilities or providers who are unwilling to participate in funding or providing abortions.

However, many say the wording is too broad, and that a majority of elective abortions will be falsely called "health of the mother" cases for the convenience of federal funding.

According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute's surveys throughout the years of legalized abortion, rape and incest only account for approximately 1.5% of all abortions.

The original version of this article was published here at The Underground Online Magazine.

(Photo: President Obama signs an Executive Order for Higher Education [not related to EO 13535] on March 30, 2010. Photo in Public Domain as taken by an official photographer during U.S. Government duties.)

Update: Arizona City allows In-Home Bible Studies

2010-04-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

The city of Gilbert, Arizona is now allowing in-home Bible studies that were banned from taking place earlier this year. See 20-20 Faith Sight's first story here.

Gilbert’s Mayor John Lewis told One News Now that the town council members didn’t know about the "cease and desist" orders issued by a zoning inspector.

In addition, the Christian Post reports that Lewis expressed his commitment to religious freedom and was proud that faith-based groups and religious activities take place all around Gilbert.

Lewis said the code will probably be changed to allow in-home services, prayer meetings and Bible studies free of government intervention. The definition of “religious assembly” may be altered.

On Monday, March 22, the Council held a meeting to discuss changes to the Land Development Code which disallows religious assemblies in private homes. The Alliance Defense Fund was present to represent the Bible study leaders.

The actual Notes of that Town Council Meeting can be seen here. The notes confirm that Lewis reiterated his media-reported sentiments in the meeting; and that the sole agenda item was to revisit and begin revamping the city’s interpretation of freedom of religion assembly.

For now, all restrictions according to current statutes have been suspended. A final change is expected in June.

(Sheryl Young's posts about the Gilbert, Arizona restrictions were originally published at The Underground Online Magazine.)

Authors Corner: "The Victor" by Marlayne Giron

2010-04-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

There’s no better time to talk about The Victor than the week leading up to Easter. Marlayne Giron’s medieval fantasy is a beautiful biblical allegory of what Jesus Christ did for the world by loving us enough to give His own life.

The Victor’s fictional battle between good and evil parallels the battle in our real-life world. Giron exhibits a command of the Middle Age period with historical accuracies, authentic language, bloody battles, sumptuous royal feasts and more. She fleshes out man’s faults and feelings. But she also masterfully creates imaginative visions of things which seem impossible.

For those familiar with the Bible’s Gospel message, there is a clear parable in each character. For those who are not, this is still a novel not to be missed. The Victor succeeds in the strange combination of adventure, action, human misery, brotherly love and perfect romance all at once. It would make as spectacular a movie as any Lord of the Rings.

More parallels: The author and me.
Marlayne Giron and I were recently introduced over the Internet by a mutual friend. However, it wasn’t until after I read and reviewed The Victor that we really got to know each other. We may as well be sisters.

We are both Jewish believers in Jesus, with faith in Him as the Messiah who rose from the dead to bring the light of eternal life to both the Jews and Gentiles (Acts 26:23).

Our parents were all Jewish, but raised us in non-committal Jewish homes. That is, with an obligation to do the observances out of tradition rather than heart-felt devotion to God.

We were taught that it was the height of betrayal to our Jewish heritage to “convert to Christianity.” By our teen years, we both considered ourselves atheists.

Living states apart, we saw movies that sparked our interest in Jesus as the Messiah. For me, there was Spartacus and King of Kings. For Marlayne, there was The Exorcist and The Omen. But the clincher was the same for both of us - the 1977 TV miniseries, Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth.

Since accepting Jesus as Messiah, we both labored over our first books for many years. We each have a greater appreciation for our Jewish heritage, embracing rather than turning away from it. But we long to share through her fiction and my nonfiction about Jesus, the Jewish Carpenter, as the Ultimate Sacrifice for mankind:

“For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

The Victor is available at Giron’s website, thevictorbook.com and most online booksellers, including as a Kindle book on Amazon.com, or through Tate Publishing. For book signings, contact sunnie@tatepublishing.com or call 888-361 9473, ext. 24.

The author of this review and 20-20FaithSight blog, Sheryl Young, has written the book "What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People." See column at right for info.

Valedictorian's mention of "God" and "Jesus" Forbidden in Graduation speech

2010-03-29T07:23:00.000-07:00

Renee Griffith was forbidden to speak as a 2008 high school valedictorian because she was going to mention God and Jesus.

Griffith was asked, along with other students at Butte High School in Montana, to speak about what had gotten her through high school.

The students were required to turn in their speeches for approval prior to graduation.

School officials asked Griffith to replace the words “Christ,” “His joy,” and “from God with a passionate love for him” with just words like “my faith” and “a love of mankind.”

She refused to make the changes, and was not allowed to give her speech.

Griffith first filed a complaint with Montana’ Human Rights Bureau. When it was dismissed, she filed a complaint in the Montana Thirteenth Judicial District Court (Renee Griffith v. Butte School District No. 1)

However, at the end of February 2010, a judge ruled that her free speech rights had not been violated.

The Billings Gazette in Montana reported Judge Gregory Todd's statement. He did not feel the district’s actions were unlawfully discriminatory toward Griffith’s religious beliefs.

The statement went on to say the School District’s policy is to prohibit any religious references during graduation speeches in order to maintain “neutrality toward religion,” as required by the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

But according to the U. S. Department of Education’s release, Religious Expression in Public Schools, there is no such requirement. A student may deliver a faith-based speech when speaking on their own without encouragement or sponsorship of faculty.

Here is the “Official Neutrality” statement within this Document (bolding added):
Teachers and school administrators, when acting in those capacities, are representatives of the state and are prohibited by the establishment clause from soliciting or encouraging religious activity, and from participating in such activity with students. Teachers and administrators also are prohibited from discouraging activity because of its religious content, and from soliciting or encouraging antireligious activity.

The next bullet, “Student Assignments,” states:
Student assignments: Students may express their beliefs about religion in the form of homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free of discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions.

The District Court decision will be appealed to the Montana Supreme Court.

Educate your local School Board, superintendent of education, principals and teachers with this document, which has been circulated to schools several times since President Clinton was in office:
“Religious Expression in Public Schools” http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/08-1995/religion.html.

The original version of this article, with more detail, is published here at the Underground Online Magazine.

be still

2010-03-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

20-20 Faith Sight is proud to offer this original poem from Guest Contributor Gina Burgess.

“be still”

I get to the screaming point.
I want to shout out the truth, but to no avail.
I work and work at trying to be what God wants me to be and I always fail.

Help me, Lord.
Carry me over the fjord.
The chasm is deep and
I weep.

Dry my tears.
Release me from my fears.
Carry the truth to those ears
that refuse to hear
the truth.

Put back that hair that I have pulled out.
Rub the steel bands that are supposed to be my shoulders
for I am done with things as they are, to no longer look back and pout.
Whisper my name, cause me to be still.

Tomorrow I shall go forward,
leaving behind the crumbs and the rust
of broken things.
Tonight I shall snuggle under Your wings
for it is only You that I trust.

© Gina Burgess

About Gina Burgess
Gina studied journalism in college, took a detour to raise two beautiful daughters, and graduated after twenty-five years. Gina’s first love is using her God-given talent to shine a light in a dark world. She is committed to bringing God glory with her writing.

She’s been an editor for several publications, including Lifestyles Editor at her home town's Picayune (Mississippi) Item Newspaper; a weekly column for Studylight.org; and an occasional column for Blogger News Network.

She's a book reviewer for several publishers, a member of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, and has also taught Sunday School and Discipleship Training for…well, many years!

Check out Gina’s blog and book reviews at:
http://refreshmentrefuge.blogspot.com and http://uponreflectionblog.blogspot.com.

Read more of 20-20 Faith Sight's poetry and biblically based insight by the website's author, Sheryl Young, by clicking here or the "Spiritual Things" Tab near the top.

In-Home Bible Studies Outlawed in Gilbert, Arizona

2010-03-22T06:04:00.000-07:00

In November, 2009, city officials in Gilbert, Arizona sent a “cease and desist” order to a pastor and his wife holding small group in-home Bible studies.

According to a Gilbert city law, assemblies of religious groups and private schools are not allowed in private homes. Reasons such as the city’s Land Development Code, zoning, building and parking codes are being cited.

The Bible study group, from Oasis of Truth Church, consists of seven people. The Church holds Sunday services at a school.

This month, attorneys from the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed an appeal on behalf of the church group.

According to World Net Daily, spokespeople from ADF said the law doesn’t prevent Cub Scouts meetings, Monday Night Football parties with numerous attendees or large business parties from being held regularly in private homes.

KTAR.com news radio in Phoenix carried a statement from Senior ADF legal counsel Douglas Napier. Napier said the group was not cited for any specific ordinance violation; there were no neighborhood complaints and no traffic violations.

In an ADF Press Release, Litigation Counsel Daniel Blomberg stated, “Christian church groups shouldn’t be singled out for discrimination and banned from meeting in their own homes.”

Attorneys from ADF will appeal by using the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment Free Exercise and Freedom of Speech clause, alongside Arizona’s own Free Exercise of Religion Act (FERA). They will argue that the town’s zoning code doesn’t authorize banning in-home church gatherings while other groups are approved.

Both World Net Daily and KTAR report that in responses from the city, the town council does find the ordinance troubling and has scheduled it for review at a council meeting.

Because of misunderstandings about the First Amendment among city officials, and the mythical phrase “separation of church and state” which doesn’t exist, incidents like this have been occurring around the country for some time.

For additional information and links on this in-home Bible studies restriction, see a more detailed version of this article here at The Underground Online Magazine. Sheryl Young, author of this 20-20 Faith Sight blog, is a regular contributor to The Underground.

AUTHORS CORNER: "The Little Pot" Children's Book by Dawn Stephens

2010-03-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

Authors Corner here at 20-20 Faith Sight has grown in popularity. So we are now doing two Christian writer/author profiles per month! Expect to see new posts about authors, their books and other up-n'-coming writers revealed here around the 15th and 30th of each month.

As an elementary school teacher and mother of three daughters, Dawn Stephens gained a love for books and was convinced she'd be a teacher forever. But she found herself thrust into the business world. With this changing career path, she searched to understand God's plan for her life, and wrote The Little Pot as part of this quest.

The Story of The Little Pot
Soon after a potter lovingly forms a new pot and declares that he has important plans for his creation, the little pot begins to wonder what its purpose will be. Will it be used to hold important documents? Great riches? Beautiful flowers? As various expectations prove wrong, the little pot is cautioned to wait and see. Gradually, Little Pot comes to realize that its creator knows best and has the most wonderful of all uses planned for it.

Through serving God in many different capacities, Stephens sees her own true purpose to bear “fruit” from whatever “The Potter” gives her. Likewise, she hopes young readers will realize that the same is true for them: that, like Little Pot, they were designed to be vessels that bear “fruit.”

Her warm illustrations beautifully enhance this charming allegory about patience and fulfillment. A valuable teaching tool for parents and educators, The Little Pot's simple but timeless message can be enjoyed by all generations, and many more to come.

Signed copies of The Little Pot can be purchased at Dawn Stephens' website. It is also available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and Borders. Little Pot also has a Fan Page! Go here at Facebook.

Stephens has helped several school systems develop fun, developmentally appropriate curriculum and teaching materials for state tested standards.

The author of this blog, 20-20 Faith Sight, has also written a book, "What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People." See information in column at right.

Casual Sex, Premarital Sex Damages the Brain - New Research

2010-03-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

Guest Column by April Lorier

You've heard it said that the brain is the most important sex organ. Drs. Freda Bush and Joe McIlhaney, authors of Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children explain how science bears that out. They tell how the powerful chemicals dopamine and oxytocin are released during intimacy, causing men to want to repeat the action and women to desire bonding with her partner. They warn that when you attach and unattach with multiple partners, you weaken your brain's ability to stay attached.

Research using brain scans now shows powerful chemicals are released during sex that should create a powerful, everlasting bond.

"When women are skin-to-skin with a man, their brain secretes oxytocin that causes them to bond emotionally to that man. Men secrete a hormone called vasopressin when they're having that kind of intimate behavior. And that hormone has even been called 'monogamy hormone' for men. And it bonds them to the woman," McIlhaney explained.

This oxytocin is so overwhelming in a woman's brain that just a 20-second hug can cause a female to become bonded to a male.

Both sexes get addictive doses of the pleasure-chemical dopamine as well during intimate behavior. That works out well for couples out to create lifelong marriages and stable families.

"They're addicted to sex, and babies result from that. They're bonded to each other," McIlhaney said.

Sleeping Around Weakens Bond
But that bonding, which acts like adhesive tape or Velcro, is weakened when people tear away at its power by breaking off with a sexual partner and moving on from one to another to another. So when it does finally come time to bond permanently with a spouse, the ability to bond is damaged.

So those of us who teach abstinence before marriage might not be as ridiculous as some would have you believe. Surely you want your own children's brains to be able to accept that deep emotional level that's vital to a successful marriage?

