by Denise Morris on 10/31/2006
I'm excited to be blogging with you, and I'm looking forward to some interesting discussion! So, here goes my first post. Since it's Halloween, I thought I'd be current and share this article from Newsweek. It's about something called Hell House, "an evangelical Christian version of a haunted house." Audience members walk through graphic depictions of sinful scenes (an abortion, a gay man getting AIDS, a suicide), and at the end, an actor playing Jesus calls on people to repent.... Read more.
by Motte Brown on 10/31/2006
Over the last six years, the one common theme in my career has been working to leverage media and marketing opportunities for ministry. It's something that has taken me to many conferences -- to peddle product, network or learn about the next big thing. Mostly, you just hope for some takeaway that proves worth the time and money of attendance. God Blog Con 2006 provided that takeaway and more. I was most impressed by two things: the humility and generosity... Read more.
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 10/31/2006
Today Boundless writer Thabiti Anyabwile reflects on Reformation Day. His perspective left me breathless. Events like the Reformation attest to the prevailing nature of the Gospel. It is a message that overcomes great odds and finds its way into the most unlikely places. An excerpt: What does a German monk nailing a long list of complaints on a church door have to do with an African American ministering in a small, international Caribbean island? Luther's world and my own couldn't... Read more.
by Steve Watters on 10/31/2006
I noticed a couple more key points in the new Barna study Candice blogged about. Strong peer influence: The director of the research, David Kinnaman, pointed out, "The research shows that people's moral profile is more likely to resemble that of their peer group than it is to take shape around the tenets of a person's faith. This research paints a compelling picture that moral values are shifting very quickly and significantly within the Christian community as well as outside... Read more.
by Candice Watters on 10/31/2006
Pollster George Barna's newest survey results reveal a sickening trend among "Busters" (currently 23-41 year-olds) -- we're more immoral than the Boomers. Among their findings: Busters were twice as likely to have viewed sexually explicit movies or videos; two and a half times more likely to report having had a sexual encounter outside of marriage; and three times more likely to have viewed sexually graphic content online. But many Busters also defy sexual convention in their attitudes. For instance, more... Read more.
by Steve Watters on 10/30/2006
We've talked a lot about extended adolescence at Boundless, but it's always interesting to get perspective on this trend from outside of our circle of friends -- and even from outside of America. Dr. Al Mohler found a great article from the U.K. where it seems the problem may be more acute and resulting in something of a pendulum swing. The writer, Michael Bywater, makes the case that our consumer-oriented culture and contemporary philosophies make our generation much more self-conscious... Read more.
by Motte Brown on 10/30/2006
David Kuo's Political Folly There's a saying: "Politics is downstream from culture." For years, politically active Christians seem not to have understood this, and put the cart before the horse by trying to "transform the culture" through political action. You write: "As secular humanists continue their attack on the moral fiber of this nation, he contends it's disgraceful that Christians aren't more involved the political arena." Restoring the moral fiber of the nation is going to take a lot more... Read more.
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 10/30/2006
"Sugarcoated, MTV-style youth ministry is so over," says Time magazine. The new trend? Bible-based worship. This is good news. Today's teens are craving something deeper than scavenger hunts and rock concerts. According to the article: Youth ministers have been on a long and frustrating quest of their own over the past two decades or so. Believing that a message wrapped in pop-culture packaging was the way to attract teens to their flocks, pastors watered down the religious content and boosted... Read more.
by Ted Slater on 10/27/2006
As I type this I'm sitting in a small auditorium near the Biola University library, surrounded by perhaps 100 other GodBlogCon attendees. To my left the event photographer crouches in the aisle, snapping a quick photo of me and my PowerBook — the quintessential blogger. On the stage, a few feet in front of me, sit Senatorial Candidate Allen McCulloch, La Shawn Barber, and John Mark Reynolds. Hugh Hewitt is sitting stage left and facing the three, acting as MC... Read more.
by Steve Watters on 10/27/2006
I'm sure someone reading our occasional comments about new technology (examples here and here) will think we're a bunch of graying Luddites who just don't get "these kids today." And maybe there's something to that. Among the Boundless blogging team, Ted is the most "with it" when it comes to assimilating new technology and Suzanne may be next in line. Motte, Candice and I are slower adapters. We're a lot less likely to test and pioneer technology before it hits... Read more.
