Social Concerns Archives

April 15, 2026April 13, 2026

Social Darwinism at Work

The African country of Nigeria is an interesting test case for examining the effects of social Darwinism at work. The root of Nigeria’s problems dates back to the late 19th century, when European countries met and divided up Africa. They were interested in the natural resources available on that continent and in the market opportunities for European products.

Great Britain gained control of what is now Nigeria, created by the amalgamation of some Islamic states into what became northern Nigeria. Some parts of the country were put under the control of Christians, but northern Nigeria was handed over to agnostics who believed in Darwinian evolution. The British government appointed Sir Frederick Lugard as governor of northern Nigeria in 1912. Lugard placed the leadership in the hands of radical and violent Islamists known as the Fulani, who were known for terrorizing and pillaging the peaceful Christian villages.

Frederick Lugard was not a fan of Islam, but with his Darwinian view, he felt that the Fulani were more evolved than the darker-skinned natives. He considered their lighter skin color to indicate they were farther up the ladder of evolution and therefore closer to the white race. This attitude was in keeping with that of Charles Darwin. Lugard’s wife, Flora, shared his opinion and compared black people to animals that needed to be managed as livestock.

While social Darwinism at work was destroying northern Nigeria, areas of Nigeria under Christian control prospered. In those areas, Africans held key positions in the administration not because of the shade of their skin but because of their skills. Christian missionaries had free access to establish schools and to promote modern agricultural and business practices.

In Nigeria, we have seen over many years the results of social Darwinism at work. Religious violence and persecution have resulted in more Christians being killed in Nigeria than in all other countries combined. A radical Islamic group called Boko Haram aims to establish Nigeria as an Islamic state. Since 1999, the Muslim-dominated northern Nigerian states have implemented strict Sharia law.

We can place the blame for Nigeria’s disorder on religious conflict between Muslims and Christians, but it really goes back to social Darwinism at work. As Christians, we believe, as the Bible teaches, that all people are created in God’s image and therefore equal and deserving of our respect. Evolution teaches the struggle for survival in which the strong dominate and even destroy the weak. Those who follow the teaching of Christ protect the weak, defend the oppressed, and care for the sick. Which of those philosophies creates a better country and a better world?

Reference: “The Nigerian Experiment” by Amanda Witt on salvomag.com

For more on this, read Darwin Comes to Africa by Olufemi Oluniyi

April 13, 2026April 11, 2026

Purpose in Life and Euthanasia

One of the greatest challenges in life is to know why we exist. For Christians, our existence has a clear purpose. The book of Job offers a clear picture of the war between good and evil, and Jesus Christ taught His followers that they would be active soldiers in that war. Ephesians 6:12 tells Christians, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 3:10 tells us that championing this struggle is the Church’s purpose. As a Christian, I can tell you that I have a purpose in life, and that makes my life full of meaning.

So, how do atheists explain their purpose for existing? For the young college student who is at the top of their game, the answer may be to enjoy the “survival of the fittest.” What is the answer for those who are not the “fittest”?

Noelia Castillo was a 25-year-old woman who ended her life against the wishes of her family, the Catholic Church, and the Spanish government. She spent her teenage years in a state-run foster care facility. She was sexually assaulted multiple times, including a gang rape, after which she jumped from a 5th-floor window, leaving her a paraplegic. She ended her life under a Spanish law that was intended for the elderly. Intellectuals are now debating what purpose in life she could have had.

Philosophers and psychologists can argue all they want, but the fact is, as a Christian, Noelia COULD have had a great purpose in life. How many young women in Spain have been raped or gang raped, and need to know that they can recover from that horror by someone who has been there? What influence could she have had on the Catholic Church?

In America, the debate is centered on “death with dignity.” Unless we present a purpose for living in the debate, we will never reach a real consensus. Your author is 88 years old and has his share of pain. To end my life prematurely would destroy a time in my life when I can uniquely speak to younger people about why their lives can be full of meaning. The key is to use the tools God has given all humans to make this world a better place in which to live.

Reference: The Week magazine, April 10, 2026, page 15.

March 19, 2026March 18, 2026

Impact of Marijuana on Neurological Development

Widespread marijuana use in the Western world has not been around long enough for its effects to be fully understood. Alcohol has been used much longer, and its destructive effects are well-documented. We are concerned about the impact of marijuana on neurological development in youth. Your author lives in a marijuana hub. Currently, in Buchanan and Niles, Michigan, there are 26 marijuana shops of various kinds. We see license plates from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin belonging to those purchasing marijuana and vape products.