These are excerpts from the original article, “Research Shows Premarital Sex Damaging To The Brain” at April Lorier’s Perspective. See more of Lorier here at 20-20 Faith Sight’s Authors Corner, too.

The research in Bush and McIlhaney’s “Hooked” also relates to or confirms information in previous posts here at 20-20 FaithSight: Boys and Sex and Teen Trends: Hugging, Sexting and Hooking Up.

Photo: U.S. National Institutes of Health, public domain.

New Archaeology discovery could be part of Solomon's Temple

2010-03-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

In February, 2010, an archaeological excavation in Israel uncovered a gate, tower and wall that could verify the existence of Solomon’s Temple 3,000 years ago.

The structures, near the Temple Mount outside Jerusalem, are currently being verified as dating back to the tenth century B.C. This would place them at the time of the first temple built by King David’s son Solomon, as recorded in 1 Kings 5 of the Old Testament.

If so, it would provide another piece of the puzzle beside the Wailing Wall (aka Western Wall, which may be from Solomon's original temple or the re-build by Herod).

According to Associated Press, the lead archaeologist is Eilat Mazar from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She stated this to be her most significant find.

However, the Israeli online publication Haaretz reports that Mazar has her critics within the archaeological and rabbinical community – those who feel that most biblical events are myth and she is trying to make things connect.

Skeptics have tried to disprove biblical events since the days in which they occurred. Some items found during numerous excavations bear evidence that stand the test of time.

For example, the Dead Sea Scrolls—more than 800 documents found between 1947 and 1956 in caves near the sea. They’ve been used to authenticate previous archaeological discoveries from 600-700 A.D, including the writings of the prophet Isaiah. Paleontologists confirm those Dark Age parchments to be from before Christ’s day.

Two popular current-day writers, Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel, individually set out to prove the Bible wrong and false some years ago. But both men—McDowell an agnostic and Strobel an atheist—ended up becoming believers in the Bible as truth and in Jesus Christ as Lord. They've written about it ever since their realizations.

McDowell, in his first such book Evidence that Demands a Verdict Volume I, gathered writings and statements of several famous archaeologists for their takes on the Bible as history.

In his Chapter 4, The Reliability of the Bible, McDowell quotes one of the most well-known archaeologists, William F. Albright:
There can be no doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of Old Testament tradition.
And Nelson Glueck, a Jewish archaeologist:
It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.

Even with over 2,000 years worth of evidence, there is no amount of proof that will convince everyone. Sometimes, it just takes faith.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).

Artwork: Engraving by E. Challis, 1860, after an etching by W.H.Bartlett, 1844. Public Domain.

AUTHORS CORNER: "God's Battered Child" by April Lorier

2010-02-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

April Lorier suffered through hellish abuse as a child. She was used as a servant in her own home and reaped only beatings and neglect. It was a generational pattern, as her mother had also been battered.

Upon entering marriage like every girl dreams of, April’s nightmare only progressed through spousal abuse. The lack of love she received, plus illnesses suffered during and as a result of the abuse, made her think she was completely unworthy of anyone’s love, let alone to be caressed by God.

But He had another design. Through all of this, she believes God sent help for her to climb out of the valley and head for the mountaintop, so she could help others. Thus, the name of her book, God’s Battered Child: Journey from Abuse to Leader.

April’s testimony before the California State Legislature helped to bring about the Mandatory Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Law in 1974 (see some of its principles here). She's never stopped ministering to families with the problem of abuse since then, and formed a non-profit organization, C.O.P.E.—for the retraining of abusive and neglectful parents and to educate the public on these matters. She also writes tirelessly wherever she can to get the cycle of abuse noticed, prevented or stopped.

God’s Battered Child is April’s true story of defeat turned into faith and victory. Check out April’s website for the book - she would love to know you’ve heard about it. It may also be ordered here at Amazon.com.

The writer of this 20-20 Faith Sight blog has also published a book: What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People. See details in right-hand column.

Supreme Court says: Campaign money in, McCain-Feingold out

2010-02-26T21:36:00.000-08:00

On Jan. 21, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution's First Amendment freedom of speech does not prohibit corporate campaigning for candidates close to election cycles.

The Court narrowly split in a 5-4 decision. Citizens United v. FCC has been called a free speech victory by some but a defeat by others.

At the state level, the ruling overturns limits on corporate election spending in dozens of states. In the federal arena, it negates about sixty years’ worth of previous laws limiting corporate campaign money, especially the most recent Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (commonly known as the McCain-Feingold Act).

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) prohibits corporations and organizations from sponsoring advertisement for a particular candidate within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election.

It’s been debated whether this Act, prohibiting “issue advocacy ads” or "election communications broadcasts,” is unconstitutional, in that it stifles the free speech of collective groups around elections when it is most important to keep citizens informed.

Although not specifically stated in BCRA, the Act’s wording also limited paid election free speech from unions, general marketplace organizations, religious and grassroots organizations, even those with non-profit 501 (c) 3 status.

Concern about losing this type of freedom of speech came from members of Congress and organizations running the spectrum from conservative pro-life groups to liberal green environmental groups.

The grassroots organization Concerned Women for America (CWA) sees this Supreme Court decision as a victory for religious free speech.

In its Media release on 1/21/10, CWA’s CEO Penny Nance wrote:
"The Court correctly concluded that judges should stop playing semantics with our Constitution and read the text as it is written. The government should not be limiting political speech because someone is rich or poor, or because they disagree with a particular point of view. Americans are the real winners today.”

Nance also noted it's a matter of record that many senators voted for McCain-Feingold with the knowledge that it might be unconstitutional.

According to a Washington Post report, President Obama called the Supreme Court ruling a defeat for American people, saying that removing these limitations will allow "a green light to a new stampede of special interest money."

Writing for the Court’s decision, Justice Kennedy stated, “We find no basis for the proposition that, in the context of political speech, the Government may impose restrictions on certain disfavored speakers.”

For the dissenting judges, Justice Stevens called it a radical change in the law ignoring the opinion of most previous Supreme Court justices.

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act prohibited campaign money not only for candidates, but for simple discussion of issues within election time frames.

This article was originally published at The Underground Online Magazine. Check out the Underground for a fresh perspective.

Boys and Sex: And the survey says...

2010-02-12T06:47:00.000-08:00

Are teen boys going to have sex? Are ALL teen boys having sex? Answers in a new survey may surprise readers.

What boys think about sex can be found in a 2010 survey conducted for Seventeen Magazine in conjunction with The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

February 12 is National Purity Day, a teen movement now in its seventh year, and an appropriate time to look at some of these survey results.

In “That's What He Said: What Guys Think About Sex, Love, Contraception, and Relationships,” 1200 online interviews were conducted by TRU with teen boys and young men ages 15-22.

P. 3: (page numbers not counting the cover)
• Over three-quarters (78%) stated there is too much pressure from society to have sex (this could be due to findings on p.7 that guys are influenced by pornographic images and sex education).

P. 4:
Bad news:
• More than half (57%) of those who have had sex admit they’ve had unprotected sex.
• Nearly one-third (30%) say they would have sex even if there was no condom handy.
• Three out of ten (19% of the younger, 35% of the older) say they've had sex with a girl whom they knew was drunk.
• One in six (17%) say they wait for their partner to insist on using protection.
• 15% don’t know that condoms aren’t foolproof.

Good news:
• 23% have lied about not being virgins when they actually were! Of the 60% who admit they’ve lied about having sex:
• 44% lied to appear more sexually experienced; 39% say they lied to appear “cooler.”

• Seven out of ten (71%) say that a girl who has “sexted” (sent nude or semi-nude photos of herself via cell phone or internet) is not girlfriend material. See this blog site’s previous post on “sexting.”

P. 7:
•542 of those surveyed were virgins! That’s the best news on boys and sex in a while - and surprising, with all the encouragement on television and in movies to just go ahead and do it.

Authors Corner: "Mission Possible" by Deborah McCarragher

2010-01-28T11:48:00.000-08:00

20-20 Faith Sight proudly debuts a New Monthly Feature: AUTHORS CORNER.

Once a month, AUTHORS CORNER here at 20-20 Faith Sight will offer an interview with:
1. New authors of quality self-published or small press books with a Christian message; or
2. Up-and-coming prolific Christian story writers who have been published in multiple professional venues.

First Up: Deborah McCarragher, author of Mission Possible: Spiritual Covering.
Deborah’s book, Mission Possible, addresses an often-overlooked struggle—the quest for women to reach their “non-believing” husbands for Christ. It was nominated for Christian Small Publisher’s Association Book of the Year Award for 2009.

Deborah McCarragher began her journey of creative writing soon after coming to know Jesus as her personal Savior in 1989. She feels her God-given spiritual gifts are encouragement and teaching, which she does in her home church. Her primary goal is to share her personal testimony with others while bringing hope and practical help through her books. Here’s a mini-interview with Deborah:

What inspired you to write this influential book?
I was involved with a local intercessory prayer group at the time. I had found Jesus seven years into my marriage, and felt God prompting me during prayer to write down what He was conveying to me about my husband and his salvation. I just typed on the computer as the Lord led me to Bible verses and topics to talk about. The seven chapter titles came to me during prayer time. It was quite a moving experience.

What primary advice do you have for women married to "non-believing" husbands?
Most important is to have faith in Who God Is and His sovereignty. We can't "pre-package" our spouse's conversion experience. God will always do what will bring Him the "most glory." We also have to remember that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. Our spouses (if unsaved) aren't governed by God's Spirit - so we have to release them from that accountability. Our faith must rest in God and not in our own understanding, or by sight.

What's the main message that you'd like readers to take away from Mission Possible?
To discover that God has a plan for each marriage that is in spiritual disunity. It involves us, but it is always done his way! It's a process that evolves over time. We mustn’t put God in a box, but give Him room to move in our spouse's life. Because we are not perfect and continue to sin, Satan will try to influence us (women) into believing that our "mission" is not possible - but with God, all things are possible!

Visit Deborah’s Alabaster Box Publishing website for Mission Possible at: http://www.godmissionpossible.com/. It is available in four forms: trade paperback, audio book on CD, downloadable MP-3 format, and an E-Book. See her blog at http://www.Godmissionpossible.blogspot.com, or e-mail her at deb@alabasterboxpublishing.com. The book is also available at Amazon.com, and other online retailers.

The author of this 20-20 Faith Sight blog, Sheryl Young, has herself written the book, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People: Improving the Church's Relationship with God's Original Chosen Nation. See information in the right hand column.

Remembering the Holocaust - Yes, it DID Happen

2010-01-26T08:53:00.000-08:00

In 2005, the United Nations designated January 27 as an annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Why January 27? It was on this day in 1945 that the largest World War II concentration camp, Auschwitz, was liberated.

Auschwitz, a network of three camps, was operated in Poland under German occupation from 1940-1945. Other well-known “death camps” were Dachau, Treblinka, Ravensbrück and Bergen-Belsen.

Claims that the Holocaust Didn’t Happen
Currently, there are claims being made that the Holocaust never happened. These claims are frightening and outrageous to Jewish people, and could not be farther from the truth.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington D.C. houses over 85,000 photos of Holocaust photographs, twenty percent of which can be viewed online. There are traveling exhibits and several stationary USHMM branches around the U.S.

The Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem houses over 62 million pages of documents, photos, testimonies of survivors and other articles as proof of the Holocaust.

How/Why did the Holocaust happen?
Adolph Hitler intended to create the perfect Aryan race, eliminating those people who didn’t fit his description of “perfect.” Beside the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust, more than two million other people lost their lives for either assisting the Jewish people or being imperfect themselves.

Beyond his takeover of Germany, Hitler wanted to rule at least all of Europe, and perhaps the world. See a detailed history here at USHMM.

Do Christians hate the Jewish People?
NO! Because some churches and Christian organizations either looked the other way or went along with Hitler’s bidding due to their own fear, some Jewish people are convinced to this day that Christians hate them.

However, Yad Vashem has a special “Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations” for Christians and others who lovingly assisted the Jewish people at the risk of their own lives; like Oskar Schindler, Irena Sendler, Miep Gies and the ten Boom sisters, Corrie and Betsie.

There are many organizations of Christians and Jewish people working alongside each other today to improve relationships between Christians and Jews, erase rumors that the Holocaust never happened, and to stand against anti-Semitism and anti-Christianity.

Want to get involved in this effort, or learn more about the Holocaust heroes mentioned above? See details at the original versions of this article on the Underground Online Magazine: Part 1 and Part 2.

(Photo: Auschwitz front entrance. Wikimedia Commons, public domain.)

SANCTITY OF LIFE SUNDAY: January 24, 2010

2010-01-18T21:06:00.000-08:00

The annual U.S. National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is coming up on January 24, 2010.
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday was created in 1983, marking the tenth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade (legalization of abortion on January 22, 1973).

With evidence that millions of abortions took place in those ten years, the Christian Action Council Education and Ministries Fund, now known as Care Net, asked President Ronald Reagan to create a special day to focus on the value of Human Life. President Reagan declared it to be the third Sunday in January.