by Candice Watters on 10/27/2006
It may seem like no big deal to postpone childbearing till you're 30, 40, even 50 -- glossy magazine headlines make it seem like everybody's doing it. But the reality of fertility limitations persist. New research shows daughters born to mothers 30 or older may have an even harder time conceiving than they did. According to a story in the Daily Mail, For the first time, researchers have calculated the 'age' of eggs at the time of conception and linked... Read more.
by Ted Slater on 10/26/2006
Well, Motte and I were indeed victims of what will surely become known as the Great Colorado Blizzard of '06. Maybe "victims" isn't the right word. It's true that our flight was cancelled, and that all flights out of Colorado Springs tomorrow are already filled, and that we're now having to drive to Denver at 5:45 a.m. to catch a plane to LAX. In that sense we're perhaps victims. But the Lord, as I mentioned at the end of my... Read more.
by Motte Brown on 10/26/2006
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in favor of same-sex marriage. In a 4-3 decision, the court granted homosexuals all the rights and privileges of civil marriages and gave the state's legislature 180 days to comply. If the legislature uses any other term than marriage to describe homosexual unions, it must provide a rationale for that decision. In a statement released yesterday, Dr. James Dobson decried the ruling: The New Jersey Supreme Court has blatantly and arrogantly ordered the... Read more.
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 10/26/2006
I found Steve's post The Singlehood Phenomenon interesting. A friend of mine, who recently read the book, complained that each chapter ended with the same simplified solution: The person involved received a few months of counseling and then miraculously found a spouse. While I'm not negating the need for counseling in certain situations — especially those involving unresolved past issues — the problem/solution format of the book sends the message that the reason singles aren't marrying is they need to... Read more.
by Steve Watters on 10/26/2006
Last week we ran an article that featured places in America with the highest ratio of single men to single women. We pulled that ranking from the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Today, the Wall Street Journal reported on another category from that survey -- counties with the highest percentage of never married men and women. By looking at numbers from entire counties and focusing on the percentage of never marrieds by gender, they came up... Read more.
by Ted Slater on 10/26/2006
I'm typing this in my home office, snow beating against my window and collecting on the ground at an inch per hour. Looking out my window reminds me of the scene in Doctor Zhivago where his home is under mounds of snow. My UPS occasionally notifies me that power has been interrupted, making typing this post a bit of a challenge. Yesterday was beautiful and warm. Today we're in the midst of a blizzard. The flight to LAX has so... Read more.
by Ted Slater on 10/25/2006
"How best to bring the truth and power of Christ into a culture withering from lack of truth, goodness, and beauty?" That's the question being addressed at the GodBlog conference that I wrote about earlier this month. Motte and I are flying out a bit before noon tomorrow, likely in the midst of a Colorado blizzard, landing in sunny LAX a few hours later to begin rubbing iron-sharpening-iron shoulders with other Christian bloggers. I'm personally looking forward to: pondering how... Read more.
by Steve Watters on 10/25/2006
Why has the marriage rate dropped 40 percent over the last four decades? Why are people spending less and less of their lives married? In a new book called The Singlehood Phenomenon, Dr. Tom and Dr. Beverly Rodgers identify what they call the "top ten brutally honest reasons singles aren't getting married." We haven't formally reviewed this book and so I can't speak to all its particulars, but the authors seem to have captured well the top reasons we hear... Read more.
by Motte Brown on 10/25/2006
A recent AP article reports that 65 percent of 18-29 year-old Americans who own cell phones text message on a regular basis. They are g2g and lol and 2g2bt. And in case you're an IM neophyte like me those mean "good to go," "laughing out loud" and "too good to be true." I don't know why, but I haven't been able to get into all the new gadgets (I can't even find my iPod). Maybe it's because I'm mw2sk ("married... Read more.
by Candice Watters on 10/24/2006
While the religious faithful the world over were worshiping the Living God this past Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle ran an article by Dinesh D'Souza about the source of such faith. D'Souza highlighted the puzzlement over religion among some of our age's most influencial thinkers. Because faith doesn't make sense to them, biologists Richard Dawkins and E.O. Wilson, philosopher Daniel Dennett and author Sam Harris look to their patron saint, Charles Darwin, to explain why religion continues to thrive. How... Read more.
