This is a pertinent question that parents are asking all over the world right now.  What age would you allow your son or daughter to have a Facebook account?  And why?

Amidst all of the negative comments toward Mr. Camping’s May 21 end time prediction fiasco, I would like to take a moment and say thank you to him for a renewed perspective on having a continual awareness that Jesus will in fact come again.  Many of us go about our day, or even week, without giving one second of thought to the eternal hope that sits before us, or, rather, the hope that sits beside the Father.  He is indeed coming again!    One day – a day fixed by the Father alone – Jesus will return and triumphantly wipe away all sin and death.  So, thank you Mr. Camping for making me think about this eternal truth many times last week.

In the face of suffering, God’s people need a God of supernatural power and unwavering goodness. Japan, not long ago a rising power in economic development and technological advancement, has been laid waste in the course of a few agonizing days. The destruction poured out upon that country is nothing short of breathtaking.  The world sat, stunned into silence by the power of nature shown in contrast to the weakness and exposed frailty of man. Without an omnipotent, benevolent, and sovereign God, the destruction would grant our fears no rest and our hope no chance of survival.

Without an omnipotent God, nameless, faceless chance has the power to become the god of our lives. Humans are created to worship. Without belief in a God who calms the seas, directs the lightning, and holds the earth solid in its firmament, the strength of the sea, rushing forth over what was once dry ground, the unforeseen strike of a lightning bolt, and the upheaval of our once solid foundation can create in man a nagging fear, fear that merciless chance is the god who is at the helm of our fate and therefore demands our worship. But man cannot worship chance while maintaining hope for the future, for chance offers no respite to our fears. The tragedies seen in this world can be acceptable to men, men proven weak in comparison with creation, only if the tragedies themselves must answer to someone of even greater strength.  When there is an omnipotent God, there need not be fear of tragedy; only fear of God. [...]

Movies are an incredible expression of human thought and creativity.  To think how they have progressed from the one-shot, one-minute films of 1895 to the eleven-hour epic of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is staggering.  Yet even before special effects and Blu-ray, movies have always had the power to capture the imagination and move people to tears or exhilaration, or maybe both.  Movies have the power to touch us in an often difficult to explain but fundamental manner.  Thus cinema has become a permanent fixture in our culture.  How many of us will watch something tonight, or go to a theater this weekend with friends or on a date?  Movies are something that millions of professing Christians watch and enjoy on a weekly or sometimes daily basis.

Nevertheless, the average Christian has never considered a proper response to Hollywood cinema.  Therefore, the popular Christian response has generally tended towards one of two opposite yet erroneous extremes: complete acceptance or total shunning.  I say erroneous because after watching numerous films, I can say that they have an inherent value and terrible danger which both extremes fail to recognize.  To lean too closely towards either extreme, is to miss what is most important about movies: worldview content.  Let’s look closer at both extremes to see what I mean.

Two Wrong Approaches

The first extreme is complete acceptance.  Those who tend towards this end of the spectrum argue for a more relaxed approach to film and film content.  Complete acceptance holds that movies are, by and large, for entertainment purposes and not for example setting or teaching.  Therefore, choosing to watch a movie is as morally neutral as choosing to watch a football game or playing scrabble.  As far as moral content goes (language, violence, sexuality, substance abuse, etc.), what is and is not acceptable is ultimately up to the conscience of the viewer.  If it violates your conscience to watch Denzel Washington torture and murder criminals in Man on Fire (2004), then you shouldn’t watch.  Otherwise, there are no definitive boundaries for believers. [...]

Abortion has been legalized since the 1973 Roe v. Wade supreme court decision. During the course of these 38 years, nearly 50 million unborn children have been murdered before taking their first breath. Much attention has been given to the harmful physical, emotional and psychological effects to the potential mothers. Kermit Gosnell, a Pennsylvania abortion doctor received national attention for his abominable clinic deemed a “house of horrors” where seven babies have died during gruesome, barbaric abortion operations. One woman also perished after an overdose on pain medication. Gosnell made millions performing late-term abortions in the poverty-striken West Philadelphia section. See the article HERE.

The atrocious acts of destroying unborn life should rightfully be brought to light. The harmful effects abortion has on women warrants our outrage as well. But a third dimension, one necessarily present in every single life terminated cannot be marginalized: the man. A woman cannot become pregnant without a man’s sperm. By virtue of this, a man does, and should have an equal right to the life created. The feminist notion of “my right for control over my own body” is false considering the indispensible dual-role in procreation. And although some men pressure, threaten and even pay for the abortion, the countless men who do not concede to the mother’s abortion are negatively affected –in a few cases, guilt even drives men to suicide. Consider the following case: [...]

“I don’t like organized religion; I think my faith is a private issue between me and God.” If you have spoken to more than five people about their faith, you have most likely heard some variation of this statement. If you have heard this statement, you may have been hoodwinked.

[...]

Probably many reading this blog have met college students who are unhappy with their lives.  It can often times be seen in the blank stare in their eyes which reveals an emptiness and pointlessness with which they view their lives.  They cover this unhappiness with a number of things: drinking, alcoholism, partying, drugs, premarital sex, countless hours of playing video games, or countless hours spent studying, etc.  Yet in spite of all of these things, their unhappiness still lingers. [...]

As we enter into a new year, I want to discuss a mounting challenge for Christians in the increasingly multicultural, postmodern melting pot of American society. I want to address the problem of a creeping increase of theological liberalism. You see, The Veritas Network endeavors to support and inform young adult Christians, and young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 are the ones who are most susceptible to the lure of a liberal theological outlook. [...]

I want to pose this question with discussion in mind.  I have pretty much formulated my opinion on this issue, and I can tell you that it leans toward a more conservative vantage point.  Although the purpose of this post is to facilitate good discussion on this issue, hear differing opinions, and have others respond accordingly.  Here are a few questions that I have personally been asked about this issue in the last year:

1. What are the pros/cons for legalizing cannabis?
2. Should Christians fight against the legalization of cannabis in the public square?
3. How should Christians respond if cannabis is legalized?
4. What should be the Christian stance against cannabis if it is actually legalized?
5. If it is legalized, should Christians partake of it?
6. How should this issue be preached from the pulpit?

I’m sure these are questions that you have been asked as well.  What are your thoughts on them?  How do you counsel others when they ask you such questions concerning the legalization of marijuana?

These are questions that every Christian must begin answering through the lens of Scripture.  I look forward to your responses and having good discussion with you here at TVN.

It’s that time of year again when gobs and gobs of money are spent appeasing and pacifying the wants and wishes of small children (and 40-something-year-old kids) across the globe. On December the 25^th millions of men, women, boys, and girls throughout the world will receive their yearly injection of that oh-so intoxicating drug called materialism. While I’m all for giving gifts—and receiving them—I would like for us to at least give thought to the sorts of gifts that we are giving to our loved ones this year. [...]