Problem In Big Eva (Systemic Racism, George Floyd, BLM, Police Brutality) | True Worldview Ep. 70

June 05, 2020 by Paul Dean in worldview, racism, government, current events, culture, church

The cracks are showing in Big Evangelicalism. Part of the issue is confusion, as untold numbers of Christians are more influenced by our culture than the Scriptures. At the same time, some of our leaders have simply capitulated. We could certainly deal with any number of things including Revoice in the PCA or the muddy waters constantly flowing from the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC. The crack du jour though is the further slide into the pit of Critical Race Theory, as Big Eva jumps on the woke bandwagon in the aftermath of the brutal murder of George Floyd.

Christians Issuing Statements

While some urge us to consider the hundreds of years of burdens our black brothers and sisters bear, and by the way, in their parlance our black brothers and sisters include unbelievers, our genuine black brothers and sisters tell them not to project that wokeness on them. African-American believers find their identity in Christ, not in their skin color or what happened to others in the past. On the other hand, one black leader in Big Eva said his identity as a black man outweighed his identity in Christ. That’s a crack a mile wide.

So Christians everywhere are issuing statements concerning what we owe our black brothers and sisters; how we can’t tolerate racism in our police force and our culture at large; and even how we stand with the protestors including rioters, pillagers, and looters. To be fair, some object to the beatings and murders we’ve seen on television or video in the midst of the chaos, and others object to the destruction of private property, yet, their objections are mitigated by the expressed sentiment that we whites just don’t understand their plight, and they therefore support the protests in general.

Systemic Racism?

A large segment of evangelical leaders have bought the lie that America is racist at its core; that systemic racism means that whites are racists because they’re white whether they realize it or not. They see groups and not individuals. Police are racist. Whites are racist. Not individuals. And of course, the problem is not human depravity, but white privilege. What is the solution then in that construct? It’s not the gospel, because even Christian whites are still racist.

It’s interesting, and sad, how our leaders blow with the cultural wind. When Eric Garner was brutally murdered by the police six years ago, a number evangelical leaders defended the police officers involved and police methods in general. I called them out then: to defend the police in the Eric Garner case is idolatry. The man was brutally murdered by those in power, as he pleaded for his life telling them over and over again, “I can’t breathe.” Now, the police in the George Floyd case can’t be defended either. Once again, those in power brutally murdered a man when he was already subdued. But this time around, our leaders have played the woke card. The officers involved are racist they say. We must put a stop to racism in the police force.

The Real Issue

Here’s the issue: as of this writing, we don’t know whether the officer in the George Floyd case is racist or not. Moreover, even if he is, racism is not the issue. The issue here is police brutality. That brutality is rooted in human depravity. The woke crowd would have us believe that black men are being hunted down in the streets. While every black man murdered by a cop is tragic and should be dealt with by the rule of law, the notion that blacks are being hunted is false. In fact, far more white men are killed each year by the police than black men, even though far less white men than black men are involved in the types of crimes that invite potentially violent altercations with the police. Check the CDC on that. We certainly need to reevaluate police methods and rid out bad cops -- those with a penchant for over-aggressiveness and violence. But to blame the problem on racism is to miss the real cause and thereby fuel greater problems including the increasing racial divide that leads to the violence we’re witnessing on our televisions right now. It’s only going to get worse.

As a side note, we must also understand that while racism is evil, it’s not a crime. Yes, we should seek to rid our world of racism, and the only way to do that is through the gospel. But to say that racism will not be tolerated in our culture -- I have to ask -- what does that mean? If it means we’ll work to eliminate it with the gospel or other kinds of messaging, then fine. If it means we’re going to somehow outlaw views and attitudes with which we disagree, then no. Freedom of thought, religion, and speech is sacrosanct, even thought, religion, and speech we abhor.

Black Lives Matter, Antifa, the State, and Lawlessness

Yet, what we are witnessing is the fostering of a race war, chaos, and lawlessness in our streets by bad actors, namely Black Lives Matter and Antifa. They’ve joined forces to create the mayhem. Their goal is to overturn the current social order. The leaders of these groups are of the same persuasion as others promoting woke ideology -- it’s rooted in cultural Marxism. Their goal is the destruction of the current order that a new socialist order can be put in its place. And Big Eva has fallen for the deception.

How can we condone in any way, shape, or form the murder of George Floyd? How can we condone in any way, shape, or form police brutality? How can we condone in any way, shape, or form, the rioting in our cities? How is it that the mayors of major cities have pulled the police back and allowed the destruction of private property to the tune of billions of dollars, not to mention the injuries and deaths of their citizens as a result? It’s all evil, and it all must be unequivocally called what it is. If we as Christians don’t speak the truth, who will?

What we’re experiencing is lawlessness. And that’s where the government should step in. The biblical role of government is to protect the citizens in their God-given rights including the rights to life, liberty, and property. Yet, it’s the government who put George Floyd to death. It’s lawlessness. It’s the government that’s allowing the destruction of our cities. It’s lawlessness. And don’t forget, it’s the government that’s locked down our entire nation and brought about even more death and destruction on untold numbers we don’t hear about who didn’t get the medical attention they needed, despite the fact our hospitals weren’t near capacity; or on those increased numbers who committed suicide; and on so many more. And yes, it’s lawlessness -- because they had no right to lock us down. No man and or entity has the right to do such no matter what the reason.

And that’s why I’m calling on Big Eva to repent. Racism is evil, but that’s not the problem. The problem in our culture is lawlessness. Let those who love God and man say so.

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The Shame and Tyranny of Contact Tracing | True Worldview Ep. 64

May 12, 2020 by Paul Dean in current events, worldview, politics, government

Churches as Agents of the State

Pastors and denominational leaders from our state (SC) were in on a live stream conference call with our governor, and we were told to make sure our churches do contact tracing. The first thing that needs to be said is that churches aren’t agents of the state. So, no can do. Except, I was shocked to hear a number of pastors happily comply and ask the best way to do such a thing. So much for understanding the times, or the nature of the state, or the nature of the church for that matter. So, no can do, for a few of us.

State Power

The second thing that needs to be said is that the state must not arrogate more power to itself. The Mayor of Kansas City is demanding the names, addresses, and phone numbers of every person attending worship. According to World Net Dailey, Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said, “The new order states that by recording names and contact information, the health department will be able 'to more quickly trace, test, and isolate individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19. The Germans did this very thing to Jews – collecting the names and locations of all known synagogue attendees - in the early days of the Nazi regime.’”

So, a friend of yours tests positive for COVID-19, and you were with him for a few minutes a week earlier. Your friend will be asked for a list of those with whom he’s been in contact, and your name will be on the list. You’ll get a call or a visit and be force quarantined for two weeks. And that’s the least of it. Your privacy will have been compromised, and you’ll be put on other lists that ban you from certain things, like travel, unless you have proper health documentation.

The reality is this move is simply a push for total surveillance. Thomas Luongo noted, “The goal is to finish off the last vestiges of anonymity and individuality started with the destruction of financial privacy during the Clinton Adminstration.” Of course, the surveillance state was ramped up tremendously after 9/11.

Another frightening aspect here is the measure is not merely for tracing and surveillance, but for ensuring social distancing. Millions of people will unwittingly download a contact tracing app on their phones ostensibly to aid with public safety. If they’re not social distancing properly, they’re apt to get a visit from the local authorities. Of course, there are those who think that’s a great idea and are unaware of the consequences of our loss of liberty and privacy.

The Scarlet Letter

Further, those who test positive for COVID-19 become social pariahs. No one wants you around if you’ve got the scarlet letter C on your chest. Even worse, if you’ve been named as someone exposed to COVID-19 through contact tracing, you’ll be punished if you don’t comply with the demands of the state. The end result is an even greater expansion of the surveillance state. As Luongo noted, “They want us snitching on each other and suspect of each other. This is the most pernicious form of social control ever devised, to distrust basic human contact and interaction because there are germs in the world. . . It’s time to end the mass hallucination that we’ve never dealt with something like this before. The mass branding of this COVID-19 as the plague is laughable, and the push for global surveillance is pathetic.” Here’s where we really need a grass roots public service campaign: just say no – to contact tracing.