Scientific data on the long-term effects of marijuana are starting to emerge. A recent study tracked the marijuana use of 460,000 young people in California from early adolescence until age 25. It revealed a significant impact of marijuana on neurological development. Thirty-three percent of users developed depression, and twenty-five percent needed treatment for anxiety. Compared to non-users, teens who used marijuana had much higher rates of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Dr. Lynn Silver, a pediatrician at the Public Health Institute, explains that marijuana significantly affects brain receptors, and she hopes their study will encourage kids to think twice before they vape or eat a gummy. She states, “With legalization, we’ve had a tremendous wave of the perception of marijuana as a safe, natural product to treat your stress with. That is simply not true.”

First Corinthians 3:16 says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God has His home in you? If anybody desecrates the temple of God, God will bring them to ruin, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” We see this principle playing out today in the impact of marijuana on neurological development in young people.

References: The Week for March 20, 2026, page 21, cedclinic.com, and healthday.com

March 9, 2026March 8, 2026

Euthanasia Is Not the Answer

One of the difficult questions facing all of us who are getting older is how we will die. CBN published an article on December 5, 2025, reporting that in Canada, 16,499 people have died through medical assistance. Canada’s Minister of Health, Marjorie Michel, released the Sixth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying, claiming it “protected those who are vulnerable, while supporting freedom of choice and personal autonomy.” Especially interesting are the reasons the report lists for why people received a government-provided terminal injection. These include loneliness, isolation, and feeling like a burden to family, friends, or caregivers. Euthanasia is not the answer, in Canada or anywhere else.

The Bible is very clear that God considers the body sacred. First Corinthians 3:16-17 states: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” One of the Church’s responsibilities is to address the causes that lead people to want to end their lives. In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus taught that His followers should care for those who are hungry, thirsty, without clothes, sick, or in prison. Acts 2:42-47 shows that the first-century Church met regularly and attended to one another’s needs.

I write this as a man who would be a candidate for euthanasia if I lived in Canada. I am 88 years old, have diabetes, severe arthritis that makes walking difficult, am in constant pain, and all my blood relatives, including my two younger brothers, have passed away. My wife of 49 years has also died, and I have remarried. Now I worry about being a burden to my second wife. I wear a “Do Not Resuscitate” necklace because I do not want to be revived if God is willing to take me home. I find joy in the ministry I have dedicated myself to for 60 years. I try to minimize the burden I place on my wife and friends, and I seek to ease their burden when I can, but euthanasia is not the answer.

The medical establishment can eliminate pain, and the Church can address everything else, allowing all of us to die with dignity. Those who reject God often have no purpose in life, and they seek answers to their mental, physical, and spiritual pain by destroying themselves. Euthanasia is not the answer. A much better solution would be to look at the evidence for God, become a Christian, and look forward to what He has prepared for us beyond this life.

Reference: cbn.com

February 25, 2026February 22, 2026

The Public School’s Job

The February 13, 2026, issue of Time magazine featured an article titled “Censored in the Classroom,” which told the story of Summer Boismier. She was dismissed from her position as a librarian and English teacher in Oklahoma public schools after she made controversial books available to her students. The article is quite biased, portraying Boismier as a victim and implying that the public school’s job is to have every book on every subject in its library.

As a retired public school teacher who spent 41 years at James Whitcomb Riley High School in South Bend, Indiana, I understand the struggles faced by teachers and parents raising teenagers into responsible adults. Oklahoma has tried to prevent easy access to pornographic material for adolescents, which was the cause of Boismier’s issues.

The question is, what is the public school’s job? I would suggest that public schools serve several key functions. One is to teach young people vital skills. Learning to read, write, do math, and understand science, history, and health should be their main priorities. Promoting knowledge of every LGBTQ sexual activity is not the job of the public school’s duty.

As a parent, I want my children to learn life skills that prepare them to become productive, stable, and happy adults. If they have questions about LGBTQ topics, I prefer they find answers at home. The root of this issue is that many parents wish to hand over parenting to schools and dismiss any standards based on religious beliefs. Consequently, concerned parents who can afford it send their children to private schools, while public schools tend to serve students from low-income families. Funding these schools with tax money raises additional concerns for parents. Various experiments are underway to address this, including charter schools, private school vouchers, and scholarships for students from low-income families.

Complicating the public school’s job and parental responsibility is the fact that much online material promotes harmful behaviors. The most important responsibility of parents is to raise their children to lead successful, productive lives that are pleasing to God (Ephesians 6:1-4).

Reference: Oklahomavoice.com

February 17, 2026February 11, 2026

Organ Harvesting of Assisted Suicide Victims

Today, in the Netherlands and Belgium, medically assisted euthanasia is legal, and anyone opting for assisted suicide may be contacted by an organ procurement organization. The same is happening in Canada, and some groups want to bring it to the United States. When medically assisted suicide becomes legal, it seems inevitable that it will lead to organ harvesting of assisted suicide victims.

