Breakpoint

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, written over 4,000 years ago, Enkidu, the great friend of the demigod Gilgamesh, dies. Afraid of death, Gilgamesh asks the sage Utnapishtim, the only survivor of the Great Flood, about the secret to immortality. Utnapishtim gives Gilgamesh a number of tasks, all of which he fails. But that was the point. Gilgamesh learned that immortality is beyond his grasp and returns to Uruk to live out the rest of his life as king. The first emperor of China was Shi Huang Di. Buried in a tomb decorated with the famous terracotta soldiers, he also feared death and called on Chinese alchemists to create an elixir that would allow him to live forever. The alchemists believed they could make immortality possible through a perfect balance of the five elements: water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. Unfortunately for the emperor, the elixir contained mercury (because it is both a liquid and a metal), which likely contributed to the emperor's death. Attempts to achieve immortality have continued (and continued to fail) right up to our own time. Medieval European alchemists believed they could produce "the philosopher's stone," which would perfect the imperfect, turning lead into gold and making mortal life immortal. Enlightenment thinkers of the late 18th century rejected the mysticism of alchemy but continued to speculate about the means to attain physical immortality. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was written as a cautionary tale about scientific hubris, in response to the more modern attempts of medicine and biology to preserve, extend, and improve life. Today, the quest for immortality continues. Through cryogenics, freshly deceased persons or animals are frozen, their blood replaced with "medical grade antifreeze" to prevent ice crystals from destroying cells. So, the idea goes, once medical technology is able to heal whatever caused their deaths, these creatures can be thawed, healed, and restored to life, possibly with additional enhancements. This approach assumes, among other things, that life and memory can be repaired if the body is repaired and the heart restarted. In other words, life is seen in purely mechanical terms. This is an equal and opposite error to those pursuing immortality through cybertechnologies, believing that if our consciousness can be downloaded into computers, we can continue to exist as a sort of ghost in a machine. In this techno-gnosticism, our bodies are optional and not a necessary part of life. In this way of thinking, we are our minds, and our minds are nothing more than sophisticated software that can be downloaded into a computer, machine, or perhaps a new robotic body. Other modern attempts at the Fountain of Youth—such as nutritional strategies, supplements, alternative medical practices, and gene-editing technologies like CRISPR—do not seek as much to avoid death as to extend life. These range from becoming more serious about healthy living to more extreme alternatives. A number of billionaires have been investing in research into life extension, including Sam Altman of OpenAI, Jeff Bezos, Google co-founder Larry Page, and Brian Armstrong of Coinbase. Some believe that our medical technologies will eventually reach a state of "Longevity Escape Velocity," in which advances are increasing lifespans faster than the years go by, therefore bringing us to the point of immortality. Despite our long history of failed attempts to live forever, many of which caused more harm than good, scientific hubris remains a temptation almost impossible to avoid. But we should take Mary Shelley's warnings seriously. Some of these longevity experiments will be interesting and ultimately harmless. Some may even help. Others, such as those involving gene-editing technology, will leave their own monsters waiting in the shadows, and it is unlikely, if history is any indication, that we will be able to see them coming. A more basic problem is trying to defeat death while thinking it is only a material problem to be solved. No latter-day elixir can satisfy our fear of death, which is a physical consequence of metaphysical realities. What ancient emperors and modern tech barons so desperately seek is exactly what's offered in Christ: His eternal life exchanged for our mortal, sinful life. This exchange does not come from a laboratory bottle filled with who knows what, but from an empty tomb. Ultimately, because He defeated death, our bodies will be perfected beyond what even the most optimistic biohacker could dream. Yes, death remains an enemy. But it is a defeated foe, and all who are in Christ will ultimately see its defeat when we are resurrected to life eternal. This is the truth behind what are reported to have been Tim Keller's final words: "There is no downside for me leaving, not in the slightest." And Dietrich Bonhoeffer's, as well: "This is the end—for me, the beginning of life." This Breakpoint was co-authored by Dr. Glenn Sunshine. For more resources to live like a Christian in

John and Maria discuss the new documentary on the Duggar family, Oklahoma approves a Catholic charter school, and a Jeopardy! panel shows its ignorance of the Bible. — Recommendations — Dad, How Do I? YouTube channel The River by Peter Heller For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Several years ago, a New York Times headline read, "Is Your Child Lying to You? That's Good." Parents, the author said, shouldn't be upset about their young fibbers because studies show that kids who lie are more intelligent and "socially adept" than those who don't. And for children who aren't quite so good at lying, parents can "speed up the process" through training exercises. If, as the author claims, lying is good for your brain, then the sooner kids start lying, the better. I wish I were making that up, but I'm not. The author's argument is fully consistent with a worldview that sees cognitive ability as the highest quality we should value and cultivate in children. But cognitive intelligence isn't the only kind. There's also moral intelligence—knowing the right thing to do in a morally charged universe. And there's relational intelligence—knowing how best to live in relationship with others, for their good, not just our own. And never forget, "studies" and "research" are never neutral . . . . This Point was originally published on January 19, 2018. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

On December 6, 1907, a massive explosion decimated a coal mine in Monongah, West Virginia. Three hundred and sixty-two miners were killed, making this the worst mining disaster in U.S. history. The tragedy devastated the small town and led eventually to the establishment of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The Monongah mine disaster also marked another beginning. Several months after the explosion, a local church held a special service in honor of the 362 miners, most of whom had left behind wives and children. This is the first event on record in the United States set aside specifically to honor dads. Two years later, a woman from Spokane who, along with her five siblings, was raised by her widowed father, began a public campaign to establish a national Father's Day. A day for mothers was already in the works and, according to historical accounts, was a much easier sell to the public. By 1916, President Woodrow Wilson had officially recognized Father's Day, though it would not be recognized as a national holiday until 1972. A little over a hundred years after the mining disaster that birthed Father's Day, the United States is now suffering a crisis of fatherlessness. One in four American kids are, like so many in that West Virginia town, growing up without their father at home. That amounts to 18.5 million kids. If statistics hold, this means that 18.5 million children are three times more likely to engage in criminal activity than those who have dads at home. Those 18.5 million kids are more likely to engage in sexual activity earlier, are less likely to go to college, more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems, more likely to struggle academically, are twice as likely to commit suicide, and much more likely to commit violence. The vast majority of mass shooters in the past 20 years were young men who were, in some way, estranged from their fathers. Almost any social good that can be named is dependent on dads who commit to their families and is at risk when they don't. This does not mean that every child who grows up without dad in the home will not succeed. Thank God for the millions of grandparents, relatives, friends, neighbors, and especially single moms who heroically raise children in difficult circumstances. Nor does it mean that a faithful dad at home guarantees success for children. Many people squander the amazing inheritance with which they are blessed. Put differently, statistics do not determine the destiny of individuals. At the same time, statistics predict the future of societies. Though fatherlessness is correlated with almost every major cultural crisis of the 21st century, the importance of dads remains consistently underestimated and is even undermined. So-called "same-sex marriage" and adoption by same-sex couples suggest that either moms or dads really aren't that important when it comes to raising children. Legalized abortion has effectively catechized generations of men into believing they are not obligated to take responsibility for children that result from their sexual activity and catechized generations of women into believing they've no right to expect that commitment from men. According to the Guttmacher Institute, nearly half of all women who seek abortions do so because they've been abandoned by their baby's father. I'm especially grateful for the Institute for Family Studies, which continues to research and report the statistical importance of dads. Just as God designed procreation to require one man and one woman, He meant for that man and that woman to raise their child. Fathers love, teach, provide for, and nurture both sons and daughters in ways moms can't. The same goes for moms. We also know the importance of fathers because God has revealed Himself as a Father. This striking designation should cause every earthly father to tremble. We have an awesome responsibility, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Finally, every person ever created knows in their bones the irreplaceable importance of fathers, either because of the comfort, steadiness, and love we received from an attentive dad, or because of the pain of his absence. Committed dads are essential ingredients for healthy kids, healthy families, and healthy societies (and specifically for more healthy men). Showing up, sticking around, and discipling kids as only a father can is a powerful witness to the beautiful design and the steadfast love of our own heavenly Father. Every kid needs and deserves one. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Maria Baer. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Statistical data from the General Social Survey shows that, contrary to what many think, the overwhelming majority of Americans—a whopping 86%—believe in God at some level. For every American that doesn't believe in God, there are seven who do. Of course, just because 4 out of 5 Americans think God exists doesn't mean they believe in the same God or, for that matter, in the God that actually exists. What we believe about God is a defining aspect of our lives. As A.W. Tozer wrote, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." What we believe about God shapes what we believe about the rest of life, including those ultimate, worldview-shaping questions of origin, identity, meaning, morality, and destiny. And the more a group of people is unmoored from the truth about these things together, the more disconnected they are from those essentials of a healthy and functioning society, such as justice, human dignity, and the care and protection of children. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