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 10/24/2006
In discussing Christianity with those who don't believe, I've often encountered more ridicule than reason. Catherine Claire of The Point says the same of Richard Dawkins' approach in his book, The God Delusion. According to the book's description, it "makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong but potentially deadly." But part of this case, Catherine points out, is built on ridicule and parody: Dawkins reveals his modus operandi best in his own words when he... Read more.
by Ted Slater on 10/24/2006
I personally don't celebrate Halloween for the same reason I don't celebrate Ramadan — they're both meaningless. Maybe Halloween is good for some people who suffer greatly from "fear of man." Having neighbors initiate communication by coming to your door is helpful for those who are too timid to initiate communication themselves (by asking a neighbor for an onion or egg, by stopping and visiting when they're working in their yard, by giving them a "welcome to the neighborhood" gift,... Read more.
by Motte Brown on 10/23/2006
I guess I'll represent the dissenting voice on Halloween here. My family doesn't participate. Instead, we take our kids to the Reformation Celebration held at our church. There they play games such as "Bible Smuggling" or "Pin the 95 Theses" to receive prizes and candy. My kids actually prefer it. It's our personal conviction. One that my wife and I have talked about, prayed about, and sought the advice of Christians we respect. Apparently, that's not good enough for Tim... Read more.
by Candice Watters on 10/23/2006
Thanks to Suzanne for that post about how to best spend Halloween. I love the imagery of the family loving their neighbors and reaching out to them in the spirit of hospitality. That's exactly what we plan to do, right after we go door to door and introduce ourselves to all the neighbors we never see (and get a big plastic pumpkin full of chocolate, of course). I remember as a kid, sitting in a darkened house with lights on... Read more.
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 10/23/2006
Halloween is so controversial among Christians, that the children's magazines I edit don't even mention the holiday. Today Tim Challies talks about how Christians can use Halloween as an outreach opportunity. I am guessing my neighbourhood is all-too-typical in that people typically arrive home from work and immediately drive their cars into the garage. More often than not they do not emerge again until the next morning when they leave for work once more. We are private, reclusive people who... Read more.
by Ted Slater on 10/21/2006
It Takes a Purpose to Date This question about the purpose of dating is a timely one. I'm currently reading "How to Get a Date Worth Keeping" by Dr. Henry Cloud, and he clearly advocates the concept of dating for fun, to get to know other people, and to find out what characteristics we want in a mate. (For the sake of honesty, I've only read half of the book.) Cloud rejects the idea of "serial monogamous dating" saying that... Read more.
by Motte Brown on 10/20/2006
Alright guys, if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend Scott Croft's article "Brother, You're Like a Six" about the role of attraction in finding a spouse. It's funny, insightful, and brutally honest about men who try to "out-kick their coverage." It reminded me of a section in the 2004 State of Our Unions report from the National Marriage Project on why men delay marriage. Even when they are satisfied with their current girlfriend, they may believe that they... Read more.
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 10/20/2006
My friends and I used to scorn the idea of being "set up." For one thing, such matchmaking implied that we needed help — that we were incapable of attracting a potential mate without charity. Second, such experiences were often forced and awkward. In her article "Plenty of Men to Go Around, Pt. 2," Candice points out the benefit of enlisting the help of godly mentors and friends in the marriage-seeking process. In Titus 2, Paul instructs the older women... Read more.
by Steve Watters on 10/19/2006
I just want to give a shout out to all the guys in Bozeman, Montana; Ames, Iowa; and Cullman, Alabama. You're in the spotlight today in the second part of Plenty of Men to Go Around. The same Census report I've been hammering on regarding married households slipping below the majority, also tells where never-married men and women are. Bozeman, Ames and Cullman were right around the top for areas with the highest ratio of never married men to never... Read more.
by Motte Brown on 10/19/2006
David Kuo has been all over the news recently promoting his book Tempting Faith, advising evangelicals to "fast" from this mid-term election, saying we should "spend more time studying Jesus and less time getting people elected." He is the former Deputy Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, obviously disillusioned about what went on while he worked for the Bush Administration. Let's assume David Kuo was well intentioned and that Christian stewardship is his sole concern here. Should... Read more.
