When it Comes to Kids, Marijuana, Faith Matters - Dr. Paul J. Dean

From the story:
Parents who hope that their efforts to communicate and involve their children in their faith will keep them from falling prey to the temptations of drug use have some good news from a new study to be released tomorrow: It works. The national study, conducted by two sociology professors from Brigham Young University, finds that religious involvement makes teens half as likely to use marijuana as their peers without religious participation. Their results settle a question that has been debated for years. While many intuitively believe religious training, particularly if it delivers a strong message against substance abuse, will deter teens from experimenting, the fact is the question has remained unsettled, scientifically.

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At one level such research provides encouraging news. At the same time, parents, particularly Christian parents, must be aware of at least three critical dynamics.

First, mere morality or keeping our children from doing drugs is not the goal. Often we fall into the trap of thinking our children are spiritually safe if they avoid the “big sins.” That is certainly not the case. The real issue is always the heart. Our kids may avoid the “big sins” but still be enemies of Christ. We do want them to avoid drugs but we want more than that.

Second, the temptation to sin is ever present with our children, even those children who are born of God. Parents must be reminded that ongoing biblical instruction, serious worldview dialogue, and a developing relationship with their children are absolute necessities if they are to navigate the treacherous waters of a fallen world.

Third, we must also not forget that the real issue is not a positive home or church environment. Research has indicated that those factors alone have little impact upon the decisions kids make and whether or not they succumb to peer pressure. What makes the difference is a personal faith: a faith that belongs to the child himself/herself. In the final analysis, we must ever point our children to Christ as their only hope.

Sarah Palin and Evangelical Pragmatism - Dr. Paul J. Dean

"The Palin selection is the single most dangerous event in the conscience of the Christian community in the last 10 years at least," said Doug Phillips, president of Vision Forum, a Texas-based ministry. "The unabashed, unquestioning support of Sarah Palin and all she represents marks a fundamental departure from our historic position of family priorities -- of moms being at home with young children, of moms being helpers to their husbands, the priority of being keepers of the home."

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The debate surrounding Sarah Palin's nomination highlights at least three critical issues facing evangelicals today: male headship; the role of women in all contexts; and a confusion of priorities in the church. It is the third issue that is of greatest concern.

Regardless of one's interpretation of a watershed text like Titus 2:5, which is of vital import to say the least, evangelicals must wrestle with the prioritization of politics over gospel advance; pragmatism over truth; having a seat at the world's table over being a voice in the wilderness; fear of temporal circumstances over rest in divine providence; and earthly desires over scriptural authority.

Winning an election is an earthly pursuit of little value in the context of eternity and is secondary to maintaining a focus on the specific commission our Lord has given us to make disciples. To adopt a political strategy for gospel advance, assume that government is the answer to our problems, act as if morality is our goal, or justify a politically consumed focus as being salt and light, is to place the easy work of expedience over the hard work of spiritual transformation and miss the point of our calling completely. The temptation to have an influence on the world's stage is large and often militates against the position of marginilization to which Christians are often called by God. Having a prophetic voice that is pleasing to God is far more important than having a welcome voice among other earthly voices in mundane deliberations. While individual Christians should certainly have preferences with regard to political candidates, they must realize that no political candidate or public policy can change hearts. They must also realize that God is the one who raises up and deposes kings and that regardless of who is on the earthly throne or in the Oval Office, the Lord of the Universe has not stepped away from His post. The sad reality is that we are often so self-focused and consumed with fleshly desires that might include earthly power or even revenge, we fail to see that Scripture must be our authority in every circumstance and that we must never substitute form for substance if we are to have true peace in our on hearts and true peace in a world that has indeed been cursed.

Maybe We Should Blame God for the Subprime Mess - Dr. Paul J. Dean

From an article this week in Time:
Has the so-called Prosperity gospel turned its followers into some of the most willing participants — and hence, victims — of the current financial crisis? That's what a scholar of the fast-growing brand of Pentecostal Christianity believes. While researching a book on black televangelism, says Jonathan Walton, a religion professor at the University of California at Riverside, he realized that Prosperity's central promise — that God will "make a way" for poor people to enjoy the better things in life — had developed an additional, dangerous expression during the subprime-lending boom. Walton says that this encouraged congregants who got dicey mortgages to believe "God caused the bank to ignore my credit score and blessed me with my first house." The results, he says, "were disastrous, because they pretty much turned parishioners into prey for greedy brokers."

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We all know people of all kinds are greedy in one form or another. Bankers and brokers don’t have the corner on that market. While there is no excuse for anyone taking advantage of another, Christians must be aware of reality. They must be aware of greedy brokers, greedy preachers who give them a message that contradicts the Scriptures, and indeed they must be aware of the greed that lurks in their own hearts.

The root of the whole mess lies in an entitlement mentality that has crept into the American consciousness. It is that mentality that compels the government to force lenders to make high-risk loans to people who cannot afford homes but who are believed to be entitled to own a home. When things go well, greed takes root in the hearts of all involved: the government officials greedy for votes and the perpetuation of themselves in office; the greedy bankers who make loans they know they should not make; and individuals who know they cannot really afford what they want.

Christians especially should be responsible enough to say “no” to something beyond their means. Moreover, they must be satisfied with true treasure and not the fleeting and worthless treasure of this world. They must never blameshift when they are part of the problem.

With particular reference to the prosperity gospel and those who preach it, as one looks at what Christ has to say to those religious leaders who take advantage of ignorant people, it is safe to say they will incur a stricter judgment than any greedy banker. They’ve been warned.

In the end, it is not God who is to be blamed for the subprime mess. It is man. It is sinful man. The reality is that God is the only one who can fix the mess because He is the only one who can remove a heart of greed and replace it with a heart of giving.