Rethinking Social Distancing (Part 2) | True Worldview Ep. 61

May 01, 2020 by Paul Dean in culture, current events, government, politics, worldview

Be Optimistic

Part of how we navigate the world God’s given us is through right thinking and right attitude. We suffer, life is hard sometimes, but Christians should basically be optimistic because God has redeemed us, has given us things to do, and is with us in those endeavors. Optimism drives how we plan and make decisions. At the same time, we must recognize we’re living under the sovereign and providential hand of God. We live in light of James 4: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil” (13-16). So, we make our plans submitted to the sovereign decree of God. We’re optimistic in those plans: seeking to multiply the “talents” God has given us (Matt. 25:14-30) while resting in God’s providence for us. We must have a can-do attitude.

Be Proactive

Is our outlook one of fear, or confidence? Do we proceed on the basis of knowledge, or what is heaped upon us by the government or mainstream media? We know both of those entities routinely manipulate information to create their own narrative for a variety of reasons. Do we sit back and wait for the government to save us, or do we trust the Lord and seek to solve problems on our own? Think about Prov. 22:13: “The lazy man says, ‘There’s a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!” The point is clear: the lazy man sees a danger and shelters in place. He hunkers down in fear. But God has not given His people a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). He’s given us the ability to think and reason soundly: to come up with solutions. The implication of the Proverb is that a righteous man sees the lion, the problem, and devises a plan to overcome it. We need to trust in God and figure out how to defeat the virus, keep the economy buzzing, and work in social community the way God has designed us to, all at the same time. Specifically here, we’re rethinking social distancing.

Nine More Reasons to Cease from Social Distancing (For the first seven, see Part 1).

Here’s an eighth reason to cease from social distancing: we’re fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14), and our immune system is resilient. The current focus on the virus itself, the futile effort to halt it’s spread, and the dictatorial sentiments behind the production of a vaccine, all discount the “terrain” of our bodies. In addition to combatting the spread of the virus in other ways, we must focus on ensuring the health of our immune systems. The way Dr. Fauci and the mainstream media have discounted certain things like making sure we are not Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc deficient is criminal. Actual studies in the field, real numbers, tell us that Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc, and Azithromycin is an effective treatment for a majority of COVID-19 patients. Yet this treatment along with one or two others are demonized by Dr. Fauci, because they don’t fit their carefully constructed narrative. There is recent evidence that many routine procedures such as putting patients on ventilators when they shouldn’t, among other things, are leading to an increased number of deaths.

Ninth, extreme social distancing, like a lockdown, hinders the development of herd immunity. “Herd immunity is where enough people – most of whom will have very minor, or no, symptoms – contract COVID-19, develop antibodies against it, and recover. Since those who have the antibodies can neither get, nor pass on, coronavirus, it runs into more and more ‘dead ends’ as it tries to spread. ‘It finds it harder to get to a host where it can survive and it dies out,” Dr. David Katz says.

Tenth, in light of the way viruses spread through aerosolized particles, does anyone believe standing six feet apart is a real solution? As Dr. David Brownstein noted, even facemasks don’t work.

Eleventh, I mentioned a can-do attitude. Such an attitude is rooted in several biblical principles. Here are two. First, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 1:13). That doesn’t mean we can’t get sick. But it does mean that we have the spiritual ability to handle whatever comes our way. That’s the attitude part. Second, we’ve been given a mandate to subdue the earth (Gen. 1:28; 9:1f). That’s the tackling the problem part. We’ve not only been given the mandate to find workable solutions that take into account fending off a virus while not tearing down the superstructure of civilization we’ve built up over the last six-thousand years, we’ve been given the brain-power and resources for innovation and efficiency. But old and political models have us cowered in a corner. It’s time to be image-bearers and get to work.

Twelfth, God has given all human beings certain unalienable rights. They include the rights to life and liberty. They’re enshrined in America’s founding documents. No one has the right to lock down entire groups of people, cities, or a nation. No one has the right to keep us from assembling with one another. Moreover, we have the right to make medical/health decisions for ourselves. While the spirit of technocracy is alive and well in our world, we must not succumb to its tyranny. Our basic freedoms including our religious freedoms have been trampled. Forced social distancing is nothing short of criminal.

Thirteenth, Christians don’t run from people or trouble, they run toward it. While people ran from lepers, Jesus reached out and touched them. Christians in eras gone by ministered to the sick and dying and those who’d been abandoned in the streets when various plagues descended upon them. The pagans hid indoors, while the Christians demonstrated the love and power of Christ. Yes, many of them died as a result. But they actually knew and felt that living was Christ, and dying was gain (Phil. 1:21).

Fourteenth, Christianity is not about isolation but community. The gathered community of faith is mandated and puts God’s glory on display (Heb. 10:25; Hag. 1:8). The church breaks down barriers that divide people (Eph. 3:10). It doesn’t create or foster division. Christianity is about fellowship with God and with one another. You can’t experience that and social distance at the same time. We all know that livestreaming and zooming is not church.

Fifteenth, while we Christians can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, even bear with a lockdown, there are millions who cannot, because they don’t have Christ. Many have already died because of the lockdown by being hindered from getting needed medical treatment or by committing suicide. There will be many more. Some will die of starvation. The tragic results of the lockdown, and many predict it’s certainty, could be far worse than the virus itself. People don’t do well in isolation.

Sixteenth, the fact is that 99% of those who contract the virus recover. A majority of us may have already been exposed. Most who get the virus experience minor symptoms and many don’t even know they’ve had it. The lockdown and social distancing really makes no sense.

We weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15). There are those who have died from COVID-19, and it’s truly tragic. And, if someone is in a high-risk category, or is sick and would endanger others, then by all means, they should take the proper precautions. But despite what we’re being told, that all of us are carriers of a virus that’s a death warrant for those who contract it, nothing cold be further from the truth. The facemasks, the fearful looks, the suspicious whispers, and the snitching neighbors all tell the tale. We’re not carriers of the plague. We’re not lepers, and we can’t treat each other as such. It’s time to rethink social distancing.

Rethinking Social Distancing (Part 1) | True Worldview Ep. 60

April 28, 2020 by Paul Dean in current events, worldview, politics

A Lament

There’s a verse that describes our situation in this political crisis connected to Coronavirus: “How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave” (Lam. 1:1)! While our context is different from ancient Israel’s, our cities feel lonely and empty as everyone is under stay-at-home orders. The city is like a widow. The heartbreak is palpable, not only for those who have died and lost loved ones, or for those who’ve lost jobs, but also for those who’ve suffered and died as a result of the shutdown, as well as for what’s coming. While no one really knows what the ultimate economic fall-out will be, we’re already told to brace for food shortages. That’s a dynamic most of us have never had to face. The cracks in our nation are showing. And the sad fact is that it didn’t have to be this way, but you’ll never get the perpetrators to admit it or be held accountable. We’ve become slaves.

A Precaution

But I want to speak briefly to the issue of social distancing, and in particular, I want to urge all of us, but especially Christians, to reject it out of hand. Let me say quickly that if you are in a high-risk category, then by all means, please take every precaution, and protect yourself. If you visit anyone in a high-risk category, you should take care not to endanger them. And that’s not true for a coronavirus only, that’s true for the flu or anything else. Those in high risk categories are in danger from everything, and there are many viruses more dangerous than COVID-19. But, generally speaking, there are reasons for the rest of us to cease the social distancing.

A Plea: Seven Reasons to Stop Social Distancing

First, God Himself is trinitarian by nature. He is one God who’s revealed Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. His very nature is community. We’re told in John 1 that the Father and the Son have face-to-face fellowship from eternity. The Christian community is a reflection of God. We’re created to be in community with God and one another.

Second, God said in Genesis that it’s not good for man to be alone. In context, He makes Adam and Eve husband and wife: life-partners. But the principle is true for all of humanity: it’s not good for us to be alone. When people live in isolation, certain spiritual, social, and even physical problems develop over time. Prov. 18:1 says, “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.” A person who isolates himself has rejected community for whatever the reason. The picture couldn’t be more graphic. “He rages against all wise judgment.” It’s not wise to force people into isolation. We know the tragic results, and it’s sheer hypocrisy for our government and the mainstream media to do so in the name of a virus that’s relatively harmless to most, and even less threatening to persons in high risk groups than the flu.