An argument commonly used to justify radical ideologies about gender and sexuality is the existence of so-called "third" genders in various cultures throughout history. For example, gender "workbooks" that are often promoted in schools, counseling offices, and online, aimed at children and their parents, suggest that "third" genders prove that transgender identities have historical precedent and are therefore not just products of a modern fad. Among the most cited examples are the Native American "Two-spirit," Thailand's "Kathoey" (regularly translated as "Ladyboy"), Ancient Middle East's "Sal-zikrum," the "Fa'afafine" of Samoa, the "Hijra" of India, and the "Muxe" of Southern Mexico. This long list of those who didn't conform to male and female norms of their cultures may seem to be a compelling argument. However, a quick look at so-called "third" gender people reveals that they are not based on the same presuppositions as modern transgender ideology. At the heart of contemporary gender ideology is a rejection of the so-called "gender binary," that only two genders exist, as well as any essential link between biological sex and gender. The contention is that biological sex is itself "assigned" and therefore not determinative of one's gender identity, which is, after all, nothing more than a social construct. In most cases, labeling non-conforming individuals as "third genders" is an anachronism forced upon people who presumed the reality of biological sex, gender roles, and the so-called "gender binary." For example, the word Fa'afafine, literally translated, means "in the manner of a woman." The name refers to Samoan men who act like, live as, and associate with women. Historically, a Fa'afafine is a boy chosen by his family at a young age to help the mother with household tasks, often because there was no daughter born to the family. In other words, the Fa'afafine are not those "born into the wrong body" who express "their true selves." Nor is the choice based on the boy being a homosexual or even noticeably feminine. Rather, the choice is made for them by a father in a culture committed to distinct gender roles. It's also notable that, in this context, those who are identified as Fa'afafine are not considered to be female, nor are they considered a wife or a mother. They are recognized as men who act like women. This is not a culture that denies sexual difference. The Native American "two-spirit" is a neologism created in 1990 to refer to so-called "third" genders in those cultures. However, "two-spirit" is not monolithic. Each Native American tribe had different ways of describing gender-bending individuals, and most refer to a member of one sex who acts stereotypically like the opposite sex. For example, the Lakota "Winkte," which has been categorized under "two-spirit," refers to a man who is "like a woman." Such identification relies on the fact of binary gender roles. It is not a "third" gender. Of course, modern transgender ideology also relies on the gender binary that it rejects. Rigid masculine or feminine stereotypes determine whether someone's "true identity" is at odds with their bodies. A boy is considered a girl if he likes pink or plays house or even occasionally enjoys stereotypical "feminine" habits or games. In the same way, a girl who likes trucks or playing in the dirt isn't just a tomboy but an actual boy. Amidst all the talk about fluidity and gender spectrums, and sexual identity being a social construct, transgender ideology relies on the grossest, rigid stereotypes. Thus, transgender ideology not only contradicts itself, it also perpetuates the very problem it claims to solve. In the second half of the last century, a cacophony of voices denounced rigid stereotypes as harmful and restrictive, especially for children. The social contagion of those who struggle with the identities today do so because of narrow stereotypes that are treated as absolute and definitive. Girls are no longer allowed to behave "like boys." Rather, they must be boys. And if a boy wants to be a girl, that means embracing the most frilly, suggestive, stereotypes thinkable. All of this ignores the perfectly normal and natural variety found among men and women, long before novel sexual ideologies became new articles of faith for America's cultural priests. (It's also worth mentioning that pointing to other cultures to justify a modern ideology commits the "noble savage" mistake. Just because some other culture did it does not make it right. Imagine suggesting that because ancient cultures practiced cannibalism or slavery, then we should too.) To be made in the image of God is to be male or female. The solution for today's poor thinking is not to default to some shallow stereotype, any more than it is to embrace some harmful practice of some ancient culture. Rather, it is to affirm, at the deepest level, informed by Scripture and biology, the reality and beauty of complementary sexual difference. This Breakpoi

Apparently, Josh Timonen, once a right-hand man of New Atheist author Richard Dawkins, has converted to Christianity. Timonen began working with Dawkins back in 2006, just before the publication of Dawkins' bestseller, The God Delusion, helping with Dawkins' website, some documentaries, as well as his foundation and merchandise. The two parted ways due to a legal dispute. Later, Timonen relocated his family during the pandemic, and they started attending a church so that his young daughter could make friends. At that church, Timonen and his wife began to reconsider Christianity and, after reading Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ, Timonen was confronted with the historical fact of Jesus' life, ministry, and resurrection, all of which he had dismissed early on in his atheism. Within the year, Josh and his wife placed their faith in Christ. Timonen's story is a reminder that God is at work and that through Christ, can reconcile us to Himself, even "while we were enemies" (Romans 5:10). For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

In sports news, the Denver Nuggets have won their first NBA Championship, in their 47th year in the league. That was this week. Last week, it was the Oklahoma Sooners women's softball team that dominated headlines, winning their third straight and seventh overall NCAA championship. For those of us who don't typically follow this particular sport, the OU team was as well known for their celebrations and press conferences as for their dominant play. The word that comes to mind, partly because it was repeated over and over by those in the program and those watching, is joy. To be clear, for these Sooners, joy is not a consequence of winning. It's the other way around. When asked about their joy, during a press conference a few days before winning the national title, team captain Grace Lyons said this: Well, the only way that you can have a joy that doesn't fade away is from the Lord. And any other type of joy is actually happiness that comes from circumstances and outcomes. I think Coach has said this before, but joy from the Lord is really the only thing that can keep you motivated, just in a good mindset, no matter the outcomes. Thankfully, we've had a lot of success this year. But if it was the other way around, joy from the Lord is the only thing that can keep you embracing those memories, moments, friendships, and all that. Following Lyons, her teammate Jayda Coleman discussed her own journey of learning the proper order of winning and joy: 1,000% agree with Grace Lyons. I went through that my freshman year, I was so happy to win the [College World Series]. I've talked about this before, but I was just so happy that we won the College World Series, but I didn't feel joy . . . . I didn't know what to do the next day. I didn't know what to do for that following week. I didn't feel filled. And I had to find Christ in that. And I think that is what makes our team so strong is that we're not afraid to lose, because it's not the end of the world. If we do lose, yes, obviously, we worked our butts off to be here and we want to win. But it's not the end of the world because our life is in Christ. And that's all that matters. It's not unusual at a press conference for an athlete or two to express thankfulness to God. What is unusual is for three in a row to do so, while also expressing how their faith in Christ has completely changed their perspective on sports and life. Sophomore Alyssa Brito then iced the press conference (that's a sports metaphor for an athlete who finishes out a game and secures the win), describing how the game is not life, only part of a life that's completely reoriented by focusing on Christ and not self: I think a huge thing that we've really just latched on to is eyes up. And you guys see us doing this and pointing up, but we're really like fixing our eyes on Christ. And that's something we're, like they we're saying, you can't find a fulfillment in an outcome, whether it's good or bad. And I think that's why we're so steady in what we do and in our love for each other and our love for the game, because we know this game is giving us the opportunity to glorify God. And I just think once we figured that out, and that was our purpose, and everyone was all in with that, it's really changed so much for us. And I mean, I know myself, I've seen so much of a growth in myself . . . . once I turned to Jesus, and I realized how He had changed my outlook on life, not just softball, but understanding how much I have to live for. And that's living to exemplify the Kingdom. And I think that brings so much freedom. And I'm sure everyone's story is similar, but we all have those great testimonies that have really, like, shown how awesome it is to play for something bigger. To be clear, this is a talented team, but there is also a culture in place at OU that just looks different. In another press conference, Coach Patty Gasso attributed their success to knowing "they are defined not by softball . . . . . They never play tight, they never play afraid . . . . because . . . . they've really found their freedom … through their faith." In a "Dear Softball" letter, senior captain Grace Lyons echoed her coach when she said her perspective changed "when I realized you were just something I did, not who I was." The expectation is to idolize you. And the promise is that true joy comes from reaching a goal that you have put all of your effort into. Yes, we as Christians are expected to work hard at all that we do for Christ. But the real victory has already been won on the cross: Jesus dying for my sin and saving me. Because of this, I have an eternal hope that allows me to play your game free with fullness of joy that comes only from the Lord. With this mindset, I have played the most joyful softball the last five years. And that joy has pointed millions to the One who is the Giver of all good gifts. Congrats Grace and OU softball, and thank you for sharing this gift with us. For more resources to live like a Chris

