Religion Among the Millennials

Here is the latest study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Political Life:

"By some key measures, Americans ages 18 to 29 are considerably less religious than older Americans. Fewer young adults belong to any particular faith than older people do today. They also are less likely to be affiliated than their parents' and grandparents' generations were when they were young. Fully one-in-four members of the Millennial generation - so called because they were born after 1980 and began to come of age around the year 2000 - are unaffiliated with any particular faith. Indeed, Millennials are significantly more unaffiliated than members of Generation X were at a comparable point in their life cycle (20% in the late 1990s) and twice as unaffiliated as Baby Boomers were as young adults (13% in the late 1970s). Young adults also attend religious services less often than older Americans today. And compared with their elders today, fewer young people say that religion is very important in their lives....." More

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Who do you trust?

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But he who walks wisely will be delivered--Proverbs 28:26

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Jerry Fodor and Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini on Darwinism

Interesting post yesterday from Evolution News and Views:

"Jerry Fodor and Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini aren't making many friends among evolutionists with their new book What Darwin Got Wrong. Salon magazine published an interview with Fodor today in which he has some interesting things to say about the attacks he's received online, about whether he is providing aid and succor to the ID community, and what he thinks is wrong with modern evolutionary theory.

As you explain in the book, one of the problems with Darwinism is that Darwin is inventing explanations for something that happened long ago, over a long period of time. Isn’t that similar to creationism?

Creationism isn't the only doctrine that’s heavily into post-hoc explanation. Darwinism is too. If a creature develops the capacity to spin a web, you could tell a story of why spinning a web was good in the context of evolution. That is why you should be as suspicious of Darwinism as of creationism. They have spurious consequence in common. And that should be enough to make you worry about either account.

Read the full interview at Salon.com."

More...

Their book:

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Archaeologist sees proof for Bible in ancient wall

"JERUSALEM – An Israeli archaeologist said Monday that ancient fortifications recently excavated in Jerusalem date back 3,000 years to the time of King Solomon and support the biblical narrative about the era.

If the age of the wall is correct, the finding would be an indication that Jerusalem was home to a strong central government that had the resources and manpower needed to build massive fortifications in the 10th century B.C.

That's a key point of dispute among scholars, because it would match the Bible's account that the Hebrew kings David and Solomon ruled from Jerusalem around that time.
While some Holy Land archaeologists support that version of history — including the archaeologist behind the dig, Eilat Mazar — others posit that David's monarchy was largely mythical and that there was no strong government to speak of in that era.

Speaking to reporters at the site Monday, Mazar, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, called her find "the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel."
"It means that at that time, the 10th century, in Jerusalem there was a regime capable of carrying out such construction," she said.

Based on what she believes to be the age of the fortifications and their location, she suggested it was built by Solomon, David's son, and mentioned in the Book of Kings.

The fortifications, including a monumental gatehouse and a 77-yard (70-meter) long section of an ancient wall, are located just outside the present-day walls of Jerusalem's Old City, next to the holy compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. According to the Old Testament, it was Solomon who built the first Jewish Temple on the site.
That temple was destroyed by Babylonians, rebuilt, renovated by King Herod 2,000 years ago and then destroyed again by Roman legions in 70 A.D. The compound... (more)

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Apologetics 315 Interviews William Lane Craig

Craig is a leading Christian Philosopher and Apologist Check it out! (click here)

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Ideas Have Consequences

“For the ​weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but ​divinely powerful ​for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every ​lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the ​obedience of Christ.”—2 Cor. 10:4-5

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An Update on Prop 8 Case in California and the Ruth Institute

"The San Francisco Chronicle broke the story last week: Justice Walker, presiding over the Prop 8 federal court case on whether to overturn the decisive will of the voters of California, is a homosexual. Frustratingly, the news on the case up to this point has been about all the leniency and powers of intrusive investigation Judge Walker has granted to the pro-gay-marriage side of the case (which have been struck down by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, of all places). Dr J has more on the issue..." Listen to this podcast

About: Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D. is the founder and President of the Ruth Institute, a non-profit educational institute promoting lifelong married love at home, at work and in the public square. She is also the Senior Research Fellow in Economics at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty.

