New Covenant

Christians Need To Stop Making Converts: Part 1 of 5

Part 1: An Introduction to the Problem Facing the 21st Century Western Church 

The "Takeover and Colonization of Christianity"

Twenty-first century Western Christianity is in dire straits. Europe exists in a post-Christian state, and many believe that the United States is effectively on a path towards that same end. While some may argue that there has been a resurgence of evangelical growth, what with such phenomena as the megachurch or emergent church movements, it seems that more and more people in the U.S. are choosing to affiliate themselves with no religion^[1]. Whereas up through the mid-twentieth century one could expect an average United States citizen to understand the tenets of a Judeo-Christian heritage, a worldview of pluralism is now permeating the environment, essentially deadening secular society's sensory receptors pertaining to moral truths. Strangely enough, we find that this state of affairs has occurred despite the West having experienced over 60 years of peace, prosperity, and religious freedom. Or, perhaps, I should state that this condition has occurred because of said peace, prosperity, and religious freedom.

Dawkins, Creationists, and books

I don't think they [creationists] read books anyway, except for one book. It's aimed at the intelligent layperson who does read books and who vaguely knows a little bit about evolution...

So says Richard Dawkins, author of The Greatest Show on Earth, in a Salon interview.

Hmmm. Let's see.

I'm a creationist (of the Old Earth variety) and, while I don't consider myself well read, I have read The Origin of Species, Finding Darwin's God, Tower of Babel, Night Comes to the Cretaceous, Rare Earth, The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos, and A Brief History of Time, just to name a few books from the non-creationist book bin.

It can't be this easy.

Narnia, Aslan's timing, and God's Plan

My family and I went to see Prince Caspian, this morning. It was a delightful experience, despite the fact that the storyline deviates significantly from that of the book (justifiably so, considering the manner in which the story is presented in print). Two divergent (re)views can be found by Joe Carter (pro) and Amy Hall (con). I tend to agree with Joe's take on the nobleness portrayed in the movie, although I do agree with Amy in that I think Aslan should have had more screen time.

Apart from the contentions of differing movie critics, however, I'm still taken by Lewis' excellent portrayal, throughout the Narnia series, of the phenomenon of God's timing and the part we play within God's plan. In our existence, as in fictional Narnia, we must always be about coming to grips with the timing of God. Despite our impatience, however, God is fully aware of what He is doing, and when He is going to do it. And, despite the fact that we are obliged to act, the battle has been, and always will be, His.

Quick-Book-Review: State of Fear, by Michael Crichton

After writing essays and giving speeches on the reasons he disagrees with the "consensus" that human-induced global warming is a direct threat to our planet, Michael Crichton, evidently, decided to write the techno-thriller State of Fear (2004).

In State of Fear he essentially presents the same arguments he's made in his speeches, albeit in the context of a fictional story. The book follows the exploits of a lawyer, government security agent, and company, as they criss-cross the globe on the trail of eco-terrorists intent on causing massive catastrophes, all to further their cause (that being the universal acknowledgment of human-induced global warming of the doomsday variety). Unlike some of his other thrillers, Crichton notes that all references to real people, institutions, charts, and data, are documented (through his use of footnotes). Besides including a bibliography (for a work of fiction), he also includes a section titled Author's Message, as well as two appendices.

In the Author's Message, he clarifies his position on the topic of global warming, basically stating that we know very little about the complex process of climate change, that there is a variety of data on the subject, and that we do not have the knowledge or the ability to effectively manage the environment. Some have criticized Crichton for writing, in State of Fear, nothing more than a long op-ed piece. Yet, it's his book, so why shouldn't he write about what he wants?

In the first appendix, Crichton provides prose on why he considers politicized science to be dangerous. He gives an interesting history lesson on how a previous scientific theory predicting impending crisis, and was accepted as valid by the authorities of the time. The theory? Eugenics.

I found State of Fear to be an exciting page-turner of an adventure. There were a few slow points, mid-way through the book, as well as a few personality caricatures I thought to be too extreme. Note: There was also a fair bit of unnecessary sex, and quite a bit of R-rated language.

Recommendation:  I'd recommend reading the book if, for no other reason, than to get a glimpse of the data that is typically not found in the general media. Save your money though, and look for it at a used bookstore or at your local library bookstore (I picked up the hardback for $1.00 at our library bookstore).

Quick-Book-Review: Logged On and Tuned Out, by Vicki Courtney

The subtitle to Logged On and Tuned Out, by Vicki Courtney, states "a nontechie's guide to parenting a tech-savvy generation." That is pretty much the gist of what her book is about. It's written for parents who are not quite up to speed with the technological state of affairs that our children find all too comfortable.

An acquaintance of mine, who is about my age, has a difficult time managing the mundane task of e-mailing. She is, no doubt, unaware that she is at least two steps behind her 6th grade daughter in that her daughter considers e-mail to be a thing of the past. Enter the world of constant cellphone communication, IM'ing, texting, digital photo and video uploads, and the social networks such as MySpace and Facebook.

Courtney presents a concise primer on the way such technology works, as well as outlining the potential hazards awaiting a young, immature generation. Be forewarned, however, that her writing style is geared for the extroverted female reader, who probably spends time with "the girls" at the mall (e.g., I am so-not into that).