According to the BBC, for the first time in the U.K., a baby has been born with DNA from not only mom and dad, but also another woman. About 0.1% of the baby's DNA came from the third party, through a mitochondrial donation. The idea of the procedure is to produce a baby without any of the diseases that result from unhealthy mitochondria inherited from the parents. Though hailed as "the only option for (parents with defective mitochondria) to have a healthy child of their own," it's not certain the procedure will work, nor whether a child born from the process will develop problems later in life. More troubling is that children are treated as a product that is owed to anyone who wants them, through an experiment conducted without a child's knowledge or consent. And, no matter how noble the motives are, once this method enters medical toolkits, it will be used in other ways just like other medical procedures have been. As "throuples" and other relationships are increasingly recognized legally, this technology will be applied for different purposes, sooner not later. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Eleven years ago, Colorado and Washington became the first U.S. states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Passed by ballot initiatives put to voters, the legalization of recreational marijuana was due in large part to promise of financial windfalls for schools. But, a shift in public opinion regarding the drug's health risks was required. So, advocates proposed that, when compared to other legal substances like alcohol and cigarettes, marijuana use was less destructive, less addictive, and less fatal. Today, after more than a decade of legal recreational marijuana, we now have significantly more data. Far from being safe, recreational pot is clearly a net loss for public health. More and more studies, in fact, are showing that marijuana poses a number of serious health risks, in particular to pregnant moms, to men, and to people in the workforce. Expectant mothers are especially at risk from marijuana use. According to a Canadian study published last month, the number of hospital visits for pregnant women in Ontario has nearly doubled since Canada legalized recreational marijuana use in 2018. Of those visits that were marijuana related, the majority were emergency room visits. Although, as lead researcher Dr. Daniel Myran observed, marijuana-related incidents made up only a fraction of total visits, almost all of them were serious. Other research has found that babies born to marijuana-using mothers are more likely to be premature and underweight, and more likely to be admitted to neonatal care units. While more research is needed to determine the exact role marijuana plays in harming children in-utero, the correlations are enough to recommend against pregnant moms using marijuana altogether. Marijuana use is also closely linked with spiking rates of mental illness among young men. A new National Institutes of Health study, which looked at more than 6 million subjects across five decades, discovered that up to 30% of schizophrenia cases among men aged 21-30 are related to heavy marijuana use. Men who used cannabis were three times more likely to develop schizophrenia than their female counterparts. As U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse deputy director Dr. Wilson Compton said, "The clear message is that cannabis may not be the innocent and risk-free substance that so many people believe." Marijuana use also poses serious threats for those in the workplace. According to yet another new report, marijuana positivity rates have been steadily climbing across a variety of industries in the past decade, especially in service, retail, and finance or insurance jobs. These increased positivity rates correlate with an increased number of workplace accidents that, afterwards, revealed cannabis use. Despite a decline in these types of accidents between 2002 and 2008, the number of such accidents has increased by over 200% in the past decade. As of 2022, cannabis-related accidents are now at an all-time high in the U.S. For the past two decades, we have been told, as more and more states legalized recreational marijuana use, that cannabis is a harmless substance. However, given the growing body of evidence showing otherwise, the legalization and promotion of pot use should not be allowed to hide, obscure, or deny what we now know. Currently a $32 billion industry, the legalization and promotion of recreational pot is only about profit. Like all industries that prey upon vices, such as gambling or pornography, pot is less about actually helping people and more about keeping them hooked and paying. Though at this point it seems almost impossible to put this destructive genie back in the bottle, any state, company, or person truly interested in helping others will work to reign in the reckless peddling of recreational marijuana use. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Jared Eckert. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Setting aside it's "a waste of time," as Twenge's daughter puts it, and the predatory pornography and terrible ideas that permeate social media, social media cannot carry the weight of real human connection. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Could all of this mean Americans aren't as thoroughly converted on these matters as activists assumed? For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Three members of the National Champion Oklahoma University softball team gave a God-honoring definition of joy. John and Maria discuss a new law in Uganda that criminalizes specific expressions of homosexuality. — Recommendations — OU Softball Press Conference Segment 1 - OU Softball Team and the Culture of Joy 2023-06-06 WCWS Oklahoma Pregame Press Conference Segment 2 - The Uganda Homosexuality Law The Briefing with Albert Mohler For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Last month, a local Memphis news station caught a drive-by shooting live on camera. During an interview about crime with Whitehaven community leader Yolanda Cooper-Sutton, a series of shots rang out across the street. Thankfully, no one was injured. And just as surprising as the shooting was Cooper-Sutton's calm and faith-filled response. Immediately, she advised everyone to get down and stay down. "It's okay," you can hear her saying in order to comfort the shocked crew, and the clip ends with Cooper-Sutton saying from the ground, "Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for the blood of Jesus that cover[s] us." Paul promised the Christians in Philippi that the peace of Christ will rule our hearts. That's just as true when our world is in chaos as when all seems fine and peaceful. And it's a gift we can then give others. Live on camera, God gave Yolanda Cooper-Sutton peace. She then gave it to the crew and, because of a viral video, to the world. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

In less than a decade, the number of American companies with either an official department, an HR initiative, or a job title that includes the words "diversity, equity, and inclusion" has ballooned. In fact, by the end of 2020, U.S. companies were spending an estimated $3.4 billion on so-called "DEI" initiatives. Proponents say DEI initiatives are necessary to fight workplace discrimination. Despite how quickly the trend has grown in recent years, however, it's not working. In 2019, after spending $114 million on an initiative aimed at increasing and promoting diversity, Google's workforce was still only 3% African American. Last summer, The Economist published findings that suggested DEI programs "do more to protect against litigation than to reduce discrimination." Partly behind the failure of DEI initiatives to accomplish their stated goals is how the terms are defined. Diversity is never measured in terms of belief, political party, or religion but, particularly in corporate settings, is reduced down to only categories of race, gender, and sexuality. This is why Time magazine evaluated the success of Google's diversity program based only in terms of the ethnic breakdown of their employees. Of course, diversity is not less than ethnicity, but it should certainly include more. At least part of the history behind defining down these terms emerges from academic circles and the growing influence of critical theory. This quasi-Marxist way of seeing all human history and every human interaction as a power struggle places every human being into two categories: oppressor or oppressed. Moral status is then awarded depending on how many "oppressed" categories with which one identifies. What's left is an approach to life and human interaction that does not elevate what is good, but a purely negative ideology driven by an arbitrary rejection of what's subjectively felt to be bad. For decades, critical theory has stepped out of the academy into other spheres of culture, including media, government, and increasingly the marketplace. Though very few people have actually studied the academic source material, our wider culture is now in what might be called a "critical theory mood." Companies spend billions of dollars implementing "diversity, equity, and inclusion" programs, because they're under tremendous pressure by cultural gatekeepers to conform and, in effect, define "diversity" of employees by a small, select group of external traits. "Diversity" that doesn't include ideological diversity, for example, isn't really diversity. Hiring a racially or sexually diverse workforce that is otherwise trapped in groupthink when it comes to religion and worldview does not make a better workforce. The belief that group identity should determine who deserves a job, a raise, or a contract is based on a flawed view of who human beings are. While our gender or ethnic backgrounds can have an enormous impact on our lives, they do not ground our value or determine our understanding of life and the world. Nor do they determine what kind of employee we might be. In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly created the Governor's Office of "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion." A few weeks ago, Virginia's current chief diversity officer, Martin Brown, sparked controversy when he was caught on video saying "DEI is dead." Brown's job is mandated by the Virginia legislature, but instead of going along with the way these words are currently understood, Brown is committed to what he called "a different kind of civil discourse." The name of his department has now been changed to the Virginia Office of Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion. Many business leaders, struggling to tread water amidst the DEI tidal wave, know discrimination is wrong. They also realize that many "DEI" programs in practice actually promote discrimination based on a faulty understanding of these terms. Virginia's chief diversity officer is offering a different, better way. Promoting equal opportunity, instead of making promises of equal outcomes that cannot possibly be fulfilled, treats every human being with the respect and dignity of equal consideration and high expectations. Most other expressions of "DEI" are solutions in search of a problem that, in the end, will only result in more problems. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Maria Baer. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Despite advocates' claims that marijuana use is harmless, another study indicates otherwise. Apparently, the number of hospital visits for pregnant women has almost doubled in Ontario since Canada legalized recreational marijuana in 2018. Of those visits that were marijuana related, the majority were emergency room visits. According to lead researcher Dr. Daniel Myran, although marijuana-related incidents were only a fraction of overall visits, almost all of them were serious. And according to other research, babies born to marijuana-using mothers are more likely to be born prematurely, have lower birth weights, and be admitted to neonatal care units. Exactly how marijuana harms preborn children will require additional research, but the clear risks are reason enough to recommend that pregnant moms avoid using marijuana altogether. This is another contradiction to the narrative peddled to us for years. Recreational marijuana use is simply not as safe as we are told it was. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Recently, three families—one Muslim, one Roman Catholic, and one Ukrainian Orthodox—filed a lawsuit against the Montgomery, Maryland, school district. Back in March, the district had shifted its policy, announcing that parents would no longer be notified of LGBT content and parents could not opt-out their students. This is just one example of how deeply worldviews can collide, in just one of many cultural arenas. Who is fundamentally responsible for cultivating the health, well-being, and beliefs of children? Parents or the state? What is acceptable behavior when it comes to sex, and at what ages should we expect them to think about such matters? Are we fundamentally defined by sexual urges and inner feelings, or by something (or Someone) else? Here, three couples who diverge wildly on religious matters agree that certain cultural narratives are undermining their ability to raise their children and imposing a secular worldview on them instead. It is because of this very real collision of worldviews, and the consequences of them, that the Colson Center seeks to equip Christians to understand the public implications of Christian truth, including how to live out that truth in this difficult cultural moment. There are plenty of wonderful resources to learn and study the Bible and Christian theology, and there are different organizations dedicated to discussing and analyzing cultural issues. Seeing the challenges of our cultural moment through the light of Scriptural truth is, however, something else, as is seeing our presence in this cultural moment as a calling of God. Our daily Breakpoint commentaries and What Would You Say? videos are timely, but not merely reactive, offering a grounded way of thinking about tough issues and hard questions through the lens of Christian truth. The Upstream and Strong Women podcasts engage a variety of thoughtful Christian voices who are pointing us both upstream and downstream, how to think and how to live. The Colson Fellows program trains and equips leaders in every sphere of culture and every walk of life, to live redemptively where God has placed them. The Colson Educators Collective equips teachers to teach from a Christian worldview, and the Colson Center National Conference is an annual time of learning and formation, not to mention quite a "family reunion" for us. Breakpoint listener Lexi, who just graduated high school, wrote to tell us how the Colson Center has helped her live out her faith: "My junior and senior years of high school I began to discover a love for worldview study that I had not known. ... I discovered Breakpoint, then read more Nancy Pearcey, C.S. Lewis, Schaeffer, watched Dobbs unfold, and realized there were more Colson Center podcasts and started listening to Upstream and Strong Women too. The Colson Center and the concepts you discuss have played such a huge part in this watershed. It has shaped my understanding of the world I live in, and consequently who I've become, where I am going to college, my desire both primarily to be a mother and secondarily to pursue law. In short, the Colson Center has been very instrumental in my life." Another Breakpoint listener, a mother, shared how God used Colson Center resources to bolster her faith and love her family through the upheaval of the last few years: "Both of my kids graduated in 2020; one from high school and the other from college. Navigating these major life transitions during a pandemic was very challenging for them, to say the least. With COVID also brought confusing messages from our families, Christian friends, health and political "authorities," and even our beloved church. ... George Floyd ... and a course in "Ethnic Studies" had our daughter buying into Critical Race Theory and deconstructing her faith. Enter the Colson Center. I had somehow gotten on your email list and subsequently subscribed to your Breakpoint podcast. Then came along your online conferences and short courses, the Strong Women podcast and Upstream with Shane [Morris]. Your articles and programs grabbed a hold of me and helped me—a Christian of over 30 years—keep my eyes on Jesus during a very confusing time. They helped me speak truth in love to my kids, friends, family, and church." The Colson Center equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. If Colson Center products and programs have helped you as a parent, grandparent, youth, student, citizen, employee, leader, or neighbor, would you prayerfully consider partnering with us through a fiscal-year-end gift? Any gift given by Friday, June 30, will help us continue equipping Christians to live as agents of restoration in this time and place. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Michaela Estruth. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Last month, a professor at Hunter College in New York City was fired and later arrested for an outburst directed at pro-life students. Shellyne Rodriguez was caught on video shouting profanity at the students and claiming their pro-life display was "violent." She then shoved pamphlets off the table before storming off. When a reporter from the New York Post showed up at her home asking for a comment, she charged him with a machete. Abortion is an example of what sociologist Philip Rieff called a "deathwork," a cultural artifact that only tears down. One mark of a "deathwork" is incoherence—such as calling something "violent" before responding with actual violence, or claiming to promote tolerance and inclusion by excluding all who disagree. The pro-life students at Hunter College did well, remaining calm in the face of this incoherent aggression. Their example is one we can follow as we point people in this culture of death to eternal life. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