Since that time, many pro-life organizations and churches across the United States have organized activities for this day. Some observe a Sanctity of Human Life Week for the entire next seven days, in reverence for all human life from conception to every stage of aging and illness.

Roe v Wade started one of the biggest political chasms between Americans since the Civil Rights movement. Whether to be “pro-life” or “pro-choice” has ignited political firestorms and election controversy for nearly thirty years.

One of the pro-choice movement’s main arguments is that females should not have to suffer through pregnancies due to rape, incest or any risk to their own survival.

However, according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute’s research throughout the history of legalized abortion, rape and incest have accounted for only 1.5-2% of all abortions, and not all of those women choose abortion.

Regarding health of the mother, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop states that late-term abortion is one of the most dangerous ways to end a life-threatening pregnancy, and Caesarean delivery should be preferred. He was backed up by over 500 physicians in a 1996 letter to the Wall Street Journal (Partial Birth Abortion is Bad Medicine September 19, 1996; presented before U.S. Senate March 7, 2003).

For materials to distribute regarding Sanctity of Human Life Sunday this year or in the future, go here to the SOHLS website.

See an extended version of this article here at the Underground Online Magazine.

Family Guy, American Dad TV Cartoons Go Sexually Overboard

2010-01-09T21:15:00.000-08:00

Sex, sex and more sex is hitting the TV screen in none other than cartoons…during a time when families are watching together. The Sunday night cartoons American Dad and Family Guy apparently went way overboard with graphic sex scenes on January 3rd.

According to the Parents’ Television Council (PTC) Weekly Wrap for January 8, 2010, the character of Peter on Family Guy, while suffering amnesia, had to be taught how to have sex all over again by his wife. For a more graphic description (if you can stomach it), visit PTC here.

This follows hot on the heels of an episode of American Dad, in which one of the characters is depicted performing masturbation on a horse (see this PTC page).

Now, some of the Family Guy scene is also being shown in the PG-rated Hollywood movie, Tooth Fairy starring Dwayne (“The Rock”) Johnson.

The Fox Broadcasting Network – whose TV news affiliate is a refuge for those who like the conservative take on things – claims American Dad and Family Guy are cartoons meant for adults; but the network is probably aware that children are watching.

South Park on Comedy Central is another cartoon that claims to be for adults, with four-letter worded, sexually infused programming that “humorously” knocks and criticizes every known racial, ethnic and religious group. Not to mention frequent gay themes, like where one teacher even has a sex change operation and discovers being a lesbian – graphic sex scene and all.

But children are obviously watching South Park, with parents not restricting their viewing. Cases in point: Recent episodes where the child cartoon characters portrayed hatred and intolerance toward redheads and Jews have already played themselves out in real life with violence perpetrated by children upon Jewish classmates in Florida and redheaded classmates in Los Angeles (see this Naples, Florida News report on “Kick a Jew Day” and Huffington Post’s “Kick a Ginger Day”).

Outraged yet? Visit the PTC site to see what you can do, or contact the TV stations directly.

Valentine's Day: "Chicken Soup for the Soul" Explores "True Love"

2010-01-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

Looking for a Valentine's Day book? The latest Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology, entitled "True Love," explores how couples meet, fall in love, and keep their love going strong through many years of marriage.

What's the secret in most cases? The exceptional bond of putting God at the center of your relationship. Some of these True Love stories will make you laugh, others may invoke tears or precious memories.

The writer of this 20-20 Faith Sight blog, Sheryl Young, has made a contribution to the "True Love" volume entitled "The Value of a Good Husband." It can be found on pages 215-217.

As one of its writers, reading the other entries has been a delight. The Foreword was done by figure skating superstar Kristi Yamaguchi. This Chicken Soup for the Soul "True Love" volume would make a great Valentine's Day gift for people in long term relationships as well as teenagers facing "puppy love" or couples getting ready to walk down the aisle.

Find Chicken Soup for the Soul "True Love"at Amazon.com or all the Chicken Soup volumes here at their home website.

(Disclosure of Material Connection: cmp.ly/0 - Writer is not receiving any remuneration for writing this content or advertising "Chicken Soup for the Soul" and will not receive any payment for volumes sold at the linked sites. However, cmp.ly/3 - Writer has a connection because of receiving a one-time nominal payment for her contribution to "True Love.")

New Family-Friendly Christmas Movie Classics

2009-12-15T18:18:00.000-08:00

When we think of Movie Classics, we think early Hollywood. But there are several newer family-friendly movies that should become Christmas Classics.

Most Biblical New Family-Friendly Christmas Movie Classic:
The Nativity Story, 2006. The Nativity Story has no big stars, which makes it easier to imagine them as the characters they play. Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac are Mary and Joseph.

Value: For those who believe the Bible for its spiritual content about the birth of Jesus and/or at least its historical value, this gives a realistic portrayal of the ancient Hebrew culture. It is gritty and yet beautiful; the travel scenes are dirty and unglamorous.

The movie explores the dilemma between Joseph and Mary when they discover she is pregnant, since unwed pregnant women could be stoned to death or exiled in those days. The revelation that she is actually carrying God’s child, the Light of the World, spurs them on. The rest of the movie centers on their hard road to Bethlehem for the census, with a fresh look at how Joseph and Mary’s love might have grown during the grueling trip. Age Group: All.

A Family-Friendly Christmas Movie Re-Make that Should be Released Now:
Miracle on 34th Street, the 1994 re-make. This re-make of the 1947 original classic should have been made for 2009. In 1994, it was still appropriate in the Hollywood mainstream to explore the possibility that God does exist and is worth talking about. Elizabeth Perkins plays a store P.R. person looking for an appropriate Santa; Dylan McDermott the neighbor who loves her, and Richard Attenborough the “real” Santa and matchmaker.

Value: The courtroom scene commentary about “In God We Trust” on the dollar bill is still in the movie, just like in the original… if we can’t prove Santa isn’t real, then we can’t prove God isn’t real either. The movie illustrates that, like Santa, God can be a great source of hope in our world and shouldn’t be discounted. Age Group: All.

A TV Family-Friendly Christmas Movie that should have played the Big Screen:
The Christmas Shoes, 2002. Rob Lowe and Kimberly Williams-Paisley portray the characters from the popular song about a little boy who wants to buy red shoes as a Christmas gift for his dying mother.

Value: Lowe is a work-consumed man whose heart turns tender toward the real meaning of life, and he gives the boy the money. Get your Kleenex. Age Group: All.

(DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION - cmp.ly/0 - This writer has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein.)

Political Correctness is Blurring our Vision toward Terrorism

2009-12-08T08:47:00.001-08:00

Political correctness has people afraid to come forward with suspicions of possible terrorist attacks. The whistleblower may be accused of "profiling" while the possible perpetrator freely continues his/their plotting. Cases in point:
-The Fort Hood attack.
-The United Nation's attempt to accept an edict from the Islamic Conference against what they call "Islamophobia."
By labeling Islamophobia, the Islamic Conference may forbid people to speak out against extreme Islamic terrorism as a form of religious intolerance. The Conference implies that Westerners "hate and fear" all Muslims, which of course isn't true. No specific mention is made to prevent hatred toward Christianity, Judaism or other religions.

Interested in reading more about extreme political correctness? Come see my articles on these topics:
"Islamophobia and its effect on other faiths" at The Underground Online Magazine.
"Pearl Harbor and today's terrorism - examining the parallels" at Examiner.

WAIT! Before you leave this site, please have a look at my book:
"What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People" (see the red book cover in right-hand column here). With today's rise in anti-Semitism and anti-Christianity, here is an attempt to improve the relationship between people of Jewish and Christian faith.

Speaking out against extreme Islamic terrorism does not mean one hates or fears all Muslims. Neither should it be said that Christians hate Jewish people, but it often is. Why? Read how Israel has a right to exist and why Christians must attempt to improve the way they are perceived by Jewish people in today's world. Click on the book cover and learn how to order.

Christian Leaders take "Manhattan Declaration" Stand on Issues

2009-12-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

Evangelical Christian, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox leaders have taken a stand for Christian values by signing the “Manhattan Declaration.” On November 20, 2009, approximately 150 leaders signed the document as an example to their denominations and others to keep defending three main biblical principles: the sanctity of human life; traditional marriage by the Bible’s definition of one man and one woman; and freedom of religious expression.

Subtitled “A Call of Christian Conscience,” the Manhattan Declaration addresses the assault in today’s society and the current American government against the above three values. The text states:
“…we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their [the three values’] defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them.”

The group is not politically affiliated. The Declaration states the signers’ unconditional commitment is to Christ only, and recommends acts of civil disobedience when absolutely necessary (see the Summary of the Manhattan Declaration in the paragraph “Unjust Laws”).

The Manhattan Declaration clarifies that its followers will not comply with any edict that enables mistreatment of human life from the unborn to the elderly, including abortion, euthanasia or destruction of human embryos for research; will not bless immoral sexual partnerships, and will not be silenced on the grounds of religious objection.

The Summary ends with this succinct statement: “We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.”

This echoes the Hebrew leader Joshua’s call to faith: "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness... But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:14-16, NIV, excerpts).

When the apostle Peter was given strict orders by the governing body, the Sanhedrin, to stop preaching in the name of Christ, he declared that followers of Christ must obey God, not men (Acts 5).

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. also advocated civil (peaceful) disobedience for the Civil Rights movement and accomplished much in this manner. He believed all men were created equal, both in the Declaration of Independence and in the Gospel (Galatians 3:28-29). If all men are created equal, then Christians have the right to voice their opinion as much as anyone else.

Whom will we obey as Christians? Will we silently go along with the crowd so as not to make waves, or will we stand by the signers of the Manhattan Declaration to come out and be separate as Jesus commanded?

This article was originally published at The Underground Online Magazine with same date.

Does the Bible Put Women Down?

2009-11-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

Our politically correct and feminist friends may ask the question, “Does the Bible put women down?” The Bible, Jesus’ words and His actions give a loud, resounding “No.”

When the “Feminist Movement” gained strength in the 1960’s, it was a fight for equal jobs, equal pay and respect for women. Absentee husbands and dads were called to task for their commitments. The second stage was women engaging in bra-burning and buying the message that casual sex would break our invisible chains. Helen Reddy’s 1972 song “I Am Woman” became the iconic feminist theme.

Next, the Feminist Movement began viewing men as unnecessary extras to their lives and to child-rearing. And the Bible was suddenly regarded as a tool for men to keep women “barefoot, pregnant and chained to the kitchen sink.” Some became convinced that the Bible even gave men a license to abuse women.

How did God’s word become embroiled in the battle? As biblical principles in schools, government and faith at home began to sink below the American horizon, the bad rap on the Bible expanded. Fewer people were reading its pages, and simply believed what they heard when verses were twisted or eliminated for the Movement’s purpose.

The Bible doesn’t belittle women or make them second-class citizens. Jesus told Martha to get out of the kitchen and come learn the Scriptures like her sister Mary (Luke 10:38-43). We could even say he followed a woman’s orders by making wine for a wedding at his mother’s request, although He didn’t think it was time for His miracles yet (John 2:1-10). Wow. Sounds like today’s kind of guy.

When He came out of the tomb alive, Jesus thought enough about women to reveal Himself to them first, before any of the male disciples (Mark 16:1-7, Luke 24:1-9). As people became Christ followers, women like Priscilla were highly regarded as leaders of the faith in spreading the Gospel (Acts 18). When no man among the disciples believed Peter was free from jail, God used a woman, Rhoda, to convince them he was really knocking at their door (Acts 12).

Jesus began instructing men to stop treating women like possessions. In Matthew 5:27-31 and Mark 10:2-12, He tells men to stop committing adultery and discarding women in divorce. Isn’t this exactly one of the things the feminists originally wanted…for men to be faithful and respectful?

By saying “Anyone who has not sinned cast the first stone” (John 8:6-8) Jesus rebuked the double standard of a woman being accused alone for adultery when a man was also involved. Plus, He gave her a clean slate and took her into His group of followers.

Jesus addressed women in public, looking them in the eye, which was not the male standard at that time. The woman at the well was the first person He spoke with in Samaria (John 4 starting with verse 4). He used a widow’s contribution of her last coins to illustrate sacrificial giving instead of giving out of plenty (Mark 12:41-44); and chose a woman for his story comparing the wisdom of finding one lost coin to angels singing over one saved soul (Luke 15:7-9).

There are outstanding women in the Old Testament, too. Deborah, the Judge, and Esther, a Queen, were chosen to save the entire Israelite population from their enemies. Rahab, a prostitute, sheltered Hebrew scouts instead of notifying authorities of their whereabouts. The Proverbs 31 woman worked outside the home and dealt with merchants on her own, without her husband. Ruth started the bloodline of Jesus. Whole Bible books are named for Ruth and Esther.

These exemplary women are often overlooked because of New Testament verses that are often take out of context. At the top of the list is Ephesians 5:22-24 beginning with: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (NIV). Granted, there are unfortunately some men in churches who abuse this idea of “submission” to keep women suppressed, even to verbally and physically abuse them.