Third, that’s not to say that COVID-19 is not a danger to high-risk persons. It is, and those in that category should self-isolate, as we’ve said. But everyone else should proceed as normal so that herd immunity can develop, the virus can run its course, and then even high-risk persons can come out again.

In fact, a group of doctors put out a piece entitled Coronavirus Truths. Among other things, they say we’ve been lied to. We’ve been told we don’t know much about the virus, but we do. We hear daily that the virus is more infectious than the flu. It’s not. In fact, the flu is much more virulent. The flu is actually far more dangerous despite the fact we’ve been told the opposite. We’ve also been told COVID-19 is more dangerous because you can have it without knowing it. That’s true of all viruses when they’re being shed, and COVID-19 is far less contagious than the flu. And yes, the virus is more dangerous to the elderly and immunocompromised, but so is everything else, as we’ve noted. We see daily numbers of infections and deaths, and yet the books have been cooked. The media, say these doctors, has grossly misrepresented this disease, and they will continue to manipulate us by predicting a spike in deaths if we open the country too soon. They’re already doing just that. Though we’ve been told the opposite, not every country has shut down their economy, and none of those countries have suffered higher rates of death. The medical community has failed us they say. This virus has been treated as a world-ender, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Fourth, social distancing is the world’s answer, not God’s. It tears community apart. It’s tearing our nation apart. Have you noticed how people look at you in the grocery store with fear and suspicion? And how about those who report their neighbors for taking a jog? That’s not American, and it’s certainly not Christian. It’s Satan who tears apart. God, the gospel, and the church bring people together (Ephesians 3).

Fifth, the government is picking winners and losers. Walmart will survive, even thrive, but a large number of mom-and-pop operations will not. Home Depot will thrive, but many restaurants will never re-open. The State has no right to say who’s essential and who’s not. We’re all essential; we all make up the economy. The State has no right to prevent people from earning a living. The surveillance and subsequent police raid on a woman cutting hair in her Texas home should cause all of us to collectively shout, “Enough!”

Sixth, there’s the inconsistency. We’re told that only x number of people can be in the store at one time, yet we stand in the parking lot shoulder to shoulder until we’re released into the vastness of Lowe’s. We’d be better off if all were allowed inside to start with. We’re allowed to congregate in the Lowe’s parking lot, but we can’t go to church or worship from our cars in the church parking lot. Our overlords at the national and state levels can stand shoulder to shoulder in the daily news briefings, but if you’re the lone person shooting baskets in the park, you’ll be arrested. For the life of me, I can’t understand how any of this is being tolerated.

Seventh, the government would have us believe that every American is the carrier of a deadly virus. Criticizing out-of-work protesters who were pleading for the lockdown to end and rightly saying that some things are worse than the virus, namely a decimated economy and the devasting results, Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York, replied, “What could be worse than the virus? The virus is death.” Yes, some have died. And that’s truly tragic. But the virus is not death. Ninety-nine percent of people who contract it recover. Most will not contract it, and those who do will suffer mild symptoms, and many won’t even know they had it. But this is the official narrative, and the people have been sold a lie. Psychological warfare is being waged against this country.

These are only a few of the reasons why social distancing must end. We’ll highlight a few more in Part 2. But suffice it to say, it’s not God’s way, and it’s far worse than the virus. It’s a nation-killer.

It's Time for the Shutdown to End (Part 1) | True Worldview Ep. 57

April 17, 2020 by Paul Dean in current events, worldview, politics

Unprecedented. That’s one of the few words I can think of to describe the times we’re in, not because we’re in a health crisis rivaling the plague – we’re not – despite the job the main stream media and other bad actors have done to convince us that such is the case. I’m talking about the evisceration of our liberties – our God-given rights – and the power grab to which the State has availed itself. And among the population, Statism is alive and well just as it was in the first century under Caesar. The masses are looking to the State to be their savior from a manufactured crisis manipulated to evoke that very response. It’s not that COVID-19 is not a deadly virus, it is, though it’s not that different than seasonal flu, if at all. The real issue is this: it’s the end of America as we know it if the people don’t make their voices heard.

Loving Neighbor

For Christians, our priority is to glorify God in all we do. That involves of first priority spreading the gospel. We’re to love God and neighbor. And yet, we have to define those terms biblically. It’s common among Christians in these uncommon times to say those in favor of ending the shutdown, or going to church, or going to the park for a jog, are not loving their neighbors. “Which of your family members do you want to die,” they ask. I could just as easily respond by saying those in favor of maintaining the shutdown don’t love their neighbors. The longer we go the more will lose their homes, their ability to feed their families, and so on. Many will die from suicide or a lack of health insurance, and any number of other devastating results are already apparent. But such accusations are not only unbiblical, for we love our neighbors in many ways, but they are rooted in a false dichotomy. All Christians love their neighbors, and all Christians make decisions on the information available to them. I would never accuse a genuine brother of not loving his neighbor simply because he disagrees with me on the oppressive response of the State in this situation. And I urge my brothers not to accuse me of not loving my neighbor simply because they believe the shutdown is the way to go.

Principles, not Platitudes

Further, regardless of where one stands on the issue of how serious a health crisis COVID-19 is, we need to react to it based on principles, not platitudes. Neither we nor government can base decisions on pragmatic considerations. Principles are inviolable; no one has the right to take away the liberties that God has given. No one has the right to shut down businesses, force people to stay in their homes, or limit church attendance. The Constitution forbids it, but more importantly, the Scriptures forbid it. Before the State could forcibly quarantine someone, it would have to prove in a court of law that an individual is an imminent threat to others. The State has no right to simply impose stay-at-home orders on persons in a given area.

Religious Freedom

The issue is freedom in general, and yes, it’s also an issue of religious freedom. Some churches in certain areas are being targeted. This development should cause all of us to raise an opposing voice. And while most other churches are not being targeted per se, those Christian leaders who tell us this is not an issue of religious freedom are doing us a great disservice. At the very least, any lockdown order or limitation on church attendance is a direct violation of the First Amendment which guarantees that the free exercise of religion shall not be prohibited.

Romans 13

Moreover, Romans 13 does not teach that government exists for the general welfare. That phrase from the Constitution is being imposed on the biblical text. Paul is saying that God has ordained government, even the persecution of Christians by Nero Caesar, for our spiritual good in a Rom. 8:28-30 sense, that is our sanctification. We submit to government because they do not hold the sword in vain. In other words, they will imprison or execute you if you resist them. We also submit for conscience sake, or as Peter puts it (1 Peter 2), for conscience toward God. By that he means there are times when we generally submit to government so as not to be accused by unbelievers as being evildoers. When they do accuse us as such, it should be because we’re obeying God as opposed to being engaged in criminal activity. While we didn’t at the beginning of this crisis, we now have Christian leaders and Christian denominations calling for civil disobedience. One can’t call for such and have the common view of Romans 13 at the same time. My point is not to say civil disobedience shouldn’t be on the table. On the contrary, it most certainly should be. But only a biblical view of Romans 13 will allow for it before God, not the common misinterpretation most Christians hold.

Finally, we’re having a serious discussion about grave issues in momentous times. It’s time to end the shutdown. May we continue the dialog and come to a unified conclusion in the very near future.

Part 2 to Follow

Sign up free for "True Worldview News," a weekly e-mail newsletter highlighting relevant news stories affecting Christians. Dr. Dean’s comments on selected stories along with editorials are included. The newsletter also features True Worldview, a twice-weekly podcast hosted by Dr. Dean and his daughter, Christi Johnson.

How Are The Children Doing? Coronavirus and Kids at Home | True Worldview Ep. 55

April 10, 2020 by Paul Dean in christian living, faith, family, current events

According to Gallup

Interesting: “Children may be benefiting from the stay-at-home orders many states have in place during the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. According to a Gallup poll, a large majority of children report ‘enjoyment” and “happiness’ while spending their days with their families.” On the one hand, it’s surprising we’d hear positive news concerning the benefits of homeschooling. On the other hand, its fits into the “go home and stay home, we’re all in this together” Orwellian narrative.