According to recent numbers released from the CDC, about 1 in 4 of today's high school students identify as LGBTQ. This means it's never been more important for Christian parents, teachers, pastors, and mentors to love, support, and guide teens who are wrestling through these issues. They need to know what biblical truth is about sex, identity, and relationships, and why it is loving, reasonable, and best. I am so grateful for a brand-new resource from my friend Greg Stier, whose writing and work at Dare 2 Share ministries has made him a leader in working with students. In a recent blog post, Greg outlined four key principles to help lead teenagers to a biblical understanding of these difficult issues in a way that is loving, articulate, and bold. The first biblical principle is to "choose love, not hate, as [our] posture." Even though Christians reject the false views of love promoted in so many ways today, we are not off the hook from practicing the real thing. Greg explains: "God is love." That's who He is. ... Because of His love, God doesn't wait until we clean up our act to save us. ... Romans 5:8 shockingly asserts: 'But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.' ... Encourage your teenagers to love everyone, no matter what, all the time, because God has relentlessly loved us. Teach your teens to continually drench their theological convictions with biblical compassion and agape love—and may we do the same. Second, we must "choose the Bible, not culture, as [our] authority." The Bible originated from the mind of God. ... Because it's inspired from God Himself, it's as perfect as God Himself. As Christians, we're commanded to listen to, respect, and obey God's Word—whether we like what it says or not, whether culture disagrees with it or not, whether people mock us for it or not. Even when we don't like the rules, we can take comfort in the fact that they aren't arbitrary—they're based on God's perfect character and are given for our good (see Deuteronomy 10:12-14). [but] it's important to help [students] understand that God's house rules don't apply only to Christians. ... God made the universe, so everything in it belongs to Him. As Psalm 24:1-2 explains: 'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.' The Bible is His primary way of explaining to His creation—to all humanity—who He is, who we are, and how the world works. Since the whole universe can be considered God's "house," His rules—as outlined in the Bible—apply to everyone. In other words, the Bible is humanity's instruction manual. And it's clear on issues of identity and sexuality. Greg goes to outline just how clear the Bible is on identity, gender, and sexual orientation. Third, we need to "choose the Gospel, not sin management, for solutions." It's vital to believe, and help our teenagers to believe, in this transforming power of the Gospel. Romans 1:16 makes it clear that "it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." The Greek word for "salvation" means "deliverance from peril or danger." We must believe that the Gospel can deliver any teenager from any sin, including any kind of sexual brokenness. We're all born as slaves to our flesh—which encompasses our genetics, hormones, natural instincts, and sinful desires—and into a sinful, fallen environment—which includes abuse, unbiblical ideologies, and more. But the amazing news of the Gospel is that when we trust Christ, His Spirit frees us from that slavery and enables us to live in God's ways—no matter what caused our sin to begin with. And finally, fourth "choose engagement, not detachment." For years, Greg and Dare 2 Share ministries have been training and equipping students to share their faith. Increasingly, this means having to engage difficult questions and issues such as these. What if it's possible not only for Christian teens to not be confused and deceived, but to also be ambassadors for Christ to their confused and deceived peers. Greg thinks it is. Imagine if the Church began to intentionally reach out—with a Jesus-style blend of love and conviction—to people who identify as LGBTQ and started seeing more and more lives transformed by the power of the Gospel. How much different would the future look, both for the Church and for the lives that were changed? Greg is offering a free four-lesson curriculum for students called Hard Questions: Examining Gender, Sexuality, and Identity Through a Gospel Lens on his website. You can find it at gregstier.org. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Kasey Leander. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

With a one-minute look at culture from a Christian worldview, I'm John Stonestreet with The Point. Recently, Christian writer Samuel Sey tweeted, "The question isn't: 'does God exist?' The question is: 'how could anything exist without God?'" Or, as Fraulein Maria sang in The Sound of Music, "Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could." Not only is there something (lots of them) in this world, but there is also consciousness, creativity, beauty, love, and order. These things say an awful lot about what kind of First Cause is required to bring all these somethings into existence. One Twitter user pushed back against Sey arguing that a more important question is, "What kind of people should we be?" Sey responded, "It's impossible to know what kind of people we should be without affirming who our [C]reator is." God, in particular the Christian God, is the best explanation for the world we experience. As C.S. Lewis put it, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it but because by it, I see everything else." For the Colson Center, I'm John Stonestreet. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stonestreet. It's been almost two years since the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan, leaving a void of power quickly filled by the Taliban. In that time, Taliban rulers have outlawed women's education, religious freedom, and even music. That's why a concert violinist named Ali left his instrument behind when he fled Afghanistan in 2021. He knew the Taliban would confiscate and destroy any instruments they found, along with music shops and schools. After Ali arrived in the United States, a stranger heard his story and decided to donate his violin to the displaced musician. Through a series of connections, the violin made its way from New York to L.A., courtesy of a podcaster who shared the saga in a now-viral Twitter thread. Initially, Latif Nasser struggled to track down Ali in California. His texts and calls went unanswered. Eventually, when the two met, Nasser discovered Ali had been unresponsive due to an unpredictable work schedule at the mall. Most of the money Ali made was sent to support his family in Kabul. Nasser also learned that Ali had been a famous violinist in Afghanistan. He performed in a TV orchestra and even toured in the West. In fact, he'd once played at Carnegie Hall. Nasser not only gave Ali the violin, but he also set up an online fundraiser to help Ali restart lessons or attend music school. The fundraiser was so successful that Ali eventually shut it down, not wanting to take more money than he needed. This remarkable story is not only about the kindness of strangers: It also points to something deeper about what it means to be human. God created us to create, like He does. Made in His image, as the first few chapters of Genesis make plain, humans were created for the purpose of cultivating the rest of creation for the glory of God (Genesis 1:26-28). God's Word makes clear that, in Christ, He intends not just to save souls but to restore His creation. Just as the garden was full of beauty, when Christ's Kingdom is finally "on earth as it is in heaven," its beauty will be perfect. Though our attempts to cultivate the earth are tainted, frustrated, and even painful, our calling to care for His creation remains. Beauty remains even when perfection is impossible. Beauty pleases God and brings Him glory, just as beauty pleases us. In his book Man's Search for Meaning, Holocaust survivor and psychologist Viktor Frankl tells the story of waking up one night in Auschwitz to the unlikely sound of a violin. To discover that there was any semblance of art in a concentration camp must be surprise enough for an outsider, but he may be even more astonished to hear that one could find a sense of humor there as well. According to Frankl, beauty and humor offered the prisoners a kind of cognitive distance from their suffering, even if only for a few minutes, suggesting that a deep longing for beauty is central to the human experience. Art and music are not frivolous parts of life. If Frankl's account is true, human beings will hunger for beauty even when they have far more urgent needs—like food, water, and safety—going unmet. The gratuitously oppressive move by the Taliban to outlaw music is fundamentally different from how the Bible describes the purpose and substance of beauty, especially its power to point us to the one true God andmove us to worship Him. It only makes sense that the Taliban would hate music, just as they hate education, religious freedom, and individual rights. Each of these things flows from Christianity's fundamental view about God, His world, and human beings. In fact, the power of beauty to point us to God was a theme of this year's Colson Center National Conference. We hosted an impressive lineup of speakers, many of whom have dedicated their lives to creating beautiful things, from graphic design to good barbecue. If you missed the conference this year, the footage will be available soon to stream online. Just visit colsonconference.org. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Maria Baer. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