She is the author of Smart Sex: Finding Life-long Love in a Hook-up World, (2005) and Love and Economics: Why the Laissez-Faire Family Doesn’t Work (2001), recently reissued in paperback, as Love and Economics: It Takes a Family to Raise a Village.

Dr. Morse served as a Research Fellow for Stanford University’s Hoover Institution from 1997-2005. She received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Rochester in 1980 and spent a postdoctoral year at the University of Chicago during 1979-80. She taught economics at Yale University and George Mason University for 15 years. She was John M. Olin visiting scholar at the Cornell Law School in fall 1993. She is a regular contributor to the National Review Online, National Catholic Register, Town Hall, MercatorNet and To the Source.

More on Gay Marriage...

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Is Knowledge of God Possible?

Humans were designed to act on knowledge in everyday life. If you and I don’t think the Bible and other sources of knowledge about God, morality, and the spiritual life are possible and we are not growing in this knowledge; then following Jesus in everyday life will be next to impossible because we always default to what we know.

Here is a podcast where I explore this in more detail, listen here.

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The 'Flying Spaghetti Monster' & The Evidence For God: Dr. William Lane Craig

Is belief in God more reasonable than belief in the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

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Evolution is a fact?

Here is a helpful overview by Evolution News and Views Blog:

Darwin was wrong.
Missing links still missing.
There is no such thing as junk DNA.
Birds did not descend from Dinosaurs.
Irreducible complexity is still irreducibly complex.
Tiktaalik has been invalidated by an earlier ancestor.
Haeckel’s embryo drawings are still fake (and still in textbooks).

Yet, evolution is a fact?

Resources on Evolution / Intelligent Design Debate

For more...

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The Truth

Truth is discovered, not invented or created. Gravity existed before Newton and deliberately taking an innocent life was wrong before America passed a law against it. Truth is simply the way things are...reality as it is and whether that is morality, economics, theology, or science--there is a way the world is and responsible human beings seek to conform their lives to as much truth as they can get their hands on.

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Truth and Ice Cream

My friend Brett Kunkle (Student Impact Director at Stand to Reason) just launched a new site that will help you think clearly about Christianity. Check it out

Is Christianity true? for everyone? Here is Brett's helpful way to begin thinking about truth. Enjoy!

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The Centrality of Christ

¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Col 1:15-20)

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Was Jesus Smart?

“Jesus is Lord can mean little to someone who has to hesitate before saying Jesus is smart.”—Dallas Willard

When it comes down to it, does Jesus actually know what he is talking about...in your and my life?

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Of Superbowl Ads, Tim Tebow's Story, and Freedom of Speech

Well the most watched TV event ever is over--106 million I think--and what have we learned? The Colts are really good. The Saints were better last night.

But what have we learned from all of the hype regarding the Pro-life Tim Tebow ad. A very important lesson in our media savvy culture. Less is more.



here are some summary thoughts and commentary...

See the Full Video of Tebow's Story. (well worth watching!)

Tebow Super Bowl Ad Leads Viewers to 'God Story'

"Nicely played, Focus on the Family. Having gotten the entire country to talk for weeks about the group's antiabortion stance with this controversial Tim Tebow spot, the ad itself ends up with only the phrase "miracle baby," a website referral and the tagline, "Celebrate family. Celebrate life," to clue us in on the ad's subtext." (from CNN)

"Dr. Darrell Bock, research professor of New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, said there is a push back on the ability of someone to tell a personal story, or the right to free speech.