Massive Benefits

Of course, there are very real benefits to homeschooling. You fulfill your responsibility to train your own children; you wrest their minds from control of the State; you foster and maintain a better relationship with your children; you can spur creativity; you can teach them to think independently; you can take time to develop latent educational interests and aspirations that might not have been brought to the fore; and so much more. More importantly, you can teach them a biblical worldview in every aspect of their education and thereby demonstrate its comprehensive nature. You make them far more useful for the kingdom. And of utmost significance, while God is sovereign in the salvation of your children, your efforts are the most likely thing God will use to bring them to Himself. Statistically, 70% to 90% of children raised in church and public/private school walk away from Christ when they hit college. It’s also true that the same percentage of Christian homeschoolers do not. In fact, close to 90% of millennial graduates say they are very strong in terms of their faith commitment to Christ.

A Change is Gonna Come

An educational sea-change is coming in the aftermath of COVID-19. Many students at the university level will opt for online education which will drive tuition rates down and force numerous schools to scale back and as many others to close completely. At the primary level, an increasing number of non-Christian families have already opted for homeschooling. Some are driven by academic considerations while others are fearful in the aftermath of school shootings. The fear-factor of COVID-19 will drive many more to pull out of government as well as private schools.

Whenever governments manipulate crises there are always unintended consequences. The vast majority of those are negative and harmful to the people. In this case, it may be that more and more people learn to think independent of the State’s curriculum. When that happens, the population is harder to control. The willingness of the vast majority of Americans to accept the State’s Coronavirus narrative and the trampling of the hard-won and God-given freedoms we have is owing to government education. We can only pray that escape from that subtle tyranny is part of what God is doing in His grace. Not only will it be a boon for human flourishing, it may be a prelude to revival. That’s something for which we can pray as well.

Biblical Wisdom

There’s a reason God gives this instruction: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:6-9). It’s the underlying assumption of the proverbial truism: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). Neither of these texts is talking about Sunday School.

Coronavirus and Revival | True Worldview Ep. 54

April 07, 2020 by Paul Dean in current events, evangelism, faith

People are troubled. Some are fearful of the virus; others are fearful of their financial future; some are grieving over loved ones who have died; and others are grieving over the loss of liberty and some things that will never be the same. In times like this, Christians must keep their perspective: Christ is ultimate. They must think about what God could be doing. They must see the opportunity for gospel advance as they serve others in the name of Christ. And, among other things, they must think about and pray for revival.

What is Revival?

Revival begins in the churches. It’s the movement of God in the sanctification of believers and the conversion of false professors within her pale. It’s the strengthening of churches. Further, as the church is revived, they have an increasing influence in the larger culture. They get serious about evangelism, and unbelievers are saved. As believers spread the gospel, do their work as unto the Lord, engage in ethics, art, entertainment, and so many other cultural dynamics, a Christian worldview begins to take hold again. That’s the kind of revival we read about in the Great Awakenings. In the Welsh Revival of 1902 for example, judges wore white gloves to signify they had no more cases for the day.

How Does Revival Come?

Revival is a sovereign work of God. Jonathan Edwards wrote about the Surprising Work of God during the days of the “First Great Awakening.” The Lord Jesus’ told Nicodemus you can’t tell where the wind comes from or where it’s going; so it is with the Spirit of God (John 3). God is the one who withholds or brings revival. It doesn’t come through “the right use of means,” a phrase Charles Finney coined during the “Second Great Awakening.” He manipulated people into false decisions and changed the trajectory of evangelicalism from that time until this day. How many false professions have there been through the method of revivalism that in general made those professors twice as much the sons of Hell as before (Matt. 23:15), weakened God’s churches, and generally brought much division and misery to those same churches? No, revival is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9).

Prep for Revival

That doesn’t mean we have no need to do the work of preparation. There is little hope for harvest when there is no toiling in the garden. The soil of our culture is hard right now. Not only is hatred for Christ at an all time high, but the majority of people don’t even have a biblical understanding of God. There was a time in our nation when even unbelieves knew what you were talking about when you talked about God. Not so today. Americans have adopted their own eclectic brand of spirituality. Much work must be done to even have an intelligent conversation with many, particularly about God or ultimate things. God is sovereign, and indeed the fields are white unto harvest if He so ordains (Jn. 4:35). But we have to spread the gospel and couch everything in terms of a biblical worldview. We must engage our culture winsomely, create beneficial cultural goods in the Name of Christ, and defend the faith in different ways whether presenting evidence or dismantling the inconsistencies within a worldview opposed to Christ.

Coronavirus - Catalyst for Revival?

One wonders if God would use the Coronavirus imbroglio to bring about revival. When people are confronted with their own mortality; when things seem hopeless; when they feel helpless; when it actually dawns on them that things will never be the same; when they sense there should be something more; when they’re confronted with their sin; they’re prepared to hear the gospel. Even then, only God can open their hearts. Only God can bring revival, and He can do so without a prepared soil if He so chooses. And He may not choose to do so when the soil is prepared. But He may. And that’s what we long for.

So, is there anything we can do while we’re longing for revival? The answer is an unequivocal yes. We must pray. There is no revival apart from precipitous prayer. We can talk about it. And we can labor for it. Let’s make revival the topic on our hearts in these troubling days and beyond.

Shelter in Place: Is This How We Want to Live? | True Worldview Ep. 53

April 03, 2020 by Paul Dean in culture, current events, worldview

Shelter in Place: Is This How We Want to Live?

When I saw the jets fly into the twin towers and those towers subsequently collapse, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was one of those things I didn’t think possible. I was wrong. I also thought that moment couldn’t be surpassed in terms of shock. But I was wrong on that too. I’m living in one of those moments now. I never would have thought it possible to get the world to voluntarily shut down over night. It’s unimaginable that we would voluntarily tank our economy. But here we are.

The New Normal

Bretigne Shaffer describes our situation at the moment: “As I write this, I am no longer ‘allowed’ to frequent businesses the state has deemed to be ‘nonessential.’ Doing so has been prohibited by a man who has the power to shut down an entire economy with the stroke of a pen. Meanwhile, the mayor of a neighboring city has said that water and power will be turned off for any of these ‘nonessential’ businesses that do not comply with the order. . . We now have to stand in line to get into the grocery store, are only able to purchase limited quantities of food and other supplies, and the California National Guard has been activated. . . to help ‘distribute… food and medical supplies…’ among other tasks.”

This state of affairs raises what rises to the level of an ultimate question: is this how we want to live? According to Judge Andrew Napolitano, the State has no right to do what they’re doing. It’s unconstitutional. And yet, while I’m not confined to my home like my daughter and son-in-law are in another state, I went to four grocery stores yesterday before I gave up my search on the item I needed. There are some businesses that will be completely gone when this is over. That’s tragic for those business-owners, but it also affects the rest of us who’ll have to do without the goods and services we’ve come to count on from them. What possible reason is there to let others make decisions for us? What possible reason is there to give the State power to shut down your business?

The Scapegoat

I know, some will say, because Coronavirus. Quarantining like we are has never stopped viruses from spreading. It might slow them down, but only good hygiene has been effective historically. Take a look at what Hong Kong is doing, and they seem to be proving the point. Regardless, as Shaffer points out, there is much debate over that issue and what the socio-economic cost will be and just how deadly COVID-19 actually is.

So again, we have to ask is this the kind of world we want to live in? Personal liberty is tossed aside as if it’s just a selfish luxury says Shaffer. But what’s selfish is the impulse to control others, whether personally or through the State. In fact, its pure evil. On cue, the red herring that saving lives is more important is run out there. Why don’t we ask the State to ban cars then? Or swimming pools? Or alcohol? Of course, when we banned alcohol, we learned that unintended consequences are often worse than the original problem. And that’s the case here. President Trump was right when he said the cure is worse than the disease. It’s too bad he’s done an about face on that.

The State, Our Enemy

“Do we want to live lives in which we get to make our own choices and decisions, or do we want to live the kind of lives where our choices are made for us, by some centralized authority?” We can’t live this way and honor God or one another. The rights to life and liberty are rights given by God. Violence against others like shutting down one’s ability to earn a living is evil and therefore dishonors God. In fact, it’s an attack on God Himself (Gen. 9:6). It’s unloving to our neighbor. What’s happening now is not only unconstitutional, it violates the two great commandments to love God and neighbor.

