I am at a loss as I write this article. I was planning to continue a series of articles entitled “What if we believed,” but I had to break my own series to get some help understanding a recent political/social network event. Wednesday marked what many news outlets are declaring an historic day. The first ever Twitter based Presidential Debate was held. I agree it was an historic day, but I rank this as an historic low.

In the late 1850’s Abraham Lincoln engaged in a series of debates with Stephen Douglas, discussing the expansion of slavery into newly settled territories. These debates consisted of one participant speaking for an hour, followed by an hour and a half presentation and response from the opponent, with a thirty minute rejoinder allowed for the participant who spoke first. These were not Presidential debates, nor were these Presidential candidates; they hoped to be, and the debates were seen as their hope for party backing. These were just two politicians hoping to be chosen by their party, and their method of self-promotion was protracted debate through multiple venues on a serious and weighty topic.

Today, our presidential candidates debate one another in 140 characters or less.

This is embarrassing. Not for the candidates. Politicians have always been committed to doing what it takes to reach whoever they can.

This is embarrassing for us, the American people, who decide the worth and value of the most powerful man in the world by how little he can say about his position. If you’re an American ally, you have to be scratching your head, thinking surely we have a better way of vetting our global leaders. I know I am.

There are numerous issues which could be addressed, but I would like to find out if I am the only one who finds this ridiculous.

Therefore, in the spirit of our modern effort to make every voice heard, I would love to hear your thoughts on Presidential hopefuls squaring off in the Twitter-verse.

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a bill into law Wednesday that requires public schools to teach kids about the historical contributions of gays and lesbians. Local school districts will be adopting new social studies curriculum as early as the 2013-14 school year.

Supporters say it’s a triumph that makes history books “more honest” and will help curb bullying by making kids more understanding of their classmates.

Opponents equate it with brainwashing, saying it will sanction, normalize and exalt an immoral lifestyle.

So what’s a Christian parent to do? Is it time for a mass exodus toward home schooling?

I’d argue that it’s a time for parents to sit down and think hard about their children’s education — specifically, how they as parents are going to teach gay history.

Christians shouldn’t simply retreat from the topic of the gay rights movement, in the same way we shouldn’t retreat from sex education. While my parents didn’t pull me out of my 9th grade health, public school health class during lessons about birth control and STDs, they also made sure I got a much more comprehensive lesson on the issues from them and my church.

I remember annual True Love Waits all-nighters in the church gym. There were hours of frank — sometimes cringe-worthy — discussions about sex so we teenagers understood about this wonderful, God-given gift and the pitfalls of abusing it.

Combine it with regular Wednesday night youth group sermons on the topic, and it was almost to the point of overkill. But I began to recognize the church as an honest, open source of information on the scientific and biblical facts about sex. The church just covered the issue so much better than the awkward, one-hour lesson in my freshman health class, and I felt equipped to discuss my perspective on sex with people who felt differently about it.

Churches should look at this new California law as an opportunity to do one better. Rather than ignoring history, Christian parents should educate themselves about the key developments in the gay rights movement so we’re not blindly lashing out at a nebulous “cultural shift.” They should be prepared to take the lessons their children are learning, and parlay them into meaningful discussions about the biblical perspective on homosexuality.

Perhaps churches can teach gay history, in the same way churches host lectures about Mormonism or Jehovah’s Witnesses — so important developments aren’t missing.

But before that, parents should take an active role in how this curriculum takes shape. Local districts will be deciding over the next year or two which textbooks end up in classrooms. Parents should talk to teachers, school board members and administrators and take an active role in reviewing the curriculum. How will the lessons be framed? In which grade will they be introduced? What dates are the lessons taking place? All these are still open questions under the new law.

I think pulling kids out of public school should be a last resort, not a first resort. The first resort should be preparing kids who can respond to the mixed messages they’ll face for the rest of their life from peers and the media. Some parents might decide one or all of their children aren’t mature enough to sort out those mixed messages just yet; I respect their choice to keep their children in a private school or at home until that changes.

I hope Christians seize this new law as an opportunity to better understand and biblically, graciously respond to the cultural changes of the gay rights movement. I hope it doesn’t become a public school exodus, because Christian parents and students have something vital to add to this conversation. They have relationships to build within school communities; they have the Gospel to share with fellow moms, dads and classmates.

They have lights to shine.

As a political reporter, I found myself a few days ago in one of those smoky situations straight from a movie scene. To my left, an elected official danced close with a girl half his age, a girl not his wife. To my right, a lobbyist for a huge company stared drunkenly into the eyes of a female member of the press corps. She peeled his hand from her arm, which he was caressing; he put it right back.

Another highly paid lobbyist in an expensive, gray suit pulled the thick cigar from his lips, exhaled a ring of blue smoke, and turned to me.

“So now you see how a bill becomes a law?” he asked wryly. [...]

How far would Jesus get you in your political ambitions? Would heeding his advice help you reach your goal? Would living as he did get you votes these days?  Ryan Rindels gives us some great advice and wisdom for thinking through the upcoming midterm elections.  We at TVN do not hold to a specific political party.  We only want to challenge our generation to begin to view ALL OF LIFE through the lens of Scripture, including politics. [...]

As I say so often, if God is the Creator of all things then he is also the Creator of truth.  Through Scripture, God has revealed himself to us and gives us guidelines on the way we are supposed to live not only in relation with him but also in relation to each other.  We have been given instructions for raising children, instructions for marriage, instructions on gender roles, instructions for the family, instructions for the government, etc. – In other words, God has revealed to us the way he intends all of life to be structured.  This includes capital punishment.  

There are 2 key passages in Scripture that I would point you to when thinking through capital punishment:  Genesis 9:6, which reads, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he the man,”

And Romans 13:1-4, which reads, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”

In short, here are some of my thoughts on this issue:

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More than likely it is safe to assume that if you are reading this blog, then you are already aware of Arizona’s controversial immigration legislation and the subsequent firestorm it has caused. However, for those who may not be familiar with the story, Arizona’s Senate bill 1070 stipulates that  it is a crime to reside in Arizona as an illegal immigrant, and that law enforcement has the right to demand proof of legal residence of those suspected of having illegal immigrant status. Bill 1070 was signed on April 23, 2010 and is set to be enacted on July 29, 2010. In a time when political correctness occasionally supersedes judiciousness, it is important that we develop a rational understanding of this bill and the way it will actually be enforced.

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