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 10/18/2006
Candice's post on beauty got me thinking about the enslaving nature of living up to a physical ideal. Girl Talk recently discussed the culture's distorted yardstick of physical perfection, as seen in this video produced by the Dove campaign for real beauty. Dove's motto is: "Every woman deserves to feel beautiful just the way she is." Carolyn Mahaney points out how this goal falls short: Even if every girl did "feel beautiful just the way she is," it wouldn't bring... Read more.
by Ted Slater on 10/18/2006
I've been serving in my church's worship team regularly for the past few months. We have five services each weekend, so I can't help but think about the songs I'm playing on stage. I've found myself wondering how we on the worship team might best serve those in the congregation, not only with our performance, but more importantly with the selection of songs. This morning I came across a stellar blog post that helps me better understand the significance of... Read more.
by Steve Watters on 10/18/2006
While doing an interview with National Public Radio yesterday (available here -- my portion starts around the 16 minute mark) I was reminded of a key value of a committed Christian marriage. An underlying tone from the host, the other guests and the callers was that marriage is only a piece of paper and people can and should experience marriage-like relationships without the formal institution. Late in the show I mentioned that such a sentiment may seem true when men... Read more.
by Motte Brown on 10/18/2006
It's not often I'm convicted by something I read in USA Today. But a few months back, in anticipation of the fall television season, I searched the Life section for some news on some of my favorite shows. The article I found led with the observation that Christmas isn't everyone's favorite time of year -- fall television is. Hmm ... the premier of Lost or celebrating Christ's birth. Though I never doubted which was more dear, my anticipation of new... Read more.
by Ted Slater on 10/17/2006
Candice rightly challenges the diabolical notion that, in light of there now being over 300 million people living in the U.S., children are a burdensome nuisance both societally and familially. Earlier today I found myself reading a column written last week by the president of Human Life International, Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer. He points out: When a new calf is born to a farmer he knows he's a richer man; but when a new baby is born to him we... Read more.
by Steve Watters on 10/17/2006
The NYT story on marriage is getting a lot of follow-up attention. Dr. Al Mohler has a great blog about it today and the Family Research Council had good analysis on it yesterday (and it looks like I'll get to talk about it on NPR today). The best read seems to be that while married households are slipping below 50% that doesn't show that people are giving up on marriage as much as shows they are spending less of their... Read more.
by Candice Watters on 10/17/2006
This morning between the time I woke up at 5:10 and the time I next checked my computer at 6:00 am, the people counter on the Census Bureau's website flipped to the other side of 300 million. Feel claustrophobic thinking about it? Think you'll be more apt to bump into your fellow Americans' elbows today? Not likely. Despite years and years of dire predictions, the population bomb is a dud. As we've said repeatedly on Boundless, the problem we're facing... Read more.
by Candice Watters on 10/17/2006
I was glad to see The Point blogging about the "sluttification" of Halloween. My husband noticed it when he went to the local costume store a few weeks ago to take advantage of the pre-pre-Halloween sale on little kid costumes. At $9.99 each, it was hard not to spring for the superman and butterfly/mermaid get-ups that our kids had seen advertised in the mail (given that some well-known kid stores are selling theirs for $99, but that's another topic altogether).... Read more.
by Steve Watters on 10/16/2006
Yesterday, the New York Times ran the story on marriage that I mentioned in an earlier blog. (The version here requires registration, but you can read a reprint here). So far, it's been picked up by at least 8 other papers and so it's reaching a few people. Here's the portion they ended up using from me: Steve Watters, director of young adults for Focus on the Family, a conservative Christian group, said that the trend of fewer married couples... Read more.
by Motte Brown on 10/16/2006
I recently received my online singles newsletter from Christianity Today and read something you might want to consider, particularly if you are dating. It's an excerpt from Jason Illian's Undressed: The Naked Truth About Love, Sex, and Dating titled "5 Commandments of Dating." I haven't read the book so I can't recommend it, but I did find this passage that I think is worth wrestling with: The purpose of dating is to find the "right one" with whom to spend... Read more.