TikTok is feeding teens a "diet of darkness." Recently, a group of researchers created fictitious accounts of 13-year-olds and quickly found their feeds full with content about eating disorders, body image, self-harm, and even suicide. This is despite the fact that TikTok currently employs 40,000 content moderators and has default screen-time limits for teens. TikTok's problems have long plagued all social media platforms. Most have made efforts to prohibit the promotion of socially contagious self-destructive behaviors, but none have been able to eliminate this content entirely. Their guidelines, bans, and moderators do nothing to restrict other destructive content, such as ideas about gender confusion and transition. Parents can't rely on the goodwill of social media giants to protect their kids. They must be proactive in teaching them how to use tech wisely and, often, just say no to it. Most importantly, parents need to remind their kids who they are: people made in the image and likeness of God. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

On June 5, 1865, Anglican priest and polymath Sabine Baring-Gould wrote the processional hymn, "Onward, Christian Soldiers." The hymn was originally written for children walking to Horbury St. Peter's Church near Wakefield in Yorkshire, England. Far from the cultural stereotype that the hymn earned Baring-Gould—that of a militant, narrow-minded clergyman fearful of and fighting against new knowledge—he actually led an impressive life, remaining keenly inquisitive about the world God has made. The song, which he wrote in about 15 minutes, was originally titled "A Hymn for Procession with Cross and Banners." It was inspired by biblical imagery of the Christian as a soldier and only became popular when composer Arthur Sullivan wrote a new melody for it later. Its military imagery, out of step with today's cultural vibes, has led many contemporary hymnbook compilers to leave it aside. Like other Anglican clergymen of his day, Baring-Gould was involved in more than serving parishes and writing children's processionals. He was the son and heir of a noble family but decided on a career in the Church. Ordained in 1864, he became curate at the church at Horbury Bridge, where a year later he would pen "Onward, Christian Soldiers." There, he met Grace Taylor, the then-teenaged daughter of a local miller. The two fell in love and, despite a considerable age gap, were married for 48 years until her passing. Together, they raised 15 kids, all but one of whom survived into adulthood. Even while serving in parishes, Baring-Gould was a prolific writer, with nearly 1,300 titles to his credit. These include novels and short stories published in a variety of journals, a 16-volume series called Lives of the Saints, modern biographies, travelogues, hymns (the best-known of which aside from "Onward, Christian Soldiers" being "Now the Day Is Over"), sermons, apologetics, and cultural and anthropological studies. He had an international reputation as an antiquarian. His Curious Myths of the Middle Ages, a study of 24 medieval superstitions and their variants and antecedents, was particularly popular and was even cited by sci-fi and horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. He also published The Book of Werewolves, a collection of stories still widely cited. To do some of this work, Baring-Gould studied and mastered several ancient, medieval, and modern languages. Along with more common languages for British scholars of the period, he knew Basque, an obscure language unrelated to any other, sufficiently well enough to translate a Basque Christmas carol into English as "The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came." Baring-Gould's God-driven curiosity about the world only furthered when he inherited his family estate in Devon in 1872. He moved there as both squire and vicar in 1881, devoting a great deal of time to studying and writing about Devon and the West Country. He transcribed hundreds of folk songs from the region that would otherwise have been lost, even publishing several volumes in collaboration with Cecil Sharp, a central figure in preserving and promoting English folk songs in the Edwardian period. Baring-Gould considered these collections of songs his most important work. He also earned an international reputation in the developing field of archaeology. With his friend Robert Burnard, Baring-Gould began the first scientific archaeological excavations of Dartmoor in Devon, which includes the largest concentration of Bronze Age remains in Britain. The two initially concentrated on hut circles, depressions in the ground outlined with stones that were the foundations for conical wooden huts thousands of years ago, before launching a more systematic investigation of the region. As secretary of the group, Baring-Gould authored the first 10 annual reports of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee. This began a systematic exploration and occasional restoration of the region's prehistoric sites. Beyond the annual reports, he published several other works on Dartmoor. As if all this were not enough, Baring-Gould was also an amateur ironworker and painter. Prior to his ordination, while a teacher at a boys' school, he designed the ironwork for the school and painted scenes from The Canterbury Tales and The Faerie Queene on the jambs of the windows. In all, Baring-Gould was far more than the lyricist for "Onward, Christian Soldiers." As Anthony Esolen commented, he could only have lived in the 19th century, when scholarship was not so specialized, and amateurs could still make important contributions to a wide range of fields. For our era, he is a remarkable example of a person who used the prodigious talents God had given him to serve the church, his community, and the wider world. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Dr. Glenn Sunshine. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

John and Maria look at some alternatives to Pride month. Christian schools in Minnesota are taking the state to court. — Recommendations — Saving Private Ryan Out of a Jar by Deborah Marcero Segment 1 - Minnesota Dual Enrollment Law Segment 2 - Pride Month "Second Dodgers pitcher speaks out against Pride Night festivities: 'God cannot be mocked'" The Washington Examiner Fidelity Month webinar Segment 3 - Marijuana and Mental Health For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Today is Donut Day. Believe it or not, the day wasn't founded by Krispy Kreme or Dunkin but by The Salvation Army in Chicago in 1938 to commemorate their "Donut Lassies" who served during World War I. Methodist minister William Booth founded The Salvation Army in the 1860s to care for the poor in London. It was originally called the East London Revival Society. During World War I, the organization provided ambulances, clothing for soldiers, and refreshment huts. Booth's daughter, Evangeline, told volunteers, "You are going overseas to serve Christ. … You must forget yourselves, be examples of His love, be willing to endure hardship, to lay down your lives, if need be, for His sake." The Donut Lassies stationed at the refreshment huts in France served donuts to the weary men on the front lines to bring them a taste of home. When the troops returned, they brought their love of "donuts" with them. And that's why we have Donut Day. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Therapy is about as much of the American experience these days as baseball, pickup trucks, and apple pie. Professional counseling is now seen as more than just a last resort for psychological distress, but as a healthy, essential path for resolving personal issues. In 2019, nearly 20% of Americans received some form of mental health treatment ranging from medication to therapy. Over 40% of Americans have seen a counselor at some point in their lives. Recently in the New York Times, journalist Susan Dominus asked an important question, especially given that the U.S. is in the grip of an ever-worsening mental health crisis: "Does therapy really work?" On one hand, dozens of studies confirm the value of talk-based therapy. A landmark 1977 study, for example, found that those with significant psychological distress "fared better than 75 percent of those with similar diagnoses who went untreated." University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher Bruce Wampold put it, "the fact that you can just go talk to another human being … and get effect sizes that are measurable" is kind of miraculous. Other research, Dominus explains, is less clear. A 2021 study found that more than half of depression patients saw little or no benefit from talk therapy, and only one third found their depression receding long term. Another study found that only 50% of patients responded to cognitive behavioral therapy regarding anxiety disorders. The uncertainty has led some to push for alternative treatments, including more prescriptions of drugs like psilocybin, the active ingredient in so-called magic mushrooms. One prominent researcher mused, "Maybe we have reached the limit of what you can do by talking to somebody." Of course, the results of therapy depend on a number of factors. While counseling is a powerful tool, it can only aim at the question, "What's going on inside of me?" Often missed, which is especially consequential for a culture in a crisis of mental health, are the fixed reference points outside of ourselves by which we can be known and orient who we are. Psychology is one of the many areas of modern life that has taken what sociologists call "an inward turn," characterized by radical individualism and reliance on self-definition. Rather than pursue healing or the restoration of relationships, counseling can devolve into endless rounds of affirmation, a sort of perpetual re-baptism in the church of self-expression. This is just one way that therapy has replaced religion for many seekers. Self-discovery is the new salvation, and therapists the new priests. The key feature of psychology as religion, however, is the self as the new deity. This has only enabled, as Lisa Selin Davis observed recently at The Free Press, so many of the West's top schools and institutions to embrace and employ Critical Race Theory rhetoric and LBGTQ politics. The American Counseling Association now divides counselors and clients into either "privileged" and "marginalized" groups with a dedicated script for each and little mercy for those who dissent. More states have passed so-called "anti-conversion-therapy" laws, which threaten professionals who do anything other than only affirm a client's proposed gender identity. As a result, deeper mental health issues are never addressed, and anyone who speaks up can find themselves out of a job. One therapist in training put it, "My concern is that we're not helping people heal and transcend. We're just helping people live in their victim mentality." In a tragic irony, the inward turn has made it harder, not easier, for the struggle to know themselves. There are some, many of them Christians, striving to rethink psychology and counsel others by looking outward as well as inward, to know themselves by first knowing what is true and good. We can only know ourselves by first knowing reality, ultimately God and the world He made. Any mental health journey without that fixed reference point is destined to harm more than it helps. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Kasey Leander. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Recently, The Washington Post published an oddly titled piece celebrating the miraculous survival of Denver Coleman. Thirty weeks into pregnancy, Kenyatta Coleman learned her unborn child had a pre-birth condition which gave the baby only a 1% chance of survival. With Coleman's permission, doctors performed a first-of-a-kind surgery. Days later, Coleman gave birth to Denver, a miraculously healthy little girl. Despite the piece's clear joy over the miracle of Denver's life, even calling her an "unborn child" throughout the piece, The Washington Post's editors ran with this title: "A Fetus had a 1% Chance at Life. A Historic Surgery in Womb Saved It." "Fetus" and "It," not "Child" or "Her"? Talk about underwhelming. ... I doubt that her parents, her family, or even the doctors trained in medicalese used that language to describe Denver after working so hard to save her life. All life is miraculous. All are, whatever their health or ability, created by God in His image. Welcome to God's world, little Denver! For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