Recommendation: If you have tweens or teens, and are not tech-savvy, I'd recommend you read Courtney's book. If you already have a good handle of the communication technology out there waiting for your children, then a cursory inspection of the book, at the library or bookstore, should suffice.

Book review: Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Meg Meeker

In Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, Meg Meeker, M.D., lays out her argument as to why a young girl's father is the most important person in her life. Building on over twenty years of medical practice, including counseling girls, Meeker has come to the conclusion that the father is primarily the one who shapes the path of his female children. The subtitle for the book is, 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know, and Meeker outlines each secret in the book's 10 chapters. Yet, in reading her book I discovered that, while some of Meeker's claims may run counter to what our culture tells us, most of the methodologies she posits are very intuitive, demonstrating a common sense approach towards the task of fatherhood. Was it, then, a waste of time to read the book? Certainly not! While the points Meeker explains should be common knowledge, in my opinion, I fear that our culture has denigrated the decidedly male role of father to nothing more than that of breadwinner. I also fear that too many men have been derelict in their responsibility of being their children's, and in this context, their daughter's fathers. What Meeker does, so elegantly, is lay out the very real and very important influence that fathers have on their daughters.

That said, here is my review of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters.

Book review: America Alone, by Mark Steyn

My cousin David asked me, a while back, if I could post some reviews of the various books I've read. I've wanted to do that for some time, but the task has always seemed a bit daunting (okay... I'll admit it, I have always thought that it would take too long to write book reviews). After reading Greg Koukl's Solid Ground article on How to Read Less More (PDF), though, I think I've come across a method to both read a book,  provide a review, and give my humble opinion about it.

That said, here is my review of Mark Steyn's America Alone.

The subtitle of Steyn's book is The end of the world as we know it. On the cover we see a globe, dotted with flags of Islam, and one lonely American flag. The front cover recommendation quote is, "The arrogance of Mark Steyn knows no bounds." - Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Ambassador to the United States.

Those three items alone should give a clear indication of the direction that Steyn is heading: America (as he will define it), alone, stands in opposition to the rest of the world (again, as defined by him). And, the rest of the world is, by all accounts, looking decidedly Islamic.

From Steyn, "Let me put it in a slightly bigger nutshell: much of what we loosely call the Western world will not survive the twenty-first century, and much of it will effectively disappear within our lifetimes, including many if not most European countries."

On Reading More

I recently purchased Mortimer Adler's How to Read a Book, based on the many recommendations I've either heard or read on it. Alas, I have yet to actually sitting down and reading it. In the meantime, Greg Koukl, from Stand to Reason, has written a Solid Ground article which briefly outlines some of the principles found in How to Read a Book.

The summary points of How to Read Less More (PDF), would be:

1. Overview
2. Preview
3. Read
4. Post-View Immediately

The point of Overview should be to take no more than 10 - 20 minutes to skim the book, with the intentions of determining the main ideas of the author, the manner with which it is presented and, most importantly, whether or not you want to take the time to actually read the book.

The next step, Preview, is intended to allow you to skim the entire book, at a slower rate this time, in order for you to study the structure, outline, etc. Greg recommends that you write a synopsis of the book on the title page.

Read is more than simply reading the book. Again, you will preview each chapter prior to reading it (mainly by skimming each page). The actual reading is done at as fast a rate as possible, while remaining comfortable. The point is that you don't want to actually stop and ponder sections in the chapter (not yet, anyway). Marking sections is fine, but try to avoid lengthy note-taking. After you've finished, write a 1-4 sentence summary at the beginning of the chapter.

In Post-View Immediately, you will re-read the chapter, focusing on the sections you had marked, this time thinking about the ideas, arguments, etc. Refine your 1-4 sentence summary or, as I've started doing, simply add to it, noting the major points of the chapter.

Many thanks to Greg Koukl for outlining this methodology for reading a book, with the intention of mastering it.

A wrinkle mended: Madeleine L'Engle

By now most of you have probably heard that author Madeleine L'Engle has died, at the age of 88. The author of many children's books, including the innovative A Wrinkle in Time, her death was recognized by a wide variety of bloggers such as, Rod at Crunchy Con, Ed at Dispatches from the Culture Wars, Tom at Stones Cry Out, Win at NPR, Christopher at Planet Wisdom, and John at The Corner.

Although many of the tributes referenced a variety of interviews she gave, I didn't see any reference a talk she gave at the Veritas Forum, in 1998. You can watch or listen to the talk, titled Searching for Truth Through Fantasy, at this link. She had a novel approach towards truth and fantasy and, while I don't agree with her completely (e.g., she too easily brushes off a "hard saying" in the Bible as something that was "probably added" hundreds of years later), I do admire her ability to present glimpses of the mythically abstract realities of our existence through her writing. Towards the end of this talk there are some humorous snippets regarding the difficulty she had in getting Wrinkle published. One publisher, thinking there was some merit to the book, sought out the opinion of a librarian acquaintance. The librarian summarily dismissed the book as "the worst book I've read. It reminds me of The Wizard of Oz."

A Wrinkle in Time ended up winning the American Library Association's 1963 Newbery Medal for best American children's book, has sold eight million copies, and is in its 69th printing.