And now we learn the US Government is already making plans with Google, Facebook, and others to track our movements and our health status via cell phones and a nation-wide snitch network via phone apps in which people are asked to tag anyone they see exhibiting signs of illness or failing to social distance. Bill Gates is saying we’ll have digital certificates indicating our health and vaccine status. That certificate will be required to gain access to certain places and services. Is this how we want to live?

History proves that the State arrogates more power to itself during times of crisis. Essential liberties are suspended for the sake of resolving the crisis. Yet, the State never gives up the power its gained or the liberties it’s stolen. But that’s the world we’re being handed right now. As noted, we’ve never seen this big a power grab before. The question is, what are we going to do about it?

COVID-19 and Freedom in America | True Worldview Ep. 51

March 27, 2020 by Paul Dean in current events, politics, worldview

Coronavirus & Freedom in America

Perhaps the biggest question that needs to be asked during this time of crisis is can the government restrict our movements as they have? Judge Andrew Napolitano, a former judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey who’s written nine books on the U.S. Constitution says “freedom is the default position.” The rights that we have come not from the State but are rooted in our humanity. We know they come from God, but that’s just the point.

Imbedded in the US Constitution is what philosophers call the non-aggression principle. “All aggression against persons and property even by government is immoral.” Individuals have the freedom to do as they please as long as they don’t violate the God-given rights of others. So, the question remains, can the government “confine persons against their will in order to protect public health?”

Let’s think biblically as we wade into an answer. Can we lock someone up for committing a criminal act like theft, murder, or enslaving others? Answer? Yes. Can we lock someone up who has not committed a criminal act? Answer? No. Can we lock someone up who looks like they might commit a criminal act at some point in the future? No, we can’t do that. Can we lock someone up for being a racist? As reprehensible as racism is, we can’t do that. What if someone is hurling empty threats and insults at me as I go on my merry way? Can we imprison him? It’s no violation of my rights if someone hates me, insults me, or even hurls empty threats at me. We can’t put him in jail. But what if someone is pointing a loaded gun in my face, says he’s going to kill me, pulls the trigger, or makes an aggressive move? Can I or someone else stop him? Do I or someone else have the right to use deadly force in that instance as self-defense or in defense of others? The answer to each of those question is yes. Moreover, if the individual were stopped before he got a shot off, or if his shot missed, he would be imprisoned for attempted murder. The difference between him and the guy hurling empty threats is just that: empty threats are not criminal. But when one violates the liberty of another or is imminently about to do so, he is guilty of criminal activity and subject to imprisonment after due process and conviction at a criminal trial.

With those biblical principles in mind, hear Napolitano on whether the government then may quarantine someone for reasons of public safety. “The short answer is yes, but the Constitution requires procedural due process. That means a trial for every person confined. Thus, a government-ordered quarantine of all persons in a city block or a postal ZIP code or a telephone area code would be an egregious violation of due process, both substantive and procedural. Substantively, no government in America has the lawful power to curtail natural rights by decree.”

Why due process? To determine if one is an actual threat. Napolitano puts it this way: “Procedurally, notwithstanding the fear of disease contagion, the states and feds may only quarantine those who are actively contagious and will infect others imminently. And it must present evidence of both at a trial at which it bears the burden of proof. While the non-aggression principle permits offensive aggression in self-defense when an attack is imminent and certain, that is a high standard for the government to meet, as it should be. Freedom — even the freedom of a madman or a dangerously sick and contagious person — is the default position. Infringing upon it without procedural due process is always constitutionally impermissible.”

In another piece, Napolitano points out that the Supreme Court unanimously rebuked President Lincoln during the Civil War when he imprisoned persons who challenged a number of decisions he made. He claimed he was acting for the good of the citizenry – for public safety. The point they made was that whether in war or in the midst of a global pandemic, the Constitution protects our God-given rights “and its provisions are to be upheld when they pinch as well as whey they comfort.”

Many governors during this crisis are acting in a totalitarian way and in so doing are violating the rights of tens of millions of persons. They have no right to do so constitutionally nor do they have the right to do so biblically. Would Paul tell the Roman church they had to submit to Nero if he wanted to enslave them or kill them? Jesus said when they persecute you in one city flee to another (Matt. 10:23). Paul said if you’re converted while a slave, don’t worry about it. But, if you can be free, use it (1 Cor. 7:21). The point is that Christians do submit to government for God’s glory and their witness. They are not troublemakers but good citizens. However, our submission is not absolute. The Hebrew midwives defied the decree of Pharaoh (Exodus 1). Daniel openly disobeyed the decree of King Darius (Daniel 6). The apostles defied civil authorities and never ceased to preach the gospel (Acts 4).

Part of our problem is a surface interpretation of Romans 13. Many Christians believe God gave government for the public, civic good, and it implements God’s righteous decrees. Yet, Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for taking their lawsuits before the unrighteous civil authorities. How dare you do such a thing he says (1 Cor. 6:1f). He also says that Jesus must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. Those enemies include all earthly rulers (1 Cor. 15:24f). Psalm 2 says the rulers of the earth are against Christ. Daniel says that the kingdom of God will smash all other earthly kingdoms to pieces in the end (Daniel 2). The point is that earthly governments are not God’s representatives. They are his servants just like Satan is. And, they have a measure of authority, but they do not have the right to violate the rights of others. Authority and rights are two different things.

Again, Christians may submit to imprisonment or martyrdom for the sake of the gospel. But they may also flee. Jesus told Christians to flee when they saw Roman imperial troops surrounding their city (Matthew 24). Paul tells slaves to submit to their masters. Do they have authority? Answer, yes. Do they have a right to enslave others? Answer? No. Husbands have authority, but they don’t have the right to violate the rights of their wives. These principles are basic. Government has authority, but it doesn’t have the right to violate our rights. From Napolitano again: “The Contracts Clause of the Constitution prohibits the states from interfering with lawful contracts, such as leases and employment agreements. And the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the states from interfering with life, liberty or property without a trial at which the state must prove fault. The Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment requires just compensation when the state meaningfully interferes with an owner’s chosen lawful use of his property. . . Add to all this, the protection in the First Amendment of the right to associate and the judicially recognized right to travel — both of which are natural rights — and it is clear that these nanny state rules are unconstitutional, unlawful and unworthy of respect or compliance.”

Why is this happening? Because people are always willing to trade freedom for safety. Benjamin Franklin said people who do such are worthy or neither. A lot of Christians are clamoring for the government to do what they’re doing in the name of public safety. With all due respect, you have the right to sacrifice your freedom, but you don’t have the right to sacrifice mine.

Anthony Fauci is talking about round two of this next year. Are we going to tolerate shutting the country down on a regular basis? We need Christian leadership here. There’s a difference between being a good citizen and allowing the government to take away the freedoms of everyone. That’s not being a good citizen or loving your neighbor. Christians leaders above all should be leading here. I’m not calling for revolt. But I am calling for the church to speak with clarity and boldness; to speak up for the least of these; to bring a biblical worldview to the public square on this issue; to take a seat at the table; and to preach the gospel and it’s implications for civil government and society in this hour of need. Too much is a stake to remain silent, and way too much is at stake if we roll over and shill for the US government, something the Scripture calls a rival kingdom to the kingdom of God.

What is God Doing in the Midst of the Coronavirus Outbreak? | True Worldview Ep. 50

March 24, 2020 by Paul Dean in current events, culture, politics, worldview

Coronavirus and What God is Doing

We have questions. How dangerous is COVID-19? How far will it go? How effective is social distancing and the other drastic measures that have been imposed? Is the cost of shutting down public gatherings, restaurants, bars, and the like, resulting in businesses closing, massive lay-offs, the disappearance of personal savings, bankruptcies, supply chain derailments, and a lot more, or is the cost of simply taking ordinary precautions and letting the virus run its course greater? Knowing how viruses work and what COVID-19 is, some medical experts say the steps we’ve taken will actually make matters worse. Is that right or wrong, and how do we know?

And yet, there is still a more important question: a question of ultimate significance. What is God up to? None of this has taken Him by surprise. He’s doing something and we’d do well to ponder that.

