morality

Bill Gothard, Sexual Predator?

I ask because I don't know the extent of his guilt.

In my late teens and early twenties, I received a lot of teaching and encouragement from “Basic Youth,” so I’m very sorry about this:

On March 7th, Bill Gothard, the founder and president of the Institute in Basic Life Principles resigned from his position in the organization after allegations from over thirty women were made public that Gothard sexually harassed, and in one case out right sexually abused, these women while they were teens or young women.

I wonder what his side of the story is. Read it all

Putting “Real Life” into My Pleasure

Justifying taking pleasure in unrighteousness. Excusing brushing up against darkness.

In the course of writing material for the Teacher Guide for an eighth grade Bible course, I’ve come to a lesson titled “Evil Will Lose.” It’s based on portions of 2 Thessalonians 1 & 2.

While researching through some of my previous writing on those chapters, I came to this:

I’m talking about pleasure sources that may be amoral or even moral for the most part but have unrighteousness scattered through them.

I know, I know. Life is life, and life has loads of unrighteousness through it.

But why must my “entertainment” present it?

To be more interesting and realistic.

Fine. My concern stands.

This is a strike against many of contemporary Christian novels.

I wrote that almost eight years ago, but it’s pertinent enough that I’m encouraging you to read the entire piece — My Pleasure.

I still stand there. Or do I need to see something differently?

What do you think of including detailed evil in order to make something real-to-life?

The Older Women of “Team Jesus”

Teach what is good, and so train the young women...to be self-controlled, pure.

I read a gutsy article earlier this morning about modesty alongside a proclamation of Jesus.

I say “gutsy” because I imagine La Shawn Barber has already reaped plenty of scorn and condemnation for it. (Hopefully, some praise and commendation as well.)

Here are some bits from her piece as posted over at World Magazine:

As we entered the park, I noticed a large group of people wearing matching “Team Jesus” T-shirts.

I watched these teenage girls with “Team Jesus” displayed across their chests and wondered why their parents, particularly their fathers, allowed them to leave the house in such tiny shorts and made-up faces.

I observed the girls out of curiosity, knowing that some of the men standing in line observed them for other reasons.

Plus, as Paul writes in Titus, older women “are to teach what is good, and so train the young women…to be self-controlled, pure,” which will not only help discourage lust, but also encourage the wearer to seek holiness.

So even though women and teenage girls can show little or no flesh and still be the object of lust, Christian women should do their part, even in this age of political correctness, to deter sin by dressing modestly and encouraging their younger sisters in Christ to do likewise.

Girls: Beware of what you wear

Generally, I can’t figure out people wearing billboards, especially when they’re just providing free advertising for some clothing line. (If Nike would pay me to wear their swoosh, but when I’m expected to pay them to wear their ad at not cost to them…)

But that aside, if a woman wears one of these “Team Jesus” shirts, where exactly am I supposed to look if I want to read the finer print? And how do I look there without appearing to be looking there?

Of course, I don’t think it best for Christian women to wear T-shirts. And if consistency requires that Christian men not wear them either, I can live with that.

What If George Weren’t Free?

Has he now atoned for killing Trayvon Martin?

So George Zimmerman helped save the lives of a family of four that was involved in a single-car accident.

Would those four people still be alive if . . .

  • Zimmerman’s trial were still in progress?
  • Trayvon had killed Zimmerman?
  • George had been found guilty?
  • George had driven on by?

Possibly.

After all, George wasn’t the only rescuer.

And God could have easily saved these people with one rescuer. Just like He could have provided someone else as the additional rescuer.

But let’s suppose that these people would have perished had George Zimmerman not participated in their rescue.

Does his rescue of them somehow atone for his killing of Trayvon Martin?

(PS: There’s something wrong with that last question.)

Name That President

He signed into law a measure that stigmatizes homosexual people and bans giving children any information about homosexuality.

You know at least one president which did not do this:

President…signed into law a measure that stigmatizes gay people and bans giving children any information about homosexuality.

The ban on “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” is part of an effort to promote traditional…values…

But which president did do that? (Today, apparently.)

Please, if you’re going to take part in this news quiz, do not search online for the answer. This is not an open-book quiz. Thank you. 🙂

Above all, love God!