The seldom-read next few verses, Ephesians 5:25-26, prove these men are violating Scripture. The apostle Paul continued Jesus’ respect for women by telling men to love their wives as they would love their own bodies and the church. What man will beat himself black and blue, or put himself in the hospital with broken bones?

Although men are generally assigned to be heads and leaders of the church, their scriptural role is to be a servant to the people, not a deliberate dictator. Paul states in Galatians 3:28-29, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

This article was originally published at The Underground Online Magazine.

Thanksgiving - Who are you Thanking?

2009-11-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

Some people say God was not acknowledged at the first Thanksgiving, or by early presidents, and shouldn't be part of Thanksgiving now.

In 2005, the Maryland Board of Education began teaching their students that the Pilgrims landed on the American continent by luck. In the re-designed public school curriculum, in effect calling Thanksgiving “Lucky Thursday” per some sources, students are not taught that God had any part in the thank you for what the Pilgrims had. The Board of Education felt they were facing a constitutional dilemma.

To the contrary, we have discovered documented prayer by Edward Winslow at the first recorded Thanksgiving in 1621 (bolding mine, writing in original English):
“…many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governour, and upon the Captaine and others. And although it be not always so plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so farre from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plentie."

And here is George Washington’s first Thanksgiving Proclamation:
"It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor."
Washington mentions God two or three more times in that document, which can be seen here in its original form.

God didn’t declare Thanksgiving a holiday, and the Bible makes no mention of it (nor of Christmas). And Thanksgiving wasn’t declared a National Holiday until under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939.

But is it still OK to thank God? Philippians 4:6-7 says: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (NIV)

Heaven forbid, one day in our American households on Thanksgiving, a knock will come at the door and a U.S. Government official will demand a place at the table to be sure we don’t thank God for what we have.

Republicans Win Governor Seats - Does God care about party lines?

2009-11-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

Democrats suffered two surprising defeats in the November 2009 gubernatorial races. Republicans won the Governor's seat in both New Jersey and Virginia.

In spite of much campaigning by President Obama, New Jersey’s incumbent Democratic Governor Jon Corzine was defeated by the GOP candidate, Chris Christie. Cristie, a former attorney general with a reputation for busting corruption, is the first Republican in twelve years to win a state office in New Jersey.

Corzine, a one-term governor, ceded the election when Cristie was winning 49 to 45 percent.

In Virginia, Republican Bob McDonnell defeated Democrat Creigh Deeds by 20 points. President Obama had also campaigned for Deeds; making President Obama 0 for 3 in his ability to influence vote outcomes recently, if we include his campaigning for the failed Chicago Olympics bid.

Although we could hope that Christian Americans were waking up to trusting their faith rather than their economy, these two Democratic defeats were probably more a sign of citizens’ dissatisfaction with failing economy and the threat of more taxes. Corzine had apparently been pushing for large tax hikes.

In New York, Democrat Bill Owens defeated the Conservative Party’s hope, Doug Hoffman by just 3 percent; this could be because the people who have “always voted Republican” went with the party’s decision to support Democrat Owens when the very liberal Republican Scozzafava dropped out.

In Maine, the gay marriage amendment did not pass – not by the voters, that is. According to what has happened in other states, gay marriage advocates will probably take this to the Maine Supreme Court and try to get the vote overturned as a violation of the Constitution.

After all this analysis, did the voters really decide who and what won? Or is God giving us another chance to turn things around. It isn’t Democrats and Republicans that matter—there are Christians in both camps. What matters is whom God feels are the appropriate officers for the appropriate times, according to what He sees his people indulging themselves in.

“For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God” (Romans 13:1 NASB).

The original version of this article, with more information, is posted here at The Underground Online Magazine.

Huckabee is 2012 GOP frontrunner in new Rasmussen poll

2009-10-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is on Republican voters’ wish list for the 2012 election, according to an October 19 Rasmussen poll. The 2008 presidential candidate carried 44 percent of the telephone survey respondents with Mitt Romney at 39 percent. The problem is…where were these voters in 2008? Why was the prospect so gloomy that these men had to leave the race early?

How did Mike Huckabee—an avid, kind, fun-loving and sincere Christian—lose the 2008 primaries so quickly when many now see him as a viable 2012 contender? The problem comes when Christians trust their pocketbooks more than God.

In this reporter’s church experience over 22 years, the split between Democrats and Republicans in various church denominations is nearly 50/50. They continue to vote a certain way simply because “they always have” or “their families always have.” Should this determine who the next leader of the Free World is?

In 2008, the most common excuse from Christians for not choosing Huckabee was “I heard he wasn’t good for taxes in Arkansas.” And from churchgoing Obama voters it was, “Well, he’ll be good for the economy. I know he’s basically pro-choice, but maybe he’ll do the right thing for pro-life once he’s there.”

President Obama’s intents toward “pro-life” are now quite clear. Among his appointees to high government posts are:
-Kathleen Sebelius, Director of Health and Human Services. As Governor of Kansas, Sebelius vetoed pro-life bills from 2003-2007 including a bill to strengthen the ban on late-term abortion.
-Dawn Johnsen, Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel (Dept. of Justice), was former legal counsel for NARAL (now "Pro-Choice America").
-Ellen Moran, White House Communications Director, is a former executive director of Emily's List, an organization that funds and supports the election of only pro-choice Democratic women.
-David Hamilton, President Obama’s first federal pick for a judge (Seventh Circuit Court), whose record demonstrates a strictly anti-Bible, pro-choice stance.

The Oct. 21 Rasmussen Presidential Tracking Poll surveying various voters (not just Republicans) shows President Obama’s disapproval rating at forty percent to only 27 percent approval. This may be due to the dismal results of our desire for “Change” and the continuing economic downturn.

The bulk of companies that have closed and laid off American employees did so after the election, not under President Bush. This shows such a lack of confidence in the new President that these companies couldn’t even stay open for 3-6 months after the election to see what would happen. So much for voting our trust in the economy.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (6:19-20) and follows it closely with Matthew 6:33: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and then all these things will be added [or given] to you.” When will Christians start voting for God instead of money?

Mike Huckabee has gained popularity this year with his new Fox-TV show “Huckabee.” His guests include well-known political personalities, and the few outspoken Hollywood conservatives like Chuck Norris and Jon Voigt who aren’t afraid to bring well-founded facts to the table about the new administration’s direction. Maybe this will help him in 2012.

As for all those undecided voters making up the huge disparity in Obama’s Rasmussen Poll popularity (33% undecided), they need to start growing some conviction and know their voting reasons instead of mindlessly following a crowd at the last minute.

This article was originally published at the Underground Online Magazine. Check out the Underground for your alternative e-news.

Pornography isn't Victimless - Join the WRAP Campaign

2009-10-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

The porn industry would have us believe that pornography is harmless and victimless – they even go so far as to say pornography “empowers” women. In a July 2009 CNBC special on porn, "Business of Pleasure," one female porn star says “I just treat it like any job.”

If porn takes no victims, we wouldn’t need “Victims of Pornography Month” in May each year, or “White Ribbons Against Pornography Week (WRAP)” – coming up Sunday, October 25 - Sunday, November 1, 2009. WRAP is sponsored by Morality in Media.

For decades, numerous reports have offered real statistics about porn’s victims:
-Ruined marriages from addiction to print porn and Internet porn;
-Abuse and violence after viewing porn videos;
-Addiction to porn in magazines leading to visiting strip clubs and extramarital affairs;
-Adult pornography leading to sexual exploitation of children and sex trafficking;
-Teens and children becoming addicted to porn found in parents’ and friends’ computers or magazines (roughly 93% of boys and 61% of girls have seen online porn);
-Clergy and youth leaders unable to resist the temptation of porn films in hotel rooms;
-Soft porn working its way toward hard porn in major movies and TV shows.
(Visit the Morality in Media website link above for evidence of these statements. Click on “Effects of Pornography” in the column at right side.)

Tweens and teens no longer see the harm in porn because “everyone’s posting nude pictures” on cell phones. Michael Leahy, author of Porn Nation – Conquering America’s #1 Addiction and a one-time porn addict, calls pornography the “crack cocaine of sexual addiction.”

“Porn is protected by free speech” – myth becomes truth
The Supreme Court has ruled that the First Amendment doesn't protect obscenity. But today’s “politically correct” philosophy says there are no absolute truths, nothing is right or wrong or good or bad, so "what is obscene" has become relative. Laws are thrown out in favor of doing what feels good and allowing others to do so because we mustn’t be judgmental.

Enforcement of U.S. Federal Obscenity Laws has long been declining in the name of free speech. Despite recent Harris Polls showing 75-77% of American adults would support efforts to enforce federal obscenity laws it still isn’t happening.

How can you help?
-Read some porn victim stories at the Victims of Pornography website.
-Participate in the WRAP campaign as an individual or with a church group (see details at the Morality in Media website's first right-bar link - “Wrap Campaign”).
-PRAY for victims of pornography and their families.
-PRAY for a miraculous downfall to the $100 billion porn industry.
-RESIST temptation and help your family to resist. Study Matthew 6:13, 26:41; Luke 22:46, 1 Corinthians 10:13, James 1:2-3.

The original version of this post appeared here at The Underground Online Magazine. Come check out The Underground.

(This writer is not receiving any remuneration or compensation from organizations mentioned in this article.)

Abortion Amendments Won't Appear in Health Care Bill

2009-10-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

This report has been combined with excerpts from “Abortion Amendments Voted Down” by writer Adam Fowler, used by permission.

Pro-life advocates have faced two defeats in Congress concerning taxpayer dollars going for abortion. Amendments to abortion wording in the new health care bill were voted down in the week of October 5, and the Baucus Bill passed muster this week.

Current law prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions except for rape, incest or the life of the mother. But the Baucus Bill will ensure that federal funds can be used to cover abortion by creating a different method of accounting. The method will permit taxpayer subsidies to go to private health plans that include abortion by giving those health plans the capability to label "private dollars" as those spent on abortions and "public dollars" as non-abortion dollars.

The first proposed abortion amendment would have inserted stronger language making it clear that abortion would never be covered under government-subsidized plans. The second amendment gave opt-out protections to health-care providers who object to providing certain procedures like abortion because of moral issues. Both amendments were voted down 13-10.

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the Finance Committee member who proposed the funding amendment, argued that the vote against the amendment leaves a worrisome ambiguity in the law that could lead to taxpayer funding of abortion.

Broad-stroke laws often have far-reaching effects which are initially unintended—or are they? Fowler’s article concludes the Baucus Bill adds to concerns that health care reform will eventually lead to government-funded abortion, with or without a so-called “public” (meaning government) option.

According to Guttmacher Institute statistics, abortions due to rape, incest or health of the mother account for only 1.5-2% of all legal abortions. However, "health of the mother" is becoming more and more subjective. What constitutes "health" is left up to abortion providers and their patients. Former Surgeon General Everett C. Koop, along with a group called Physicians for Life, repeatedly testifies that abortion is the least safe way to save the life of a mother, and that Caesarean section delivery is always preferable.

Prostitution as a College Course - With Taxpayer Dollars

2009-10-08T07:51:00.000-07:00

“The Sex Workers Art Show” is touring American colleges. Featuring self-professed prostitutes, nude dancers and pornographic film stars as "art," it's all funded with taxpayer dollars. In a National Review Online column, journalist Mona Charen states that the show has apparently appeared at the historic College of William and Mary four times already, and also toured Duke University.

William and Mary parents, alumni, students and ordinary taxpayers who found out about this were instrumental in approaching Virginia’s Congress while in session, to review the W&M school board.

This hasn’t stopped “The Sex Workers Art Show” and other erotic “educational” undertakings from entering American institutions of education. Concerned Women for America reports that Randall College—another Virginia school—recently took students to visit a brothel in Nevada and a topless show at a casino. Attendees reported that prostitution was linked to empowerment for women, with no explanation of how some women (and mere girls) are forced into prostitution and degraded by boyfriends, pimps or to support expensive drug habits.

At the Home page of “The Sex Workers Art Show,” it is apparent the program considers the oldest profession in the world to be a normal part of the service industry. After entering the site, it's obvious that the 2009 Tour page makes no bones about using the word “wh_re” to describe its performers.

Charen also cites reports about Boston University students publishing a sex-driven newspaper called Boink, and Yale students hold an event called SWAY (Sex Week at Yale) with the administration’s blessings.

The porn industry makes more money per year than all of American sports put together. From reality TV to the classroom to sex photos on their cell phones, students are bombarded with the theory that we are sexual beings who can’t have any control over our impulses. Living in a "Hooking-Up culture" (see previous post here), our kids may never know the pleasures of giving themselves to one person fully—emotionally and physically—and may be incapable of surrendering their lives to Christ as they learn that the Bible’s philosophies are outdated and insensitive to current societal needs.

Heaven forbid they should see this: “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22, NAS).

The original version of this article is posted at The Underground Online Magazine.