God Is Sovereign

God is absolutely sovereign over all things including COVID-19, the economic disaster to come, and those actors who’ve added to the misery in one way or another. "If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it (Amos 3:6)?" This simple truth may shock the sensibilities of some, but who would want to worship a God who is not sovereign? God’s sovereignty does not negate His goodness and grace. His sovereignty is simply a fact. He governs all things, including our current situation. Isaiah agrees with Amos and could not be more clear when he quotes God Himself: "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things (Isa. 45:7)." At the same time, Amos refers to a trumpet of warning. There is no doubt the Lord of all creation has many purposes in mind with a calamity of this nature and magnitude.

Sanctifying His People

First, God is no doubt sanctifying His people. We can say this with certainty as the Scripture says, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers (Rom. 8:28-29)." Paul affirms that all things work for the good of believers. He then defines that good as being conformed to the image of God's Son that He might be glorified. Many believers are suffering and will suffer. While the situation itself is not good, the Lord will indeed work it for their good. That is His promise.

Demonstrating His Power

Second, it is possible that COVID-19 was sent as a demonstration of God’s power before wicked men, whether the virus itself is a greater threat than other seasonal viruses or whether the virus was used to manufacture a crisis. God superintends over it all. In Ex. 9:14 we read, "For at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth." When men shake their fists in the face of God, He sometimes moves in a mighty way to remind them of who is King. His word is clear on this point. He wants men to know that there is none like Him in all the earth.

Exalting His Name

Third, the Lord may have desired the exaltation of His Name in all the earth. God exists for His own glory and does what He does for His own glory. He alone deserves glory and honor and worship and praise and must have such in order to be true to His character. If He did not demand such, He would not be God, or He would be an idolater. As God, He cannot give up His glory, or He would not be God. Nor can He glorify another, for that would be to give glory to something that did not deserve glory which would be idolatry. God cannot fail to glorify Himself, as His character exudes glory. Thus, His glory, His reputation, and/or His Name, must be exalted in all the earth. That is why God says to Pharaoh, "But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth” (Ex. 9:16). The God of Heaven above and the earth beneath sent the plagues on Egypt in Pharaoh’s day, and He sent the plagues of viral and economic disaster in our day that His Name might be exalted in all the earth.

Bringing Temporal Judgment

Fourth, is it possible that God has brought temporal judgment on a wicked country in particular, or the whole world, or perhaps even the church as part of her chastening? While we must be careful not to make statements of possibility into fact, and while we must not think that any particular people deserve punishment any more than any other human being lost or saved, we may say that it is possible that God brought temporal judgment for certain reasons. Peter warns us: "[God turned] the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, He condemned them with an overthrow, setting an example to men intending to live ungodly (2 Pet. 2:6)." Conditions of this magnitude are an example to those who intend to live ungodly lives.

What about believers in hard-hit areas or circumstances? Some were like Lot. "And He delivered righteous Lot, oppressed with the lustful behavior of the lawless. For that righteous one living among them, in seeing and hearing, his righteous soul was tormented from day to day with their unlawful deeds (2 Pet. 2:7-8)." And others were like some of the saints listed in Hebrews 11 who “had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings; yes, more, of bonds and imprisonments. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented (36-37)." This text is a call to faith regardless of the state of affairs. Our problem is that we so often fail to take God seriously, even in the church.

Highlighting His Grace

Fifth, by these events, God certainly affords us an opportunity to put the grace and power of Christ on display through ministry. Our Lord gives us that opportunity both for our sake and the sake of those to whom we minister. Jesus said, "For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me (Matt. 25:35-36)." At the same time, as noted, His glory is on display. There are and will be countless opportunities to share the love of Christ both now and in the coming days. At least part of what God intends is that people would fear Him that they might get a sense of their own lost and helpless condition, fly to Christ, and be saved.

COVID-19: Danger, Hype, Opportunists, and God | True Worldview Ep. 49

March 20, 2020 by Paul Dean in culture, current events, worldview, politics

COVID-19: Danger, Hype, Opportunists, and God

Danger

There is a real threat upon us with this Coronavirus. We all know that people have died, and it’s spreading. We also know that the virus is most dangerous/deadly to people who are older, who have underlying health problems, or who are immunocompromised. For most however, the virus appears to pose no greater threat than seasonal flu. More people have been infected and died with seasonal flu than COVID-19 this winter, and there are other more serious threats to some. Over one million die each year from tuberculosis for example.

Hype

And yet, we’re all experiencing the media’s frenzied hype. There is much misinformation due in part to the drive for ratings and perhaps in part due to some who can’t resist embellishment for whatever personal reasons. One government official when on television said COVID-19 is ten times more deadly than seasonal flu. The same official stated to Congress that it’s no more deadly than seasonal flu. Of course, the media has played up the first statement. Leaders on both sides of the political aisle have run the gamut from dismissal of a threat, to making jokes about who they wished would contract it, to excoriation, to near-panic. And the media has puffed it all.

Opportunists

And then there are the opportunists. We may wonder at the differing motivations for different actors across the globe in this thing. Regardless of your political leanings, there’s one thing we can all agree on: it’s an election year, and those who have a visceral hatred of the President are using this crisis against him every way they can. As Rahm Emanuel quipped, “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that, it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”

Some have offered credible and troubling thoughts based on different kinds of evidence. Certain insiders have speculated this whole thing is a hoax to take away more of our liberties. Others have averred it’s a test to determine how easily populations can be controlled. Some say the virus came from a Chinese lab by accident, and still others assert it’s a US bio-weapon inadvertently released. Financial experts have warned of economic collapse for some time and see global actors using the virus as cover for their failing. The fall-out for economic policy-makers would be horrendous if they were to blame and not something like a pandemic.

God

And yet, in the end, we can trust God. We know He’s in control and that He loves His people. We know He does all things for our good – to conform us to the image of His Son. Regardless of the virus or those who would use it for hidden purposes, none of it has taken the Lord by surprise. And remember, God will keep you in perfect peace, when your mind is stayed on Him, because you trust in Him (Isa. 26:3).

Transgenderism Up 1500% | True Worldview 46

March 10, 2020 by Paul Dean in current events, worldview, politics, culture

Transgenderism Up 1500%

Here’s a shocker that’s not so shocking to those who think: transgenderism has grown by 1500% among Swedish girls between thirteen and eighteen over the last ten years. What is truly stunning is the comment from Peter Salmi, an investigator at the national Board of Health and Welfare, who said, “Yes, that the increase is clear, there is no doubt, however, we do not know what the increase is due to.” Wait, what?

Cultural Conditioning

So here we have something that is not merely a minor deviation from the norm over thousands of years of recorded history. It’s not something in the water. It’s not drug-induced. Let’s just throw this in: it’s not a product of natural selection. Alex Newman got it right when he observed, “The brainwashing and Swedish government peddling of gender confusion starting even before Kindergarten is obviously working.” That’s the reason; children are being taught. Gender dysphoria is the result of cultural conditioning. The larger culture has followed suit. For example, one news program “portrayed a confused young girl as some sort of hero for impersonating a boy, complete with adults showering the confused child with praise for her ‘bravery.’”

Cultural Consequences

What are the implications? For one, “in virtually any other context, encouraging people to irreversibly mutilate themselves in a futile effort to make reality conform to their delusions would be regarded as cruel, if not criminal.” To subvert biology, history, and indeed reality is to impose a certain kind of death on the individual as well as the larger culture.

Second, future consequences for the individual and society are ignored in favor of the latest political fad. Politics not rooted in principle are tantamount to slavery – or possibly murder – depending on the outcome.

Cultural Chaos

Moreover, per Newman, “literally every cell in their body testifies to the fact that they are either male or female. By contrast, the last thing in the world they need is dishonest and insane adults cheering them on as . . . ‘doctors’ pump them full of hormones and surgically mutilate their genitals . . . It is time for the madness to end . . . As the American College of Pediatricians explained, brainwashing children to believe it is normal and healthy to impersonate the opposite sex with hormones and surgery is child abuse.”

These are strong words, but appropriate words – attention-getting words – the type of words warranted in desperate times. Ultimately, nothing short of a return to a full-orbed biblical worldview will end the madness. When there is no God, as Greg Koukl pointed out, your feet are planted firmly in mid-air. When your feet are planted there, mutilating children is brave. It’s braver still when one considers that children can’t think for themselves. Huxley’s brave new world was frightening, but not this frightening.