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 10/16/2006
In the article "Democratic Faces That Could Launch Thousands of Votes," the Washington Post reports: By a combination of luck and design, Democrats seem to be fielding an uncommonly high number of uncommonly good-looking candidates. The beauty gap between the parties, some on Capitol Hill muse, could even be a factor in who controls Congress after Election Day. Democratic operatives do not publicly say that they went out of their way this year to recruit candidates with a high hotness... Read more.
by Candice Watters on 10/14/2006
Today I'm 36 weeks pregnant. Yesterday, at the hospital pre-registration, I had to answer the cheery nurse's dreaded questions, "What was your pre-pregnancy weight?" and "how much have you gained?" Oh dear. Those are tough questions for any woman to answer, especially in this culture. My sweet husband plugged his ears for my answer and said, "I'm not listening." (May every woman have such a thoughtful guy!) Last night I was reminded of part of the reason it's so hard... Read more.
by Ted Slater on 10/14/2006
On Books C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia have been very helpful to me. They put many aspects of Christianity in a format I can understand. Specifically, the Silver Chair's portrayal of faith. At the end of the book, the usually pessimistic Puddleglum tells the Green Lady that even if he had only ever imagined Narnia and the Sun, that they were so much better imaginings than her world, that he would rather spend his life searching for a dream... Read more.
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 10/13/2006
It surprises me what gets people upset these days. According to the Washington Post, some parents are disgruntled over Christian guest speakers at public school assemblies. While the guests speak on moral issues, including staying off drugs, abstaining from sex before marriage and opposing bullying, they omit Christian references from their presentations. Some people are still bothered. The Post reports: In recent years, evangelist bodybuilders and extreme athletes have toured schools across the country with anti-drug and anti-suicide messages. The... Read more.
by Motte Brown on 10/13/2006
My kids came up with a little game a few weeks ago -- hide-and-seek with daddy's favorite new T-shirt. I got it from Boundless. They noticed that I wear it almost every day and thought it would be funny to have me look for it whenever I came home from work. It's fun because I'm really great at hide-and-seek. The truth is, I do wear that T-shirt almost every day. Why? Because, well, it's the best T-shirt ever! It's soft... Read more.
by Ted Slater on 10/13/2006
I received 1,000 spams yesterday. The day before, I received 1,000 spams. In the past month, I've gotten over 30,000 spams, some of them, seemingly, from me. You see, I own and manage several websites, so all the spam that's randomly sent to these domains is forwarded to me. I've likely been the target of millions over the past couple of years, fortunately most of them identified by my anti-spam software before they reached my inbox. I used to try... Read more.
by Motte Brown on 10/13/2006
I want to pick up on a quote from Steven James in Suzanne's post "The Parable of the Ideas". "Many of you will be tempted to look for success this week. But God isn't looking for successful people; He's looking for those who are faithful." I think James is exactly right. It reminds me of a particularly difficult time in my young career on Capitol Hill when I was tempted to look for success, stressing over my "earning potential." One... Read more.
by Steve Watters on 10/12/2006
Speaking of adapting to technology changes, am I the only person who is still having trouble adapting to the new hands-free phone earpieces? I understand the value in hands-free communication, but I'm still not tracking with the need to keep them clamped on your ear all the time. As someone is walking around donning the cyborg look, I wonder if they are in the middle of a conversation. Like someone with iPod earbuds in, I think they are trying to... Read more.
by Ted Slater on 10/12/2006
Motte and I finally registered to attend the 3-day GodBlogCon in LA. GodBlog is an annual conference whose purpose is: how best to bring the truth and power of Christ into a culture withering from lack of truth, goodness, and beauty. New Media has already proven itself a potent cultural force, but the rules are changing and only the thoughtful will survive. GodBlogCon will exhort, equip, and encourage you and other Christians from all walks to engage the culture as... Read more.
by Candice Watters on 10/12/2006
Defenders of traditional marriage have long held that those fighting for "gay rights" and "gay marriage" don't really want marriage at all. They've said from the start that gay activists have as their goal not to be like heterosexual couples, but to make heterosexuals like them. Rather than adding to marriage, they want to take away from it and ultimately, eliminate it. Even though I've read quotes from the activists' playbooks that said as much, it was hard to believe.... Read more.
Copyright 2010 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. The Line and Boundless Line are trademarks of Focus on the Family.
Recent Comments