In his recent and remarkable book, Biblical Critical Theory, theologian Christopher Watkin points out how often our thinking falls into false dichotomies. Humans are either animals or gods; the planet is either progressing toward utopia or doomed to catastrophe; sex is either no big deal or our whole identity. Back and forth the cultural pendulum swings, never considering that there may be another option: a story that transcends these dichotomies and makes better sense of the way the world is. Sex in particular has been subject to ideological extremes. For most of my lifetime, pop culture has followed the maxim that "sex sells." So, scantily clad women have been used to market everything from cars and football to movies and music. Beer companies often took the lead, featuring provocative models in swimsuits unabashedly pandering to the lust of their predominantly male customers. The pendulum seems to have swung the other direction, though the undisguised profit motive remains. For example, Miller Lite's messaging has done a 180. In a new ad, the beer company chose to appeal to faddish feminist sensibilities. In it, actress Ilana Glazer indignantly tears down beer ads featuring women in bikinis while announcing that Miller Lite is now a champion of women's dignity and women brewers. The company is doing the right thing and, to quote David Spade from Tommy Boy, "in just a shade under a decade, too ... Alright!" If it weren't laced with profanity, I could get behind this new direction. I fully support any move away from cynically exploiting women for marketing, whatever the motive. Unlike Bud Light's recent, disastrous choice to feature transgender actor Dylan Mulvaney (a man) on its cans, Miller is at least gesturing toward an ideal that companies should sell products, not objectify people. However, here's where another cultural false dichotomy complicates things. Glazer and the executives at Miller would no doubt say they support abortion, so-called same-sex marriage, transgender identity, sexual liberation, and a whole host of other ideas that have now replaced the "sex sells" mentality of years past. But these still objectify, dehumanize, and exploit women. The pendulum has swung from one misguided extreme to another. There is a better vision for sexuality that transcends the exploitation of women's bodies on one hand or the denial of their existence on the other. That alternative was recently on display in a surprising place. Christian pro-life activist Lila Rose appeared on the dating talk podcast Whatever, which boasts over 4 million subscribers on YouTube. She was joined by a colorful assortment of guests, including a self-proclaimed pickup artist and several women who have made careers selling pictures of their bodies online. Typically, the format of the podcast involves the men shaming the women for their promiscuous behavior which, of course, the men also engage in. Lila threw both sides for a loop by describing a Christian view of the sexes in which men and women have "equal dignity" and in which sexual relationships are not only about pleasure but also about "procreation and the ability to bring life into the world." All of this, she added, is designed to occur "within marriage," "a lifelong, public commitment" to one's spouse, a commitment which, as she rightly pointed out, social science demonstrates to be the most fulfilling and stable type of sexual relationship. The other guests on the podcast seemed mystified. One of the men dismissed Lila as "annoying" and "a goody-two-shoes" after she challenged him to exercise self-control and commit himself faithfully to one woman. She may not have converted any of the other guests, but if the reaction online is any indication, she made a lasting impression on a lot of people. Lila did what every Christian should do in a culture captivated by false dichotomies. She painted a better vision of anything currently on offer. She pointed to an alternative in which men and women are not at war with one another but in harmony, an alternative characterized by self-giving and life-affirming love, not lust or an attempt to eliminate sexual difference. Even if the world has forgotten this option in its reckless swings from one false extreme to another, God still calls us to reject these distortions and make the case for something better, and not to sell beer or win subscribers but to point people to the One who made the world that way. After all, a life lived in light of this truth can be a far more effective advertisement than anything a beer company produces. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Shane Morris. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

After a bit of back and forth, the Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to feature the drag group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence during their pride month celebrations and even award them a Community Hero Award. The "sisters" are a mockery of a Catholic religious order and perform blasphemous parodies of Christianity and the sacraments. Their tagline is "Go forth and sin some more," a perversion of the words of Jesus. Other examples of their acts are too evil to mention. As Robert George of Princeton observed, If men wearing hijabs were to prance around mocking Muslim women, insulting Islam and faithful Muslims, and ridiculing the sayings of the Prophet Mohammad, their bigotry would be widely and rightly condemned. What would the Los Angeles Dodgers do? Praise them? Give them an award? We need to pray for all those who are trapped in these perversions while also calling out the Dodgers for their bigotry against Christianity. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

If the final few weeks of May were any indication, this June's pride month noise will be louder and edgier than previous years. Already, the controversy surrounding Target's new line of clothing, produced in partnership with a clothing company that also produces clothing to celebrate Satanism, has dominated the nation's headlines. Incredulously, most mainstream media outlets (and a few "Christian" ones) have painted as the bad guys those concerned about children being groomed instead of the corporate and activist entities doing the actual grooming. However, there are plenty of people not fooled by this narrative, given the financial hit Target has already taken. And then there is the strange saga of the L.A. Dodgers. After a rather public back and forth, the Major League Baseball team decided to platform an LGBTQ organization that is known for its hyper-sexualized performances that openly blaspheme Jesus and mock Christian symbolism. Such mockery would never be tolerated if directed at other religious groups. But in a culture lost in what might be called a "critical theory mood," even the most extreme acts are seen through the lens of predetermined cultural groupings that have been given moral status. Not only did the Dodgers organization backpedal their initial reversal, the so-called "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" will now be given some kind of Community Hero Award. In response, Christians must do two things. First, we can and should protest both with our voices and our pocketbooks. Dodgers players and Target shoppers will need to think through where the line of complicity is. Second, we should proclaim a better way. One of Chuck Colson's closest colleagues and collaborators has an idea worth considering: "By the authority vested in me by absolutely no one," Professor Robert George of Princeton University wrote in an email last week, "I have declared June to be 'Fidelity Month'—a month dedicated to the importance of fidelity to God, spouses and families, our country, and our communities." Perhaps the leading Christian legal thinker of our lifetime, Professor George worked closely with Chuck Colson and Timothy George on the Manhattan Declaration. The 2009 statement of conscience outlined Christian conviction on the areas of life, marriage, and religious liberty. It only makes sense that Professor George would suggest Fidelity Month as a time of intentional remembering of those allegiances so often scorned in a culture like ours. "Pride" for example asks us to prioritize desire and autonomy over allegiance to God, children, each other, and ultimately, to reality itself. That makes June a particularly good month for Christians to be clear about where we stand, making the important decision to, as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn put it, "live not by lies." It's never easier, in fact, to go along with something that isn't true than during so-called pride month. Like when Israel would set aside days and seasons to remember and repent and recalibrate, why not choose to be intentional about making June something else: a time to remember and teach the next generation about our most important responsibilities as those made in the image of God. In this email from Professor George, the task of remembering seemed to be of particular concern: You may have read about the rather disturbing recent WSJ poll indicating a precipitous decline in our fellow Americans' belief in the importance of such values as patriotism, religion, family, and community—the values that used to unite Americans despite our many differences. "There are a million things we can and should do to restore the faith of our people," George continued, "but I would like you to join in one small one." Fidelity Month will launch with a webinar that is open to the public, tomorrow, June 1, at 2 p.m. EST. Professor George will be joined by Lila Rose of Live Action, Andrew Walker of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Bill McClay of Hillsdale College, and others. Learn more and register for the webinar at www.fidelitymonth.com. Also on the website, you can find the Fidelity Month symbol, a specially designed wreath that is, representative of God and His eternal nature, while the openness at the top of the wreath is suggestive of a divine embrace. The branches and leaves that compose the wreath signify a family that is dependent upon and in union with God. The star and stripe at the center bottom of the wreath symbolize our common union as Americans– "one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." The color gold symbolizes generosity and compassion – virtues that are closely connected to fidelity (supporting it and being supported by it). Fidelity, generosity, and compassion are anti-narcissistic virtues, reflecting the knowledge – the wisdom – that everything is not "about me." It is a recognition of the duties we have to others, and that our true fulfillment is to be found in serving others: God, our spouses and families, our communities