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Who Built the Hospitals Caring for China's Coronavirus Patients? | True Worldview Ep. 45

March 06, 2020 by Paul Dean in christian living, culture, current events, worldview

Coronavirus and China’s Hospitals

Everyone’s talking about Coronavirus, and rightly so. The number of those infected along with those who have died is only increasing. But let’s think about a particular issue at a worldview level. Gary Brumbelow asks, “Who built the hospitals treating China’s coronavirus patients?” The answer is that “hundreds of China’s hospitals were built by Christian missionaries.”

Hospitals Didn’t Come from Atheism

Brumbelow rightly points out that China’s hospitals didn’t come from the worldview of China’s atheistic, communist leaders who’ve been in power since the rise of Mao Zedong prior to the midway point of the last century. We needn’t be reminded of the millions he slaughtered in the “Great Leap Forward” or China’s long-term one to two-child policy imposition. As a worldview, atheism has a low view of human life. It’s only valued in terms of what it can do for the collective. Life is cheap and expendable. And on that worldview, there’s no reason to build hospitals as long as you have enough replacement parts.

Hospitals Come from a Christian Worldview

It's the Christian worldview that values life. The world has co-opted Christian initiative including health-care, the university, stewardship of the environment, the arts, and so much more. How grievous then when Christians accept the status quo of our culture and fall in line like sheep. Our calling is to image God in the world in a multitude of ways. Hospitals, universities, environmentalism, and the arts are no longer driven by a biblical worldview and they have suffered in devastating ways. We must re-engage to preserve that which is good and create what is needed.

The Communists evicted the missionaries from China long ago. “Except for the government-sanctioned Three-Self Church, Christian congregations have been underground ever since.” Major hospitals founded by those missionaries are now run by the government and “party bosses are scrambling to deal with the Coronavirus. It’s a task made more difficult by years of atheistic influence.

We must be reminded that salvation is ultimate, but God cares about the here and now too. Part of our calling is to bring kingdom values and principles to bear on this world. Much of this world will burn up one day, but that which is done for the glory of Christ will remain. God cares about this world or He wouldn’t have given us the Dominion Mandate (Gen. 1:28). He wouldn’t have told us to do our work as unto Him. He wouldn’t have admonished us to be Good Samaritans.

Pray for the Church in China

And one last thing. You can start with the gospel and change one’s worldview. Or, you can talk about worldview and get to the gospel. I think Brumbelow has that in mind: “In the midst of the suffering and chaos brought on by the virus and exacerbated by atheistic lies, may China learn its long-lost Christian history, from the Tower of Babel dispersion to the present reality of Christian service and influence. May China’s people come to realize that Yahweh is more than merely a “western God.” May China’s church rise up in courage to serve their neighbors in the name of Jesus Christ in this hour of need.”

Hollywood and Our Children | True Worldview Ep. 41

February 21, 2020 by Paul Dean in culture, current events, worldview

Hollywood and Our Children

Here's more poisoned fruit produced by a culture that’s rejected the true worldview. “Over the course of the last few years, there has been a ‘dramatic change’ in Hollywood. According to the Parents Television Council, it’s been a very ‘dangerous turn.’ ‘Instead of children just being collateral damage in the way of whatever explicit content they want to deliver to adults, Hollywood now seems to be directly marketing some of the most explicit stuff to children’. . . Such shows . . . include HBO’s ‘Euphoria,’ which focuses on a drug-addicted teenager; Hulu’s ‘PEN15’; and Netflix’s shows ‘Sex Education’ and ‘Big Mouth.’ These are shows that are overtly teen-targeted and are very troubling, very pornographic, very toxic in nature,” PTC said. Interestingly, PTC also noted the “FCC publicly confirmed what the PTC has been saying for years about the TV content rating system and its inaccuracies, inconsistencies and lack of oversight in really serving the needs of parents as opposed to protecting the financial interests of Hollywood.”

Money Talks

Sadly, this state of affairs is not surprising. Not only are kids less discerning, they’re a massive target market, and once they’re won over, they’re customers for life in most cases. Hollywood doesn’t care about the destruction that ensues in the form of bad decisions, broken relationships, std’s, depression, and the like. Money talks.

Be Involved

Our response is to be hands-on proactive in our children’s lives. We have no excuse how they’re influenced if we’re not. Someone will train your children. Will it be you or Hollywood? You have to engage.

Create Culture

Beyond that, we need to talk to the next generation, not about withdrawing from the world into our fortresses, but about exerting influence in the world. God gave us a dominion mandate in Gen. 1:28 and repeated it after the flood. By way of application to this context, we subdue the earth through creation and cultivation – the creation and cultivation of good culture. We certainly seek to supplant bad culture like Hollywood’s destructive product. We do that by promoting Christ, His gospel, and the application of the gospel in our culture. We also do that by creating better culture. It’s part of how we’re to be salt and light. We need Christians to make movies with Hollywood quality and with better messages – not movies that are second rate at best. God deserves better, and so do our children.

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The Profanation of Our Culture: Clapbacks, Foul Language, and Immorality | True Worldview Ep. 39

February 13, 2020 by Paul Dean in current events, culture, christian living, worldview

The Profanation of Our Culture

Some Love to Hate Haters

Have you noticed that almost anything a celebrity says about anything passes for news these days? Lebron James commented on Kobe Bryant’s death. Shaquille O’Neal commented on Kobe’s death. King James commented again on Kobe and his death. Magic Johnson weighed in on Kobe’s tragic helicopter crash. Lebron said something else about Kobe and the crash. But it’s worse. Not only do we get those breaking stories, but anytime someone claps back, it’s a news story. No matter who said what, no matter how irrelevant, it’s a news flash. But it gets worse still. The clap back is usually hate-filled and foul. Never mind the irony of the PC culture cancelling haters. It’s lost on them; they love to hate haters.

Recently, Josh Brolin posted a revealing picture of his wife online. Someone commented: “Why show your wife’s body off on the internet? It’s not good, God wants her to cover her body and not expose her body.” Brolin’s comeback? “I just spoke to God and God asked me to please ask you to shut the ____ up and go take a shower.” Here we have a snapshot of what our culture has become. He could have replied thoughtfully, judiciously, or simply ignored the comment. Yet, his response was juvenile, blasphemous, vulgar, and abusive all at the same time.

When There’s No God, Anything Goes

When the Christian worldview goes, civility goes with it. Civility is rooted in the existence of God, a standard of right and wrong, and a resulting sense of decorum. Heretofore, it was an unspoken assumption that we’re civilized people dealing with the same. We’re people created in the image of God dealing with the same. But no more. Without God, we have no reason to be civil. We can act on impulse; feelings; hatred; and the like. And what’s more, we don’t have to limit our clap backs to mere words. When there is no God, there are no rules. Some have already figured that out.

Our culture has become profane. It wasn’t long ago that one would never find foul language in news items. Today, I can hardly read a news item without some of the worst profanity. It goes without saying the profane is everywhere.

The Church is Not Immune

Sadly, it’s crept into the church. Major Christian leaders tout scatological language as having no consequence despite the fact that cultures do assign meanings to words. The notion that the Paul’s use of the word dung in Philippians is akin to the s____ word in our culture is as offensive as it is wrong. It might have been graphic, but not foul. Those are two different things. God may be more graphic than some of us in communicating certain realities. But, He’s not profane. Such is the exact opposite of His very nature.

Our culture is verbally abusive. I object to overusing concepts like abuse as it undermines the weightiness of genuine physical abuse. But if there is such a thing as verbal abuse, our culture has found it. Brolin is a mere copycat.

The Categorical Imperative

The rejection of God affects everything from salvation to civility; from ethics to manners; from words to invectives. That’s why it’s imperative we keep speaking: that we keep speaking the truth in love; the truth about everything. Because that’s what God is about. Let’s trade the profane for the praiseworthy, and maybe others will do the same.

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Conversational Evangelism | True Worldview Ep. 38

February 12, 2020 by Paul Dean in christian living, evangelism, current events

Conversational Evangelism

Christians want to see the relevance of the gospel to their everyday lives, and they want to demonstrate that relevance to their friends and co-workers. Primarily, they want to share their faith and do so smoothly and effectively. Here’s a little help.