“Some people use the word hate speech [to describe the ad] and they haven’t even seen it,” Bock told The Christian Post Friday. “This is particularly odd in a society where all kinds of free speech that would be uncomfortable for a lot of people [are aired]. But someone tells a personal story and they try to cut that off.”--Darrell Bock (for more)

Tim Tebow Foundation from Tim Tebow on Vimeo.

NOW is outraged....seriously? (read below)

John McCormack writes:

The LA Times reports that the president of the National Organization for Women is still outrageously outraged over the incredibly tame Focus on the Family/Tebow ad last night:

NOW president Terry O’Neill said [the Tebow ad] glorified violence against women. “I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it,” she said. “That’s what comes across to me even more strongly than the anti-abortion message. I myself am a survivor of domestic violence, and I don’t find it charming. I think CBS should be ashamed of itself.“

The “violence against women” O’Neill refers to occurs when Tim Tebow tackles his mom Pam in an attempt at slapstick.

"No word yet on whether or not NOW is equally outraged by the hyper-sexualized objectification of women in many of the other Super Bowl ads. Or whether or not they are bothered by the actual violence that is done to women who are just being born."--Justin Taylor (HT - Between Two Worlds)

Finally, would you be able to make a powerful case for the human rights of the unborn in 5 minutes or less? You can if you read this...

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Thinking well is really important

“Your intellectual life is important…for the simple reason that your very character, the kind of person you are and are becoming, is at stake. Careful oversight of our intellectual lives is imperative if we are to think well, and thinking well is an indispensable ingredient to living well.”—Jay Wood

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Apologetics Study Bible for Students Now Available with contributions by Jonathan Morrow

I am so excited to tell you about the release of the Apologetic Study Bible for Students edited by Sean McDowell. I had the privileged of contributing five articles to it (doubt, hiddenness of God, how we know the Bible includes the right books, what about missing / lost Gospels, and Tolerance) .

It is an outstanding resource that needs to finds its way into the hands of every young person you know. 32% of students walk away from the faith because of Intellectual Skepticism. It doesn't have to--nor should it be--this way.

Check out this video:


Here are some of the specifics:

Product Description

Like the acclaimed Apologetics Study Bible that has sold 115,000+ copies, the Apologetics Study Bible for Students will anchor younger Christians in the truths of Scripture by equipping them with thoughtful and practical responses for whenever the core issues of their faith and life are challenged. Multiple research studies have shown that spiritual focus often weakens among teenagers as they head into the attention-dividing realm of young adulthood. Up to 66% of them leave church altogether. The Apologetics Study Bible for Students works against that trend by helping this audience begin to better articulate its beliefs.

In addition to the complete HCSB text and dozens of articles collected from today’s most popular youth leaders, including general editor Sean McDowell, this new study Bible also includes:• Two-color design-intensive layout on every page for the visual generation• Sixty “Twisted Scriptures” explanations• Fifty “Bones & Dirt” entries (archaeology meets apologetics)• Fifty “Notable Quotes”• Twenty-five “Tactics” against common anti-Christian arguments• Twenty “Personal Stories” of how God has worked in real lives • Twenty “Top Five” lists to help remember key apologetics topics

A great compliment to this for graduation gifts would be my Welcome to College: A Christ-follower's guide for the Journey



"But set apart Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to give a defense for the hope within, yet with gentleness and respect."-1 Peter 3:15

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Quote of the Day by Dinesh D'Souza

“Instead of engaging...[the] secular world, most Christians have taken the easy way out. They have retreated into a Christian subculture where they engage Christian concerns. Then they step back into secular society, where their Christianity is kept out of sight until the next church service. Without realizing it Christians have become postmodernists of a sort: they live by the gospel of the two truths. There is religious truth reserved for Sundays and days of worship, and there is secular truth, which applies the rest of time.”—Dinesh D’Souza

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New Study: Abstinence Education Reduces Sexual Activity

Dr. John B. Jemmott candidly admitted, “I think we’ve written off abstinence-only education without looking closely at the nature of the evidence.”