Pro-Lifer's Murder is Ignored by Mainstream Media

2009-09-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

The murder of pro-life sign carrier Jim Pouillon in early September has still gone largely unnoticed by what we call “mainstream” media (big stations like NBC, CBS, ABC). All have been silent, in stark contrast to their immediate and nearly never-ending coverage of abortion provider George Tiller’s murder some months ago.

Dr. Tiller’s murder is no less heinous and should not be minimized. It was tragic, and the Christian pro-life community has been sincere in refuting the murderer's actions. However, Pouillon’s death is no less important.

Pouillon, a disabled activist, was involved in a peaceful pro-life protest across the street from Owosso High School in Owosso, Michigan when he was shot four times and killed this past 9/11. There is a suspect now in custody, Harlan Drake, whose license plate number was reported by several witnesses to the crime.

Outside of conservative news outlets, CNN did provide some "mainstream" coverage. However, CNN kept calling Pouillon anti-abortion rather than pro-life. In nearly every sentence where victim Pouillon’s name is mentioned, the words anti-abortion preceed or follow. Question to “pro-choicers” – if choice is a good thing, then why not say Pouillon CHOSE to be pro-life? Why must the term anti-abortion always be used to sound more hateful and intolerant?

The media’s avoidance of the latest murder was originally chalked up to this being some “random” incident. However, according to the CNN report, authorities feel the shootings were not random. Drake admitted being offended by Pouillon’s anti-abortion sign. And Drake has apparently admitted to another murder that day, the murder of business owner Michael Fuoss, to whom he had ties.

President Obama’s statement had been immediate on the day of Tiller’s murder. He waited until two days after Pouillon’s murder to speak up. However, he did state that violence over our differences is never the answer. This writer agrees.

This writer's original, extended report with more details can be found here at The Underground Online Magazine.

What's Your Bathsheba? (Taking Temptation Seriously)

2009-09-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

How Can We Take Temptation Seriously?
My good friend and workmate, Jim, was a handsome married Christian man. We lived near each other, often car-pooled to work, and eventually became co-leaders of a lunchtime Bible study.

One day, Jim began coming up with excuses not to attend Bible study or ride to work together. At first I thought, is it my imagination, or is he avoiding me? But my fears were confirmed when
I saw him turn corners to keep from meeting me in the hallways.

After several weeks, I confronted Jim at his desk.

“You’ve been trying hard to stay away from me. Have I done something wrong?”

Jim took a deep breath. “No, it’s what I haven’t wanted you to do,” he said. What he told me next was pretty surprising.

“I’ve been seeing someone. Someone from here in the office. She started paying a lot of attention to me and, well, I let something happen. I…I didn’t want you to know because I knew you’d try to stop me from doing it.”

“Well, you’re right there,” I said, knowing that Jim was aware of my own similar situation some years prior, which would have ruined my marriage if someone hadn’t helped me recognize the danger signs in time. Had Jim told me about his attraction to this woman, I would have done everything possible to convince him not to give in to temptation.

Jim and I prayed for him to avoid further encounters with the woman, but it was too late. He was deep into feelings which had become irresistible. Soon, he left his wife, their beautiful new house and all their future plans, and moved in with the other woman. It lasted only a few months. He ended up living in a one-bedroom apartment with his personal life in shambles.

Jim’s situation reminded me of 2 Samuel 11 and 12, the story of King David and Bathsheba. First, David sees Bathsheba, a married woman. Then, being accountable to no one, he makes the conquest. From there he wants more; it leads to many kinds of sin—even murder— and he pays for it.

How can we take temptation seriously before it’s too late? Not just sexual temptation but every sort? If sinning was hard, nobody would do it! One of my favorite Bible teachers often says we must “frisk our thoughts” – take every thought captive, like in 2 Corinthians 10:5:
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (NIV).

Jim had gotten to the point where he didn’t want to read what the Bible had to say about temptation, or to be held accountable by going to a friend. He let the first glance get past the thought and into action.

Of course, as with King David, God eventually restored Jim. But one of the best ways to avoid falling into temptation is to tell someone— a friend or counselor perhaps. Make yourself accountable. Then, stay in God’s word and pray. These things combined will take away the devil’s opportunity to step in, and can suck the temptation right out of you like a vacuum. Take it from Jim and me…it will feel much better than the possible end result of your uncaptivated thoughts.

This devotion first appeared here at The Underground Online Christian Magazine. Check out the Underground at www.theundergroundsite.com.

Gold Jewelry Recycling – Trend, or Cash for a Good Cause?

2009-09-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

Everyone's selling their gold jewelry to companies offering cash. It's a trend in today's economy. But would you like to get cash for your jewelry while giving to a good cause? Are you strapped for cash and frustrated that you can’t help your place of faith, or a friend in need? Have you maxed out credit cards buying everything the kids required for going back to school?

Think of that old, out-of-style and unused gold jewelry in the bottom of your jewelry box. But don’t run to the nearest pawn shop just yet. Remember, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure...or perhaps it’s his next meal.

The Women of Faith Conference Group has recently partnered with a gold jewelry exchange company called Red Swan, and is currently passing out Red Swan Starter Kits at their conferences. According to the kit’s enclosed letter from Mary A. Graham, President of Women of Faith, Inc.:

Red Swan helps women make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others through the re-purposing of unwanted jewelry.

Women of Faith is a trustworthy non-denominational Christian organization which works to empower women to be the best they can be with God’s help. A recommendation from them is a very rare and good referral for a commercial company. Here’s how it works:

Red Swan will accept and assess your gold jewelry and either send you a check, or they will send the money directly to a charity of your choice. You can track what is happening with your jewelry distribution or funds at any time.

If you are not planning to attend a Women of Faith Conference any time soon, just go to the Red Swan website or call 1-888-309-7926 to order a Starter Kit. All the directions will be given to you.

With a little foresight, you could have a better Christmas, or make it better for someone else.

This writer is not receiving remuneration or recognition of any kind from the organizations mentioned in this article. She just thought it was a good idea.

Teen Girls' 4Real Weekend - Music and Fun, Sex vs. Modesty

2009-09-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Revolve Tour, a relatively new offshoot of the popular Women of Faith Conferences, is presenting the "4Real for Teen Girls" Weekend. It’s a time of encouragement to refresh teen girls with a sense of self-worth and fun without giving in to sex and immodesty. By gathering teen girls together in great numbers, it will also let them know: “I’m not the only one told ‘No’ to certain things by my parents!”

And just in time. Representatives from Women of Faith announced the following statistics at a recent Conference in Tampa, Florida:

-500,000 teen girls have had plastic surgery or something like liposuction in the past year. This can include anything from chemical peels to ear reductions to breast implants. Although teen girls are not yet fully developed, they’re often unhappy with their bodies according to two standards: (1) desiring the voluptuousness of oversized breasts on actresses, porn stars and major league sports team cheerleaders, or (2) wanting to appear thinner and prettier in order to match the air-brushed photos of reef-thin supermodels.

-25% of teen girls have an eating disorder due to reasons as stated above.

-79% of teen girls have had “some form” of sex. Our culture today says that nothing is “sex” unless it is penetration of the vagina. This is untrue. Acts of sex can be petting, oral sex, mutual masturbation and any other acts of arousal that may lead to actual intercourse.

-39% of teens have sent nude or semi-nude photos over their cell phones. “Reality TV shows” has made girls feel this is a normal way to show themselves to others. It may be “the norm” in our society today, but it’s not healthy, and in the end girls can lose their self-respect and pride.

-“Hooking Up” – sometimes called “Friends with Benefits” has never been more popular from middle school through college. These are casual sexual relationships taking place amongst circles of friends with no further relational commitment. In time, young people who indulge in this practice end up heartbroken and unable to form future loving intimate relationships. See more about "Hooking Up" and other dangerous teen trends here.

-Suicide is the second highest cause of death among teens, right behind traffic accidents.

At the 4Real Teen Girls Weekend, there will be contemporary Christian music, drama, and real-life stories starring real teens with insight through faith – guys too! The Tour is hitting cities all over the country from Baltimore, MD on Sept. 25-26, to Norman, OK on Dec. 11-12 (This article will probably be published too late to register for Sept. 11-12 in Columbus, OH). See all Calendar Dates and Cities, Ticket Details, or call 1-877-9-REVOLVE .

That’s Not All! Visit the Revolve Tour Website for articles like “What’s it Like to be a Teen Girl in 2009?” And “Tweet.Tweet. Do you Twitter?” or the “Ask Chad” Q&A column, giving girls advice from a responsible guy’s perspective. And girls can also see the smokin’ hot Entertainment line-up. There’s a section for Youth Leaders and Parents, too.

Hurry – Check out 4Real for Teen Girls today!

The original version of this article was published on 9/8/09 at The Underground Online Christian Magazine (www.theundergroundsite.com).

Learn about the Jewish Holidays starting with the Jewish New Year

2009-09-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

How much do you know about the Jewish Holidays? Would you like to know more about this part of the Jewish faith and culture?

This month (September 2009) will actually begin the year 5770 on the Jewish calendar. The celebration of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) starts at sundown on September 18th and runs for ten days known as "The Ten Days of Awe" until the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) at sundown on the 27th. Yom Kippur is a twenty-four hour day each year when Jewish people ask God and each other for forgiveness of any wrongdoing. They must fast and give up all work-type activities for that period.

Close on its heels will come Sukkot (The Festival of Booths) in early October. Hanukkah (The Festival of Lights) is in December. That finishes off this year's most important Jewish Holidays on the American calendar.

If you would like to know more about these Jewish Holidays, or the holidays that come in the spring like Passover and Purim, you may like Sheryl's book, "What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People: Improving the Church's Relationship with God's Original Chosen Nation". You can order this book by clicking on its cover in the column to the right, or read Excerpts of the Book and order it here.

Does Obamacare Cover Abortion? Who's Telling the Truth?

2009-09-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

Would abortion be covered with taxpayer money by "Obamacare" - Obama’s health care plan? President Obama and liberals say no. Conservatives say yes. Who's telling the truth?

Get the whole truth here at factcheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. If we want to mince words, the plan doesn’t require public funding, but allows the public insurance option to cover all abortions with public funds.

Why do I say “all abortions” when some of the bills’ wording says only in the case of “rape, incest and health of the mother?” Because rape and incest, year after year, only account for approximately 1.5% of all abortions; and “health of the mother” is the pro-choice phrase meaning anything the pregnant woman and her doctor decide it can cover. From hangnails to the woman’s outlook on life and the inconvenience of having a child... 98.5% of all abortions.

Abortion for “health of the mother,” once a baby is in the third trimester, would require something like Partial Birth Abortion (PBA), an extremely heinous form of abortion which was banned in 2003, but pro-choice groups have had courts all over the country put a stay on that ban. With Obama’s wish to enact the Freedom of Choice Act, all types of abortion would become legal again, up until the day of delivery.

President Obama is also considering removing the freedom of conscientious objection from doctors and nurses who don’t want to be involved in performing abortions.

In 1996, several physicians representing PHACT (Physicians' Ad Hoc Coalition for Truth, a non-religious organization of over 500 doctors including former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop) wrote a Wall Street Journal article: “Partial Birth Abortion is Bad Medicine.” The paper was included in 2003 testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives. They wrote (bolding is mine):

“We are the physicians who, on a daily basis, treat pregnant women and their babies…
We can no longer remain silent while abortion activists, the media and even the President continue to repeat false medical claims…partial-birth abortion is never medically indicated to protect a woman's health or her fertility. In fact, the opposite is true: The procedure can pose a significant and immediate threat to both the pregnant woman's health and fertility.”

Koop repeatedly remarks that abortion is never necessary to save the life of the mother, and Caesarean section is always the preferable method. Feminists for Life, a feminist organization not religiously affiliated and otherwise "liberal" in many philosophies, is also against abortion and especially PBA (see their website).

The American government should not be demanding American people to pay for abortions if it is against their religious, moral, or educational convictions.

See a full examination of factual objections to legal abortion including PBA in my Associated Content series, “Abortion: Challenged to Speak Pro-Life Without the Bible” Part 1 and Part 2.

Sex Education via Reality TV

2009-08-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

Make Me a Supermodel, America’s Next Top Model, The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, The Bachelor and Bachelorette, The Bad Girls’ Club. What do all these shows have in common? They are giving our kids Sex Education via Reality TV.

Many teen girls are obsessed with becoming models, looking like models or with being considered desirable. Our magazines, movies and TV shows have taught them to be this way. And teen boys aren't totally unaffected either.

The contestants on these types of TV shows may know what they are in for when they sign up – but what about your kids watching TV? Some of the shows may initially be on late at night, but the stations replay the programs at many different times on other days of the week to draw more viewers.

On Bravo TV’s Make Me a Supermodel, Season One, the unusually beautiful contestants (males and females between the ages of 18-24) were directed to pose in near-nude, very seductive positions on a bed; in all combinations (including a requirement of girl/girl, boy/boy for those who were heterosexual), body parts touching, kissing, petting. They were prompted to become as sexually involved as possible.