Current Event

First, choose an issue that’s current and interesting. It could be a news item, a trend in our culture, the recent half-time show, or whatever. Just find something of interest to the person with whom you’re talking.

Authority Source

Second, raise the issue of one's source of authority. When the guy you’re talking to gives you an opinion not rooted in Scripture, you want to ask him a simple question: why do you believe that? You should be wise and sensitive, but ask the “why” question. Most persons are their own authority, and their feelings and opinions come from a hodge-podge of contradictory ideas they’ve picked up over the years.

Persons can be challenged on at least two fronts here. Initially, you might point out that it makes no sense to hold opinions that contradict one another. Then, you might point out that unless one has a source of authority and recognizes what that authority is, one is by definition going to be inconsistent on many points. Inconsistency is intellectual foolishness.

Ultimate Questions

Third, now that the issue of authority is on the table, raise the issue of ultimate questions. All people, if they’re going to make sense out of life, must ask and answer at least four questions concerning ultimate reality. 1) Where do I come from? 2) Why am I here? 3) How do I live while I'm here? 4) What happens when I die?

Share Christian Worldview

Fourth, engage in worldview dialogue. On an evolutionary worldview, the view to which most persons in our culture subscribe, in answer to the four questions, we come from a random chance accident; if so, we have no reason for existence, and life has no meaning; since we’re an accident, and life has no meaning, it really makes no difference how we live; and when we die, that’s it, we simply cease to exist.

Those who hold to an evolutionary worldview who then try to inject meaning into their existence are being philosophically inconsistent. When one says, "I exist to better society," you respond by saying, "That's inconsistent on your worldview. Bettering society makes no difference and means nothing. It's survival of the fittest on your worldview." If persons try to inject meaning into life in anyway, all their answers will be whatever gives them meaning or an opinion as to what might give others meaning. And that’s relativism. On either worldview, evolution or relativism, nothing matters, but people don’t really believe that or live that way.

In order to make sense out of what they do and why they do it, unbelievers actually appeal to a Christian worldview without realizing it. The Christian worldview is the only worldview that makes sense out of reality. Show a person who holds to an evolutionary worldview that he’s being inconsistent on his worldview and actually appealing to a Christian worldview to inject meaning into his life, and he’ll either get angry or begin to ask questions. That reaction, of course, is up to God. But you’ve at least initiated the conversation.

On the Christian worldview, life has meaning. We’re here because a wise and loving God created us. Our purpose is to glorify Him in all things. Therefore, we live in accordance with His will and ways that we might fulfill our purpose. His will and ways are revealed to us in the Scriptures. Best of all, when we die, we live with Him forever in perfect peace and joy. There is purpose to life and meaning to our existence. The things we do here carry forward into eternity. We’re more than mere matter in motion.

Examine Current Event from Authority

Fifth, examine the issue under discussion from a Christian worldview by appealing to your authority: the Scriptures. No mere opinion will do. Ask ten people their opinion and you’ll get ten opinions. We need an authority that comes from outside of ourselves: God’s word.

Segue into the Gospel

Sixth, make a smooth transition to the gospel.

C-A-U-S-E-S

We can summarize our steps with the acronym C-A-U-S-E-S. This is important for two reasons. First, we have two great causes in mind: the glory of God and the good of others. Second, this acronym will guide us in our conversation so that we readily and easily accomplish our goal. The acronym stands for: Current Event; Authority Source; Ultimate Questions; Share Christian Worldview; Examine Current Event from Authority; Segue into the Gospel. May you intentionally guide people in conversation that you might guide them to Christ.

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Conversational Evangelism | True Worldview Ep. 38

Did Chick-Fil-A Cave? | True Worldview Ep. 20

November 22, 2019 by Paul Dean in current events, podcast, worldview

I had breakfast at Chick-Fil-A this morning. It was as good as ever. I’m disappointed though in their recent charitable policy shift. After donating to more than 300 charitable organizations this year, they will instead focus on three initiatives with one accompanying charity each: education, homelessness and hunger. They’ll be breaking ties with The Salvation Army, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Paul Anderson Youth Home. Matt Walsh put it this way: “one of the last remaining large companies to stand in defiance of the P.C. police and the LGBT rage mob, has suddenly and inexplicably caved. Chick-fil-A President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Tassopoulos announced that the company will no longer donate to certain Christian charities that the pc crowd deems “anti-LGBT.”

This move is disconcerting, not because we hate the LGBT community, but because the LGBT community has a militant agenda and won’t rest until everyone bows to their worldview. Christians are called to love, but that doesn’t mean allowing the world to define us, determine our values, or set our agenda. In the aftermath of Chick-Fil-A’s move, the head of GLAAD said that certain Christian groups like Focus on the Family exist to do harm to the LGBT community. That statement is as dishonest as it is hateful. And that’s part of the problem.

It’s not our business as believers to form adversarial relationships with people or groups. Nor should we force Chick-Fil-A or anyone else to bow to our values or agenda. But neither can Christians support the LGBT agenda.

Some of the issues in play here are these:

1-Prior to this point, by not bowing to the LGBT agenda, Chick-Fil-A was standing for freedom for everyone in our society. The LGBT folks don’t believe in freedom. They are in the business of bending others to their will.

2-The LGBT community is redefining terms like love, hate, marriage, and freedom.

3-Critical Theory, the worldview behind the LGBT political movement, is hypocritical. They claim to be an oppressed group that simply wants oppressor groups to cease their oppression so that all can live together in harmony. It’s obvious that’s a lie. They want to be the oppressor group. Their agenda is a form of violence and oppression any way you look at it.

4-You can’t compromise the truth to appease people. Once you try, you end up on a slippery slope and ultimately affirming sin. You end up changed. Not only is that spiritually dangerous, it dishonors God.

5-Matt Walsh got it right: “You cannot appease the mob. It doesn’t matter if you give them what they want. It doesn’t matter if you fall to your feet, confess your sins, and beg forgiveness. All your self-abdication will do is empower and encourage your critics. They will not forgive you (not that Chick-fil-A needed forgiveness). This is an age of scalp-claiming, not mercy. Now they will happily take yours, celebrate the victory, and move on to the next target. You aren’t their friend now, or their ally. You’re just a trophy on their shelf.”

We could go on. What we’re dealing with is spiritual blindness. It was just last week that Ellie Goulding threatened to pull out of the halftime show of the Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game because of the NFL’s association with the Salvation Army. She changed her mind, but how insane is it to protest the Salvation Army? According to Newsweek, a Salvation Army spokesman said, "We serve more than 23 million individuals a year, including those in the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, we believe we are the largest provider of poverty relief to the LGBTQ+ population.” So, you want to shut them down, because they’re Christians, despite the fact that they are the largest provider of poverty relief to the LBGTQ+ community in the world. Well, the Salvation Army is a good example of what Christians do. Ellie Goulding is a good example of what those in her group do. We need to pray for her and all those who are blind to their need for Christ.

My last concern is that this move signals something bad for the future of Chick-Fil-A. Whether you like chicken or not, there is no comparison between Chick-Fil-A and any other fast food restaurant. They are clean, friendly, efficient, proactive, techno-savvy, next-generation oriented, etc. There is no more pleasant fast-food experience than Chick-Fil-A, and it’s all owing to the Christian worldview of their founder. I’m afraid in five, ten, or twenty years, they’ll be just like McDonalds. I’ll eat there, just like I eat at McDonalds. I’ll be okay with the food, for the most part, just like I am with McDonalds. But much of the experience will leave something to be desired.

The Coming Death of Just about Every Rock & Roll Legend | True Worldview Ep. 8

October 10, 2019 by Paul Dean in culture, worldview, current events

Icons dies over time, but we're about to be confronted with the deaths of thirty or so Rock & Roll legends -- likely in the next ten years. Such things cause us to think about our own mortality, the fleeting nature of life, and what it all means. Of course, the defiance and rebellion that characterizes Rock culture is thought provoking too. "The Who" belting out "I hope I die before I get old" comes to mind. Join Christi and Paul as they discuss these issues and more.