"A new landmark study shows that abstinence education is more effective in reducing sexual activity among youths than other programs.

One-third of students who completed the abstinence program had sexual intercourse within two years of the class. By comparison, more than half of those who participated in safe sex and condom use programs said they had sexual intercourse.

More than 40 percent of students who received either an eight- or 12-hour class combining both abstinence education and safe sex said they had sex within the two-year period.

The study, which appears in the February 2010 Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, published by the American Medical Association, followed black middle school students for a full two years after their completion of the abstinence class.

“Finally, a study that proves what those of us who have been teaching abstinence have known for years,” said Leslee Unruh, president and founder of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse. “These programs help develop self control and self esteem, teaching kids they do not need to fall prey to the game of Russian Roulette with condoms....” (Read the rest)

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How to Grow in Your Relationship with God by Jonathan Morrow

Recently I taught a seminar on how to grow in your relationship with God. I am so thankful for the many people who have invested in my life that have helped me. I hope this is helpful to you.

New Year's resolutions...Don't you love them? January is a great time to think differently about our lives because we have a sense of hope that we can change and grow. This year can be different. And with God's help and some intentionality, it can! So at the beginning of 2010, we want to take some time as a church to develop a spiritual fitness plan that makes sense with your own season of life, unique experiences and design, and areas you need to grow. But like almost everything in life, unless we make a plan to do it, it won't happen. The busyness of life crowds God and his Word out. After this seminar you will walk with some practical suggestions about how to grow in your relationship with God this year. It could be a year that you will never forget.

Click here to Listen

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Good News of God's Love and Hope for You - How to Begin a Relationship With God

No matter what you are going through, you need to know that God loves you beyond words, has promised to be with you, and offers you eternal life with Him that begins the moment you give your life to him. This video by Louie Giglio is a great reminder of that...Don't let the big venue distract you, the message comes straight out of Isaiah 40:28-31 and is God's promise to you.

²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Would you like to know God personally? Here is how to begin your relationship with God. (Click Here)

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"--John 1:12

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Are Science and Faith Friends or Foes?

What is the relationship between science and faith? If you are a Christian and wanting a solid, biblical engagement with this question, then look no further than Science and Faith: Friends or Foes by C. John Collins. It is conversational in tone but doesn't shy away from any of the conversational areas (Gen. 1-3, age of the earth, etc.). Here are some reviews and a description:

Reviews

"Collins maps the entire interface between faithful biblical interpretation and questions of all sorts posed in the name of the sciences. Interesting, fair-minded, shrewd, and clear from start to finish, this will prove outstanding as a pastoral resource."
—J. I. Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College

"There is something here for just about everyone. Science and Faith is required reading for all who are interested in the relationship between science and the Christian faith."
—J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

"This is a highly significant book on possibly the most important subject confronting the church today-the neutrality of science. A delightful style makes it easily accessible yet the author never neglects important issues. It is the best book of its kind for decades."
—Ranald Macaulay, Speaker, L'Abri Fellowship; Coordinator, Christian Heritage, Cambridge

"Jack Collins is my kind of guy-a fellow MIT nerd. But he is much more: a brilliant scholar of biblical languages and a keen observer of the interaction between science and the Christian faith. This is a wonderful book, and I recommend it most strongly."
—Henry F. Schaefer III, Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry, University of Georgia

Product Description

Many believers worry that science undermines the Christian faith. Instead of fearing scientific discovery, Jack Collins believes that Christians should delight in the natural world and study it. God's truth will stand against any challenge and will enrich the very scientific studies that we fear.

Collins first defines faith and science, shows their relation, and explains what claims each has concerning truth. Then he applies the biblical teaching on creation to the topics of "conflict" between faith and science, including the age of the earth, evolution, and miracles. He considers what it means to live in a created world. This book is for anyone looking for a Christian engagement with science without technical jargon.

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