One girl, rather self-conscious, had already been criticized in a previous episode for not wearing a thong and was intimidated into doing so for this episode.

For their runway appearance, they had to wear black leather bondage and discipline outfits and had to choose whether to be a submissive or a dominator. In the end, the models that went the furthest in both tests were congratulated while the more timid received poor reviews. All in the name of “this is how you become a top model.”

The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency on Oxygen (not currently being aired after its first three seasons) also had the requirement for the models to get naked for photo tests. Dickinson sent 4 males (some gay, some straight) to a photo shoot where they had to be ninety percent nude with black leather sado-masichism paraphernalia. On another episode, she ruthlessly criticized several models who auditioned from Models For Jesus, making fun of their faith and saying their careers would be stalled by their prudishness.

On ABC’s The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, people are kissing multiple others in the same night, in hot tubs, scantily clad, and it is intimated that the finalists all have a night of sex. The shows claim they are strictly chaperoned, but teens at home may not know that. I've even heard adults question, "How they can have sex with so many people"? It's doubtful they do, but it is definitely suggested.

I can understand some photo shoots where models are artistically draped in thin materials. But there is modeling, there is art, and then there is just plain exploitation of our teens and young singles for the sake of the dollar.

Masturbate Every Day! British Government Tells Teens

2009-08-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

‘Masturbate every day’ is the advice given to British teens in a new pamphlet called “Pleasure.” The pamphlet was recently distributed by a Northern England branch of British government to parents, teenagers, teachers and youth workers, without warning and without asking parental consent. The theory is that if every teenager masturbates their way to orgasm regularly, they will delay having sex with someone else.

Now, we all know that people of pretty much any age over ten usually discover masturbation at some time or another. Even the Bible doesn’t address masturbation directly. But parents weren’t warned or asked before this pamphlet went out. This shows government disrespect for parental teaching at home and for families’ religious and cultural backgrounds. ABC News and the Huffington Post report that many within that U.K. community are raising questions against this government intrusion.

Granted, many parents avoid talking about masturbation and other sex with their children. But statistics prove that the last three decades of teaching kids more about sex in schoolroom settings hasn’t kept their curiosity down. Kids have become more likely, not less, to experiment with all varieties of sex.

A 1986 poll for Planned Parenthood by Louis Harris & Associates states:
"The truth is, Planned Parenthood's sex education programs have backfired, actually increasing teen pregnancies…teens who have taken comprehensive sex education courses have a fifty percent higher rate of sexual activity than their 'unenlightened' peers."

In 1989, Adams High School in Commerce City, Colorado became the first school in the United States to distribute free condoms on campus. Within three years, the birth rate among girls at Adams increased to 31 percent above the national average.

Our sex education systems here in the U.S. and in the U.K. are, unfortunately, based on research by Alfred Kinsey, who “discovered” that children are sexually prone and even babies can have orgasms. His methods of collecting this “information” are legally and morally questionable. But he is still the sex educator’s hero.

There are many old wives’ tales that simply aren’t true about the harmful effects of masturbation, like going blind. However, according to current information on the WebMD website, constant masturbation can limit a person’s capacity to achieve satisfaction with other sexual partners. A person often learns to stimulate themselves in ways their partners cannot.

Masturbation can become an obsession, as illustrated at Medhelp.org, where questions and comments are displayed from people seeking help for depression due to obsessive masturbation.

All this evidence may justify the Bible’s many verses in both the Old and New Testament about fleeing from lustful temptations and saving oneself for marriage.

Contact this blog's writer for sources connected to this article.

Dear Addict - Do you have an Addiction?

2009-08-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

Do you have an addiction you are trying to break free from? The disease of addiction is far-reaching. Drugs, alcohol and many other addictions don't recognize cultural or racial lines. Addictions are monsters who don't stay confined to certain neighborhoods or to people in certain walks of life. They are very hard to break.

Come see a friend who is lifting herself out of that cycle. Associated Content writer Kimberly Gray has started a website for addicts and recovering addicts like herself at http://www.dearaddict.ca. On her blog, she lists many sources for help and tells her story. She has 20-20 insight into the characteristics of addiction and its pull to keep people in its clutches.

As a writing peer of Kimberly's, I've seen her writing come out of nearly total black darkness into a marvelous light, relying on several tools as well as depending on God through a version of the Serenity Prayer and accepting His "Amazing Grace."

But Kimberly realizes she will need to consider herself an addict for life; and there is no one better than someone who's been there to help you find the sources you need. Many avenues of help are listed at her website. Stop off at either one of the above links today, and find a friend in Kimberly Gray.

(Ms. Young is not receiving any remuneration or other considerations for recommending Ms. Gray's website.)

Protesting Obamacare in Town Halls - Is it "Unamerican" to Protest?

2009-08-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

A cry is being heard from far-left liberals and Democrats that it's "un-American" to protest President Obama's proposed health care plan in the current Town Hall settings.

That statement in itself is the most un-American statement they've uttered yet! The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Let's concentrate on that second half which I've bolded; will we soon see it change, like we've seen the non-existent phrase "separation of church and state" added to the Amendment's first half? What -- will someone soon be adding "the people do NOT have the right to assemble" and convincing us that the founding fathers left out a word?

Peaceably is the key word here. There are factions ruining it for all of us by shouting in threatening manners at the Town Hall meetings. But that still doesn't mean that we should all get accused of being sent by drug companies or paid off by the Republican party to appear at the meetings, which citizens are being invited to do.

When elected officials walk out of Town Hall meetings just because they're booed, or they cancel scheduled meetings and push them up to a time too close for people to free their schedules, as is happening in some cities, you are being denied your freedom of speech and your right to assemble with grievances.

That is the direction the country is going. Angry mobs? We ain't seen nothin' yet.

"Fireproof" and "The Love Dare" Can Save Marriages

2009-08-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

The Love Dare , the book inspired by the fictional journal in the movie “Fireproof,” debuted at No. 4 on the New York Times Bestseller List in October of 2008. “Fireproof” itself – a small budget film produced by a church – was the No. 3 movie in America after its opening weekend, and it only showed in approximately 900 theatres.

It proves people do want better marriages (see my other article here under 20-20 on Trends - "Is Your Marriage a Trial Marriage?).

Since the release of the movie Fireproof and The Love Dare’s 40-day journaling challenge toward a better marriage, countless stories of saved marriages have materialized. Churches and counselors all over the country are reporting that couples where at least one person wanted a divorce have seen improvements in their marriage since they took The Love Dare challenge.

If you’re a guy who thinks Fireproof is a girlie movie, think again. If you’re a woman who thinks she could never get her man to sit down and watch this or do the book challenge, just give it a try. Both the book and movie DVD are available at online outlets and in stores.

Actor Kirk Cameron (of “Growing Pains” fame) stars as a fireman whose marriage is just about on the rocks. There is plenty of macho-man fire action (running in and out of burning buildings, etc.) and even some guys’ locker room humor. At the end of his wits after huge fights with his wife (portrayed by Erin Bethea), he confides in a workmate and then in his father, who introduces him to “The Love Dare” journal.

Based on the Judeo-Christian values of the Bible and God’s desires for how to build great marriages, with a little faith and a little insight these marriage principles could be applied to marriages of all faiths...and maybe even lead to faith in God.

See my full reviews of “Fireproof” and “Fireproof Is a Movie for Tough Guys, Too” at Associated Content.

Is Your Marriage a "Trial Marriage"? How to Make It Last

2009-07-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

There’s a trend toward considering your first marriage as a “trial marriage,” and you’ll do better the second time around. I even attended a wedding recently where the bride and groom vowed to love each other “for as long as possible.” About 51% of all American marriages end in divorce.

Want your first marriage to be the only one, and a lasting one? Take some advice from someone who turned an upside down marriage into 25 years of happiness:

Love God first. This is the first commandment in both the Old and New Testament: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Mark 12:30). You may be thinking, but some marriages among churchgoers end in divorce, too…so how does this work?

Going to church has nothing to do with really having faith in God. This famous commandment is just not being considered these days, because it’s not “PC” to believe in God. If more people - within and outside the church - would put God first, we'd follow more of His advice and our marriages would be healthier.

Compromise and Sacrifice. The “Me Generation” and Generations X and Y have been taught to just look out for “Number One.” In marriage, we have another person to care about. Don’t expect the other person to make you ecstatically happy every day. Try doing some of that yourself, for them. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). But remember, no human can make another person happy all the time.

Listen. Beyoncé sings a heart-wrenching song in the movie version of “Dreamgirls” called “Listen.” She lets all her frustrations out about how her husband doesn’t take her feelings and desires into consideration. Listen to each other and discuss things openly. Try being best friends (Mark 10:8 – “And the two shall become one flesh; no longer two, but one”).

Submit to each other. Submission – what an awful, politically incorrect word. Many people take one Bible verse, Ephesians 5:22 – “Wives, submit to your husbands” – and make it sound horrible. But from 5:21-33, there is actually more about the husband serving his wife. “Love your wife as yourself,” it says. Did you ever know a man who loved himself who beat himself up?

Be honest. One little white lie can turn into another, and another. The truth won’t change the more you lie. Honesty pays in the end.

This post is taken from a longer piece at Associated Content. Click here to see the whole version.

What if God and the Devil Are Real?

2009-07-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Many people say God and the Devil don't exist. But what if they're real, making everything else biblically possible? The vision for this poem is based on various verses in the Bible. But it's just my 20-20 faith sight.

The devil, one day, gathered all of his crew,
And said: “I’m so bored I need something to do.
I’ve so far convinced that creature called man
That I don’t exist, and that was my plan…
It’s easy for me to just walk through the door,
Since they don’t believe in God anymore.

Apartheid and slavery I did for a while,
And Holocaust, genocide, those make me smile.
Now enough people think that a baby’s just tissue;
I’m tired of that being an ongoing issue.
So put on your thinking caps, demons, think long.
We need a new twist on what’s right and what’s wrong.”

Then Legion stood up and said, “They’ll take the bait
If we make them believe disagreeing is hate.
We’ll start so many rumors of discrimination
That good common sense will just take a vacation.

We’ll say that the Bible is all ancient news,
And tell them it’s used as a tool to abuse.
To top it all off, we’ll tell kids not to listen;
When their parents speak, too much fun they’ll be missin’!

Then we’ll make them elect some leaders who say
We must treat the terrorists nice every day.
While innocent blood turns their streets into sludge,
We’ll convince them there’s no good or bad to be judged.
Their egos are fragile, their consciences numb.
They won’t know what hit them – from all sides we’ll come.”

“That’s good, Legion,” Satan remarked with a grin.
With demons like you, I think I can win.”
But Satan, he knows in the back of his mind
That his fun can last just a limited time.
For one day, the sky will be splitting in two,
And judgment will come; some believe it – will you?

c. 2009, Sheryl Young
This poem was first published at Associated Content.com as the Conclusion of my series, "Today's Christianity." It can be seen here along with my other features at that website: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/113200/sheryl_young.html.

Should America Have More Gun Control? Ask Great Britain

2009-07-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

If America goes the way of Great Britain for tougher gun control laws, what will it accomplish?

The following post contains excerpts and statistics from the article, “The UK Gun Ban” published July 16, 2009 at Associated Content by writer Tony Vega, and used with his permission. Original sources are given at that site.

Not to insult the UK and its lawmakers’ decisions, these statistics should instead encourage Americans to assess by fact and not by fad. The trail blazing UK’s 1997 handgun ban became the "gold standard" of gun control - the toughest firearm restrictions of any democracy.

Since 1997, how has that UK gun ban been working?
-From 1997 to 2001, the rate of violent crime more than doubled.
-The chances of being mugged in London are now six times greater than in New York.
-England's rates of assault, robbery, and burglary are higher than America's.
-53 percent of English home burglaries occur while the residents are at home, compared with the United States’ 13 percent.
-In a United Nations [2002] study of crime, England and Wales led the Western world's crime among 18 developed nations; nearly 55 crimes per 100 people. [1]
-In a 2001 BBC report, officers stated there had been a 100% increase in firearms-related crime in the capitol. [2]
-2008 UK statistics show a significant rise in gun crimes, the biggest since 2004. [6]

By adopting a radical gun ban, the UK abandoned the principles of their own 1689 Bill of Rights calling for the citizenry to "have arms for their defence."

The Second Amendment in the United States’ Bill of Rights states: A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Thomas Jefferson said: "No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

Criminals will never comply with gun laws. Criminals will remain armed and the gun black market will only flourish. Innocent people will be stripped of their right to self-defense. Recalling prohibition (the American alcohol ban of the 1920’s), a new league of criminals and mobsters was created who got rich off of bootlegging liquor. Organized crime rose considerably.

Facebook recently did a gun control poll of more than 215,000 Americans to see if they want increased gun control. The vote was a resounding 92% against more gun control.

To see more of Mr. Vega’s political insight and other writing, go here.