Assisted suicide advocates suggest that if someone wants to die, their organs could be used to help others. Since they are going to die anyway, why not use their parts? When a country or state allows medically assisted suicide, it’s likely that organ harvesters will follow. When lethal injections are legalized, what stops someone from exploiting the mentally ill or disturbed, especially if there are benefits involved? What prevents abuse of the poor or vulnerable? “We will pay for medical technicians to end your life if you agree to sign your organs over to us. You won’t need them, and you won’t have any final expenses.”

So far, the trend of linking assisted suicide to organ harvesting has not gained wide acceptance in the United States, but it’s not certain that it won’t. Bioethics scholar Thaddeus Mason Pope has advocated for organ procurement organizations (OPOs) to be more aggressive in obtaining organs from patients seeking medical assistance in dying (MAiD). The thought is that people who are seeking MAiD but are not terminally ill might have better organs. Instead of letting people commit suicide on their own, do it in a hospital where the organs could be harvested immediately.

The Christian belief is that every life is sacred, and we do everything possible to save lives. When society begins to treat some human lives as worthless and human bodies as commodities to be traded, where does it end? Organ harvesting from assisted suicide victims is adding grease to a slippery slope with no bottom. The consequences are disastrous for a civilized society. Do we want to live in that kind of world?

Reference: medicalfutility.blogspot.com

January 23, 2026January 17, 2026

Marriage and Contentment

It has been said that people need three things to be content: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. The biblical institution of marriage dates back to God’s statement in Genesis 2:18: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” A study conducted by Dr. Brad Wilcox, professor of sociology and director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, has confirmed that statement. There is a strong link between marriage and contentment.

The number of people living alone is increasing quickly, and the study finds that this is a major reason for the decline in national happiness. One possible cause for this trend is that some people see marriage as linked to religious belief, yet over 40% of Americans claim no religious affiliation. Additionally, there has been a rise in the number of divorced individuals.

The survey indicates that happiness is closely tied to marriage and family. Married men between 18 and 55 report being about twice as happy as their unmarried counterparts, whereas unmarried fathers are the least happy. Married women with children report the highest happiness levels, while single mothers are the least happy. The research shows a 30-percentage-point gap in happiness levels between married and unmarried Americans. According to the study, marital status has a greater impact on happiness than income, education, race, or location. It also notes that those who cohabited before marriage have a significantly higher divorce rate. Marriage was defined as a legal contract between a man and a woman.

In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus responded to a question from the Pharisees about marriage and divorce. He said that God created humans male and female and that marriage involves the two becoming one flesh. This description is not sexual but pertains to God’s plan for contentment and happiness. The studies by Wilcox and others have confirmed the validity of God’s plan and demonstrate the connection between marriage and contentment.

Reference: “Who Is Happiest?” Institute for Family Studies

January 9, 2026December 31, 2025

The Unchurching of America?

American news website Axios featured an article by Russell Contreras titled “The Great Unchurching of America.” It begins with the statement, “The U. S. is undergoing its fastest religious shift in modern history.” The article notes a “rapid increase in the religiously unaffiliated” and “numerous church closures nationwide.” Is there an “unchurching of America?”

The article points out that “nearly three in 10 American adults today identify as religiously unaffiliated” (Also called “nones “). That figure rises to four in ten among Americans aged 18-29. According to a Gallup survey, 57% of Americans “seldom or never attend religious services, ” up from 40% in 2000. According to the article, 15,000 churches will shut their doors this year, while only a few thousand are expected to open. This results in empty buildings that were once community gathering places for AA meetings, town halls, or voting precincts. These abandoned buildings are difficult to sell.

It seems to me that many of the abandoned church buildings are affiliated with liberal denominations that have abandoned the gospel message. The article mentions that megachurches remain stable. Perhaps that is because they can offer more for families than small, aging churches. As we have said before, the church is not a building.

Are we witnessing the unchurching of America, or is this a shift away from religious liberalism toward more conservative, biblical Christian values? Could this also signal a return to political conservatism? Axios notes that only 12% of Republicans identify as religiously unaffiliated, compared to 34% of Democrats.

Axios asserts that “There is no widespread academic or mainstream evidence of a large-scale national religious awakening.” Time will reveal whether this so-called “unchurching of America” reflects a genuine loss of faith or an abandonment of hollow churches that have become mere social clubs, lacking belief in basic biblical truths. A return to fundamental biblical Christian faith and a renewed focus on evangelism and sharing that faith may be on the horizon.

Reference: Axios.com