It pays to pay attention. Earlier this month, Michigan seventh grader Dillon Reeves saved the lives of 60 students when he drove his school bus to safety. When the driver of the bus lost consciousness, most of the other students didn't notice because they were on their phones. Dillon doesn't have a phone, so he noticed when the bus started drifting and jumped into action. The pressure to get smartphones for kids and let them access social media apps is incredible today. Almost 3 in 4 American youth own smartphones by age 12, and 84% of teens 13 to 18 use social media. Today's teens average about 9 hours a day on screens. The dangers of digital distraction are well documented: body image issues, sleep deprivation, pornography addiction, even suicidality. In the case of the Michigan school bus, kids would've lost their lives if Dillon had been distracted. To quote Dillon's dad, let's hope that his son's heroics will serve as "a change-the-world kind of lesson." For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Recently in The Guardian, Emma Beddington covered a new twist on an old practice. According to the 2022 U.K. census, writes Beddington, "74,000 people declared they were pagan, an increase of 17,000 since 2011." Meanwhile in the U.S., "a 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center estimated at least 0.3% of people... identified as pagan or Wiccan, which translates to about one million people." And, though it's not clear how anyone could know this, "That number is expected to triple by 2050." Those numbers, while a small minority of the population, are significant when set against the overall decline of Christianity in the West. According to British historian Dr. Ronald Hutton, today's version of paganism is "a religion in which deities don't make rules for humans or monitor their behaviour—humans are encouraged to develop their full potential." This comes with a heavy emphasis on being Earth-conscious, with rituals and festivals focused on connecting with nature. In this way, suggests Hutton, paganism is filling "a need for a spiritualised natural world in a time of ecological crisis." Beddington describes the new paganism as a "tolerant, open, life-affirming, female-friendly faith." It does seem to check all the right contemporary Western boxes: a feeling of transcendence without many hard commitments, a rejection of traditional morality while keeping a vague inclusivity, and enough concern for the natural world to qualify as a social justice cause. Or, as a group based out of the University of Massachusetts Amherst summarized: "Pagans view the world as a place of joy and life, not of sin and suffering. We believe that the divine is here with us in the natural world, not in some faraway place in the sky." At the same time, the new paganism is a world away from ancient paganism. Though often a catch-all term for a wide variety of pre-Christian beliefs, paganism suffers from a shortage of written records. However, what we do know would not be best described as a universe born out of "joy and life, not of sin and suffering." In Hesiod's Theogony, the Greek version of the origin of the cosmos and the gods, the birth of each divine generation is preceded by violence. Uranus, the sky, produces children with Gaia, the Earth, but hates them. Of their children is the titan Cronus who castrates his father. His blood falls onto the Earth and sea and creates still more gods. Cronus is, in turn, dethroned and imprisoned by Zeus. Celtic paganism does little better. Drawing on contemporary sources, most scholars believe the Druids enacted human sacrifices on a broad scale to appease the forces of nature, which they saw as temperamental and hostile. One example is the Lindow man, whose mangled remains suggest a ritual death as part of cultic sacrifice. Employing St. Augustine's approach to the depravity of pagan gods, writer Paul Krause offered this critique: The pagan gods were born from patricide and rebellion. They were born from primordial acts of sexual violence. Their patronage was in the civitas terrena which cared only to advance its depraved lust to control. Modern pagans reject ancient paganism. They find solidarity with the idea of human equality and dignity, see the natural world as a place of order rather than of chaos, and call for sexual restraint, the protection of children and disadvantaged groups, the end of slavery, mindless conquest, and human sacrifice. To this extent, they are embracing the innovations of Christianity. After all, it was Christianity and not paganism, as historian Tom Holland has explained, that taught that men, women, and children, slave or free, share the imago dei. It was St. Patrick, not the Druids, who believed and taught Ireland that "the Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof" and not subject to hostile spirits who are appeased by bloodletting. It was Christianity that turned Nordic peoples away from a belief system that committed them to conquest, plunder, and death in battle. In short, all the things that make modern paganism appealing to modern people aren't pagan. Though many Westerners are bored by the hollowness of materialism and desperate to fill the spiritual vacuum it has left, they will not find answers in dead religions. Only Jesus offers the truth: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." This Breakpoint was co-authored by Kasey Leander. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Analyzing medical data from 6 million people, researchers in Denmark have found that up to 30% of schizophrenia cases among young men could be linked to marijuana use. Increased potency of marijuana in the global market is a factor, and lawmakers have "decreas[ed] the public's perception of its harm," according to the study's lead author. The law is a teacher. Legalizing marijuana use essentially teaches constituents that marijuana is safe. Except it isn't. Legalizing pot was, especially early on, sold as a way of helping sick people. But cannabis is the only substance I can think of approved for medical use and then legalized for recreation. As far as the cannabis industry is concerned, which is estimated this year to be worth 32 billion dollars, it has never really been about health. As more and more evidence emerges that pot is not as safe as the public was sold, we'll learn whether it's possible to put this genie back in its bottle. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Today, Memorial Day, I want to share a commentary on Memorial Day from Chuck Colson. Here's Chuck: This Memorial Day, reflect with me on how we should respond to the enormous sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. Memorial Day is when we honor the men and women of our armed services who have made "the supreme sacrifice," who gave their lives for their country. Especially these days, when Memorial Day seems nothing more than a time for cookouts and swim parties, we cannot be reminded often enough about how great a debt we owe our war dead. They gave up their hopes and dreams, families, and friends. They submitted themselves to rigorous discipline—something I understand as a former Marine—24-hour-a-day duty—and placed their lives in great peril. "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Their sacrifice should inspire in us a profound sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy, bought with a price. And that gratitude should compel us to lives of service as well. Serving Christ, our neighbor, and yes, our nation. I can't help but recall the brilliant film Saving Private Ryan. James Ryan, now in his seventies, has returned with his family to the military cemetery in Normandy. He visits the grave of Capt. John Miller, the man who, a half a century before, led the mission to retrieve—to save—Pvt. Ryan. At the end of the mission, Miller was fatally wounded. As he lay dying, his final words to Pvt. Ryan were "James. Earn this … earn it." We then see Ryan kneeling at Capt. Miller's grave, marked by a cross. Ryan, his voice trembling with emotion, says, "Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me. " Red-eyed, Ryan turns to his wife and says, "Tell me I've led a good life … tell me I am a good man." With great dignity, she says, "You are." With that, James Ryan salutes the grave of Capt. Miller. I tell this story in greater detail in my book The Good Life, which you can purchase at colsoncenter.org. You see, Pvt. Ryan, out of gratitude for Capt. Miller's sacrifice, did all in his power to live a good life. And Memorial Day is a great time for each of us to look into the mirror … to examine our own lives. Are we living good lives in gratitude for all those who have sacrificed for us—including our men and women in the military, our families, our friends, and most of all Christ? Are we, like Ryan, kneeling before the cross? Spielberg, a master cinematographer, had to realize the power of this imagery. Are we, out of gratitude, doing our duty for Christ, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, ministering to those in prison, in whatever harvest field to which the Lord has called us? Examine your life. And this Memorial Day, at the very least, thank those who have sacrificed for you and those you know who have served in our nation's armed forces. Maybe you'll do what I do when you see a guy or gal in uniform … at the airport, at the store, wherever … walk up to them and thank them for their service. And then go and remember Whom it is you serve. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

A look at the passing of Tim Keller, who was called a giant by both top theologians and The New York Times. Christians are re-considering doing business with companies like Target and a handful of others that mock Christianity. Recommendations Lighthouse Voices with J.P. De Gance A Small Light What Should a Christian's Response be to the Transgender Movement? For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Is the Metaverse headed for the graveyard? A year and a half after its release, the Metaverse remains vastly unpopular, despite millions of dollars of corporate investments and costly marketing campaigns. The most well-funded Metaverse app only has 38 active daily users, and Microsoft and Disney have laid off their specially designated Metaverse teams. In the initial hype, Meta overestimated the desire and demand for virtual reality. Meta could be our generation's MySpace, soon to be replaced by something superior, or it could be the failure to account for our embodied natures as image bearers. Though we're prone to dissatisfaction with our bodies and our relationships, we still crave "in-person" interaction and experiences, because our bodies are real and so is the physical world. Even the most beautiful picture cannot replace seeing the Grand Canyon up close. Digital knockoffs do not change or alter who we really are, body and spirit, a "living soul" made in the image and likeness of God. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