Conservative Books Lead the Nation's Top Bestseller Lists

2009-07-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

Two books which can be categorized as “conservative” are holding the top bestselling slots on the two major Top Bestseller Lists in America. Say what you will about most of “mainstream America” having a liberal mindset and conservatives being the minority—but reader trends contradict that statement.

Radio conservative shock-jock Glenn Beck is sitting comfortably at No. 1 with his latest book “Common Sense,” on the USA TODAY Bestseller List; and on the NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller List in the category of Paperback Nonfiction. The book offers Beck's brand of insight into America's current political, economic and social climate.

Beck’s previous book, “An Inconvenient Book,” did a good job of bashing both sides of the congressional aisle. It held the top Bestseller spot at the NY Times for a while in 2008. Curiously, liberal comedian Stephen Colbert’s book “I Am America (And So Can You)” plus the other three books on the NY Time’s bestseller list during that period all had book reviews on line at the Times; but Beck’s book was neither reviewed by the newspaper staff nor did they allow outsiders to contribute a review…I know because I tried.

Beck’s “An Inconvenient Book” is now still sitting on the Times list at No. 5 in the same category as his "Common Sense." It has performed consistently well all year. Colbert’s book is nowhere in sight.

The NEW YORK TIMES has ex-Democrat Dick Morris’ book, “Catastrophe” as No. 1 in the Hardcover Nonfiction category, while USA TODAY has this book all the way down at No. 17, where it’s followed closely by Mark Levin’s “Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto” at No. 22. Levin is the author of a previous bestseller, “Men in Black: How the Supreme Court Is Destroying America.”

Morris, who was an advisor to Bill Clinton through many of his campaigns including the presidential elections, gets picked on for resigning during a sex scandal, supposedly caught in an adulterous relationship. He then started writing exposés of the Clintons, and has since taken on the workings of the political machine in many books and articles.

See my 2008 Associated Content review of Beck’s “An Inconvenient Book” here.

American Reflections on the Fourth of July

2009-07-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

Americans make big party plans for the Fourth of July and that extra day off of work. Faster than you can say “Fourth of July” some TV talk show host will interview people on the street to see if they know what “Independence Day” means. The answers will be hilarious, yet sad.

Recent surveys of students and their parents born after 1965 reveal that a majority don’t know what the American Revolution was or when and why it was fought. They haven’t a clue what’s in the Declaration of Independence.

The passionate, temporary wave of patriotism and spirituality after 9/11/01 had a backlash. In a valid attempt to show acceptance and understanding for the many innocent people who shared the nationality and religion of the 9/11 suspects, we began an over-the-top movement to “accept everything.” Patriotism has been belittled by activists who say the founding fathers should be ashamed that they didn’t get rid of slavery within the Declaration of Independence; that “freedom for all” turned out to be “freedom for some.”

But in our quest for wanting everything immediately in this fast-paced, Twittering society, Americans forget that freedom came in stages. We can’t have everything now, now, now. We are of little faith to wait for anything, and we don't have a great deal of foresight.

The great William Wilberforce worked to abolish slavery in England throughout his adult life. It happened there in 1833. In America, some of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 worked tirelessly for the rest of their lives to see slavery abolished in America, and handed down the effort to those who came after them. Almost a hundred years later, in 1865, it was achieved.

These men had faith and sight - a vision of freedom. Most Americans lack that faith and sight today. The same lack of insight that condemns how the colonies obtained freedom from Great Britain is the same lack of insight that doesn’t understand why we fight terrorism abroad today. If we don’t fight it elsewhere, it could reach our shores. But the battle can’t be won in a day.

A copy of the Declaration of Independence can be seen here.

South Carolina's Mark Sanford Becomes the Latest John Edwards

2009-06-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford is the latest hot-blooded legislator to admit sexual indiscretion. What can we say? Another blotted career and another hurt family all in the name of illicit passion. What is with these guys?

Sanford, most recently Chairman of the Republican Governors’ Association, was highly anticipated as a 2012 presidential hopeful for the GOP Party.

During a five-day disappearance the week of Father’s Day, his staff first claimed he had gone on an Appalachian hiking trip to relieve the pressures of Congressional sessions. But, after being questioned about his unavailability, Sanford had to admit he had gone to Argentina to be with an unnamed female lover.

According to a Reuter’s report, Sanford's wife, Jenny admits she and her husband have been in a trial separation. Governor Sanford says the affair started as a friendship with e-mails, but turned into something more.

Sanford isn't the only Republican love casualty this month…Senator John Ensign, another potential Republican 2012 White House contender, announced earlier this month that he, too, had an affair. Ensign resigned from U.S. Senate leadership.

It's getting so that after about only a week's attention, these extramarital affair issues just get glossed over, and we become more and more desensitized to it. We figure, putting our faith in men who can't keep their you-know-what in their pants is just a fact of life. The question remains...are they sorry they did it, or sorry they got caught?

Governor Mark Sanford gained his most recognition just this year by opposing President Obama’s economic stimulus package. He rejected $700 million in federal funds, stating it would not benefit South Carolina's fiscal stability. However, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the federal money must be accepted.

Sanford's replacement as Chairman of the Republican Governors’ Association is Mississippi’s Governor, Haley Barbour. Barbour might be another possible Republican 2012 presidential nominee.

The Bible - Truth or Fiction?

2009-06-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Is the Bible filled with Truth or Fiction? There are 2,000 years’ worth of documents and archaeological finds substantiating the people and places in the Bible. Eyewitness historical accounts have never been proven false. But the Bible is considered "too incredible" because of the supernatural events within. Whatever happened to the phrase "TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION"?

Millions of people have the faith to take a psychic’s advice without meeting them or asking for credentials. Others wear crystals for strength or practice mystical things. Yet they will ask a Christian to "prove" that God exists and that Jesus was His Son.

A Bible believer can spout Bible verses as evidence, but if someone doesn't believe the Bible, why will they listen? Skeptics can be given insight through sound logical and statistical findings and information. Josh McDowell, internationally known youth advocate and Christian author, tried to prove the Bible false during his college days. He ended up becoming a believer and stated the following in his book, Evidence That Demands A Verdict:
"Being written on material that perishes, having to be copied and recopied for hundreds of years before the invention of the printing press, did not diminish its style, correctness or existence. The Bible, compared with other ancient writings, has more manuscript evidence than any 10 pieces of classic literature combined."

The Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1947 were validated by paleographers as dating back to about 100 B.C. The Dead Sea Scrolls lended truth to previously found scrolls dated 600-900 A.D. And when compared they say virtually the same thing. Also found was an original scroll of the "Song of Deborah" from the Bible's book of Judges, documented to be from the 12th century B.C.

Forty different authors wrote within the 66 canonized books of the Bible. Some of them lived 500 years apart, in at least ten different countries. They couldn't see each other's writings in a bookstore. They had no editors. Yet they all tell the same story, including the gap between the last prophet (Malachi, circa 435 B.C.), and the birth of Christ. After nearly 400 years of silence, the story picks up as if without a day.

King David wrote about crucifixion in Psalm 22. Although crucifixion may have been developed by in Persia as early as 1800 B.C., the best documented evidence didn’t appear until the seventh century B.C. David lived 200 years before that. Where did he get this description?

People say that Jesus lied about who he was. But, what did he have to gain by doing this?
He was rejected by his own people. Even his mother and half-brothers thought he was crazy at first. He was beaten to a pulp beyond recognition. He was spit on and ridiculed, had thorns stuck through his head, nails driven into his body, and was hung between two thieves when all he did was say some things people didn't like.

What’s more, would he be around after his crucifixion to enjoy the fruits of his martyrdom? No.
To me, the most preposterous thing of all is for people to say the Bible is made up. To believe instead in a "big bang" - that everything just "got here" - now that's faith.

This article is excerpted from Sheryl’s book, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People. For more information and how to order, see the first column to the right of this article.

Road Rage with a Laugh

2009-06-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

Do you spend most of the time in your car listening to accident reports on the radio? To ease my mild case of road rage during a traffic jam, I decided to affectionately name these wrongful road warriors:

“The Blindfolded Guy” – He simply pretends not to see your car where he wants his to be. Like a race horse with blinders on, the poor soul has no peripheral sight. Pretty soon, it’s obvious he intends to become Siamese twins with your only means of transportation.

“The Bouncer” – Like a disco groupie’s worst nightmare, he’s going to keep you out no matter what. This is the one who won’t let you on to the highway or into a lane. He’d rather see you crash and burn. After someone else lets you in, he changes lanes because he didn’t even need to be there.

“The Shadow” – The one who follows so closely you can’t see the front of their car. Is this the guy from that fraudulent insurance ring who’s actually trying to cause an accident?

“The Shooter” – He sits at the next corner waiting until you’re only ten feet away, then shoots out in front of you and slows down.

“The Flasher” – This person flashes their headlights to make you drive faster when you’re already doing 20 over the limit just to keep up with traffic. Don’t you know he needs to get where he’s going?

“The Swinger” – The compact car driver who thinks he’s maneuvering a semi. He swerves out into your lane to make his right hand turn.

And we’d better give these marauders their way without any negative reaction, lest we become the latest victim of “road rage.” Next time you’re on the road, find something to laugh about and play nice. Who knows - that accident that has traffic at a stand-still might have involved you if things were moving any faster.

I Don't Apologize for America

2009-06-13T09:33:00.001-07:00

President Obama has been traveling around to various countries apologizing for America. He apologizes for America oppressing people. He apologizes for America imposing democracy on other countries. He apologizes for America denying people opportunities.

However, in America people from other countries can create successful businesses. Many times, Americans who are not so ambitious end up working for the people from other countries. We often hear new American citizens from less fortunate nations say “I have the American dream. This is a great free country.”

No country's perfect. But should Americans be apologizing for what America is? Should we apologize for the men and women who created America to become a great nation? Should we apologize for our American soldiers who leave their own families and risk their lives so that people in other countries can be free from dictators, madmen and tyrants?

In America, people can move freely from state to state without showing their identification. That is not true in many nations.

Immigrants can come to America, work and become naturalized citizens. They never need to be called “foreigners” again.

America allows women and children to wear what they want, get an education and choose their occupation whether they are male or female.

In America, we go to sleep at night without worrying if our husbands, wives or children will be dragged off in the middle of the night because of our beliefs.

Of course, there are other free countries where all these things also exist. But apologizing for America gives more credibility to Americans who speak like they hate America because they have never traveled outside of our country to see how poor the conditions are in some other world locations. It exacerbates opinions about the past, and while placating other governments, it insults Americans.

Sorry, President Obama. I don't agree with apologizing for America.

Are You Text Messaging Friends or Wearing Your Bluetooth® While at Work?

2009-06-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

Are you text messaging friends, wearing your Bluetooth® or keeping your personal cell phone on while in the workplace? Unless you have permission, you may be cheating your employer out of an honest day's work.

I encountered the most amazing sight the other day. Talk about multi-tasking. A cashier in a clothing store was ringing something up for me while talking on her personal earphone. At first I thought, okay, maybe the employer has the employees wear them. But this was definitely a personal phone call, which she had no qualms about my hearing. It wasn't an emergency call, either. She was gingerly talking to some friend about weekend plans.

Ironically, taped to the customer side of the counter was a boldly typed notice that said:
"Please have your cell phones off while at the cash register."
We see these requests at fast food places and banks, usually pertaining to the customer. I guess that's so the cashier can ask you a question. Well, there wasn't any way I could have asked her one right then, either.

Kids are texting while taking tests, too - perhaps to ask someone on the outside for an answer. But far be it from a teacher to question a child's intentions - that may bruise their ego or bring angry parents to school. "Cheating" is now becoming one of those old fashioned words that falls into the "no wrong or right, no good or bad" category. If you feel it's right at any given moment, do it.

Although text messaging, ear telephones and all these new contraptions can be wonderful time-savers, they take our minds off the other situation we are in at the time. And we're putting our faith in these instruments to keep up our personal relationships instead of face to face encounters with those who deserve our undivided attention.

I even saw a guy text messaging while riding a bicycle on a busy street. Now that's faith.

"You Scare Me" Says Former V.P. of Company to President Obama

2009-06-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

"You scare me" are the opening words of each sentence in Lou Pritchett's open letter to President Obama. Pritchett, a former Vice President of Proctor & Gamble, wanted his letter published in the New York Times but that didn't happen. Instead, it began appearing on the Internet.

According to Snopes.com, the website that dispels rumors and confirms truths, Pritchett has acknowledged being the author of the letter. He succinctly writes what many Americans are afraid to think or say about the current administration, and raises many questions. If interested, read the letter at Snopes here. No words can express it better.

In the current American political climate, people who do not agree with President Obama's position on some issues, or his credentials to hold the highest office in the country, are being intimidated into silence. This scare tactic doesn't always come from the administration itself, but from powerful lobbies on its fringes.

The U.S. Constitution's First Amendment still says we have freedom of speech and the right to address the government with our grievances on issues. Some majority leaders in Congress would like to see people prosecuted for what they think and say on the basis that it may "incite violence." Since this hasn't come up in previous administrations, we can only assume that some of Mr. Pritchett's "You Scare Me" letter could possibly come true. To my recollection, the vocal detractors of President Bush were never accused of being hateful inciters of violence.

No American president does everything wrong and none have done everything right. Either way, Americans are allowed (for now) to speak their piece.

Is There a Universal Absolute Truth?

2009-06-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

Is there any one universal absolute truth to live by? Is each person's truth or faith as they see it an absolute truth? Or is there really a universal absolute truth?

I have two American quarters in my right hand and two in my left. I count the two in the right, then the two in the left. They total four. No one in the world would dispute that two plus two makes four. No one in America or any foreigner who knows world money would dispute that four American quarters make one American dollar.

Yet, with today's lack of willingness to proclaim that there is "right and wrong" or "good and bad," many people say there is no such thing as absolute truth. Some believe that our mind makes up our own truths as we go along according to our experiences, or how we feel at a given moment. But don't dare share your absolute truth with anyone else.

Imagine that I take those four quarters to an American supermarket. I do my shopping, and approach the register with $20.00 worth of groceries. I say to the cashier, “I believe these four quarters make $20.00. You must accept them as full payment for my food.” Nobody is going to believe me!

When someone states there is no such thing as an absolute truth, I ask them, “Do you unequivocally believe that there is no absolute truth?” If they answer yes, I say, “Then you must admit there is absolute truth.”

If there's no absolute truth, then why do we die? Why are people poor? Why are there disasters? Most of us would prefer to live. Most would choose to stay at their favorite age, or live in a different era. Most are likely to choose being millionaires.

Books like "The Secret" claim life can be whatever you want. But if I'm driving in my car, and there's a guy in the next lane, and I say the sky is blue but the other guy says it's raining, whose truth is right?

The real truth is, people just don’t want there to be an absolute truth. Because if there is, someone would be wrong. That's now a "politically incorrect" word. We wouldn’t be able to do just as we please without facing consequences for our actions.

We live by many absolute truths. Murder is unlawful - that fact is accepted everywhere. You can get put in jail for murdering someone. But not all absolute truths are this cut and dry. For example, the phrase “separation of church and state” is not in the U.S. Constitution, but most people believe it because of what they've been told instead of looking it up. So what is not the truth can be repeated until it becomes the truth.

The freedom to believe that there is no absolute truth has made us lose our convictions, our direction, and our capacity to love people despite our differences. Disagreeing with someone is now automatically called hate. What dribble! In an effort to be tolerant of everyone else’s beliefs, we’re asked to give up our own, and many comply without even realizing it.

The absolute truth I believe becomes truer every day, because its words give hope for the future. And that is “…the Lord is good; his love endures forever, and his faithfulness endures through all generations” (Psalm 100:5). If only we could love each other this way, and still face an absolute truth now and then. Mere tolerance through lip service and trying to appease any group would pale in comparison if we could see what real love looks like. And that's the absolute truth.

Teen Trends - Hugging, Sexting and Hooking Up

2009-06-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

What’s worse – hugging, “sexting” or “hooking up”? Middle schools across the nation are now banning the trend of hugging between students on school grounds. Hugging seems to be the latest form of greeting between kids from middle school up. We’ve seen it on the streets and in the malls, but educators appear to have come to their limit with seeing physical contact between students.

Some kids may not wish to have their personal space violated by hugs from anyone and everyone. But is it as harmful as being “sexted” on their cell phones or getting “hooked up” to “friends with benefits”?

If you’re a parent and you’ve never heard of “sexting,” “hooking up” or “friends with benefits,” then you need some fresh sight into what your child is dealing with out in society today.

“Sexting” is the new trend of sending revealing and even nude photos to each others’ cell phones through text messaging. It may start as a private thing between two people, which already isn’t so good, but then one party may pass the photos on to other viewers. Pretty soon, the photos of these pre-teens and teens are as popular as if placed on the Internet…and some of them do get transferred there.

“Hooking Up” is the popular term for having casual sexual encounters within a circle of friends, or with newly met "friends," with no strings attached. No boyfriend-girlfriend or dating commitment, no promises, just friends. This is also called “friends with benefits.”

Within the trend of “hooking up” comes the impetuousness of having sex with no protection, loss of self-esteem, feelings of emptiness and heartbreak. One or both of the hooked up partners may like each other enough for a relationship, but they are not supposed to voice that. So later in life, there can be an inability to form intimate lasting relationships.

Yet another trend has to do with “breaking friendship bracelets” – sometimes called sex bracelets. These are bracelets made from the same jelly-resembling substance as the shoes called jellies. The bracelets come in different colors. For example, if a boy can grab and break the girl’s bracelet, the color red may mean she supposedly owes him a lap dance and the color black may mean she owes him sex.

Sometimes the bracelet breaking is a joke and kids don’t intend to go through with it. Other times, these boys are going to hold your daughter to it…if she was wearing the bracelet that must mean she wants it, right?

Kids have always come up with ways to greet each other and get close to other kids. But we need to choose our battles wisely. The hugging trend probably passes less germs than even holding hands. Aside from making sure our kids know that they have the right to tell someone not to hug, I’d rather try to be sure they’re not hooking up, sexting and breaking bracelets.

Is Christianity to Blame for the Murder of George Tiller?

2009-06-02T04:56:00.000-07:00

Is Christianity responsible for the murder of abortion provider George Tiller? Once again, many good-hearted, sincere Christians find themselves begging to be separated from whoever would do such a thing as kill an abortion doctor.

Soon after George Tiller was murdered in his church, a quick search on the web revealed new articles with titles like "The Culture of Life Strikes Again" and "The Sick Side of Pro-Life." And there was talk about holding "pro-life speech" responsible for the murder. This is an appeal to pro-choicers and opponents of the Christian faith: please do not generalize. Here are just a few examples of statements denouncing the murder from pro-life organizations:

Kansas Right to Life Condemns Tiller's Murder;
Nevada Right to Life Condemns Tiller's Murder; and
The Susan B. Anthony List Statement on the Death of George Tiller.

A church that accepted George Tiller as a member or attendee of their church should stand as proof to the world that there is Christian love even for someone whom many Christians would feel committed a grave sin in his clinics. And some Christians are pro-choice or struggle with the pro-choice/pro life dilemma in their personal convictions. So it's just as wrong to make generalizations about all Churches and Church-goers as it is to say "all gays are this" or "all blacks are that."

An abortionist who went to church may have had some inner struggle going on in his heart and mind with what he was doing as a profession. But the someone who would kill him, and kill him in a church, could not possibly be stable-minded in any way. As of this date, there is no news whether the person now in custody was a church member, or a "Christian," or someone who just walked into the church looking for Tiller. Yet many conclusions are being drawn.

One of the Ten Commandments says "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13). Another biblical principle exists: "Vengeance is the Lord's" (Isaiah 61:2, Romans 12:19). No sincere Christian living the Christian life would take judgment of Tiller upon themselves.

I offer prayers to the Tiller family, his congregation, the family of the killer, and for sensitivity within the Christian community no matter how much we dislike the fact that abortion is legal.

HBO True Blood Returns to TV Sunday, June 14, 2009

2009-05-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

The HBO vampire series, True Blood, begins its second season on Sunday evening, June 14. After just one summer season in 2008, HBO True Blood has developed throngs of avid followers with “voracious appetites” for the bloody storyline.

HBO True Blood has the same theme as the very popular current movie Twilight – beautiful, good human girl falls in love with eerie, gorgeous vampire guy. So vampires are trés chic for the umpteenth time from Bela Lugosi to Buffy. Tasty entertainment.

But this time, HBO has found a new twist. Vampires supposedly "came out of the closet" two years ago, and they’ve been facing discrimination and intolerance ever since.

Based on the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, the HBO True Blood TV series is set in the hot and steamy rural southern town of Bon Temps, Louisiana (“bon temps” being French for “good times”). Its vampire hero, Bill Compton, was a Civil War soldier when he sought shelter in a pioneer woman’s house. But she turned out to be a vampire who fed on him. He died, becoming a vampire himself. He could never go home to his family, and was doomed to live immortally. Being a vampire wasn’t his choice.

Bill’s done what the vampires call “mainstreaming” – trying to fit in with society. Although he can still only come out at night, he dresses like human men, falls in love with a mortal girl, and instead of going to vampire hangouts he ventures into the local human hotspot. And he doesn’t like to feed on people for real blood...he opts for the synthetically produced new Japanese product “True Blood” for nourishment whenever it’s available – hence the series title.

At the human hangout, there’s some intolerant talk toward the vampires, since some of them do still feed on humans. Bill’s mortal girlfriend, Sookie, has the ability to hear other peoples’ thoughts. So she hears many mean remarks made toward vampires and the humans who are willing to associate with them. When first meeting Bill, she is immediately entranced and excited at the prospect of being deflowered at the hands of a vampire.

It turns out real vampire blood (“V”) is a hot commodity, and people are becoming addicted to it for the ethereal high it creates. Some vampires sell their blood for money – others are trapped and exploited by humans for it.

True Blood has the usual politically correct double standard – those who are against vampires are the religious bad guys. In Season One, a law-abiding churchgoer turned out to be a vicious serial killer of “fangbangers” (women who sleep with vampires), a Christian TV preacher spit hatred at vampires from his bully pulpit, and a senator - Republican no doubt - bad-mouthed vampires while hypocritically sleeping with a gay vampire blood dealer.

True Blood has a strange, hypnotic way of drawing you in to see what happens next. You start identifying and sympathizing with Bill and Sookie’s situation. This would still be good ol' fashioned entertainment, except that there are actually groups of people today who are dressing like their idea of vampires and even trying to live like them, down to what they claim to be biting and drinking. But let’s be tolerant.

I give this series 2 thumbs up for creativity, but 3 thumbs down for violence, sexual content and religious discrimination against those of biblical faith.

© 2009, Sheryl Young

The Gardasil Vaccine for HPV – Moms, Are You Getting the Whole Truth?

2009-05-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

The Gardasil vaccine television commercials are aimed at moms of pre-teen and teen girls. But the whole truth isn’t being told.

The Gardasil vaccine is being called the next best thing to sliced white bread for safety against the HPV Virus. HPV causes 90-99% of all cervical cancer cases, according to a study by Johns Hopkins University. Moms are being advised in the television commercials to get their daughters vaccinated.

What is HPV, and how does a girl catch it?
Human Papillomavirus, a form of genital warts, is spread strictly by sexual contact. By getting your pre-teen or teen daughter vaccinated, you are basically saying “Go ahead and do it.”

The Facts:
The Gardasil HPV vaccine promotes a false sense of security. It doesn’t protect against pregnancy or AIDS. It doesn’t protect against Herpes or other STD’s like gonorrhea or syphilis. It doesn’t even protect against all types of HPV and cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the second most deadly women's cancer.

HPV is not protected against by condoms, as it is easily transmitted through the sweat glands around the areas of the sexual organs, and also the anal area. HPV is very widespread. The Hopkins study calls it the most prevalent STD. It may be encountered at some point by 75% of sexually active girls and women. Both heterosexual and homosexual boys and men can carry the disease, transmitting it to every partner, but never knowing.

The Gardasil vaccine was only studied for a brief period of approximately 4 years, and is controversial because many believe it was approved too quickly by the FDA under pressure from anti-abstinence lobbying groups.

Moms, as for being advised to get this vaccine on girls as young as 6-10, there is no research proving that this vaccine will last through to their sexually active age.

The side effects, supposedly mild according to the TV ads, can include paralysis, a compromised immune system and there have been 15 reports of death. According to CNN News as of mid-2008, there have been over 7,800 complaints to the FDA of reactions and ailments linked to Gardasil inoculations.

So moms, think about this long and hard. Perhaps a better protection for your daughter than the Gardasil vaccine is a good, open relationship with conversations about purity, self-respect and how to say “NO” to sex.

© 2009, Sheryl Young

MY BOUNDLESS FAITH

2009-05-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

"Boundless Faith" explains the kind of faith that originates and exists in one's heart and mind without being able to touch or see what you believe in. From that faith springs forth the other truths in this poem.

MY BOUNDLESS FAITH

I am strongest if you cling to me when there is nothing else left.
I don't come from believing in what the eye can see, but in what it can’t.
With just a little of me, great things can be accomplished.
I am FAITH.

I am there when you can't see your way through another day.
I develop your perseverance and character, not despair.
Skeptics may want none of me, but if you search for me you will find me.
I am HOPE.

I am often confused with lust by those searching for the real thing.
If used correctly, I will supercede mere tolerance.
I am unconditional, endless, patient, forgiving and kind.
But most of humanity has not experienced me this way.
I am LOVE.

I become most fervent when others try to suppress me.
You can take advantage of me even when you can't speak.
I will take you as you are; fancy, memorized words are not needed.
I can lighten the load.
I am PRAYER.

I’m real even though some people say I am imagined.
I wish everyone could know me, but I understand some won't.
I do not belong to denominations. I belong in your heart.
I am who many say I am…I am GOD.

© Sheryl Young 2008