According to tradition, St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew evangelized the region of Armenia in the first century. In the year 301, it became the first nation to declare itself Christian. Through centuries of warfare and oppression, its Christian identity has endured as part of Armenian culture, despite repeated attempts by neighbors to stamp it out. In 1915, the Turkish Ottoman Empire killed an estimated 1.2 million people during what has become known as the Armenian Genocide. Under the pretext that they were insufficiently loyal to the empire, Ottoman authorities shot entire villages, forcibly converted families to Islam, and marched hundreds of thousands of women and children into the Syrian desert to die. The brutal campaign of extermination led to a significant diaspora of Armenians to other countries. Even after Armenia emerged from Soviet dominance and declared itself an independent republic at the end of the 20th century, peace has remained elusive. Armenia has faced decades of conflict over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region, where some 100,000 Armenian Christians now live but which Muslim-majority Azerbaijan sees as its territory. In 2020, as the world was preoccupied with the global pandemic, Azerbaijan waged war against Armenia. Seven thousand lives were taken, and the region has remained in the shadow of a fragile ceasefire since. Today, most Armenians exist in a state of uncertainty. Given their control over the region, it may be that Azerbaijan is poised to commit a second Armenian genocide. According to University Network for Human Rights researcher Thomas Becker, Over the past decade, Azerbaijani officials have invoked language used in the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust, referring to Armenians as a "cancer tumor" and a "disease" to be "treated." More recently, the country's authoritarian leader Ilham Aliyev has threatened to "drive [Armenians] away like dogs." The situation seems dire with Russia, Armenia's ostensible security guarantor, bogged down in its own war against Ukraine, and with Iran, Armenia's southern neighbor eager to fill the security vacuum. However, an unexpected recent development is that a significant number of Armenia's diaspora population has been returning to their homeland. After a hundred years of exile and living in places like Russia, France, and the United States, an estimated 50,000 Armenians repatriated prior to 2020, with thousands more joining them every year since. For some, the motivation to return is economic. For others, it's about standing with fellow Armenians in the face of war. However, for many, the calling is about their faith. As the dean of Armenian Apostolic seminary put it, "We as a nation are called to witness to Jesus Christ in a very difficult region. … Our very existence is a testimony of Christianity." Lara Setrakian, an Armenian-American journalist, moved back with her family at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. In a recent podcast, she put it this way, "I am doing what I'm called to do … and it is to be a helper like Mr. Rogers would say. It is a catastrophe. There are crises. But I want to be among the helpers. … We're not interested in not being Christian ... For Christians … this country is one big test of faith. And people I see are rising to the occasion. And they are finding strength, and they … have not ever given up. … They haven't given up the cross; they haven't given up their language, their love, their dance. They embody the resilience that we're all looking for." Another repatriated Armenian mused, "In America, I had a good life: a big house, a good car. But when I say, 'good life,' I mean something else." As so many in the West reel from a crisis of meaning, Armenian Christians have found joy in the face of severe hardship. In that way, we have much to learn from our Armenian brothers and sisters, even as we ask God to bless them, to strengthen their faith, and to bring peace to the nation they are rebuilding. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Kasey Leander. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Middle school girls in a club in Colorado are being told that they are transgender simply if they are uncomfortable with their bodies. Leaders of the middle school Gay-Straight Alliance brought in a speaker who told sixth graders that "if they are not completely comfortable in their bodies, that means that they are transgender." Two families are suing the school district for promoting the harmful ideas. Far from remedying a teenager's discomfort with their bodies, these ideas worsen the discomfort, cause irreversible harms, and significantly increase chances of suicide, especially for girls. With unrealistic beauty standards and objectification, it's no wonder girls feel unsettled in their bodies. But this doesn't mean they were born in the wrong body. Rather than push controversial and dangerous ideologies that harm kids, parents, doctors, and educators should work to address the more immediate causes of body image issues, especially social media and pop culture. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Last Friday, May 19, pastor, theologian, and author Tim Keller passed away. The longtime pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and author of books such as The Reason for God was known for his thoughtful sermons, calm demeanor, and a ministry that extended beyond his own denomination and even his fellow Christians to the wider world of elite society. It's rare, especially today, for someone to be called "a giant" by both a top theologian and a New York Times columnist. Rarer still will such a prominent figure be regularly described as unassuming, living out the exhortation of Rudyard Kipling to be someone who can "walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch." It's notable that even his critics, which he certainly had, have refrained from doubting his self-effacing grace and kindness for others. Keller was in his forties before he showed up on the public's radar. Oddly enough, he went to Manhattan after pastoring a small-town Virginia church for nine years. Success in the Big Apple was by no means a sure thing. A theologically conservative pastor setting up shop in the "Babylon" of downtown New York City had all the makings of a fish-out-of-water story where the well-meaning parson was doomed to failure even before he set out. Keller took pains to know his audience, leveraging his own intellectual rigor into sermons for his highly educated hearers. He refused to talk down, much less shout down. Nor did he attempt to make the distinctives of the Christian faith more palatable. He took strong stands on the deity of Christ, the reliability of Scripture, the resurrection, the hopelessness of secularism, and the enduring relevance of Christian sexual ethics. From an initial church plant of 15 people in 1989, Redeemer Presbyterian Church grew to a network of multiple congregations with thousands of people attending each week. In time, his influence extended to other pastors, who were inspired by his example and teaching, and set out to emulate in their own communities what Keller had done in New York. Keller was also instrumental in cross-denominational efforts, linking like-minded Christians to share their ideas and cooperate in endeavors to enhance the presence of the Church around the world. He was a co-founder of The Gospel Coalition, a broadly Reformed network that is among the most influential voices of contemporary evangelicalism, and a central figure in a Reformed resurgence among those who became known as the "Young, Restless, and Reformed." He was also an original signer of the Manhattan Declaration, a Christian statement on life, marriage, and religious liberty because, as he put it at the time, "these are biblical." Keller communicated a confidence that believers could maintain the classical faith of Christianity without being ashamed when dealing with cynical neighbors. Christians could, he believed, meet the claims of the world face-to-face because the Bible offers an accurate and holistic explanation for reality and the human condition and grounds the hope for which people are truly searching. His sermons offered a robust biblical analysis, a keen awareness and understanding of culture, and allusions to art, history, Lewis, and Tolkien. Ironically, his critics include progressive Princeton students and faculty, who couldn't stomach the idea that he would be honored by their school, and conservative Christians, some of whom believed his winsomeness to be weakness, and others who, as I often did in recent years, disagreed with his posture about politics and political allegiance. Even so, Keller was a remarkable gift to Christ's Church at an incredibly important cultural moment. Even in disagreeing, he made us better by, as St. Paul put it, "set(ting) the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity," and reminding us that, in the end, the resurrection secures our hope for today and for eternity. As he said on a podcast near the end of his life, in his trademark thoughtful and calm demeanor, "If Jesus Christ was actually raised from the dead, if He really got up ... everything is going to be all right." This Breakpoint was co-authored by Dr. Timothy D. Padgett. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

The 2020 pandemic disrupted the education of millions of kids. In response, many parents opted for alternative forms of education. "In that single summer," wrote Dixie Lane with the Institute for Family Studies, "the number of registered homeschoolers in America more than doubled, rising from about 5.4% to about 11.1 %. Homeschooling among African Americans alone jumped to 16.1%, a nearly five-fold increase." Still, Lane argues, the pandemic was not the only reason for the boom. In general, Americans are committed to two principles in education: localism and parental authority. The state overreach in K-12 education has brought parents back to those fundamental values. Some are fighting to make public schools better; others are investing in homeschooling or private Christian education. Either way, kids are rightly being seen as the primary responsibility of parents, not the state. More options mean a beautiful opportunity for Christians to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and minds … and to teach their kids to do likewise. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Much has been documented about the growing mental health crisis among American teenagers. Young people, however, are not the only ones struggling. Middle-aged women, particularly white women over the age of 45, account for nearly 60% of all Americans who have been taking antidepressants for more than five years. To be sure, with this kind of statistic, it is not clear the role that medical and pharmaceutical industries, which are incentivized to medicalize mental health struggles, play. There are also cultural factors at work. Affluent people, white people, and women are on average more likely to seek help for mental health issues than African American or Hispanic women, men, or people in poverty. It is good that more attention is now given to the mentally and emotionally hurting and that these struggles are no longer as stigmatized. But we also have reached a point where it's almost fashionable to be diagnosed with a mental health condition. This is especially true for women, and progressive women in particular. It is not unusual for people to include a mental health diagnosis in their social media profiles. Regardless of how well-founded these diagnoses are, the fact that so many (especially women and young people) embrace them as part of their identity is a troubling sign of dysfunction. Clearly, people are suffering. In a culture shaped by a "critical theory mood," claims of suffering can be thought of as a desirable way of elevating a person's moral status. It is also not a coincidence that this suffering has accompanied a culturewide loss of a sense of meaning. A 2021 Lifeway Research study found that nearly 60% of American adults wonder about how they can find more meaning and purpose in their lives on at least a monthly basis. Rates of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide are up across all demographics. Even as the wider world is struggling, there is a notable exception. In 2019, the Pew Research Center found that 36% of Americans who attend church or are "actively religious" regularly report being "very happy." In other words, faith in God, marriage, family, and a sense of duty to something larger than ourselves are often what provide people with the richest sense of meaning. Ironically, these are the very things that, we are constantly being told, will constrain us. Women are told that being a wife or a mother "gets in the way" of true happiness. Men and women are told that sacrificing for others leads to unhappiness. The numbers, however, don't lie. Living unattached lives committed to individual autonomy is making us miserable. Of course, mental health struggles often inflict the righteous, too. Elijah, Martin Luther, and many others also battled inner demons. Still, whether the increased rates of mental health struggles are primarily physiological or due to self-inflicted circumstances, how we think about them matters. As author O. Alan Noble puts it, in moments of profound mental suffering, "getting out of bed is an act of worship": But when you choose to rise out of bed each day, you also set a table for your neighbor. You declare with your being and actions that life itself is good. Whether you like it or not, your life is a witness that testifies to the goodness of God. Worship, in fact, takes many forms: singing, teaching, reflecting, relating. This is because worship is a way of recognizing the meaning that God placed in His world and for His image bearers. In fact, worship is the meaning for which human beings were made. There is nothing more than to know and to glorify God. In His grace, He makes Himself known throughout His world. It is one of God's great mercies that, by fulfilling His purpose for us, we are able to know happiness, satisfaction, and meaning. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Maria Baer. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

If the language of yesterday is continually updated, how can we maintain an accurate grip on history? For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Only 3% of the world's population currently lives in a country whose birth rate isn't declining. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

To put all the weight of our humanness on consciousness is an erroneous idea that will have disastrous consequences For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

The emperor's real role in Christian history and what he didn't do at the Council of Nicaea. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

ADF has created a corporate index ranking companies on anti-Christian bias and John and Maria discuss John MacArthur's claim that "We Lose Down Here." For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Keeping adult explicit material out of children's libraries is common sense, not cancel culture. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Are we to get on board with the label or not let it drag us down? For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

A few weeks ago, one of the world's largest peddlers of pornography scored what they thought was a stunning victory for their cause. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org

Despite a government ruling suggesting the opposite, true religion takes place outside of church walls and should not be penalized. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit Colsoncenter.org